Monarch's Experience

One of the keys to Monarch Housing Associates success has been a highly motivated and talented staff. Since the inception in 1990, the staff has committed themselves to working with the Board of Trustees as well as the project sponsors to insure that every possible opportunity for supportive housing can be achieved in New Jersey. Monarch, the sponsors and the tenants of the more than one thousand seven hundred and three (1,703) units of supportive housing could not do without the members of these four dedicated teams.

Ending Homelessness Team

On May 25th, 2006 the Ending Homelessness Team at Monarch Housing Associates proudly submitted eleven Continuum of Care applications to HUD on behalf of Bergen, Camden, Cape May, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Warren Counties. This is a significant accomplishment for Monarch, and represents an increase of four counties over last year’s seven.  In total, the applications requested $16,664,789 in federal homeless assistance grants that would create one hundred seventeen (117) new units of affordable, permanent, and supportive housing for Chronically Homeless individuals throughout the state.  Each application was the final product of the individual County’s unique, yearlong planning process in which Monarch was intricately involved.

Monarch Housing submitted applications on behalf of eleven counties in 2006 and has continued to serve an effective role in maximizing the level of funding for these Continuums of Care. Of the top ten (10) Continuums, Monarch's Ending Homelessness Team worked with seven (7) including for the third year in a row the top ranked project in NJ. The Average Score increase for CoC’s working with Monarch was 2.8. The Average Rank increase for CoC’s working with Monarch was 1.7.  Although the Ending Homelessness Team only worked with 52% of the state, 55% of the state's funding was received by those eleven (11) CoC's.  In total Monarch assisted in bringing in over sixteen million dollars ($16,000,000) for the eleven counties which will result in the creation of eighty-nine (89) new permanent housing units for the chronically homeless and the continued operation of numerous other existing housing projects.

On June 15, 2007 Monarch will submit Continuum of Care applications on behalf of fourteen (14) counties.  In total, the applications are requesting $21,231,205 in federal homeless assistance grants that would create one hundred twenty-nine (129) new units of Permanent housing for the chronically homeless, twelve (12) units for homeless individuals and five (5) units for homeless families.  Each application was the final product of the individual County’s unique, yearlong planning process in which Monarch was intricately involved.

In addition to the extensive work on the Continuum of Care applications, The Ending Homelessness Team has spent a significant portion of the year developing Ten Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness.  Over the past year, Monarch served as the consultant to both Hudson and Passaic Counties.  These plans represent an intensive year long planning process that took place in each county which was inclusive of numerous stakeholders and elected officials.  Both plans are expected to be approved and publicly announced in the summer of 2007.  Monarch has already started working with Middlesex and Bergen Counties to start developing their plans as well.

Monarch Housing Associate’s Ending Homelessness team also served as the lead organizer for several statewide efforts directed towards ending homelessness in the state.  These include planning and organizing the first ever statewide Project Homeless Connect.  This event was enormously successful, serving a total of five thousand one hundred and twelve (5,112) individuals statewide.  In addition Monarch is spearheading the effort to enact legislation within the state which would allow individuals counties to set up Homeless Trust Funds.  These trust funds would serve as a valuable source of supportive service, operating, rental assistance and/or capital funding to create new permanent housing for the homeless across the state.

Housing Development Team

The Housing Development Team works with nonprofits to develop permanent housing for special needs individuals, families with low incomes, and senior citizens.  Our consulting services include assistance with site selection; assembling the development team; creating a viable project concept; preparing and monitoring development timelines; schematic design review; preparing financial projections; obtaining predevelopment, construction and permanent financing; applying for project-based rent subsidies; and oversight of unit lease-up.

We have experience helping our clients develop a wide variety of housing projects, including small building additions, the new construction of multifamily apartments, and the conversion and adaptive re-use of commercial buildings.  Our projects usually involve multiple layers of financing from local, state, federal and private funding.  Some of these funding sources include: Low Income Housing Tax Credits, NJ Special Needs Housing Trust Fund, HOME, CDBG, NJ Balanced Housing, NJ Home Express, HUD McKinney, HUD 202, and the Federal Home Loan Bank. Monarch also works with sponsors to secure funding for project-based rental subsidies from sources such as HUD McKinney, the State Rental Assistance Program and Project-Based Section 8 vouchers.

Current housing projects under construction include:

1. A thirty (30) unit project for youth aging out of the foster care system in Glassboro, NJ. (new construction; 4% tax credits & NJ Special Needs Housing Trust Fund)
   
2. A fifteen (15) unit project for single adults with mental illness in Paterson, NJ. (new construction; 9% tax credits & NJ Special Needs Housing Trust Fund.

Current housing projects under development include:

1. A twenty-four (24) unit project for single adults with mental illness in East Orange, NJ. (adaptive re-use; 9% tax credits & NJ Special Needs Housing Trust Fund)
   
2. A thirty-three (33) unit project for senior citizens with low incomes in Leonia, NJ. (new construction; HUD 202 & 4% tax credits)
   
3. A fifty-one (51) unit project for homeless persons and households with low incomes in Paterson, NJ. (adaptive re-use; 9% tax credits & NJ Special Needs Housing Trust Fund)
   
4. An eight (8) unit project for homeless persons in Union City, NJ.  (NJ Special Needs Housing Trust Fund & County HOME)
   
   

HUD Section 811 Development Team

The Section 811 Development Team at Monarch Housing Associates has worked with more than thirty (30) not-for-profit organizations to develop housing for persons with disabilities through this program since 1989.  The Team is currently working on the development of thirty five (35) projects, which will create one hundred ninety-five (195) units of housing, scattered over fifty-five (55) sites, throughout the state of New Jersey.

The projects not only provide supportive housing but also come with a Project Based Rental Assistance Contract, to help maintain the homes and keep them affordable for a forty year period.

The Section 811 Development Team had a record year working with the HUD Newark Program Center during 2006.  The HUD Newark Program Center ranked number one in the nation for closing Section 811 projects.  The Newark Program Center closed eighteen initial closings during 2006 with Monarch Housing serving as the consultant on fourteen of the eighteen closings and Monarch Housing serving as the consultant on four final closings out of the thirteen the HUD Program Center closed.   The Section 811 Development Team is serving as a consultant on the anticipated twenty-one (21) final closings and five (5) initial closings this year at the HUD Newark Program Center.  It is anticipated that 2007 should also be a banner year for the HUD Newark Program Center and the Section 811 Development Team.   All of these closings have and will create permanent, affordable, accessible and supportive housing for individuals with disabilities. 

Project Management Team

The Project Management Team at Monarch Housing Associates provides management and consulting services to Not for Profit agencies with the development of their supportive housing initiatives. The Team coordinates the site selection, design and construction process with the two Development Teams at Monarch.

Currently the Project Management Team is working on numerous projects in each stage of the development process, as well as fourteen (14) projects that are under construction.  The projects range in scope, size and location, and include rehabilitation to a single family home for $80,000 to new construction of apartment buildings for approximately $4,000,000.  The projects are located throughout the state, from Cape May in the southeast to Passaic in the Northeast, to Warren in the Northwest and Camden in the south west of the State.  Over the balance of the year, we anticipate starting work on an additional six (6) projects; managed by the Project Management Team.  The goal of the Team is to complete projects on time and within budget, without sacrificing quality of the end product, the Home.

As of July 1, 2008, our new office address will be:

29 Alden Street Suite 1B
Cranford, NJ 07016-2156

Please update your records to indicate this change.