(TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Jerry
Green (D-Union/Middlesex/Somerset) issued the following statement after hearing
testimony on the Christie administration’s effort to raid $161 million in
affordable housing money from municipalities to plug in holes in its budget at
today’s Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee hearing:
“Today’s
testimony was constructive, but too many questions remain.
“Like many of
my colleagues, I’m still waiting to hear how the administration plans to
address the need for affordable housing if these funds are taken away from
municipalities.
“These funds
were intended to create affordable housing opportunities for residents of lower
means, not to plug holes in the governor’s budget. I understand there was a
deadline attached to these funds, but at the end of the day, we still have a
responsibility to ensure there is reasonable housing for residents. So the
question remains, what plan does the Christie administration have to provide
affordable housing, other than taking funds away from municipalities to build
such housing?”
“This is too
big a concern in New Jersey
for there to be so much uncertainty about what happens next. These are not just
buildings we’re talking about; this is about families, so I would ask the
administration to consider leaving these funds untouched until a clear plan is
in place.”
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