Community Access Unlimited's executive director, Sid Blanchard, right, with the organization's new headquarters building being renovated in Elizabeth, NJ

ELIZABETH, NJ—Community Access Unlimited, a statewide nonprofit providing support programs and services to adults with disabilities as well as youth served under the Department of Children and Families has opened a new, cutting-edge headquarters in Elizabeth, NJ.

CAU provides services to enable its clients to live independently in the community, including support in areas including housing, vocational skills and life-skills training, education, advocacy and recreation.

As previously reported by GlobeSt.com, Community Access Unlimited has been taking a novel approach to affordable housing advocacy work for several decades. CAU is one of the first nonprofits in the nation to pursue directly the federal low-income housing tax credit to acquire property.

“We've pioneered new ways of doing affordable housing that are both successful and integrated by people with disabilities, people without disabilities, people from different income levels, from market rental income, to people of very low income, and also from mixed use of residential and commercial space,” Sid Blanchard, CAU's executive director, tells GlobeSt.com exclusively. “It's a unique model for not-for-profits, because, particularly in New Jersey, nonprofits have been addicted to the heroin, if you will, of governmental money, with a lot of governmental regulations that come with it, that have the unintentional result, most often, of causing the nonprofit to go out of business, and the housing to have huge deferred maintenance and poor management.”

CAU, which has several hundred housing units in 75 locations in Union County, including a new property opened last year in Fanwood, has evolved from taking advantage of government funding streams in its early years to an independent developer of affordable housing, Blanchard says. He says the organization serves about 5,000 people a year, whom it refers to as “members.”

Taking part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony were, from left: Harold Poltrock, president of the CAU board of trustees; Ziad Shehady, township administrator for Springfield, NJ; Elizabeth Councilman Manny Grova; CAU board member Kevin Aspell; Sid Blanchard, CAU executive director; Rahway Councilman David Brown; Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage; Union County Freeholder Vernell Wright; state Assemblyman Jamel Holley; Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados; CAU board member Dr. Karen Ensle; and Bernadette Griswold, CAU associate executive director of supports and programs.

The new building, a 60,000-square-foot, five-story, totally accessible facility, features a 400-seat auditorium with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and a streaming mezzanine that is dividable. The auditorium will be used by CAU for events and will be available to the community for rent. CAU intends for the building to be used by both the agency and the wider community while also serving as a symbol of advocacy and community integration, according to Blanchard.

“I started Community Access in 1979 out of the back of my Volkswagen,” says Blanchard. “Since then we have worked with thousands of people with disabilities, as well as youth aging out of the child welfare system, to integrate them into the community.

There are three floors of modern office space, with CAU occupying the fourth and fifth floors and the third floor rented to local businesses. The building also offers dividable conference and training facilities, also with state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities.

Construction of the building was unique, as well, according to Blanchard. The first two floors were built on site while the upper three floors were fabricated off-site and brought in by truck and raised by crane. The general contractor for the project was Woodruff Developers and the architect for the building was James R. Guerra, AIA of James Guerra Architects.

The new building also is equipped with three generators, so in case of an emergency it can serve as a safety zone and community center for residents of Elizabeth.

“In keeping with that mission, we built this building not only to house Community Access but also to serve the wider community,” Blanchard says. “The stage will be home to theater productions and the arts. These meeting and training facilities will be used by community groups and local businesses. We're looking forward to integrating the community into this building as a way of building a greater community.”

“It was a privilege to be able to work with Sid Blanchard on this new building and in other ways to make sure that Community Access has a presence in both this city and the region,” Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage says. “We salute you in making sure that people with disabilities and people living on the edge have opportunities.”

Valley National Bank, a long-time supporter of the agency, gave CAU a $10,000 grant.

“We are proud to support Community Access Unlimited in their mission to provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities to live independently and lead productive lives within our communities,” says Mwaura Muroki, vice president, Valley National Bank.

The new building also is equipped with three generators, so in case of an emergency it can serve as a safety zone and community center for residents of Elizabeth.

Valley National Bank, a long-time supporter of the agency, gave CAU a $10,000 grant.

Instant Insights /

Community Access Unlimited Opens New Headquarters in Elizabeth, NJ

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