Terrence McDonald | April 13, 2020 | North Jersey Record |
New Jersey residential tenants struggling to pay rent because of financial hardships related to the coronavirus pandemic may soon see relief, with the state Senate passing a bill Monday that would set aside $100 million for aid to renters.
The move comes amid an economic crisis triggered by fears of the virus spreading, with 17 million people nationwide filing for unemployment claims in the last four weeks. New Jersey has seen over 500,000 unemployment applications since Gov. Phil Murphy began ordering “non-essential” businesses to close.
The $100 million fund for renters would be paid for first using federal grants and the remaining amount from the state’s general fund.
“Hopefully it’s sufficient, because it’s needed,” Senate President Stephen Sweeney told reporters. “We’ve given everyone else help. People that are renting should be given help, too.”
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