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Advocates Launch “Fix It! Restore Affordable Home Funding” Campaign to Reverse Affordable Housing Trust Fund Diversion 7/14/2025 Housing advocates and community developers from across New Jersey gathered today to launch a new campaign, Fix It! Restore Affordable Home Funding, demanding state leaders reverse the diversion of New Jersey’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) in the FY2026 budget. Led by the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (the Network), the campaign kicks off with public outreach efforts, including electronic billboard messages along the New Jersey Turnpike, calling on residents to urge their legislators and Governor Murphy to restore funding. “The diversion of these critical funds has real and immediate consequences for affordable home development across the state,” said Staci Berger, president and chief executive officer of the Network. “It’s a mistake that threatens to stall shovel-ready projects and reverse progress made in addressing housing insecurity and homelessness. We are calling on state leaders to fix this without delay.” “This could be reversed immediately, and it should be reversed immediately, so that we can get back to the business of building homes and changing family lives,” said Edward Bethea, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Gateway Community Action Partnership and chair of the Network Board of Directors. Housing advocates say the Legislature should not only reverse the raid on the AHTF but also grow the Fund using at least half of the mansion tax. The state’s newly expanded mansion tax is projected to generate more than $300 million a year from home sales of over $1 million, with higher fees for more expensive properties. However, none of the revenue is being directed to affordable homes. New legislation sponsored by Sen. Benjie Wimberly (LD-35) and Assemblymembers Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (LD-15), Yvonne Lopez (LD-19) and Carol Murphy (LD-7), would dedicate half of the new revenue collected from the mansion tax expansion to the AHTF. Matthew Hersh, vice president of policy and advocacy at the Network, highlighted the broader implications of the cut: “This relatively small piece of the state’s $59 billion budget, about $150 million, has a profound impact on New Jersey’s ability to produce affordable homes. These decisions affect not just the construction of affordable homes, but also the ability of community-based nonprofit developers to continue providing critical support services and responding to the needs of our residents.” “In Paterson we have 19 homes in pre-development,” said Scott Millard, chief executive officer, Passaic County Habitat for Humanity. “We have already invested significant dollars and are ready to build these homes, but they will not be built if we do not restore the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.” “We have projects that are stuck in limbo, 44 homes in 3 municipalities,” said Liz DeCoursey, chief executive officer, Greater Middlesex and Morris Habitat for Humanity. “We've already invested over a half a million dollars in those projects and now we're stuck.” According to advocates, the Trust Fund has historically played a vital role in helping nonprofit developers create affordable homes, especially in underserved communities. The diversion of these funds could derail projects already in the pipeline and set back gains in closing the state’s racial wealth and housing gap. “When it comes to affordable housing in New Jersey, we're playing catch up,” said Rev. Derrick Green, founder, Green Consultants. “For the first time in 30 years, we've finally had an administration that's been committed to housing affordability, but this budget really puts us behind. We don't need to play catch up anymore, we need to keep the momentum going." A recent report from Fair Share Housing Center, found that 424 New Jersey municipalities have adopted and filed Housing Element and Fair Share Plans (HEFSPs) which detail how they will meet their legally-mandated affordable housing responsibilities “The Affordable Housing Trust Fund came out of the original Fair Housing Act, and it was a critical part of the Legislature's response to implementing Mount Laurel,” said Adam Gordon, executive director of Fair Share Housing Center. “These towns are relying on being able to use this funding to meet their obligations.” “Housing is a human right,” said Bridget Phifer, chief executive officer, Parkside Business and Community in Partnership. “Housing helps to build community; it brings pride to communities that in many instances have been disinvested and have been long forgotten. When we talk about racial wealth building, closing the racial wealth gap, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund provides an opportunity.” The Network’s campaign invites New Jerseyans to join the call to action by visiting tinyurl.com/fixitAHTF to email their elected officials and share messages of support on social media. Watch today’s campaign launch event at tinyurl.com/AHTFlaunch. About the Housing and Community Development Network of NJ For more information: Nina Rainiero |
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