Morris Avenue
Summit
Summit Interfaith & Community Build
People from across the Summit area are coming together to address one of the city’s most challenging problems-the lack of affordable housing, particularly for first-time home buyers. This affordable housing project is a collaborative effort between the City of Summit, the Summit Affordable Housing Corporation and Morris Habitat for Humanity to construct a two-story six-plex of for-sale condominiums on Morris Avenue near Orchard Street and the historic Wallace Chapel AME Zion Church. The building will be perpendicular to Morris Avenue, with the street view having the appearance of a single-family home. A large area in the back will be used for green space or a playground. Each unit will consist of a single-level townhouse with two or three bedrooms, living room, dining room and two bathrooms. The units will be sold in the range of $81,591-134,952 for the two-bedroom units and $115,683-$177,345 for the three-bedroom units. Thirty-year deed restrictions allow modest equity upon resale, but mandate that the units only be sold to qualifying low and moderate-income families in accordance with state COAH guidelines.
The total cost of the project is $1,365,900. The city will contribute $530,000 from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for property acquisition. The remaining $836,000 will be raised through the collaborative efforts of the Summit Affordable Housing Corporation, Morris Habitat and faith-based congregations from in and around the Summit area through grants, donations of materials and services, and various fund-raising events. Area congregations and the community are already participating in this exciting collaborative effort (the first in Summit in 25 years), as approximately $350,000 of the $836,000 needed has been raised in pledges, donations, a Community Development HOME grant, and in-kind contributions.
Fund-raising sponsors include Raise the Roof Kickoff Event Sponsor “Friends of Summit,” Gold Sponsors TheAlternativePress.com, Celgene and Investors Savings Bank, and Partner Sponsors Hilltop Community Bank, Point View Financial Services, Somerset Hills Bank and Summit Build & Design, LLC.
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Organization and planning for Morris Habitat’s second Interfaith Build is the responsibility of the Interfaith Build Steering Committee, co-chaired by Dave Reiley and Blair Schleicher Bravo, executive director of Morris Habitat for Humanity. As of August 2009, participating congregations include:
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Calvary Episcopal Church |
St. John’s Lutheran Church |
Project Director Louis A. Riccio, executive director of the Summit Housing Authority, will work in cooperation with Richard Poole, chair of the Summit Affordable Housing Corp., and Rev. Dennison Herrield, pastor of Wallace Chapel and chair of the Summit Ecumenical Council. Project team members who are donating professional services include Sean Monaghan, Esq., of Drinker, Biddle & Reath; environmental consultant Maser Consulting; Fred Stewart, P.E., P.L.S., of Stewart Surveying & Engineering; Seth Leeb, A.I.A., of Seth A. Leeb Architects; Richard Smith, P.L.S., of Richard Smith Surveying; Jan-Marie Traynor, CLA, of County College of Morris; and professional planner Bruce Katona, AICP/PP.
Homeowner application forms must be submitted by July 30, 2010. The successful applicants will have incomes less than 80% of the area’s median income and will put 300 hours of sweat equity labor into the project. After existing structures are removed, a groundbreaking ceremony is planned for September 2010 with construction completion projected for December 2011.
View the tri-fold FAQ brochure (Nov. 2009) for answers to your questions.
- View the Raise the Roof Kickoff photo album in a new window.