FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Christie Administration Announces Rental Property Owners Have Until November 15 to Apply for Landlord Rental Repair Program

Program Provides Assistance to Help Repair Sandy-Damaged Housing Units



Trenton, NJ – Current and prospective rental property owners who are seeking to repair housing units damaged by Superstorm Sandy have until November 15 to apply for assistance through the Landlord Rental Repair Program.

The Christie Administration launched the $70 million housing recovery program in July 2013 to provide up to $50,000 per Sandy-damaged housing unit to help eligible landlords repair their residential rental properties. Landlords must agree to rent the repaired housing units year-round to low- and moderate-income families at approved affordable rents.

“The Landlord Rental Repair Program is a key component of the Christie Administration’s overall effort to increase affordable rental housing in communities damaged by Sandy,” said New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Richard E. Constable, III, whose Department is administering this program and the majority of the State’s other Sandy Recovery initiatives. “Although the program is at present oversubscribed, not every applicant currently being reviewed may ultimately qualify. If landlords have not as of yet applied, this is their last chance to submit an application for help repairing their units affected by the storm.” 

Eligible rental property owners in the nine counties the federal government designated as most impacted by Sandy are prioritized, but the grants are available for rental properties damaged by the storm in all of the state’s 21 counties. It is anticipated the program will benefit approximately 1,500 low- to moderate-income families.

Rental property owners with 25 or fewer units are eligible for the Landlord Rental Repair Program, and the properties must have sustained damage from Sandy. Preference for funding will be given to smaller projects with seven or fewer units, properties with mold remediation needs, and projects that will be used for special needs housing. The owner of the property can either be the pre-storm owner, a new owner, or a prospective owner who can demonstrate valid site control.

The Landlord Rental Repair Program is funded through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery monies provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Christie Administration has targeted $379 million of these funds for programs designed to replenish the stock of rental housing throughout Sandy-affected areas, repair affordable rental units affected by the storm, and provide affordable housing for residents in need. The State anticipates that approximately 7,000 new affordable housing units statewide will be created over the next two years as a result of these affordable rental housing programs.

DCA is accepting applications for the Landlord Rental Repair Program through Friday, November 15th on a first-received, first-processed basis. Rental property owners can apply for the program by visiting www.renewjerseystronger.org, calling the housing assistance hotline at 1-855-SANDYHM (1-855-726-3946), or visiting one of the nine Housing Recovery Centers, which are listed at http://www.renewjerseystronger.org/contact/.

CONTACT:
Lisa Ryan
Sean Conner
(609) 292-6055