In this Week's Edition
News
SHA Member Meeting Recap
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White House Issues Budget,
Expands on Housing Credit
American Jobs Plan Sees
Affordable Housing Investment
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A.C.T.I.O.N. Releases 3-part
Video Series on the Affordable Housing
Credit Improvement Act of 2021
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NJ Passes Landmark Bill Addressing Housing Discrimination Through Background Checks
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NJEDA Opens Phase 4 of
Small Business Emergency Grant Program
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Bergen County Launching
Rental & Utility Assistance
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Newark Invest $20M into Affordable Housing
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Federal Grant to Help Develop
Energy Efficient Housing in Camden
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DCA Still Accepting Applications for COVID-19
Emergency Rental Assistance Phase II
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Emergency Housing Voucher Updates
Resources & Virtual Forums
NJHMFA Homebuyers Webinar:
The Road Home
Passaic and Salem Counties
June 8 - June 10, 2021
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Employers Association of New Jersey
Free Webinar
The Post-Pandemic Workplace:
Legal Considerations for Employers
June 21, 2021
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Innovative Partnerships
for Affordable Housing:
Working Together to Respond,
Stabilize and Recover
A Conversation with
HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge
June 21, 2021
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Expanding Your Workforce:
Webinar on Hiring People with Disabilities
June 22, 2021
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SHA Lunch and Learn
Making the Shift to Technology First:
Critical First Steps
June 16, 2021
12:00-1:30 PM ET
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Next SHA
Developers Meeting
1:00–3:00PM via Zoom
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Next SHA
Members Meeting
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Save the Date!
2021 Governor's
Conference on Housing and Economic Development
Virtual Event
September 29th & 30th
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Congratulations to Arc of Atlantic County on celebrating its 60th year of service. The Arc of Atlantic County is a leading provider of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They help people to live the lives they choose as part of their community.
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Thank you to all our speakers and attendees who joined us for the member meeting yesterday. Some of the important updates included:
- Amy Scartocci (DDD) - Behavioral Health Homes RFP & Provider Ready Directory
- Courtney Davie (DDD) - New streamlined form process for DDD housing vouchers
- Delia Sequeira (DDD) - Trainings for care providers by DDD Resource Team
- Harry Reyes (DMHAS) - Proposed updates to Fair Market Rents
- Taiisa Kelly (Monarch Housing Associates) - In-depth review of Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV). Read on in the SHAre for more about EHVs.
SHA had some additional updates to share including our new searchable Members Directory Tool (members should have received details on how to access the tool and can email Joseph Christensen for assistance). Kate Kelly gave us the latest news on the Integrated Community Project as SHA will be hosting focus groups in June and July.
The final presentation with Harishan Lamba (Pennrose) and Marcus Kellam (Triple C Housing) covered an excellent collaboration between Pennrose and Triple C Housing on the development of Truman Square in Edison. The housing will offer supportive services to the 172 individuals and families who will live in the development and displays the success and benefits of partnership in expanding supportive housing in New Jersey.
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SHA Welcomes New Members In 2021
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White House Issues Budget, Expands on Housing Credit
American Jobs Plan Sees Affordable Housing Investment
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The White House released President Biden’s budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, totaling $6 trillion, a 16 percent increase from the FY21 enacted levels. It contains significant funding for the Housing Credit, including a separate allocation of $11 billion for the program over 2022 through 2026, for a total of $55 billion. This allocation would be available until the additional Housing Credits run out.
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Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2021
Strengthens Low-Income Housing Tax Credit
A.C.T.I.O.N. Releases 3-part Video Series
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In this video series, Ayrianne Parks, Senior Director of Public Policy at Enterprise, and Jennifer Schwartz, Director of Tax and Housing Advocacy at NCSHA, provide an overview of each of the provisions in the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) of 2021 (S. 1136 and H.R. 2573).
This comprehensive legislation to expand and strengthen the Housing Credit, is our nation’s primary tool for developing and preserving affordable housing, and is estimated to finance an additional 2 million affordable homes over the next decade, supporting the creation of nearly 3 million jobs.
As of May 28th, 10 Senate cosponsors signed onto the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) of 2021 (S. 1136), and now 25 percent of Senate Finance Committee members are signed on. In the House, 21 Representatives have also signed on, 15 of whom are members of the Ways and Means Committee.
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NJ Passes Landmark Bill Addressing Housing Discrimination Through Background Checks
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The New Jersey Legislature has passed the Fair Chance in Housing Act, which when signed into law, will limit the use of criminal background checks as a tool of discrimination in access to housing. Fair Share Housing Center Director of Racial Justice Policy James Williams provided the following statement in a release sent today.
