op ed printed in the Ocean County Observer May 7th 2006 Rental assistance must not be cut from budget It's getting harder and harder to keep up with the rent in New Jersey, but there is good news for many struggling families. Gov. Corzine's increased funding for the State Rental Assistance Program offers real hope to more than 4,000 households in New Jersey. We at Homes for New Jersey thank the governor for keeping his campaign promise to low-income residents in our state. Most people are aware that the cost of housing has skyrocketed in New Jersey; yet, what this means for extremely low-income families is not as widely known. Over the last five years, housing prices have gone up by 76 percent. New Jersey ranks as the third most expensive state for renters and this places minimum-wage workers in an increasingly uphill battle to meet their most basic need — a place to live. Homes for New Jersey, a nonpartisan coalition of more than 200 business, religious and community leaders who support better housing in New Jersey, appreciate Corzine's budgetary stand for the State Rental Assistance Program. Without it, many residents would face homelessness or be forced to cut back on basic needs, such as health care, nutritious food or safe child-care options. The Homes for New Jersey Campaign represents a wide cross-section of community advocates, housing providers, developers, and business leaders that goes well beyond the borders of traditional housing advocacy organizations. Our diverse membership provides a larger forum for issues to be raised that affect the overall affordability and availability of quality housing throughout the state. The State Rental Assistance Program, created in 2005 and managed by the Department of Community Affairs, provides working families with crucial rental assistance dollars and helps them to stay in their homes. SRAP has provided housing vouchers for families and individuals in dire need of housing assistance. These recipients are able to use vouchers to obtain safe, decent housing during a time of extremely high housing costs. The program has been enormously helpful to many state residents, but it still reaches only a fraction of the people who qualify for it and need it. Over 100,000 extremely low-income households in New Jersey pay over half their income for rent. Consider that the federal affordability standard advises no more than 30 percent of household income to be spent on housing costs. In New Jersey, salary increases have hardly kept pace with escalating housing and rental costs, placing low-income workers on shaky financial ground. New Jersey has broken new ground in providing assistance through a new state funded program. Homes for New Jersey is grateful to Corzine for recognizing the housing crisis that low-income households face every day in New Jersey, and for providing increased financial backing to the State Rental Assistance Program. However, the governor's proposal has not yet been approved. In the coming months, we must ensure that the urgently needed $40 million in funding recommended for the State Rental Assistance Program in the governor's 2007 budget proposal passes through the Legislature. This program — one that makes a real difference to so many — Must continue to provide working families with genuine assistance and a place to call home. TIM TOUHEY Co-Chair DEBORAH De SANTIS Executive Committee Member Homes for New Jersey Published in the Ocean County Observer: Sunday, May 7th 2006