Revisions to Sandy Recovery Plan Must Give All Affected Renters and Homeowners Equal Opportunity to Rebuild, say Housing Advocates
Christie Administration opens public comment period on amended Action Plan

11/8/13

Following the announcement that the Christie Administration seeks to transfer $145 million in federal funds to two housing recovery programs, Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (the Network) Executive Director Staci Berger and Fair Share Staff Attorney Adam Gordon (FSHC) issued the following:

"While more funds to help people impacted by the storm are certainly necessary, we are concerned that the Christie Administration’s proposal to move more Sandy recovery dollars into housing programs doesn't address the myriad of issues people are still facing including the lack of accountability and transparency around fund disbursement," said Berger. "We continue to hear stories from people still living in hotels or in the second floor of their mold infested homes and even people sleeping on beaches. Homeowners, renters, and small business owners are having an extremely difficult time navigating the system. Any proposal to shift funds must be paired with reforms to these programs to make them more efficient and fair, or people will continue to be trapped in an endless cycle of uncertainty."  

"Homeowners and renters deserve equal access to recovery funds, yet the Christie Administration’s plan has not a single dollar to help renters who are still displaced from their homes," said Gordon. "Also, documents obtained from the administration revealed that they have not distributed promised levels of funding to low and moderate income households. The Governor promised higher levels of funding to go toward hard-working New Jerseyans that he has not delivered, and any more funding must address that broken promise."

"The lack of transparency around the distribution of Sandy recovery dollars must also be addressed," Gordon, whose organization has sued the Christie Administration over their failure to provide public information about the Sandy funds, added. "The public –especially people impacted by Sandy - has a right to know how, when, and where these important resources are being spent, and why some people are being favored over others to rebuild.."

Housing and Community Development Network of NJ
The Housing and Community Development Network supports New Jersey’s community development sector, collaborating with more than 250 members including community development corporations and other organizations to create affordable homes, expand economic opportunities, and build strong communities. For more information on the Network, visit www.hcdnnj.org.

Fair Share Housing Center
Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC), founded in 1975, is the only public interest organization entirely devoted to defending the housing rights of New Jersey’s poor through enforcement of the Mount Laurel Doctrine, the landmark decision that prohibits economic discrimination through exclusionary zoning and requires all towns to provide their “fair share” of their region’s need for affordable housing. For more information on Fair Share Housing Center, visit www.fairsharehousing.org.

For more information:
Nina Arce
(609) 393-3752 x12
[email protected]
Adam Gordon
(856) 577-7043
[email protected]