The Fair Chance in Housing Act, passed by both houses of the Legislature today, will limit the ability of landlords to discriminate against Black and brown New Jerseyans on the basis of prior criminal records. This discrimination increases recidivism and ensures that the legacy of over-policing in Black and brown neighborhoods continues to follow individuals for years after their release.
The Fair Chance in Housing Act marks the first time that any state legislature has passed a bill limiting criminal background checks in housing. Individual cities – notably including Newark – have shown leadership on this issue over the past decade. Now, it is particularly important to bring this fight to the state and national level, so that the protections these policies provide do not end at any municipal boundary.
The bill adopted today will ensure justice for prospective tenants who have suffered from housing discrimination and gives the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office the tools it needs to ensure that those facing discrimination get relief if the Division on Civil Rights finds that a landlord has violated the law.
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NJEDA Opens Phase 4 of
Small Business Emergency Grant Program
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Phase 4 of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program provides grants up to $20,000 to small- and medium- sized businesses and non-profits that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-registration for Phase 4 reopened at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Business owners who did not pre-register in April can pre-register at programs.njeda.com. Businesses that have already applied for Phase 4 funding can check their application status at programs.njeda.com.
Pre-registration and grant applications will be available in English and Spanish. The NJEDA is also offering interpretation services to support speakers of ten additional languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, and Tagalog.
The State recently announced plans to enact an additional $235 million in State funds for various small business relief programs administered by the NJEDA. $200 million of this funding will be used to fulfill all eligible pending Phase 4 small business grant requests.
Business Are Required to Pre-Register
Businesses must pre-register to apply for Phase 4 grant funding. Pre-registration will remain open until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Pre-registration is not first come, first served, but businesses are encouraged to begin the process as early as possible.
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Bergen County Launching Rental & Utility Assistance
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HACKENSACK, N.J. – Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco announced that the County of Bergen will soon launch an Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) to provide financial relief for Bergen County residents unable to meet their rental obligation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible ERAP applicants will receive up to 12 months of assistance for unpaid back rent and gas and electric utility expenses (payable for amounts past due as of March 13, 2020). Amounts approved for funding will be paid directly to the landlords and utility provider.
The application portal for the Bergen County CARES Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) will be available for landlord pre-registration beginning Monday, June 7 at 9 a.m. and open to all eligible tenants beginning Monday, June 14 via www.BergenCountyCARES.org. The program will remain open from June 14 through July 23 and is based on available funding. (InsiderNJ, June 2, 2021)
To qualify for Bergen County CARES ERAP funding, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Bergen County resident primarily responsible for paying rent;
- Make less than 80% of the average median income of Bergen County (e.g., less than $78,500 for a family of four);
- Experienced a loss of income since March 13, 2020 related to the Covid-19 pandemic;
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Provide required supporting documentation (copies of state-issued ID, tax returns, lease or other proof of income/residence may be acceptable, etc.). In order to be eligible for the program, tenants must provide complete responses to the grant program application portal found at www.BergenCountyCARES.org. Once submitted, applicants will be notified of the funding decision and, if approved, the approved funds will be provided to the landlord or utility provider on their behalf.
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Newark Invest $20M into Affordable Housing
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Newark Mayor Ras Baraka recently announced an investment of $20 million in Affordable Newark, a new housing initiative that will target average Newark families earning a $32,000 income and below. On June 21, Baraka said the city will issue a Request for Proposals, inviting developers to participate in the program. He said preference will be given to minority and women developers, projects with minority co-developers and small-scale developments of 30 units or less.
The $20 million investment in Affordable Newark is more than four times the available funds to Newark in 2020 under the federal HOME program, which funded 13 projects, city officials said. The HOME program funds housing that is affordable to families at 80% or less of the area median income. HUD, however, defines the Newark “area” as including all of Essex County, Morris County and other wealthier suburban counties. This large, sprawling area has an AMI of $96,000. For that reason, Affordable Newark targets families at 30% or less of the federally defined AMI, $32,000, a number close to Newark’s true median income of $35,000. (ROI-NJ, May 27, 2021)
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Federal Grant to Help Develop
Energy Efficient Housing in Camden
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The $35 million grant will be used at Ablett Village, a nearly 80-year-old apartment complex in need of major upgrades. The money will be used to replace it with 350 new, energy-efficient units including nearly two dozen apartments set aside for low-income residents. (NJ Spotlight, June 2, 2021)
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DCA Still Accepting Applications for COVID-19
Emergency Rental Assistance Phase II
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The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is still accepting applications for the Covid-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program Phase II. Applications for this rental assistance are currently available on the website, and are being accepted on a rolling basis.
