- We're now joined by Sean Jackson, who is the CEO of an organization called Isles.

Their website is up, based in Trenton, and they're doing important work.

Sean, good to see you.

- Great to see you, Steve.

Thanks for having us on today.

- You got it.

Website's up.

Tell everyone what Isles is.

- A word, a organization rooted in Trenton, but with reach across New Jersey that's focused on ensuring that everyone has a healthy community, and environment where they can grow and thrive into the career and life that they wanna have.

And those two things go together.

You know, we can't expect people to succeed and thrive in life if they're living in unhealthy, unsafe, or unsustainable communities.

- Speaking of unsafe, unsustainable communities, talk about the initiative around lead remediation that Isles is a key part of.

- Absolutely.

This is something that we've worked on for years.

Before even all the tumult that came out of Flint, Michigan and the drinking water, we recognized that there was an issue here in Trenton 'cause we were finding the lead in the soil.

And we made the connection that that was coming, in large part, from lead paint on the outside of people's homes and led us to realize there's also a problem with lead paint inside people's homes because you know that young children are especially vulnerable to lead paint and the dust that can be generated from just opening a window that has been painted on the sides with lead.

Kids who are impacted by lead are 30% more likely to fail math and reading by third grade.

They're seven times more likely to drop out of high school and they're six times more likely to end up in the juvenile justice system.

So we know this is really important work that needs to be addressed and we've been proud to work with the Murphy administration as it concludes its time to address this problem with real funding to do cleanups and changing the laws so that we inspect and find lead before kids do.

- Now, Governor Sherrill, we do this as she's taking office on January 20th, this will be seen later as well, here's my question: is there a particular department in state government, I don't wanna get too deep into the weeds, but... - Sure.

- Which is it?

The Department of Community Affairs?

- DCA, yes, Department of Community Affairs quarterbacks this effort and we work with the Department, have been hired by them to help train agencies all over New Jersey.

So we work with Casa Don Pedro there in Newark.

We work with-- - In Newark, a great organization.

- Yeah.

Fabulous folks.

Work with folks up in Bergen, Atlantic City, Monmouth County, Camden County, all across.

- Sean, doing what?

Helping to do what?

- We're helping to train... So we've created a model here at Isles that we've been putting in place for over 10 years to cost effectively clean up and make homes what we call lead safe.

And there's an approach that we've developed that we then, you know, share with these other agencies.

Not that we've got the gospel on how to do everything, but here's a model you can follow, improve on it, build on it, come back and share with us how you do it better and help get more of it out there 'cause we know, Steve that there are 250,000 children living in homes in New Jersey with lead exposure.

We've gotta deal with this problem.

We think it's a critical issue for education and success in life because once you're lead contaminated, there's very little we can do to undo it.

And we've now started to learn, Steve that there's even connection to young girls who are exposed to lead and then when they become pregnant later in life, the lead resurfaces during the pregnancy to cause problems for the mother and the baby.

It's a lifelong crisis that we have to tackle.

- Make sure you go onto the Isles website to find out more about this lead mitigation issue.

- Indeed.

- Real quick on this one, Governor Sherrill taking office on the 20th of January, housing, affordable housing a top priority, translate the jargon around affordable housing to the reality of affordable housing.

- Well, the challenge is really volume and getting more of it.

In some communities like Trenton, actually the affordable rate in the market rate, just because of where the market are, aren't that different.

Our challenge here in Trenton is how do we just get more housing built?

How do we get more developers to come to the city to invest here and to work with the incentives that the state provides.

And that, you know, I certainly trust that Governor Sherrill will continue through the Aspire program to be able to develop more.

- The Aspire program is what, Sean?

- Aspire is a New Jersey Economic Development Authority program that supports the development of market rate housing with some component of it being affordable.

Usually 20 to 30% of it also being affordable housing.

But it provides incentives to developers to come into communities that might be, you know, otherwise not as attractive to a developer normally.

And that's what we need to to do is get more volume built so we can get more supply here in communities like Trenton that have great bones, there's great things here to do.

We've got good trains, we've got, you know, good institutions.

We just need, you know, more housing supply.

- Is the housing issue or affordable and accessible housing issue different in Newark, in Jersey City versus Trenton?

- They're at different stages of development.

You've I'm sure seen this Down Neck, Steve, and even really, frankly across the city.

- Sorry for folks, a little inside.

- Yes, who don't live in Newark.

- Down Neck is the neighborhood that's called the Ironbound, which is right below Penn Station in Newark.

Go ahead.

- The point is- - Where are you gonna build housing Down Neck?

- Well, my point is when you come into Newark, and it's not just in the Ironbound section, it's really spread around the entire city where it's happening organically.

That's the key.

The economy, the pump has been primed, if you will, and housing is starting to happen now in Trenton where it's just developers are coming in on their own and doing it as opposed to a place like Paterson or Trenton where developers are more reluctant to come in and develop.

We need to get the pump primed in these cities so the developers will start coming and develop here the way they do in Newark and New Jersey City and even New Brunswick.

- Can I get a minute or less on this: federal funding cuts as it relates to, do they impact the housing challenge in the state?

- Not so much on the housing side, no.

The federal cuts are impacting on maybe repairs to housing, energy efficiency work, you know, insulation, clean energy.

And also the cuts are impacting us in ways for around AmeriCorps, for example, which provides an important part of our workforce.

- Hold on, so Isles is taking a direct hit from the feds in terms of a direct federal grant to Isles?

- The President has made clear he wants to close down AmeriCorps.

His budget zeroed out AmeriCorps.

We've had a 1.2... - Tell us what AmeriCorps is real quick, Sean.

- AmeriCorps is a service-oriented program geared towards young people, not exclusively, but geared towards young people, typically maybe between high school and college or after college to go and work in a community for a year doing some type of public service.

- How dare they, how dare they wanna help?

And that's ending, that's ending?

- Well, the president proposed, you know, eliminating it in his budget.

Now, as you know, we still don't have a budget for this year.

And that's been part of the challenge of this administration is there's such uncertainty and lack of direction about where things are going.

We stand to lose $1.2 million if the president has his way.

- All of us who lead nonprofits trying to stay in the game every day but Isles is doing a terrific job down in Trenton, impacting across the state.

Sean Jackson's the CEO of Isles and check them out, find out more.

Hey, Sean, thank you, my friend.

We'll talk again in the future.

- Great to see you, Steve.

Be well, take care.

- I'm Steve Adubato, that's Sean Jackson.

We'll see you next time.

- [Narrator] Think Tank with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by NJM Insurance Group.

EJI, Excellence in Medicine Awards.

A New Jersey health foundation program.

The Fund for New Jersey.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

PSEG Foundation.

The Adler Aphasia Center.

The North Ward Center.

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

And by NJ Best, New Jersey’s five-two-nine college savings plan.

Promotional support provided by Meadowlands Chamber.

And by NJBIZ.

The North Ward Center continues to expand their services and outreach in Newark, from the childhood years to the golden years, Offering programs like preschool, youth leadership development, Casa Israel Adult Medical Day program our Family Success center, as well as a gymnasium.

And most recently Hope House, a permanent home for adults with autism, supporting and nurturing our autism community with Hope House 2 coming soon.

The North Ward Center.

We’re here when you need us.