‘Affordable’ 176-Unit Senior Housing Complex Coming To Newark

NEWARK, NJ — A ceremony was held last week to announce a new, “affordable 176-unit senior citizen housing community” on South 13th Street in Newark to be known as Highland Views.

Mayor Ras Baraka joined officials from the Newark Housing Authority and other supporters to launch the demolition of 48 units at the vacant, 2.3-acre public housing site formerly known as West Side Village (watch a video of the groundbreaking here).

According to a statement from Baraka’s office:

“Highland Views will be a state-of-the-art, modern affordable senior community with the latest amenities such as a media, computer, library and fitness rooms. It will also incorporate a green space concept with views of West Side Park. The two-phase development will be built through a public/private partnership between the Newark Housing Authority and MAR Acquisition Group LLC of Elizabeth ... The affordable complex quadruples the amount of pre-existing affordable units, and will house a wellness room for doctors, nurses, and practitioners to meet individually with residents and provide on-site medical services. Five units will also be set aside for residents currently without addresses.”

“The Housing Authority and its Board of Commissioners are grateful to get to this point of the development process,” Housing Authority Chairwoman Norma Gonzalez said. “We are also ecstatic for the West Side Park neighborhood as we see this project as an anchor for redevelopment of the entire neighborhood.”

Baraka said that abandoned buildings can become dangerous eyesores, creating an unhealthy and unsafe environment for local residents.

“Furthermore, we need quality affordable housing for our senior citizens,” Baraka said. “This development will enable us to address both these critical issues at the same time, creating a city we can be proud of. I congratulate the Newark Housing Authority and its partners on this major initiative.”

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