NJ Assembly Committee Calls on Congress to Prioritize Housing Affordability in Reconciliation Package
Resolution supporting significant investments to HouseNJ advances

6/3/2022

The New Jersey Assembly Housing Committee advanced a resolution this week urging Congress to include funding to increase affordable home production, prevent homelessness, and reduce housing instability in the any federal reconciliation bill. Investments targeting home affordability are part of the HouseNJ campaign agenda promoted by the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (the Network). On the resolution, Network President and Chief Executive Officer Staci Berger issued the following statement:

“Households are struggling to cope with rising inflation, putting a tight squeeze on household budgets. Families are desperately scraping together what they can to pay the rent or mortgage, leaving many falling behind and on the brink of homelessness. Assembly Speaker Coughlin has identified food insecurity and affordable homes as legislative priorities. Those goals can be addressed by using federal funds to bolster essential state housing programs that increase affordable home production, prevent homelessness, and reduce housing instability.

“By passing this resolution, our state legislature would join most of NJ’s Congressional delegation in calling on historic, essential housing investments in any Congressional budget reconciliation bill. We thank the resolution sponsors, Assemblymembers Timberlake, McKnight, and Lopez as well as the members of the Committee for supporting efforts to HouseNJ.”

Local versions of the resolution have already been passed in the Cites of Newark and Asbury Park as well as the Boroughs of Metuchen, Red Bank and Highland Park, with others to follow.

The Network's HouseNJ campaign calls on Congress to:

• Expand rental assistance to additional extremely low-income households, including those experiencing and at risk of homelessness.
• Increase the National Housing Trust Fund to build affordable, safe homes for households with the greatest needs.
• Repair and preserve public housing, which is home to 2.5 million residents across the country.

The campaign also focuses on state level interventions including protecting and expanding the state Affordable Housing Trust Fund, increasing the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit, strengthening rental assistance and homelessness prevention efforts, and removing barriers to housing access and increase housing security.

About the Housing and Community Development Network of NJ
The Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey is the statewide association of more than 270 community development corporations, individuals and other organizations that support the creation of affordable homes, economic opportunities, and strong communities. For more information on the Network, visit www.hcdnnj.org.