Integrity House Hosts Dedication Ceremony for Permanent Supportive Housing

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – Integrity House, a nationally recognized non-profit substance abuse rehabilitation center with locations in Newark, Secaucus and Jersey City, hosted a dedication ceremony for the Lyons Gateway Apartments, its new permanent supportive housing unit for men, on Thursday, June 30, 2016. The new apartment complex, located at 5-7 Lincoln Park in Newark, provides long-term supportive housing for chronically homeless men in recovery from substance abuse and with co-occurring mental health issues.

The Lyons Gateway Apartments are named to honor Ed Lyons, who recently retired from Integrity House after 38 years of dedicated leadership and passionate advocacy for addiction treatment. During the dedication program, Anthony Marchetta, Executive Director of NJ Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency, Annemarie Uebbing, CPD Director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Julio Colon, Director of Economic and Housing Development for the City of Newark, spoke as the major funders of this project and Ed Lyons spoke as the honoree of the ceremony.

The program also included an address from a new tenant of the apartment complex and concluded with a tour of the building. The complex opened its doors to tenants in November 2015, after undergoing major expansions and renovations as a result of $2.8 million generously donated by various Integrity House funding partners, as well as proceeds from a recent golf outing held to raise money for special projects such as this.

“Ensuring that an individual recovering from substance abuse has a safe, comfortable environment to live is crucial when it comes to sustaining sobriety,” said Robert J. Budsock, CEO of Integrity House. “Today’s dedication ceremony is a sincere ‘thank you’ to our friend Ed Lyons, who has been at the forefront of Integrity House’s mission to fight substance abuse for over 38 years, and to our funders and our devoted supporters for making this a reality. We’re immeasurably proud today to be able to celebrate this fundamental development that will positively impact our clients’ lives.”

The Lyons Gateway Apartments highlights one of the main pillars individuals need in order to make positive, long-term lifestyle changes.

“The Lyons Gateway Apartments, as a permanent supportive housing unit, address the need for a safe and sober living environment that many adults struggling with substance abuse simply do not have access to,” said Budsock. “This project ensures that we’ll be able to assist our clients with finding a safe haven away from the stressors that fuel addiction where they can comfortably keep moving forward and get their lives on track.”

This project was made possible through the generosity of Integrity House’s supporters, including New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, City of Newark HOME Funds, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, Victoria Foundation, The Hyde Watson Foundation, and supporters of the 9th annual Integrity House Golf Classic.

Pictured above from left to right: Robert J. Budsock, CEO and President of Integrity House; Lisa Block, The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey; Julio Colon, Director of Economic and Housing Development for the City of Newark; Annemarie Uebbing, CPD Director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Anthony Marchetta, Executive Director of NJ Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency; Geoffrey Perselay, Esq., Chair of the Integrity House Board of Trustees; and Ed Lyons, honoree of the Lyons Gateway Apartments Ceremony and retired Integrity House Chief Clinical Officer. Photos courtesy of Generic Brand Human.