Menendez announces $386K in housing assistance for 13 New Jersey towns

NEW JERSEY – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) Friday announced a combined total of $386,094 in housing assistance for 13 towns across New Jersey, including Perth Amboy, West New York, South Amboy, Irvington, Boonton, Brick, Fort Lee, Belvidere, Old Bridge, Union County Housing Authority, Glassboro, Deptford, and Elizabeth.

The funding awarded to Elizabeth Housing Authority will support their Vouchers for Foster Youth to Independence Initiative, providing housing assistance to youth between the ages of 18 and 24 who left foster care, are homeless, are at-risk of homelessness, or will leave foster care within 90 days.

“New Jerseyan residents and families benefit greatly from receiving housing assistance like this in our current economy – helping keep a roof over their heads and alleviating some of the burden that comes with monthly bill payments,” Menendez said. “For New Jersey youth who face challenges such as homelessness and living in the foster care system, housing assistance means the difference between sleeping on the streets or sleeping inside of a home. I am proud to have worked to deliver this funding to New Jersey families and youth across the state.”

Through the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative (FYI), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is investing in local, cross-system collaborative efforts to prevent and end homelessness among youth that currently or have received child support and services.

Menendez has long been a leader in the fight to build more affordable housing. In August, Sens. Menendez and Booker announced a total of $2,017,856.00 to provide service coordination and supportive services to low-income seniors at HUD-assisted multifamily housing properties.

Under FY 2023 Service Coordinator in Multifamily Housing Congregate Housing Services programs, these funds promote health and wellness to support residents as they age in place in an independent housing setting.

In March, the Senator joined a group of 17 Senate Committee Chairs and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in sending a letter to President Biden urging the federal government to utilize a “whole-of-government” approach to address the nation’s housing crisis.

In May, Sens. Menendez and Booker announced a total $12,237,784 for the state of New Jersey from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the nation’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF), an affordable housing production program that complements existing federal, state, and local efforts to increase and preserve the supply of high-quality, safe affordable housing for low-income households, including families experiencing homelessness.

In January 2022, Sen. Menendez announced $1,429,328 million in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Counseling Program to seven local agencies throughout New Jersey to provide funds to HUD approved housing counseling agencies to advise people on buying or renting a home, defaults, foreclosure, and other financial challenges.

In August 2021, he introduced the Livable Communities Act that encourages local communities to partner strategically to develop bold, innovative solutions that reflect their unique character, while leveraging existing assets, including access to transit to help revitalize neighborhoods, spur economic development, create jobs, and address their affordable housing needs.