Menendez, Booker announce $2M in public housing funding to continue providing rental assistance for families

NEW JERSEY – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both-D-N.J.) Thursday announced a combined total of $2,025,817 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to continue offering rental assistance to families participating in the Housing Choice Vouchers and Mainstream programs.

Due to insufficient funding, despite taking reasonable cost-saving measures, these Public Housing Authority’s (PHAs) would otherwise have to terminate rental assistance for families in Essex, Hudson, and Morris counties.

“Families across the state of New Jersey rely on rental assistance to keep a roof over their heads and that of their children,” Menendez said. “This $2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will allow New Jerseyans and their families residing in Essex, Hudson, and Morris counties to remain in their houses without fear of having their rental assistance ceased.”

“This vital funding will help New Jerseyans who rely on public housing authorities to stay in their homes and make ends meet,” Booker said. “I’m proud to see these federal funds allocated to communities across our state and know they will provide much-needed financial relief to families.”

This federal funding has been awarded to the following PHAs:

• Newark Housing Authority, Essex County                                   $1,864,252
• North Bergen Housing Authority, Hudson County                      $152,034
• Bayonne Housing Authority, Hudson County                              $4,762
• Morris County Housing Authority, Morris County                       $4,769

Sen. Menendez has long been a leader in the fight to build more affordable housing. 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 February, Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker announced a combined $93,830,496 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to modernize public housing properties and for management improvements across the state of New Jersey.

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. Sen. Menendez leads the annual appropriations letter in support of public housing funding.