A Just and Beautiful City
Our vision is for Orange, NJ to be “the urban village of the 21st Century – A Just and Beautiful City.” Imagine a city where you can: raise a family, enjoy a friendly neighborhood, participate in local culture, and pursue your educational or career dreams, regardless of wealth or status.
HANDS aspires to help lead in creating that vision by revitalizing neighborhoods and creating spaces for arts, culture, business, recreation and learning. We create and execute that vision in partnership with the citizens and stakeholders of this city.
Our Strategy
Improving Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods are improved not by government programs or nonprofit organizations but by the independent actions of hundreds of individuals.
HANDS participates in that process in selected neighborhoods with a combination of strategic real estate investment and old-fashioned community organizing. If pivotal problem properties are redeveloped and neighborhood residents participate in changing neighborhood momentum, then investment will follow.
When a neighborhood has achieved positive momentum, HANDS engages stakeholders in shaping a longer-term and comprehensive vision for the future. HANDS continues to make real estate investment – in community facilities, cultural spaces and commercial properties and supports neighborhood organizations.