For over 20 years, JCECDC has been a key partner in Jersey City’s efforts to provide more affordable housing and to revitalize blighted neighborhoods. To date, the agency has completed 178 units of affordable housing and provides safe and quality housing and first time home buyer education to over 500 Jersey City residents annually.

In 1993, JCECDC completed its first project with "Resurrection House", which transformed an abandoned school building into 28 units of low income housing. Resurrection House was the first development completed in the Monticello Avenue Redevelopment Plan. In the late 1990s, in partnership with Landex Corporation and the City of Jersey City, JCECDC acquired 44 lots in the Greenville neighborhood and developed them into 44 two family homes, known as Mid City 1 and 2, providing 88 units of low income rental housing. This project covered a 10 block radius and provided tremendous momentum for stabilizing the neighborhood. Since 2004, the Division of Housing and Community Development has grown from 1 staff person and 4 affordable housing units in the development pipeline to 5 staff with a real estate pipeline of 130 units of affordable housing with $28Million in development Costs. Of this pipeline, 44 units have been completed, 21 under construction, 25 in predevelopment to break ground in the next 12 months and 40 units in planning to break ground in 2012.   

The Division of Housing and Community Development is responsible for the asset management of 116 low income tax credit units and the development of a new pipeline of 200 units between 2008-2012. Our professional staff manages all the phases of the real estate development process including concept development, feasibility studies, site acquisition, financial packaging, project management, and sales rent-up

Link to John Restrepo Bio

Senior Project Manager- Shantel Asante-Kissi specializes in Single Family and Multi-Family Affordable Housing Development and has been responsible for development activities from a project’s inception to completion, including site and funding identification, team selection, and sales to lease-up.   Shantel served as a Community Development Planner and Project Manager for 2 regional non-profit housing agencies. Additionally, Shantel worked for Equity Residential Properties and AIMCO, two of the nation’s largest Real Estate Investment Trust companies doing property management.  Shantel joined the JCECDC after accumulating years of management and development experience. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts from Lawrence University, Shantel received her Master’s in Public Administration from UNC Charlotte. Shantel has been a leader in our efforts to develop 2 family housing for first time buyers.

Ricardo Rosario- Ricardo is responsible for spearheading the agency’s efforts under the Greenville Neighborhood Stabilization Program and the completion of our mixed use developments on Monticello Avenue.  Ricardo is a former certified NJ Contractor and has received Housing Rehab Specialist accreditation from the Trainer’s Guild.  Prior to working JCECDC Ricardo was a partner in Renovation Property Development and responsible for the acquisition, rehab and resale of several 1 and 2 family homes.  Mr. Rosario has a BA from Rutgers University.