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Bridges ends homelessness through street outreach and intensive case management focusing on health, housing, and independence. The organization, under the leadership of Richard Uniacke, has been a key partner in the Housing, Not Handcuffs campaign to end the criminalization, providing testimony across the state to preserve the rights of our most vulnerable neighbors. These efforts to fight back against local homeless criminalization ordinances have been effective in many NJ communities. Bridges’ advocacy for establishing a Code Red program and funding for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund was essential to both efforts, resulting in the creation of the Code Red pilot program and increased funding for the AHTF this year. Bridges was part of the successful "Bringing Veterans Home" initiative which has permanently housed more than 2,500 veterans and helped New Jersey become the fourth state in the nation to achieve functional zero for veteran homelessness. Bridges is the inaugural provider for the Metro Region (Essex and Union Counties), helping to reduce homelessness in our state. For their hard fought efforts, we are proud to honor Bridges Outreach with this year's Advocacy and Organizing Award.
A partnership among Trinitas Regional Medical Center, RWJBarnabas Health, and Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless, the Winter Response Initiative provided emergency shelter, case management, and housing navigation for people experiencing homelessness during the 2025-2026 winter season. Its outcomes demonstrate its effectiveness: 52 individuals served; 816 motel stays, rides, and other vital support services provided; 9 individuals secured permanent housing. Connecting individuals with resources to secure vital documents and seek employment, the Winter Response Initiative’s team went above and beyond simply giving people experiencing homelessness a warm bed for a night. For these reasons, the Winter Response Initiative is the 2026 Outstanding Project Award honoree for Healthy Homes & Communities.
A once-struggling community is continuing to flourish through the development of new affordable homes as part of the Manitou Park Neighborhood revitalization. In a neighborhood that once suffered from failing septic and well water systems, a partnership among Homes for All, S.T.E.P.S., Berkeley Township, New Hope Baptist Church, the local NAACP, and numerous other community groups advanced this project that makes use of property with faith-based ownership. This wide collaboration ensured that the project would enhance the existing neighborhood, adding two homes on the back of the church property on easement donated by JCP&L. For these reasons, the Homes for All project on New Hope Baptist Church’s land is the 2026 Outstanding Project Award honoree for Redevelopment.
The Burnt Hill Road Group Home will provide permanent affordable and accessible homes for six very low-income individuals with developmental disabilities. Transforming a crumbling structure into supportive housing for vulnerable community members, the group home will integrate comprehensive support services to promote independence, stability, and community engagement among the group home’s residents. With a ribbon-cutting in the near future, this project illustrates a replicable model for creating small-scale, community-based supportive housing for individuals with developmental disabilities to live in a neighborhood rather than in institutional care. For these reasons, the Burnt Hill Road Group Home is a 2026 Outstanding Project Award honoree for New Development.
Featured in a luxury shore community, Spring Lake Homes is a 4-unit building that the Affordable Housing Alliance integrated into the neighborhood – a project that nearly doubled the number of affordable homes available in Spring Lake, NJ. Working closely with municipal officials, AHA successfully completed a project that contributes to the local leaders’ wider vision for a vibrant downtown revitalization. Overcoming obstacles related to funding schedules, maintenance responsibilities, and lease negotiation, AHA’s Spring Lake Homes took advantage of an opportunity to convert a commercial space into a residential one in a community with limited vacant land. For these reasons, the Spring Lake Homes is a 2026 Outstanding Project Award honoree for New Development.
Built by Passaic County Habitat for Humanity with the help of volunteers from corporate and community groups through the Paterson One Square Mile initiative, this project marks a significant milestone. The 300th home completed by Passaic Habitat in Paterson, over the course of four decades of serving the community and creating a more affordable landscape for its residents, this project provides a new affordable homeownership opportunity to an income-restricted family. Passaic Habitat collaborated with the community to take advantage of an infill housing development opportunity as part of a broader neighborhood revitalization plan. For these reasons, Passaic Habitat’s 300th new home is a 2026 Outstanding Project Award honoree for New Development.
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© Housing & Community Development Network of New Jersey
145 W. Hanover Street
Trenton, NJ 08618
United States
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© Housing & Community Development Network of New Jersey
145 W. Hanover Street
Trenton, NJ 08618
United States