Resident Services

A part of Newark Housing Authority’s mission is to invest in its families in order to promote economic self-sufficiency and build healthier communities. The objectives and goals of The Family Services Divisions (FSD) are to provide the means, opportunities and supportive services necessary to achieve that mission. FSD seeks to form linkage agreements with service providers that will provide our resident population with education, training, counseling, employment opportunities and medical attention.

Through a network of community partners and a referral process, services are made readily accessible to our residents. NHA offers a number of programs through partnerships to help meet the needs of its residents and help them achieve the goal of self-sufficiency. Some of these programs prepare them to join the workforce through basic adult education and/or skills training, or through seminars and workshops on how to better manage household finances. Other programs provide counseling services to help residents meet challenges. Please take a tour of this information and familiarize yourself with our menu of services. We are certain that you will find something for everyone.

Resident Services: Youth Recreation

Our Recreation Unit is based at 500 Broad Street and is available to assist our youth on site or off site with special events throughout the year. Services include but are not limited to the following:

  • Black History Celebration

The Resident Services Division has the pleasure of hosting the NHA’s Annual “Black History Celebration”. We invite the residents and children throughout our properties to attend this event. 

  • Bring Your Daughter & Son To Work

The Resident Services Division hosts this annual event.  The event is usually held at 500 Broad Street and our future leaders get to experience what a day at NHA is all about>.

  • HUD’s National Family Day Event

In collaboration with the City of Newark and supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Resident Services Division hosts this annual event. This affair brings out all of the residents residing at our properties and throughout the city for a family fun day.

  • Summer Camps at Several Sites

The NHA partners with the City of Newark, The Waterfront, The Club House and other neighboring agencies to sponsor a six (6) week summer camp from July-August.  The children’s ages range from six (6) to 13 years old.  The camp sessions are held from 9:00am – 4:00pm.  Free breakfast and lunch is provided by the state approved vendor Sun Up Program.

The children experience a wide range of Educational, Entertainment, Recreational Activities and Empowerment.  These activities include but are not limited to: robotics, music and media production, arts and crafts, computers, basketball, soccer, rock climbing, movie trips, fitness and dance.

  • Back To School Events

The Resident Services Division closes out the youth summer programs by preparing book bags filled with school supplies.  The bags are usually distributed with a BBQ and a full day of fun activities.          

  • Halloween Safety Initiative

The Resident Services Division and the Tenant Association from the family sites collaborate to present a Halloween Safety Initiative Workshop at the community rooms. We prepare flyers and deliver boxes with word puzzles, candy, juice and other fun treats.

  • Christmas Toy Drive

The Resident Services Division hosts the Agency’s Annual Toy Drive.  We organize an Employee’s Toy Drive from November – December. We collect toys for children ages varying from infant to 14 years old and distribute them at our Holiday Party.

 

Resident Services: Family Self-Sufficiency

NHA's Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program helps reduce the dependency of low-income families on TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), federal, state, and/or local subsidies. To date, many families have graduated from FSS - embarking on rewarding careers in a range of fields. FSS graduates have used their savings for down payments on homes, to pay for schooling, to purchase cars, to pay off debt and more.

How the Program Works

FSS is open to Housing Choice Voucher Program participants who are in good standing and have a genuine desire to change. Under the program, the head of household works with a case manager to establish goals and develop a personalized action plan to meet those goals. Services are tailored to the participant's needs and include: skills assessment, GED preparation, career planning, computer literacy and skills training, money management workshops, child care referrals and credit repair workshops.

One of the most attractive components of the program is a savings program. As FSS participants reach their goals, and their earned income increases, NHA deposits an amount matching the increase into an escrow account. Once FSS participants achieve all of their established goals, including maintaining full-time employment, they receive all of the money in the account, plus interest. Participation in the FSS Program is voluntary, but strongly recommended for NHA public housing residents. Once a participant is accepted into the FSS program, he/she must sign a Contract of Participation and together with NHA staff, will develop an Individual Training and Service Plan (ITSP).

The term of the Contract of Participation is up to five (5) years, or until the participant reaches his/her goals. During that time, participants must accomplish the goals identified by their ITSP. Participants are advised to complete an educational program (degree or job training), and seek and maintain a job.

Completion of the FSS Program is a great way to create a better life for you and your family.

Benefits of the FSS program include:

  • Personal counseling
  • Career counseling
  • Educational counseling
  • Educational seminars/workshops (e.g., nutrition, parenting skills, GED preparation, ESL, money management and obtaining the proper basic skills and education needed to enter the workplace through NHA's Workforce Learning Link program).
  • Networking
  • Job Preparation assistance
  • Assistance with educational institution and financial aid applications
  • Assistance with defaulted student loan situations
  • Assistance with credit repair
  • Group activities
  • FSS Escrow accounts
  • Homeownership counseling
  • Referral services
 

Resident Services: Senior Programs

Case Management

Newark Housing Authority’s social service staff coordinates and sponsors an Annual Health Fair, educational monthly workshops/events, which may include topics relating to health care, financial education, consumer fraud, and digital literacy. Educational monthly workshops are also provided on-site at our Senior and Disabled sites by different local agencies and providers.  The social service staff is available to assist our senior and young disabled residents.  Services include but are not limited to the following:

  • Providing general case management which includes intake, home visits, assessment and education
  • Identifying resident’s needs and coordinating or referring residents to service providers in the local community for medical transportation, mental health, home health aide services, child & elder abuse/neglect and substance abuse
  • Working closely with property managers providing supportive services so residents can remain lease compliant and manage their household needs
  • Completing documentation for resident, such as:
    • Medicaid Application
    • Heap Application
    • SNAP (Food Stamps)
    • Home Health Aide

Social Security Outreach

This annual outreach program, provided by the Social Security Administration in collaboration with the New Jersey Medicaid office, provides information to our residents pertaining to eligibility and concerns regarding entitlements.

