RELEASE: June 21, 2005

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Free online registry for finding accessible, affordable housing

TRENTON , N.J. - Department of Human Services Commissioner James M. Davy and Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Susan Bass Levin today gathered with state and federal officials for the launch of the New Jersey Housing Resource Center (HRC), a free online registry of accessible, affordable and special needs housing throughout the state. The Housing Resource Center , located at www.njhousing.gov , is a partnership between DHS' Division of Disability Services, DCA, and the New Jersey Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency, a DCA affiliate.

“One of this Administration's top priorities is providing accessible and affordable housing for all of New Jersey 's hardworking families,” said Acting Governor Richard J. Codey. “Today, thanks to this unique partnership, residents are one step closer to finding housing that best suits their diverse needs.”

“Now, for the first time, people with disabilities, and anyone else who is seeking ‘accessible and affordable' housing, will be able to search for a home of their own by making ‘one stop' at this website,” said DHS Commissioner James M. Davy. “This is just one more example of New Jersey 's commitment to assisting all of its citizens to live in the communities of their own choosing, and of another positive, symbiotic partnership among state agencies... DHS and DDS, plus DCA and HMFA.”

“The idea for the HRC stemmed from a recommendation made by New Jersey's Olmstead Task Force,” said William Ditto, director of DHS's Division of Disability Services, who procured a Real Life Choices Systems Change Grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop “an interactive, state of the art website and toll free number with a TTY component to serve as a comprehensive resource and single location for information on housing and support services.”

From this CMS grant, $500,000 helped launch the Housing Resource Center . DCA, HMFA, and the New Jersey Office of Information Technology made in-kind contributions and additional funding commitments to implement the site.

“At DCA and HMFA, we are dedicated to making investments in communities all across New Jersey – building vibrant neighborhoods where people want to raise families and build businesses,” Commissioner Levin said. “Through the Housing Resource Center , we are making it easier than ever for residents to find quality, affordable housing that fits their lifestyles.”

“With this Housing Resource Center, we can now point to New Jersey as a leader in helping people with disabilities find appropriate housing,” said Kate King, Health Insurance Specialist from CMS, who came up from Baltimore for the launch event. “This is the first partnership of its kind in a state, offering a comprehensive registry of accessible, affordable and special needs housing.”

Visitors to the New Jersey Housing Resource Center can find or list housing online by entering a wide range of selection criteria including rent or mortgage cost, acceptance of public subsidies, location, number of bed/bath rooms, accessibility features, unit/development amenities, and proximity to transportation, play areas and schools.

The website features two key components: a searchable registry of housing with accessibility features and of affordable housing located throughout New Jersey ; and a comprehensive collection of housing-related links for consumers, agencies working on behalf of consumers, and property owners.

The service is free for consumers and housing providers and is also available in Spanish. Occupied units are removed from the site every two weeks, so there is always a fresh inventory of housing from which to choose.

Since 2002, DCA and HMFA have already financed over 21,500 affordable housing units – far exceeding the State's goal of 20,000 units by 2006. These units are located in all 21 counties of the state and total more than $2.25 billion in investment.

For more information on the Housing Resource Center , log on to www.njhousing.gov.

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