State Housing Assistance

The New Jersey state government has in place a number of housing assistance programs for low- to moderate-income individuals and families. The assistance provided depends solely upon monies made possible through the New Jersey state budget. As with any state entity, the programs listed below are subject to change or dissolve, depending upon the availability of funds. The information provided was obtained directly through state agency websites and publications.

NJ Department of Community Affairs (DCA)

Housing Assistance Programs: For more information, you may write to DCA for more details or call the telephone numbers listed next to each program.

Division of Housing

NJ Department of Community Affairs
Division of Housing
Post Office Box 806
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0806
Fax (609) 633-8084

Family Self-Sufficiency (609) 633-6284
Assists families currently participating in DCA's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program become more self-reliant through an individual action plan.

HOME - Housing Production Investment Fund (609) 633-6285
Assistance provided to for-profit and nonprofit developers for the purpose of creating affordable housing throughout the state by offering non-interest bearing, interest bearing, deferred loans, and grants.

HOME - Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (609) 984-8453
Families with special needs or in-place residents in HOME Program rental projects may receive tenant-based rental assistance.

Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program (609) 292-9025
The program provides direct rent subsidy payments to landlords to assist in reducing housing costs for families with low income.

Section 8 Single Room Occupancy - Moderate Rehabilitation (609) 292-4080
Assistance provided to owners of substandard rental properties that require rehabilitation costing at least $3,000 per unit to bring them up to standard condition and eligibility for rent subsidy

Division of Community Resources

This division incorporates the developmental aspects of DCA. Financial aid is provided to municipalities, not-for-profit and for-profit developers for housing production and rehabilitation designed for low- and moderate-income households, through grant-in-aid housing and community development programs. Programs also provide financial and technical assistance for homeless shelters, downtown business development, neighborhood improvement, community and economic development, and infrastructure improvement.

For further information regarding the following programs, please call the telephone number listed after each program, or write:

NJ Department of Community Affairs
Division of Community Resources
Post Office Box 811/Fifth Floor
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0811
FAX (609) 292-9798

NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA)

The main goal of NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) is to encourage the availability of affordable housing for all New Jersey citizens by providing a variety of mortgage financing programs. To facilitate housing, HMFA has introduced the following:

• First-Time Homebuyer Mortgage Program for Single Family Homes
• Homeownership for Performing Employees (HOPE)
• Home-Plus Program
• One Hundred Percent Mortgage Program for Purchasing Homes in HMFA Approved Housing
• Police and Firemen's Retirement System Mortgage Program
• Potable Water Loan Program
• Purchase/Rehabilitation Mortgage Program
• Reverse Mortgage Program

HMFA's Special Needs Housing Programs include the following:

• Homeownership for Permanency Project (609) 278-7521
  
  
• The Monmouth County Supportive Housing Coalition (609) 278-7449
  
  
• The New Jersey Supportive Housing Program (609) 278-7449
  
  
• The Scattered Site AIDS Permanent Housing Program (609) 278-7626
  
  
• The Homeless Housing Demonstration Program (609) 278-2603
  

For more information on these programs or purchasing a home with an HMFA mortgage, call (800) NJ-House.

NJ Council on Affordable Housing (COAH)

Created by the Fair Housing Act of 1985, NJ Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) is empowered to: (1) define housing regions, (2) estimate low- and moderate-income housing needs, (3) set criteria and guidelines for municipalities to determine and address their own fair share numbers and then (4) review and approve housing elements/fair share plans and regional contribution agreements (RCAs) for municipalities. As a quasi-judicial organization, COAH can also impose resource restraints and consider motions regarding housing plans.

COAH is an administrative and regulatory organization. It does not produce, fund or compel municipalities to expend local funds to build affordable housing. Funding is usually provided by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) through its various housing programs or by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) using its bonding capabilities or its federal low income housing tax credit allocations. Some municipalities also expend their own funds or utilize bonding resources.

For information regarding the programs and services offered to municipalities by COAH, call (609) 292-3000.

 

NJ Department of Human Services (DHS)

NJ Department of Human Services
222 South Warren Street
P.O. Box 700
Trenton, NJ 08625-0700
(609) 292-3717

DHS works to maximize resources, establish community resources, and expand procedures and programs for accountability and continuous quality improvement across the Department. Human Services also provides many support systems for the families served by the Division of Children and Families (DCF).

DHS has a wealth of programs that may be applicable to your situation. Below are a few examples. For more information regarding the programs and services offered, visit the Department of Human Services website.

WFNJ (Work First New Jersey) Housing Assistance (800) 792-9773

NJ Community Housing Demonstration Program (609) 278-7449