Andrew Regenstreich of Housing and Neighborhood Development Services | Gateway Project in Orange | The Role of Public Incentives

American Building

In today’s episode, I speak with Andrew Regenstreich, the Director of Real Estate and Economic Development at Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS). HANDS, Inc. is a developer of affordable housing in New Jersey. They engage stakeholders in community organizations, cultural spaces, and commercial properties to help revitalize spaces. Recently, they have planned the “Gateway Project” at 523 Freeman Street, a new construction project for mixed-use housing in Orange, New Jersey.

As an undeveloped lot at the corner of Scotland Road, the “Gateway Project” will provide opportunities for entrepreneurs, open space for public gatherings, showcasing local artists, and moderate-income housing. This project is planned to be a four-story development with nine residential units. It will include 1,479 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, and provide residents with access to the commercial space near the Valley Arts District. The project has received incredible help from the City of Orange along with support from New Jersey Community Capital, DCA, and a partnership with NJ Transit.

Join us on today’s episode as we discuss the role of affordable housing in shaping a longer-term and comprehensive vision for the future, how COVID-19 has been impacting developments for low-income households, and Andrew’s personal experience working at HANDS, Inc. More broadly, we discuss the role that public incentives play in housing production today.

About the Guest:

Andrew Regenstreich is the Director of Real Estate and Economic Development at Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS). HANDS, Inc. is a developer of affordable housing in New Jersey. They engage stakeholders in community organizations, cultural spaces, and commercial properties to help revitalize spaces. Previously, Andrew worked at New Jersey Community Capital as the Assistant Director in Real Estate. He is a graduate of NYU and Northeastern. As a student at NYU, he had the opportunity to work at the Massachusetts legislature, the US Senate and the US State Department.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

• The role that public incentives play in housing production today
• “Gateway Project” at 523 Freeman Street
• Challenges of building affordable housing, including specific design requirements depending on what financing sources you use
• How COVID has impacted long-term development projects in New Jersey
• Why do we need to create more affordable housing projects for low-income residents?

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder & CEO of REDIST, a technology company making it easy for commercial real estate professionals to find and use the $100B of real estate incentives given out every year in the US.

Resources and Links

• Andrew’s LinkedIn
• Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS) LinkedIn
• Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS) Website
• Grab our exclusive guide Seven Tips on How to Stand Out in Your Field
• Learn more on the American Building website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Connect with Atif Qadir on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Michael Graves
• Learn more about REDIST