{"id":24928,"date":"2025-12-21T15:29:30","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T15:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/?p=24928"},"modified":"2025-12-21T15:29:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T15:29:30","slug":"i-never-left-my-people-queen-latifah-quietly-poured-millions-into-newark-housing-for-the-poor-instead-of-buying-a-mansion-stunning-her-hometown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/?p=24928","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI Never Left My People.\u201d \u2014 Queen Latifah Quietly Poured Millions Into Newark Housing for the Poor Instead of Buying a Mansion, Stunning Her Hometown."},"content":{"rendered":"

In a world where many celebrities use their wealth to retreat into gated communities, Queen Latifah (born Dana Owens) has chosen to invest her fortune back into the pavement that raised her. The Grammy-winning artist and Oscar-nominated actress spearheaded a transformative real estate project in her hometown of Newark, New Jersey, proving that her “Queen” title is as much about service as it is about stardom. While she could have easily purchased a secluded estate, Latifah spent over a decade quietly fighting to bring high-quality, affordable living to the very blocks where she used to play as a child.<\/span><\/p>\n

“RISE Living”: A Tribute to a Mother\u2019s Legacy<\/span><\/p>\n

On April 26, 2022, Latifah donned a hard hat and picked up a golden shovel to break ground on a development named RISE Living. The name is a poignant acronym for “Rita Is Still Everywhere,” a tribute to her late mother, Rita Owens. Rita was a former Newark schoolteacher who passed away in 2018 and was a constant source of inspiration for Latifah\u2019s community work. The project is a meticulously planned $14 million multi-use development designed to combat the housing crisis in a city where nearly 60% of renters are considered “cost-burdened.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The Vision: “Why Not Here?”<\/span><\/p>\n

The development is strategically located along Springfield Avenue, transforming what were once dilapidated and vacant properties into modern spaces. At the groundbreaking, an emotional Latifah recalled her roots: “I grew up around here playing in West Side Park, a block away… My grandfather’s hardware store was blocks from here. I saw what was needed on this block, houses that weren’t lived in… and so I thought, ‘Why not here?'”<\/span><\/p>\n

Project Details and Community Impact<\/span><\/p>\n

The RISE Living project is a collaboration between Latifah\u2019s own real estate firm, Blue Sugar Corporation, and partners Life Assets Development and GonSosa Development. It was designed to serve a diverse range of residents while reserving space for those who need it most.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Feature<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nProject Data<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Total Investment<\/b><\/span><\/td>\nApproximately $14 Million<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total Residential Units<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n76 Units<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Affordable Housing<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n16 units<\/b> (for those earning less than 80% of city median income)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Market-Rate Units<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n20 three-family townhomes<\/b> (starting at approx. $1,800\/mo)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Commercial Space<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n1,900 sq. ft.<\/b> reserved for non-profit organizations<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Amenities<\/b><\/span><\/td>\nFitness center, business center, and EV charging stations<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

A Decade of Quiet Determination<\/span><\/p>\n

While the project made major headlines in 2022, it was far from an overnight success. Latifah began scouting locations and planning the initiative as far back as 2006. The project survived a housing bubble burst, a global recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the 16-year journey, Latifah remained a “silent investor,” refusing to give up on the site even when zoning and land acquisition proved difficult.<\/span><\/p>\n

The “Brick City” Revitalization<\/span><\/p>\n

Queen Latifah\u2019s efforts coincide with a larger movement of Newark natives “buying back the block.” She often works alongside local leadership and icons like Shaquille O’Neal, who has also invested in major residential high-rises in the city. Together, they are shifting the narrative of Newark, replacing urban decay with “quality, beautiful, modern housing.” By focusing on mixed-income units and providing space for non-profits, Latifah is ensuring that the people who stood by her since her “U.N.I.T.Y.” days aren’t priced out of the city they call home.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a world where many celebrities use their wealth to retreat into gated communities, Queen Latifah (born Dana Owens) has chosen to invest her fortune back into the pavement that raised her. The Grammy-winning artist and Oscar-nominated actress spearheaded a transformative real estate project in her hometown of Newark, New Jersey, proving that her “Queen”…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24928"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24928\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}