Director Spicer, director of the Newark Housing Authority, told the Newark Municipal Council on Dec. 9 that the authority manages 24 properties, four of which are HUD‑designated senior buildings, and that the average age of those assets is about 85 years.

Spicer said many senior and mixed‑population properties are running operating deficits and face deferred capital work. "We have $88,000,000 of capital needs," he said, and the authority currently invests roughly $9 million to $11 million a year to bring units back online. Several sites have scheduled elevator modernizations between 2026 and 2029 and have vacant maintenance positions that limit response to work orders.

The director gave property‑level figures: AMP 216 (Stephen Crane Elderly) at about 83% occupancy and running close to $700,000 year‑to‑date in positive performance; AMP 218 (Stephen Crane, 900 Franklin) at roughly 92% occupancy but year‑to‑date loss of about $12,000; AMP 2020 running a deficit of roughly $118,000; Baxterly Elderly with a reported deficit of about $140,000; James C. White at 96% occupancy and a $201,000 positive year‑to‑date balance. Spicer attributed some shortfalls to staffing gaps: "Of the eight maintenance positions there, four of those positions are vacant or the staff are on FMLA or workers' comp," he said.

Council members pressed Spicer on recurring service failures reported by tenants: interrupted heat and water, mold and mildew concerns, and uncleaned common areas. On mixed populations — younger disabled residents living alongside seniors — Spicer said the authority is pursuing a federally required "designated housing plan" that would allow more buildings to be set aside for residents 62 and older; he estimated that administrative process could take six to nine months.

On longer‑term solutions, Spicer outlined a Bradley Court repositioning strategy that would consolidate families from 10 high‑rise buildings into five buildings with reliable heat, keep a master list guaranteeing residents a right of return, and rebuild portions of the complex with new units no taller than five stories. "We're actively having conversations with residents," he said, and the authority expects to present development plans and hold resident meetings within about 60 days.

Spicer also addressed regulatory oversight: when he arrived, the authority's HUD report score was 39; he said it had improved to 48 and that corrective action items had fallen from 49 to fewer than 10, with the authority aiming to reach a passing score near 60 over the multi‑year recovery timeline.

Council members and the director said short‑term steps — hiring private cleaning or maintenance contractors where contracts allow, prioritizing visible repairs and enforcing maintenance oversight — would be used while the authority pursues administrative approvals and redevelopment. The council moved to an executive session after the presentation; no formal council action on HA redevelopment was taken during the public meeting.