Community and philanthropic partners joined elected officials and Montclair State University on June 4 for a special groundbreaking ceremony for a new home that will begin addressing housing inequities in Paterson.
The project is the first initiative in Phase 2 of One Square Mile (OSM), the hyperlocal, place-based initiative supported by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation designed to revitalize a designated area of Paterson that began in February 2023. Phase 2 will focus on creating housing solutions for Paterson residents in the first, fourth and fifth wards of the city over the next five years.
Through the partnership, Passaic County Habitat for Humanity will construct its 300th new home in Paterson, a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home, which will be located at 45 Auburn Street. Other partners on the project include ADP and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
“Universities, when utilized properly, can help bring about lasting change that benefits all people,” said Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell. “Our work with the City of Paterson through the One Square Mile initiative and beyond has been driven by our community partners and has already yielded positive results. Our collaboration with Passaic County Habitat for Humanity will only build on our ongoing efforts and respond directly to the demonstrated need for affordable housing within Paterson.”
The project will further Montclair’s commitment to creating hands-on learning and service opportunities as part of the One Square Mile initiative.
Students, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to participate in the construction during a series of building days in July, August, September, October and November 2025, and January and February 2026, directly impacting the community by helping create a new home for a qualified family.
Housing statistics in Paterson within One Square Mile’s designated area include:
- The population has increased by 11% in the last 10 years — more than four times the rate of the rest of Passaic County (2.4%) and nearly twice the rate of Paterson (7.4%).
- Residents have the highest rate (5%) of people living in overcrowded housing.
- 58% of OSM residents are “rent-burdened,” which means they are paying more than 30% of their monthly income toward housing costs.
- 92% of OSM residents are renters, leaving only 8% as homeowners.
“Housing has become a national crisis, and in Paterson’s One Square Mile, this crisis is most acute,” said Passaic County Habitat for Humanity CEO Scott Millard. “The house we will begin construction on today represents a step towards addressing that crisis, and this step would not be possible without all the partners who have come together to make this step possible.”
The project is the first designed to address the initiative’s five housing goals outlined at a special event in November 2024 that will be pursued over the next five years:
- Expand housing affordability: The Community Advisory Committee will look to expand affordable housing opportunities and advocate to create policies to expand opportunities.
- Increase supply and stability: Working with the City of Paterson, the Committee will seek to turn abandoned buildings and underutilized space into affordable housing, as well as create an eviction protection program to increase stability.
- Improve housing quality: The Committee will work to increase energy efficiency for residents and create safe housing in the One Square Mile area.
- Create housing and safe neighborhoods: Wraparound services will be expanded for residents to help ensure safe neighborhoods, and community leader programming will be developed to foster the next generation of community leaders to ensure the area’s continued growth.
- Build assets and wealth: The Committee will create programming to educate residents on the benefits of homeownership as opposed to renting, and how it can create generational wealth for the city.
“Montclair’s collaboration with Passaic County Habitat for Humanity on the build project stems from the discovery phase of the One Square Mile initiative, where local residents identified housing as the top priority for our collective impact project,” said Montclair Associate Vice President for Community Partnerships Bryan Murdock. “This project serves as both a symbolic and concrete expression of the university’s commitment, alongside its community and philanthropic partners, to addressing the urgent housing crisis affecting residents within the OSM.”