Crime Prevention and Fire Safety Program

The City of Newark's Police and Fire Department visit senior sites annually to lead workshops regarding general safety tips and fire prevention.

Health & Wellness

On-Site Medical Clinics

The medical clinics provide health care services to our residents. The clinics are open Monday-Friday at the following locations:

  • New Community Health Center,101 Ludlow Street, Newark, NJ
  • Beth Israel Medical Center at James C. White Manor, 516 Bergen Street, Newark, NJ
  • Rutgers Medical Clinic at Hyatt Court,11 Hawkins Court, Newark, NJ 
  • Pennington Court, 173 Pennington Court, Newark, NJ 

Hobbies & Recreation

   

On-Site Activities

Many of our senior sites have been renovated in the past year. We have paid special attention to our community rooms, where residents can participate in arts and crafts programs and regular bingo games.

A number of these lounges now have billiard tables, fireplaces and widescreen televisions.

Pool, Cards, and Chess Tournaments

NHA sponsors various in-house annual tournaments at senior sites, usually in the fall. If you would like to participate, please contact your Tenant Association president.

Food & Nutrition

Farmer's Market (Seasonal)

Residents are invited to participate. Transportation is provided by Essex County Transportation. It is a great way to buy fresh-picked fruits and vegetables directly from local growers. The market is open June through November. For more information see your Tenant Association president.

Food Stamps Program

NHA may schedule an on-site enrollment day or you may to go to the central office located at 18 Rector Street, Newark. Only eligible residents will receive food stamps.

Food for a Better Mood

In order to assure that our residents never suffer from hunger, the Newark Housing Authority and the Community Food Bank of New Jersey have established a relationship, which allows us to create a community service linkage program to distribute food to our residents on a monthly basis.

Non-profit organizations served by the Community Food Bank provide food assistance to as many as 537,000 low-income people in the state each year. Many of the households that are being served include at least one employed adult. At the end of each month, most of our NHA tenant associations receive their food distribution from the Community Food Bank. Residents are advised of the date, time and location of distribution. An increasing number of residents are currently receiving food from twenty different participating associations.

Shopping Trips

NHA operates a fleet of two (2) 20-passenger buses to transport residents of our senior developments to local supermarkets twice a week. Residents at family sites are transported once a week. Schedules may be found at your manager's office or posted in the main lobby.

Resident Services: Tenant Organizations

Tenant Associations

Each tenant association is an independent non-profit corporation. They are guided by by-laws and site specific house rules. There are 24 public housing tenant association at the various NHA properties that are funded by Annual Contribution Contract set-aside funds. The amount of funding is $25.00 for each occupied unit subject to pro-ration.

The tenant associations are required by their by-laws, Funding Agreement (FA) and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to hold nine (9) meetings per year if they are Senior/Mix Population Development or Family Development. Scattered Site Developments are required to hold six (6) meetings per year. At these meetings, members report information received from the Resident Advisory Board’s (RAB) monthly meeting and compile management concerns received from the residents of their communities. These Issues and Concerns are reported to the RAB and entered into the record for NHA Management to address in writing. The TA’s are required to submit monthly reports i.e. financial treasurer’s report on their monthly spending and their minutes of their monthly meetings with their residents.

The Family Services Division Tenant Affairs Unit interacts directly with duly elected tenant association officers to promote and encourage residents’ active involvement in all aspects of NHA’s mission and operation.

Resident Advisory Board

The Reform Act of 1998, (also known as the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act or QHWRA), requires each public housing authority with over 250 units to establish a Resident Advisory Board (RAB) that reflects and represents the residents assisted by the public housing agency. NHA’s RAB consists of each duly elected TA’s recognized by NHA. In accordance with 24 CFR Part 903 – Public Housing Agency Plans section 903.13 Resident Advisory Board and what is its role in development of the Annual Plan. The role of the RAB is to assist and make recommendations regarding the development of the PHA plan, and any significant amendment or modification to the PHA plan.

The RAB meets eleven months of the year (off during the month of August) on the Third Wednesday of the month at 4:00 pm. The meetings are open to the public however; the procedure for speaking at a RAB meeting is limited to the representative of a duly elected and recognized tenant association.

Community Room Attendants Program

The primary purpose of Community Room Attendant volunteers is to perform attendant duties at NHA senior/mixed development community room for three (3) and four (4) hour shifts, Monday through Saturday, or unless otherwise designated by the sponsoring tenant association and agreed to by Asset Manager.

The community room attendants are required to monitor the activities of residents and guest entering the room. To accomplish this, attendants must perform their duties in an efficient, honest and business-like manner. An attendant constantly exhibits exemplary customer service. 

Collaboration between the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, NHA and the Tenant Associations

The Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), a member of Feeding America, distributes food, provides education and training, develops programs to help hungry people throughout the state, and engages all sectors of society in this mission.

Since their incorporation in 1982, they have grown in both the size and scope of operation. More than 4.7 million times a year, someone in need is fed by the network of partner charities. With the help of so many caring individuals, corporations, foundations, houses of worship, schools and community groups, they have distributed some 600 million pounds of food valued at roughly one billion dollars.

In calibration with NHA and the Tenant Associations, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey is servicing several of our Tenant Associations throughout the city. The TA’s receiving commodities are as follows:

Stephen Crane Elderly NJ2-22 D
Baxter Terrace Elderly NJ2-22B
James C. White Manor NJ2-25
Seth Boyden Elderly NJ2-21E
Kretchmer Homes Elderly NJ2-21A
Bradley Court NJ2-14
Pennington Court NJ2-2