When Ida Lynn James walked into her renovated apartment, she was floored.
Her home at 225 Hunterdon St. in Newark recently underwent a top-to-bottom makeover of everything from flooring to bathroom fixtures and kitchen appliances to new doors and windows.
“They changed everything,” she said. “I was like wow, they did a good job.”
As part a multi-million dollar housing rehabilitation project, New Community is currently renovating its affordable housing units occupied by families. Earlier this year, NCC completed its first phase of the massive project, which involved renovating the high-rise building known as New Community Manor Senior at 545 Orange St. in Newark. In total, the entire rehab project will result in significant home improvements for more than 500 low-income residents in Newark.
James, 28, lives in a two-bedroom apartment with her 7-year-old daughter at New Community Manor Family on Hunterdon Street. Her favorite parts of the upgrades to her apartment, where she has lived for four years, are the new closet doors, which are easier to open and close, and the “fully redone bathroom,” she said.
In order for the construction to take place, James said that she temporarily relocated from her apartment to a nearby vacant unit for about five days. New Community Environmental Services is working with NCC’s Chelsea Construction Management, which is providing the project management services for the general contractor, Claremont Construction. The rehabilitation of the mid-rise complexes and townhouse units will also include building-wide improvements, such as new roofing, heating systems and landscaping.
After seeing her beautifully redone apartment, James said that she is excited to see the rest of her complex undergo a similar transformation.
“I’m just looking forward to the rest of the change,” she said.
