Menendez, Booker Announce First Wave of Federal Funding for NJ from the COVID-19 Emergency Stimulus Package

Menendez, Booker Announce First Wave of Federal Funding for NJ from the COVID-19 Emergency Stimulus Package

Over $82M in grants to assist communities on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak

HACKENSACK, N.J. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez, the ranking member of the Senate’s housing subcommittee, and Cory Booker today announced a combined $82,202,575 in federal funding awarded to the State of New Jersey, counties and municipalities from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Community Planning and Development to combat COVID-19. This represents the first wave of billions in funding for New Jersey from the $2 trillion emergency stimulus package Congress passed last week.

The senators made the announcement in Bergen County, which is receiving the largest single funding award in the state from this initial installment, over $8.3 million. Bergen continues to be the most impacted by the coronavirus outbreak with the highest number of cases, 3,494, and 75 deaths.

“When we negotiated the largest ever emergency response package in our nation’s history, we demanded that it quickly deliver federal dollars to our communities on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19. Today, we are delivering on that promise and the first installment of what will be billions of dollars flowing from Washington to help our state, our hospitals, our residents and small businesses weather the storm,” said Sen. Menendez. “And we cut a whole lot of red tape in this bill so that local leaders can immediately put these dollars to work in the fight against COVID-19, whether it’s keeping our health departments fully staffed or retrofitting facilities for testing or providing grants to struggling businesses and non-profits.” “The public health crisis facing New Jersey and our nation requires a coordinated response from all levels of government,” said Sen. Booker. “When fighting to ensure New Jersey receives the necessary federal resources, our priorities are protecting the brave medical workers fighting on the front lines of this pandemic, and standing up to help workers, families, small businesses, and the most vulnerable among us. Today marks the next step down a long road of delivering federal funding to respond to this crisis, stimulate economic recovery, and strengthen our communities.”

The millions being released today come from three proven federal grant programs designed to give state and local governments flexibility to best address their most urgent needs, continue providing essential services for residents, and help their communities recover from the economic fallout caused by the aggressive social distancing measures needed to flatten the curve.

“With the most COVID-19 cases and related deaths in New Jersey, Bergen County is in a crisis and we need resources to protect our residents, first responders and health care professionals as we fight this dangerous virus,” said Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, who has also been a firefighter for more than 40 years. “This stimulus package will help us provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other critical supplies for those on the front lines in this war against COVID-19. I’d like to thank U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and the entire Congressional delegation, for working so hard to help Bergen County during this pandemic.”

Statewide, $53.5 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) have been awarded to help communities fund infrastructure, economic development projects, public facilities installation, community centers, housing rehabilitation, public services, clearance/acquisition, microenterprise assistance, code enforcement, homeowner assistance, etc.

Another $26 million in Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) are being released to help fund rental assistance, eviction prevention, and anti-homelessness programs, and nearly $2 million in Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) grants are being delivered to assist low-income New Jerseyans living with HIV/AIDS.

Bergen County is receiving $5,562,321 in CDBG funding and $2,748,124 in ESG funding to help combat COVID-19.

Sen. Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health and tax policy, was one of the bipartisan negotiators working directly with the Trump Administration to craft the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Sen. Booker was also involved in negotiating certain aspects of the deal. The package includes direct payments, enhanced unemployment assistance for workers, unprecedented aid to small businesses and critical support for health care facilities on the frontline. Both senators are committed to passing additional funding bills to address the ongoing health and economic crises.

The following state, county and local governments have been awarded funding today:

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

New Jersey Department of Health:

HOPWA: $144,507

New Jersey Non-entitlement:

CDBG: $4,026,075

ESG: $11,453,383

HOPWA: $238,769

ATLANTIC

Atlantic County:

CDBG: $704,535

Atlantic City:

CDBG: $786,810

BERGEN

Bergen County:

CDBG: $5,562,321

ESG: $2,748,124

BURLINGTON

Burlington County:

CDBG: $876,226

CAMDEN

Camden County:

CDBG: $1,453,420

ESG: $732,928

Camden:

CDBG: $1,493,489

ESG: $723,110

HOPWA: $160,912

Cherry Hill:

CDBG: $273,538

Gloucester Township:

CDBG: $180,120

CAPE MAY

Ocean City:

CDBG: $169,196

CUMBERLAND

Bridgeton:

CDBG: $197,626

Millville:

CDBG: $156,171

Vineland:

CDBG: $292,725

ESSEX

Essex County:

CDBG: $3,218,062

ESG: $1,574,441

Bloomfield:

CDBG: $615,251

East Orange:

CDBG: $866,434

Irvington:

CDBG: $687,820

Newark:

CDBG: $4,310,416

ESG: $2,162,428

HOPWA: $842,513

GLOUCESTER

Gloucester County:

CDBG: $804,857

HUDSON

Hudson County:

CDBG: $1,271,486

ESG: $602,817

Bayonne:

CDBG: $925,177

Hoboken:

CDBG: $641,319

Jersey City:

CDBG: $3,438,019

ESG: $1,682,731

HOPWA: $347,820

North Bergen:

CDBG: $418,593

Union City:

CDBG: $622,932

MIDDLESEX

Middlesex County:

CDBG: $1,150,260

ESG: $589,645

Edison:

CDBG: $349,440

New Brunswick:

CDBG: $510,036

Old Bridge:

CDBG: $159,664

Perth Amboy:

CDBG: $388,023

Sayreville:

CDBG: $130,288

Woodbridge:

CDBG: $402,895

MERCER

Ewing Township:

CDBG: $143,248

Hamilton:

CDBG: $398,638

Princeton:

CDBG: $142,940

Trenton:

CDBG: $1,741,304

ESG: $831,962

MONMOUTH

Monmouth County:

CDBG: $1,595,421

ESG: $752,907

Asbury Park:

CDBG: $243,463

Long Branch:

CDBG: $295,390

Middletown:

CDBG: $156,171

MORRIS

Morris County:

CDBG: $1,595,421

ESG: $587,279

Parsippany-Troy Hills:

CDBG: $127,137

OCEAN

Ocean County:

CDBG: $820,810

Brick Township:

CDBG: $177,866

Lakewood:

CDBG: $835,784

Toms River:

CDBG: $238,318



PASSAIC

Passaic County:

CDBG: $537,434

Clifton:

CDBG: $673,595

Passaic:

CDBG: $801,051

Paterson:

CDBG: $1,502,258

ESG: $689,534

HOPWA: $255,594

Wayne Township:

CDBG: $115,614

SOMERSET

Somerset County:

CDBG: $646,398

Franklin Township:

CDBG: $160,933

UNION

Union County:

CDBG: $2,770,145

ESG: $1,369,186

Elizabeth:

CDBG: $938,750

Union Township:

CDBG: $382,323

Earlier this month, Sens. Menendez and Booker hosted a conference call with New Jersey mayors to outline their commitment to ensuring communities across the state receive their fair share in funding to help them deal with the health and economic crises caused of the COVID-19 outbreak. Sen. Menendez also introduced legislation that would allow the Federal Reserve to buy municipal debt to help local and state governments finance the delivery of key public services due to the public health emergency.

Click Here for a list of Sen. Menendez’s actions to protect New Jersey families during the COVID-19 outbreak.

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