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Emergency Housing Voucher Updates
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WASHINGTON–U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge on May 17th announced the allocation of $5 billion in American Rescue Plan funds for emergency housing vouchers for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. The supplemental funding is allocated through the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program. Through EHV, HUD is providing 70,000 housing choice vouchers to local public housing authorities (PHAs) across the country to help Americans find and remain in housing. Click here for a full list of initial allocations.
Additional Resources:
As shared below, the following 15 housing authorities have received Emergency Housing Vouchers representing the total provided to New Jersey.
Justin Scheid, HUD Newark Field Office Director relayed, “In New Jersey, fifteen housing authorities will be receiving a total of 1,595 vouchers to provides homes to vulnerable residents who have endured the COVID-19 pandemic.”
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Newark Housing Authority
Elizabeth Housing Authority
Perth Amboy Housing Authority
Jersey City Housing Authority
Camden Housing Authority
Passaic Housing Authority
Housing Authority and Urban
Redevelopment Age
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Paterson Housing Authority
East Orange Housing Authority
Vineland Housing Authority
Housing Authority of Bergen County
Passaic County Public Housing Agency
Hamilton Township Housing Authority
Lakewood Residential Assistance Prog
NJ State Dept. of Community Affairs
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Resources & Virtual Forums
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NJHMFA Homebuyers Webinar: The Road Home
Passaic and Salem Counties
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Looking to Buy Your First Home?
The Road Home New Jersey webinar series provides a roadmap for homebuyers in New Jersey to learn and ask questions about the home purchase process as well as available programs in the state and featured municipality. Join a panel of industry professionals who will discuss:
$10,000 Down Payment Assistance Program for First-time Homebuyers
Credit Impact and how to access your report | Mortgage Lending Guidance
Current Market Trends | Housing Counseling
Importance of Hiring a Realtor | Importance of Using an Attorney
Registration is required for these virtual events.
Visit our website for more upcoming webinar dates at njhousing.gov
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Passaic County
Jun 8, 2021 07:00 PM
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Salem County
Jun 10, 2021 07:00 PM
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Employers Association of New Jersey Free Webinar
The Post-Pandemic Workplace:
Legal Considerations for Employers
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June 21, 2021 | 10:00 - 11:00 AM ET
While COVID-19 may not be entirely in the rear-view mirror, we can now reasonably say that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Schools are scheduled for full-time, in-person instruction Both employers and employees want to return to normal, but “normalcy” cannot be achieved with a flip of the switch. Health, safety and worker protection laws enacted during the pandemic have permanently altered the workplace and unvaccinated workers may block attempts to achieve optimal business results.
John Sarno, Esq., President of the Employers Association of New Jersey (EANJ) will present this webinar, which will cover the following topics:
- Updated Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- The Status of New Jersey’s Public Health Emergency Orders
- The Status of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act of 2020 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
- Whistleblowing
- Promoting the Vaccine
- Americans with Disabilities Act - Reasonable Accommodations
Our thanks to NJAMHAA for sharing this webinar resource
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Innovative Partnerships for Affordable Housing:
Working Together to Respond, Stabilize and Recover
A Conversation with HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge
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Monday, June 21, 2021 | 3:00 - 4:00 PM ET
Join Enterprise Community Partners President/CEO Priscilla Almodovar and Solutions Division President Jacqueline Waggoner for a conversation with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other local leaders. They will discuss the impact of Covid-19 on housing affordability and highlight efforts to respond to the crisis, stabilize households and ensure the long-term equitable recovery of our communities.
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Expanding Your Workforce:
Webinar on Hiring People with Disabilities
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June 22, 2021 | 1:00 - 2:30 PM ET
Join the New Jersey Business & Industry Association in collaboration with many statewide partners for a webinar to discuss the benefits and process of hiring individuals with disabilities and how they will help your company thrive.
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There are many great ways of supporting SHA: Join as a member, send donations, or shop with AmazonSmile. Thank you for your support!
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Want all the member benefits with SHA? Visit our website or contact Joseph Christensen to apply or manage your membership.
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Members can post jobs to find applicants within the wider supportive housing community. Click on the button to visit our job page.
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Diane Riley, Executive Director
Joseph Christensen, Membership & Communication Manager
Kate Kelly, MSW – Integrated Community Project Manager
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Advocate ● Educate ● Support
The Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey unites its diverse coalition of members engaging development, resources, and information to sustain supportive housing systems within New Jersey. Since 1998, our statewide mission seeks to enhance lives and accessibility to enable independent living within our communities.
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Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey
185 Valley Street, South Orange, NJ 07079
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