PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — If you live in New Jersey and need help paying your rent or mortgage, a new plan is in the works to help. The program is just in time for many people experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic.
The new COVID-19 Housing Assistance Program is for eligible Garden State residents who have been unable to make mortgage or rent payments due to the pandemic.
Under the plan, announced Friday by the state's Department of Human Services, a household can get help to pay an overdue and upcoming rent or mortgage payment from March through December of this year.
According to Commissioner Carole Johnson, the plan is to help folks stay in their homes, a households making less than 450% of the federal poverty level qualify.
Residents are eligible for the plan if they've been unable to work due to a high-risk issue, or have had a loss of income, reduced hours at work, or have been quarantined and isolated due to a child's remote learning.
Applications for the new $12 million program are open and available online. Payments are issued directly to your mortgage company or landlord. Funding is provided through the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund.