The ACLU-NJ joined 11 organizations in signing an open letter urging the Legislature to allocate $500 million in rental assistance for low-income families in New Jersey. It is estimated that more than 75,000 households are at risk of eviction now that the eviction moratorium has ended, and rental assistance funds have run out. Potential for further COVID-19 surges makes it that much more important to ensure that New Jerseyans can remain in their homes and landlords can continue their livelihood. The signed-on advocacy groups call on lawmakers to pass legislation that would bolster the Eviction Prevention Program and require grants to reach at least 28,000 households in its first phase. Read the open letter in full.
The following statement can be attributed to ACLU-NJ Policy Counsel Joe Johnson:
“At the height of the pandemic, New Jersey put in place significant protections to ensure that the economic consequences of COVID-19 wouldn’t force people from their homes. Now that those measures have run their course, we’re calling on lawmakers to continue funding the Eviction Prevention Program to assist low-income families and their landlords. With further COVID-19 surges a possibility, it’s as important now as ever that New Jerseyans are able to remain in their homes.”
