Edison Receives $884,324 To Fight Evictions Amid Pandemic

EDISON, NJ – Edison will receive $884,324 in CARES Act funding to help families facing eviction in the township, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development announced.

This is part of the $1.988 billion in CARES Act funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Over $75 million in CDBG funding will go to New Jersey to help residents who face a higher risk of eviction, said Lynne Patton, HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey.

“The Trump Administration has maintained that no one should risk losing their home due to the coronavirus,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson in an announcement. “These funds can help households struggling to meet their rental or mortgage obligations to stay afloat as our nation continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.

“The President and Secretary Carson continue to prioritize low-income communities disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus. Over $75 million in CDBG funding will be made available to New Jersey to help residents who face a higher risk of eviction,” said Patton. “To date, over $306 million has been made available to New Jersey to ensure cities across the Garden state are able to combat the coronavirus.”

The funds will go toward households facing a higher risk of evictions, specifically:

• Communities with high rates of individuals in industries with high job loss in states with high unemployment;
• Communities with high rates of businesses in industries with high job loss in states with high unemployment; and
• Concentrations of those most at risk for transmission and risk of eviction, with higher amounts for states with high rates of coronavirus.

Earlier this month President Donald Trump issued a directive halting evictions in the country through the end of 2020, to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Read More Here: Trump Admin To Halt Renter Evictions To Prevent Virus Spread

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 20 million Americans have lost their jobs since the pandemic began. Meanwhile New Jersey regained about 49 percent of jobs lost due to COVID-19, according to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The unemployment rate in the state fell by 10.9 percent.

HUD has provided nearly $5 billion in CDBG funding to help communities combat COVID-19 and alleviate economic hardship. This new funding will be used to provide temporary financial assistance to tenants for up to six months.

Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.