Phyllis Salowe-Kaye
By Joshua Burd
The longtime head of an influential grassroots organization is now leading the Communities First Initiative, the nonprofit partner of Lawrenceville-based Community Investment Strategies Inc.
The well-known affordable and senior housing developer announced recently that CFI’s board of directors has appointed Phyllis Salowe-Kaye as its executive director, effective Jan. 19. The move follows her 37 years with New Jersey Citizen Action, a statewide coalition that fights for social, racial and economic justice, during which the group provided direct services and support to more than 18,000 families and seniors across New Jersey.
“The addition of Phyllis to the CIS family brings a new level of attention and commitment to resident life within CIS communities,” said Christiana Foglio, CEO of Community Investment Strategies. “Shelter is only one aspect of the needs of income restricted residents. CIS has done a great job addressing this need for over 30 years, but the real measurement of success, is how well families and seniors live within our communities. Having Phyllis in this key role and directing the complementary services gives a whole new meaning to our commitment to quality of life.”
In a news release, CIS noted that New Jersey Citizen Action has provided rental and foreclosure counseling, first-time home buyer education, eviction prevention, education, individual financial coaching, free tax preparation, health care enrollment and student loan repayment assistance. During her decades at NJCA, Salowe-Kaye, staff and community advocates negotiated Community Reinvestment Act agreements with banks doing business in New Jersey, securing more than $45 billion in below-market-rate mortgages, discounted home improvement loans, construction and permanent financing, small business loans targeted to women and minorities and community and economic development funding.
Aside from her long tenure with NJCA, Salowe-Kaye has also served on a host of other boards and organizations including Gov. Phil Murphy’s Public Bank Implementation Task Force, the
Federal Reserve National Consumer Advisory Council and the housing transition teams of Murphy, Gov. Jon Corzine and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
Communities First is a women-led, majority-minority nonprofit organization focused on serving and empowering low- and moderate-income individuals and families through housing and social services, the news release said. The organization focuses on serving women and minorities while collaborating with the government and other entities to combine the tools needed for residents to thrive.
As executive director, Salowe-Kaye will provide CIS residents with direct services such as food security, financial literacy and health care enrollment, serving a population that spans some 4,000 company-owned units statewide. She will develop educational presentations and disperse information about opportunities for residents’ community involvement.
“I’m excited to be joining Chris Foglio and the CIS family as I take on the role of executive director at Communities First,” Salowe-Kaye said. “By providing safe and affordable housing coupled with a wide range of direct social services and access to education and research, thousands of low- and moderate-income families and seniors will be provided with the opportunity to thrive.”
Salowe-Kaye will also collaborate with financial institutions to reinforce compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act and the new regulations that have been proposed by conducting market research and assisting them in product development and community outreach to targeted low- and moderate-income communities.
“Building on her legacy leadership of New Jersey Citizen Action (NJCA), we are excited at the true opportunity this presents for CIS and the families that call our communities their home,” Foglio said.
