NEWARK, NJ — Before she built her real estate and restaurant empire in Essex County, Adenah Bayoh escaped a civil war in Liberia and grew up living in public housing. Meanwhile, Octavia Frazier-Porter – a seasoned educator and community organizer – grew up struggling with poverty across the Hudson River. And together, they have firsthand experience with the need for more affordable housing in Newark.
Now, Bayoh and Frazier-Porter are trying to create a “first” for the city’s South Ward with the launch of a woman-and-Black-owned real estate project they’ve dubbed Southside View.
On Tuesday, the pair announced their plans to build a “100 percent affordable” apartment building at 654-668 South 11th Street. If it comes to fruition, the proposed five-story building would transform an underutilized parcel near the corner of Springfield Avenue into homes for 40 families with “low and very low incomes.”
The developers released some details about their plan in a news release:
“The community will comprise six one-bedroom, 24 two-bedroom, and 10 three-bedroom apartment homes. Thirty-four apartments will be reserved for households with incomes of 60% Area Median Income (AMI) or less, five apartments will be reserved for homeless households, and one superintendent’s unit will be non-income restricted. Southside View’s design and programming have been tailored to the needs of the community.”
The building would be more than a place to live, it would be a place to grow, they added:
“Supportive services offered to residents will include job training, financial management and credit counseling, as well as health, wellness, and counseling programs. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, having reliable access to high-speed internet has become a growing equity issue. To address this hurdle, residents of Southside View will have access to free high-speed internet on site and in-unit. Each unit will include central heating and air conditioning and luxury vinyl flooring. Residents will have access to free on-site parking and laundry facilities as well as a beautifully designed community center for programmed activities and an on-site management/leasing office. To foster a healthy living environment for residents and lower operating costs and maintenance needs, energy saving measures will be incorporated into the building’s design. These will include energy-efficient refrigerators, stovetops, ovens, and dishwashers. The development is expected to earn green building certification through the New Jersey Energy Star program.”
Notably, the project has applied for a 9 percent Low Income Housing Tax Credit. If awarded by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, Southside View would be the first woman-owned and Black-owned real estate development entity in New Jersey to receive this beneficial funding, Bayoh and Frazier-Porter said.
Bayoh’s involvement with the project gives it a leg up. Since 2012, she has developed 373 units of rental housing, including 251 of restricted affordable units financed by federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Affordable housing represents 67 percent of Bayoh’s total development portfolio to date.
After opening four IHOP franchises in northern New Jersey – and becoming the “second-largest employer in Irvington” – Bayoh teamed up with fellow entrepreneur Zadie B. Smith, to develop concepts for two original restaurants: Cornbread, a fast-casual purveyor of farm-to-table soul food, and Urban Vegan, which serves plant-based comfort food made with locally sourced ingredients. Read More: Weequahic High School Alum, Business Owner Is Making Her Mark In Newark
Southside View would be the first project on which Bayoh is the lead developer, however. And it’s one that is near and dear to her heart.
“Affordable housing finance in New Jersey has a blind spot when it comes to race and gender,” said Bayoh, who grew up living in public housing and attended public schools in Newark.
“Newark needs projects like Southside View, both to help the city reach its five-year plan of creating 6,660 new affordable housing units and to bridge the disparity, especially the racial disparity, of who gets to decide what gets built in our community and how,” she continued.
Bayoh said she feels compelled to use her platform as a community leader to bring attention to “the lack of Black women in affordable housing development.”
“It is my hope that by receiving this tax credit, I can inspire other women and girls to enter this sector and change the lives of families across the country,” Bayoh said. “The affordable housing crisis isn’t just a New Jersey issue, it’s an American issue.”
Frazier-Porter also has deep Essex County ties, according to a news release. She is an adjunct professor at Essex County College and has previously worked in the Newark public school system as director of college counseling.
Other members of the development team include architectural firm Kitchen and Associates, Grant Engineering and Construction Group, municipal attorney Connell Foley, professional property management MMS Group, and housing consultant Monarch Housing Associates.
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