Supreme Court Denies Christie’s Ask to Gut Housing Agency
Attempt to raid $160 million in housing trust funds in question

6/11/2012

Following the announcement that New Jersey's Supreme Court has denied the Governor Christie's request for a stay on the decision overturning the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) executive order, Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey Director of Policy and Advocacy Staci Berger issued the following statement:
 
"New Jersey needs more homes our residents can afford. In New Jersey, every community has an obligation to create housing choices for our hard working families and seniors.  Last week, legislators showed unusual bipartisan, bicameral support to preserve more than $160 million in housing dollars our towns need to keep to make those homes happen.  We are heartened that, today, the Supreme Court affirmed that the state must continue to operate the agency that works with towns to do so.
 
"Now that the Supreme Court has turned down the governor’s request for a stay, our communities should be able to get back to creating the homes our residents want.  Instead of talking about a ‘Jersey Comeback,’ the governor could make one happen by helping to solve the foreclosure crisis and investing in the homes and jobs our state needs.  Instead, he proposes to use foreclosure settlement dollars and locally collected housing trust funds, and borrow from other sources, to subsidize his tax cut.  That’s not just wrong, it’s bad for our economic future.  Garden State families have to live within their means, and our governor should too."  

For more information: Nina Arce
Housing & Community Development Network of NJ
(609) 393-3752 x12
[email protected]
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