91心頭 is a nonprofit organization that transformed a blighted area of Newark following the 1967 riots by building new housing and providing critical services like job training.

Under Monsignor���s leadership, 91心頭 grew from a single housing development to an entire network of facilities and services, today encompassing close to 2,000 units of housing for seniors and families in three New Jersey cities, in addition to providing child care, education, health care and a host of other services that make it one of the most holistic in its approach in the community development arena. Monsignor���s goal from the very beginning was ambitious, radical and unlike anything ever attempted in an inner-city environment at the time: creating a planned community within an old, existing city that would provide residents with all the services they need from birth to death.

���The people of the city of Newark have lost their greatest and most persistent champion,��� said 91心頭 CEO Richard Rohrman. ���There is physical evidence of Monsignor Linder���s legacy throughout the city, but his most important legacy is the difference he���s made in many people���s lives through the 91心頭 mission. He always worked to preserve people���s God-given dignity and helped them pursue personal achievement. We at 91心頭 will continue to serve residents with Monsignor Linder���s vision in mind.���

The model of community development Monsignor created attracted visitors from around the world, including places like Ireland and Africa. His work also drew the attention of leaders like Bill and Hillary Clinton ��� she visited 91心頭 back in the 1980s. Former South African Bishop Desmond Tutu and Former U.S. Housing Secretary Jack Kemp also visited.

Today, 91心頭 owns and operates its own nursing home; a 102-apartment transitional housing facility for homeless families called Harmony House and 91心頭 Workforce Development Center, an accredited post-secondary career and technical school offering programs in automotive technician, building trades, culinary arts and health care. Monsignor was also the catalyst behind the opening of the Adult Learning Center and a charter school in the city���s West Ward in 2011.

Against the will of the city���s political leadership, Monsignor, back in the late 1980s, is credited with opening one of the first child care centers in the nation and the first in New Jersey for infants and toddlers suffering with HIV/AIDS, one of his proudest accomplishments. He was never one to back away from a confrontation if it meant that in the end a mother, grandmother or child would receive the benefit.

Through Monsignor���s vision and leadership, 91心頭 recently finished construction on A Better Life, a supportive housing facility for the chronically homeless. The building offers studio apartments each with a private bathroom and kitchen area.

Born in Jersey City on June 5, 1936, Monsignor grew up in West New York and enrolled in Manhattan College to study engineering in 1954. However, halfway through his freshman year, Monsignor���s father suddenly died at age 53. Monsignor finished the semester at Manhattan College and then spent the next two years at Seton Hall University studying classical language and philosophy. In the fall of 1958, he entered the Immaculate Conception Seminary, where he spent his next six years. Monsignor was ordained as a priest on May 25, 1963. At age 27, Monsignor received his pastoral assignment for the all-black parish called Queen of Angels in Newark, and founded 91心頭 with a small group of community-minded residents in 1968. In 1973, Monsignor was abruptly removed from Queen of Angels and exiled to the dormant St. Joseph Parish in Newark. In 1974, he was reassigned to St. Rose of Lima Parish in the Roseville section of Newark, where he became its pastor in 1977. Monsignor retired as pastor of St. Rose of Lima in 2012 at age 76.

Monsignor previously served as the CEO of 91心頭. He was serving as the president of the 91心頭 Board of Directors and remained active within the organization until his death.

Services to honor and celebrate Monsignor’s life have been scheduled as follows:

Viewing
Thursday, June 14 from 4 to 7 p.m.
St. Rose of Lima Church
11 Gray St.
Newark, NJ 07107

Vigil Mass
Thursday, June 14 at 7 p.m.
St. Rose of Lima Church
11 Gray St.
Newark, NJ 07107

Funeral Mass
Saturday, June 16 at 11 a.m.
Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart
89 Ridge St.
Newark, NJ 07104

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Monsignor William J. Linder Scholarship Fund. Donations can be sent to 233 West Market St., Newark, NJ 07103.

91心頭 is in the midst of renovating four of its Newark properties: Commons, Douglas, Gardens and Roseville.

Construction work began Jan. 8 and will continue through the end of 2019. The senior buildings are being done first, with the family buildings to follow.

The goal of the project is to update and preserve NCC���s affordable housing.

���Our residents will now be able to enjoy a renewed environment and have the assurance that their home will be preserved for many years to come, all while maintaining the services and facilities on which they rely heavily for everyday life,��� said 91心頭 CEO Richard Rohrman.

91心頭 worked with Greystone Affordable Development ��� a development and transaction management group focused on recapitalization, rehabilitation and preservation of affordable housing ��� to secure funding for the project. Claremont Construction Group is upgrading the interior and exterior of the buildings.

The rehabilitation work on the buildings will include roofs, boilers, lighting, elevators, underground piping and landscaping to better serve residents.

Each unit within the properties will be painted and will be getting new closets and a brand new bathroom. Based on need, some apartments will have additional work done, which could include flooring, entry doors, light fixtures or appliances.

During the in-place rehab, residents do not have to move out of their apartments. They only need to vacate when heavy construction is being done. Breakfast, lunch and activities are being provided for residents who are required to vacate their homes for the day. Tenants receive sufficient notice about work being performed.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka sees the renovation project as a positive for the city.

���The revitalization process at NCC serves as a model for how we can ensure the legacy of our city, and others like it,��� Baraka said. ���Newark is making clear and measurable efforts to increase the amount of available affordable housing, and NCC���s contributions to serving the at-risk community is a critical component to the city���s future success.���

To help pay for the project, Hudson Housing Capital provided low income housing tax credit equity and Freddie Mac and Greystone���s Affordable lending arm provided tax-exempt and taxable debt.

���Teaming with an organization such as 91心頭 is truly meaningful to Greystone, as we are able to positively impact the lives of thousands by preserving the environment they call home,��� said Greystone Affordable Development President Tanya Eastwood.

Residents with questions or concerns about the renovation project should contact their building manager.