(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by
Assembly Democrats Upendra J. Chivukula (D-Middlesex/Somerset) and Vincent
Prieto (D-Bergen/Hudson) that would make affordable housing more accessible to
New Jersey veterans was signed into law on Monday.
“Finding reasonably priced housing
can be challenging. For veterans, who are returning home to a poor job market
and high housing costs, who may be dealing with mental and physical
disabilities, it can be even more difficult,” said Chivukula. “This law will
help make the transition to civilian life a bit smoother for our veterans by
ensuring that they have affordable housing options when they get back.”
“The homelessness rate among veterans
in this country is alarming. This law can help put a dent on this problem by
targeting affordable housing for veterans,” said Prieto. “No soldier should have
to come back home after fighting a war to end up on the streets. This not only
helps veterans currently struggling with homelessness, but those returning home.
They deserve nothing less.”
The new law (S-829/A-1744) allows
municipalities to enter into agreements with developers to provide affordable
housing occupancy preferences of up to 50 percent of the affordable units in a
particular project for low to moderate income veterans who served in time of war
or other emergency. Current New Jersey law does not extend affordable housing
preferences to low to moderate income veterans.
The law requires the Council on
Affordable Housing (COAH) to develop rules similar to those of the United States
Department of Housing and Urban Development, which extend the housing benefit to
New Jersey veterans. Under the bill, any agreement to provide affordable housing
preferences for veterans will not affect a municipality’s ability to get credit
for the unit from COAH.
As of December 2011, nearly one in
seven homeless adults are veterans, according to the Center for American
Progress. More than 67,000 homeless veterans were counted on a given January
night in America last year, and more than 4 in 10 homeless veterans were found
unsheltered. According to the think tank, 1.5 million veterans are at risk
of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks and dismal living
conditions in overcrowd or substandard housing.
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