In 2020, rapper, singer and actress Queen Latifah made a huge announcement — she is giving back to her hometown Newark, New Jersey, by helping develop affordable housing for residents of Brick City.
It’s a dream that’s been over ten years in the making, according to Latifah, and the project is now seeing some major movement. The development will include 60 two-and three-bedroom apartments and four townhouse clusters with 16 affordable units set to the side in a different building. The housing facilities will also have a space for professional offices and a fitness center.
The $14 million investment is backed by “those who understand that finding housing is becoming increasingly difficult for Newark residents.” said Cristina Pinzon, a spokeswoman for the project. To make this dream come true, the U.N.I.T.Y rapper’s company, Blue Sugar, has partnered with GonSosa Development. So far, the starting price for the rentals will be slated at about $1,800 - while the affordable units will be priced based on the renter’s income.
“We always thought about real estate and design and ideas, and anytime we get an idea, we think, how can we make it happen? All we need is a spark, and once we get that spark, then it’s off to the races,” said Latifah in an interview.
This isn’t Queen Latifah’s only big collaboration. She worked with Procter & Gamble and Tribeca Studios to develop the Queen Collective, a program that works with female filmmakers. She also teamed up with the American Lung Association for the #Act4Impact benefit.
Latifah appears as Robin in Paramount’s hit show “The Equalizer”. She is a Covergirl and has teamed up with the It’s Bigger Than Me movement to help “shift how we talk, see and think about weight and obesity.”
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