Groundbreaking Ceremony for La Casa de Don Pedro

On Wednesday, December 16, 2015 the Housing Authority of the City of East Orange joined Mayor Lester E. Taylor III, along with representatives from both the city and La Casa de Don Pedro, for a Groundbreaking Ceremony at the corner of Eaton Place and 15th Street in East Orange.

This event marks the start of construction of the new project, which will begin in the first quarter of 2016. The project provides a unique opportunity for potential homebuyers to own new quality homes at an affordable price for sale through La Casa de Don Pedro.

Those looking to purchase the new homes will be able to take advantage of a $25,000 grant towards the purchase of the home provided by the City of East Orange. Income limits for the homes are based on household size.

Valerie Jackson, Director of Policy, Planning and Development, is looking to replicate the same success as the Lower Broadway area in Newark, which included such residential and commercial developments as investment in a commercial corridor, façade and streetscape standards, affordable and market rate housing and the renovation of foreclosed properties into viable community assets. Raymond Ocasio, Executive Director of La Casa de Don Pedro, is glad to expand the city’s existing partnership with this new venture.

The Housing Authority of the City of East Orange were commended several times during the ceremony for their partnership with the City of East Orange which involves purchasing and developing property for mixed use and affordable housing which will add to homebuyer opportunities along with the use of our HUD funded agency participant programming that will lend to aid assist homebuyers in the process and funding.

Mr. Wilbert Gill, CPA, PHM and Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of East Orange is looking to the future of the expansion of our development arm of our agency in working with the City of East Orange and great projects such as this ground breaking with La Casa De Don Pedro.

Accompanied by his newly appointed Director of Operations, Elena D. Coley, M.A., she looks forward to expanding homeownership opportunities and working with the City of East Orange, as she has in the past to continue to secure the use of the generous $25,000 down payment program and to expand HUD programming that will allow for continued services to residents.