Queen Latifah traveled to her hometown of Newark, NJ, on Tuesday to help break ground on a new affordable housing development that she first envisioned over ten years ago.
RISE Living is planned to be a 76-unit mixed-use development that will include 20 three-family townhomes at market rate prices. Rents are projected to start at $1,800 a month.
The project is the solution for low-income Newark residents affected by the city’s gentrification and redevelopment over the years.
According to city reports the median household income in Newark is under $40k per year. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 26.3% of Newark’s population, which overall is about half Black and 36.7% Hispanic or Latinx, has incomes at or below poverty levels.
‘RISE’ is actually a nod to Latifah’s mother Rita and is an acronym for ‘Rita Is Still Everywhere.’ Rita, was a schoolteacher in Newark.
It’s so beautiful that Queen Latifah has found a way to show love to her city and honor her mother at the same time 😇 #BWLM💕
