NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) - With her hands in the air and tears in her eyes, Latoya Hardin holds the keys to a new home in Newark she's buying for just a dollar.
"It's absolutely amazing," said Hardin. "It's unbelievable to tell you the truth."
She and a handful of other Newark residents are winners of the City's first-ever lottery for the sale of City-owned properties in partnership with Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, or NACA.
"It was just shock," said Hardin. "Complete shock because you dream about it, you pray about it, you talk to your family about it, you talk to your friends about it, and for it to actually happen, it's a dream come true."
Now, she and her son, Corey Grant, can renovate a home on Stuyvesant Avenue to their liking.
"It's really unbelievable," said Grant. "We never had a house before."
"Priceless," added Hardin. "Something we can hold for generations on. My family will be taken care of; his family will be taken care of."
Those who were in the lottery are pre-approved residents who've lived in Newark for at least five years or were displaced by gentrification and must commit to living in their new home for at least ten years. Winners receive financing to build or renovate their new home without down payment or mortgage insurance.
"Whatever paint you want, whatever design you want, whatever flooring you want, whatever kitchen you want," said NACA Founder and CEO Bruce Marks.
"We're doing this because we need to, we have to," said Mayor Ras Baraka. "Obviously, we want to put more homeowners in the City of Newark. At the same time, deal with the wealth gap that exists in the State of New Jersey."
Census data shows more than 75% of Newark residents rent their homes. After renting all her life, Shonda Legette will also finally see her name on the deed to the house.
"This is truly a blessing to be a first-time homeowner and to do it on my own," said Legetter.
Not only will she be a homeowner but a landlord, as she plans to rent out one of the floors of her newly acquired home.
So, what does she have in mind for the design? "To be honest, I don't really know right now," said Legette with a smile. "I'm just really trying to live in the moment."
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