Yearly Archives: 2016

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) Executive Director Anthony L. Marchetta today joined local officials and community leaders to celebrate the grand opening of Franklin Street Villa, which includes 30 new housing units, eight of which are set aside for homeless and/or disabled veterans.

Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Jay Webber to track the financial burden of unfunded state and federal mandates on counties and towns was released today by the Appropriations Committee. The bill (A1034) requires the Department of Community Affairs to compile a list, updated annually, of all unfunded mandates on local and county governments, including the estimated cost

Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ-01) today announced his appreciation to the Camden Historic Preservation Commission for its historic designation of a Camden City property that was once home to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., while King studied at the former Crozer Theological Seminary in Upland, Pennsylvania in the 1950s

Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (the Network) is partnering with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) to host free Housing Resource Fairs in Monmouth and Ocean counties to provide Sandy-impacted residents with information about available housing resources.

An inspector at the Union City Community Development Agency (UCCDA) was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for conspiring with contractors to rig the selection process for home improvement, sidewalk replacement and other projects, causing losses of at least $307,000, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Two announced candidates for New Jersey’s 2017 gubernatorial race participated in a discussion on housing and community development issues at the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey’s (the Network) Annual Community Development Conference and Membership Meeting on October 21. The declared Republican candidate, Assemblyman Jack M. Ciattarelli (LD-16) and the declared Democratic candidate, former U.S. Ambassador Phil Murphy, responded to the Network’s campaign to increase investments in community development and housing to tackle the state’s affordability issues.

The Christie Administration today announced the 39th Housing Recovery Information Session will be held Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016, in Belmar to assist storm-affected homeowners participating in the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) Program and the LMI Homeowner Rebuilding Program, as well as for rental property owners participating in the Landlord Rental Repair Program (LRRP).

Assemblyman Dave Rible, the Republican conference leader, plans to introduce a constitutional amendment Thursday prohibiting a repeal of the estate-tax cut after it is fully phased-out on Jan. 1, 2018.

The Port Authority has realized nearly $400,000 in savings at One World Trade Center through a federal Energy Policy Act tax incentive that encourages the installation of energy efficient measures, agency officials announced today. <

With support from the states of New York and New Jersey, agency will fund debt service on a $284 million low-cost, long-term federal loan to be made to the development corporation and $18 million in loan expenses to help pay for new Portal North Bridge

Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) recently visited the Northwest New Jersey Community Action Partnership, Inc (NORWESCAP) in Phillipsburg to announce the organization was awarded a $425,000 federal grant. The Congressman was joined at the presentation by Phillipsburg Mayor Stephen Ellis and trustees of NORWESCAP.

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) has asked the Navy to reconsider its recent controversial housing proposal for Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County that would expand the rental of public private venture (PPV) housing at the base to non-Department of Defense-affiliated civilians.

Governor Chris Christie issued the following statement after taking action on pending legislation providing tax relief for New Jersey residents while also updating and authorizing funding for the Transportation Trust Fund Authority (“TTFA”)

eimbursement program because they receive disability retirement benefits from the federal government are one step closer to relief today. A bill sponsored by Assemblyman Ron Dancer (A4130) extending the senior freeze program to disabled former federal employees, was released today by the Assembly State and Local Government Committe

Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Division of Consumer Affairs have filed an action against a Florida contractor who set up shop in New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy and allegedly defrauded seven homeowners who paid him to repair or replace their storm-damaged homes, including three that collectively lost more than $314,000 in federal relief funds

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) applauded Middlesex County for being recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for having effectively ended veterans' homelessness in the county. The Middlesex County freeholder board created a Veterans Housing Program in 2012 to assist veterans at risk of homelessness, committing $100,000 a year to the effort.

“The Democrats just wanted a gas tax increase, but I insisted that tax cuts offset that increase,” said Bramnick (R-Union). “In this compromise we were able to lower taxes for seniors, veterans, small businesses and low-income workers and provide the largest broad-based tax cut for everyone in over two decades. I am pleased that we were able to secure this relief.”

Housing advocates are expressing concern over the current proposal to fund the Transportation Trust Fund. It is estimated that tax cuts under the proposal would create a $1.4 billion budget deficit. Ahead of Friday’s vote in the New Jersey Legislature on the proposal, Network President and Chief Executive Officer Staci Berger issued the following statement

Continuing the State’s crackdown on Superstorm Sandy fraud, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Division of Consumer Affairs have filed an action against a Manahawkin contractor and his home improvement company for allegedly bilking $280,750 in Sandy relief funds from six shore homeowners that hired him to renovate and elevate their storm-damaged homes