Atlantic City Housing Authority Dereliction Leads To This Crisis

The Atlantic City, New Jersey Housing Authority has allowed residents of The Stanley Holmes Village to live in substandard conditions for many years.

The residents have lived in horrific conditions … with large rodents, bug infestation, broken pipes and non-working heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

Instead of doing their job properly, the Atlantic City Housing Authority allowed these inhumane conditions to persist.

Now, instead of fixing the problems … their solution is to tear the Stanley Holmes Village apartments down.

The Atlantic City Housing Authority has formally taken the first step to demolish these apartments. At a contentious board meeting, they have requested permission from the federal government.

The Stanley Holmes Village apartments is a 420-unit low income housing complex that is located on Adriatic Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

It was built in 1937 and there was a major expansion in 1951. It is the first the public housing complex in New Jersey and in American history.

Atlantic City was the first municipality in New Jersey to provide public housing to its constituents. The Atlantic City commitment was made in 1933.

United States Congressman Jeff Van Drew, NJ-R-2 previously sent a letter to Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge on November 13, 2023.

Van Drew has told it like it is and he has requested an immediate federal takeover of the Atlantic City Housing Authority (the Authority) for its complete failure in ensuring the safety of South Jersey residents.

"Because of the total lack of leadership by the Atlantic City Housing Authority and its complete inability to do its job, families in the Authority's communities have been left with no heat and no hot water as we approach the height of winter, which will have significant impacts on the health of its residents. This is unacceptable and deeply disturbing that Atlantic City bureaucrats have faced no accountability and no consequences for the terrible conditions residents are faced with," said Congressman Van Drew.

"We gave the Authority more than enough time to remedy its failures, but it is clear that it does not possess the ability, nor competency, to get the job done. Therefore, the federal government must immediately take over the Authority so residents can have safe and livable conditions,” said Van Drew.

If the Stanley Holmes Village apartments are demolished, there needs to be a humane and competent plan of action to properly house the 1.000-plus residents who will be displaced.