SRAP Resolution

State and Federal Rental Assistance Resolution for FY 2006-07

Whereas, housing costs in New Jersey are among the highest in the country, with both rents and home prices continuing to rise; and

Whereas, the average Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a two-bedroom apartment in New Jersey is $1,085 per month; and

Whereas, studies have shown that a family needs an income of at least $43,400 per year to be able to afford to pay this rent and still provide for all its other basic needs; and

Whereas, many workers vital to our local and state economy, and our quality of life - such as home health aides, nursing home workers, child care workers, pre-school teachers, and scores of other employees make far less than this amount (for example, the average wage for home health aides is $20,000 per year and for child care workers earn it's $18,000); and

Whereas, 25% of all jobs in New Jersey pay less than $21,500 per year, and half of all jobs in the state pay below $33,500 annually; and

Whereas, federal Section 8 rental assistance vouchers provide critically important assistance to thousands of low-wage workers who would otherwise find it virtually impossible to afford a decent home, live close to the communities where they work, and maintain a minimal level of security and stability for their children; and

Whereas, Section 8 vouchers also make it possible for thousands of people on low fixed incomes, including senior citizens and people with disabilities, to find and retain a decent, stable place to live; and

Whereas, the need for such vouchers far exceeds the supply, with tens of thousands of families in New Jersey on waiting lists that require them to wait years before they are able to obtain help, waiting lists which in most instances are closed because they are so long; and

Whereas, New Jersey has recently created a state-funded rental assistance program to help address some of this overwhelming demand; and

Whereas, the need more than warrants increasing the amount allocated to the new state rental assistance program to at least $40 million,

Whereas, Governor Corzine has called for that increase in the fiscal year 2006-07 state budget which is currently before the State Legislature;

Now therefore be it resolved that __________________________ calls on the Legislature of the State of New Jersey to provide additional funding to the fiscal year 2006-07 state budget to the state rental assistance program in order to increase the amount available to provide vouchers for low-wage workers and other disadvantaged people to at least $40 million; and

Be it further Resolved that __________________________ calls on Congress to increase, not decrease, the funding available to the federal Section 8 program without cutting any other housing program that serves low income people so that more federal vouchers will be available to assist working people and others in need; this should NOT be done by cutting any other currently funded housing program that serves low income people; and

Be it further resolved that a duly authenticated copy of this resolution be sent to the Governor, each member of the NJ Legislature, the entire NJ Congressional delegation and the Housing & Community Development Network. .

Contact information for the NJ Legislature is available at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp or by calling 1-800-792-8630.

Find your federal representative at http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ or by calling 1-888-818-6641.

For questions contact: Arnold Cohen, Housing & Community Development Network
145 W. Hanover St. Trenton 08625 609-393-3752; 609-393-9016 (fax); acohen@hcdnnj.org