The Aubrey Group initiated a comprehensive partnership with the City of Newark in 2020, taking on the critical task of developing its Five-Year Consolidated Plan. This strategic initiative spanned 8-10 months of intensive community engagement and data collection to fully understand Newark's unique challenges and opportunities. Our team managed extensive outreach efforts across the city's neighborhoods, analyzing demographic and housing data to create an actionable blueprint for the city's community development programs.

Following the success of the Consolidated Plan, we continued our partnership with Newark to develop its HOME-ARP allocation plan. This project required us to dive deep into the city's housing landscape, coordinating with local housing organizations, community leaders, and city officials to create a targeted approach to reducing homelessness and increasing housing stability.

Our team managed the entire process from initial research to final submission, ensuring all components aligned with local needs and federal requirements. Key deliverables across both projects included:

• Design and execution of a comprehensive citizen participation strategy

• Detailed analysis of homelessness needs and current resources

• In-depth community development needs assessment

• Integration with existing Consolidated Plan goals

• Development of a strategic Annual Action Plan

The Aubrey Group provided end-to-end project management throughout our engagement, ensuring all grant deliverables met federal requirements while maintaining Newark's vision for addressing housing and community development challenges. Our team navigated the city's unique institutional landscape, coordinating across multiple agencies and stakeholder groups to deliver high-quality, implementable plans that reflected local priorities and met federal guidelines.

The successful completion of these projects demonstrated our ability to manage complex planning initiatives while maintaining strong community engagement and regulatory compliance in an urban environment with significant housing challenges.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

About the Client: The City of Newark is the largest and second-most racially diverse city in New Jersey, with a population of over 277,000 residents. It is located in the New York-Newark Metropolitan Area, and a large number of commuters take advantage of its easy access to NYC via train and other public transit. Newark is divided into five political wards, varied in their residential and business identities.

Photo Credit: Newark Housing Authority Website