East Trenton Collaborative
Trenton, NJ

East Trenton has experienced significant economic decline over the last four decades. A once densely occupied commercial strip along North Clinton Avenue is now scattered with vacant stores, empty lots, and buildings in disrepair.

The East Trenton area was formerly a hub of ceramic and pottery industries. Both manufacturing facilities and residences of workers were located within the area, and the closing of these industries in the 1960s contributed to the decline of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, this underserved section of the city has not seen the revitalization which is evident in many of the City's other emerging neighborhoods. East Trenton is one of the City's poorest areas bordered by the Route One industrial corridor and the Assunpink Creek which has historically been subjected to damaging floods.

In 2006, CityWorks convened a group of Not-For-Profit and Community Development Organizations known as the East Trenton Collaborative (ETC). The ETC, with CityWorks as the lead organization, is comprised of the City of Trenton, Habitat for Humanity, Isles, the Martin House - Better Community Housing of Trenton and the East Trenton Initiative all of which have made progress in providing low income housing and social services in the East Trenton Neighborhood.

Although these efforts have individually been successful, a structured and comprehensive plan was necessary to guide development of workforce housing for this inner city neighborhood. The ETC believed that the best planning and development occurs when the community is involved in the creation of the vision and the plan.

       

With funds committed from partners of the ETC, A. Nelessen Associates was hired to develop a community based neighborhood plan for the East Trenton Neighborhood.The plan provided a roadmap for the existing community resources toward viable, affordable residential units and "life style" commercial/retail to serve the neighborhood.

Community participation combined with years of practical experience generated a feasible plan that is of the community and for the community. In January of 2007 The ETC was awarded a $72,000 Planning Grant from the Wachovia Regional Foundation.

Since then New Jersey Manufacturers has awarded two $1 million grants for revitalization of the area. Their contribution will help:

• Habitat for Humanity develop ReStore, a facility that provides inexpensive building supplies to local residents and businesses for maintaining their properties.
• Isles’ Healthy Homes program will receive help for testing older homes in the area for lead dust, indoor asthma triggers and energy leakage.
• HomeFront will receive funds to allow them to expand their client support services in a facility provided by Habitat for Humanity on North Clinton Avenue.
• Better Community Housing of Trenton will provide job training to East Trenton residents and
• A Better Way will continue its Safe Streets Initiative which helps create a safer neighborhood.

These funds will also support the 2011 East Trenton WorkCamp, a summer community service project in which 400 high school students will converge on Trenton and spend four days repairing, painting and cleaning over 60 homes in East Trenton.

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›› Visit the East Trenton Collaborative web site