SEN. MENENDEZ, REPS. PALLONE, PAYNE, & PASCRELL ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $10.9 MILLION FOR N.J. COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES

Washington – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez and U.S. Congressmen Frank Pallone, Donald Payne, Jr., and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (all D-NJ) today announced that counties and municipalities across New Jersey will receive more than $10.9 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for various housing and economic development programs.

These grants include funding through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which provides resources for community improvements to help foster economic development. The remaining funding comes from HUD’s HOME Investment Partnership, the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program, and the Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) program. These programs are aimed at increasing the availability of affordable housing for low-income families and improving the quality and number of emergency homeless shelters.

“These critical HUD dollars help revitalize communities and help provide families with greater access to affordable housing,” said Senator Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development. “I will continue fighting to secure these resources for the benefit of everyone in New Jersey so we can help families and communities move forward together.”

“These grants are critical to helping house the homeless, revitalize our neighborhoods, and ensure families have a roof over their heads,” said Rep. Payne, Jr. “When too many families across New Jersey are still recovering from the worst recession since the Great Depression, HUD grants are desperately needed, and they work. I will continue to fight for this kind of funding so that the basic human needs of the least fortunate among us continue to be met.”

“This federal investment in Paterson will help provide affordable housing to families while spurring economic growth,” stated Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., a member of the House Ways and Means and Budget Committees. "Keeping families in their homes is a key to our economic recovery and essential to preserving the core of our communities and neighborhoods.”

“After Sandy destroyed so many homes and lives, I’m pleased to see that these grants will help many individuals in my district who still struggle to find a home,” said Rep. Pallone. “The rebuilding process is a long one, but CDBG and other types of grants are critical to helping our communities realize a full recovery.”

A breakdown of the funding is below.

A total of $10,868,569 through four HUD initiatives: the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, HOME Investment Partnership, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA), Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) program) will be distributed as follows: