Residents and advocates go on record as needing more help from state
State lawmakers heard repeated calls to increase aid for those hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic during the first public hearing Wednesday on Gov. Phil Murphy’s plan to expand the state budget to nearly $45 billion.
Residents and issue advocates who testified using a virtual format due to the lingering health crisis asked for more funding for programs that assist low-income residents, including those who’ve suffered job losses or have been unable to find affordable housing.
They also sought more state aid for those dealing with mental health issues and addiction problems, and for seniors, veterans and those with disabilities who’ve struggled with isolation during COVID-19 lockdowns.
With $6.4B in COVID aid coming, here come the spending ideas
TRENTON State lawmakers began their formal review of Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget Wednesday, holding the first of four public hearings to solicit testimony from residents and, more typically, interest groups.
Assembly Budget Committee chairwoman Eliana Pintor Marin, D-Essex, said these are unprecedented times due to the devastating coronavirus pandemic and resulting health and economic suffering.
“Gov. Murphy has proposed his $44.8 billion budget that addresses some of these issues and problems that we are facing,” Pintor Marin said. “However, the proposed budget won’t look the same once it gets through the Legislature.”
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Not much. But it’s enough to put Horizon near the top of the
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New Jersey’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund could face what some advocates say is another raid on its dedicated fund in the coming fiscal year if Gov. Phil Murphy’s budget is adopted as drafted by lawmakers.
Administration officials say they do not consider the proposed use of $20 million from the fund for the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency’s (HMFA) Down Payment Assistance program as a raid. That program provides a $10,000 interest-free forgivable loan to first-time homebuyers in the state to cover a down payment and closing costs. There is an income cap to qualify, but it’s 140% of the area’s median income, which is not limited to a single county. Trust-fund money is supposed to build or support homes for those with no more than 80% of the median income.
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