On Thursday, April 19, Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Acting Commissioner Jacquelyn Suarez testified before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee regarding DCA’s recommended SFY2025 budget allocation of $1.071 billion.
She outlined DCA’s role in policymaking, public safety, redevelopment, and support for local governments, emphasizing the impact of recently signed affordable housing legislation. DCA is defining housing obligations for municipalities and has allocated $81 million to support 32 projects expected to create 767 affordable units.
Acting Commissioner Suarez also discussed expanding the Section 8 Federal Housing Program to include state rental assistance recipients, funded by the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. She also highlighted the Division of Codes and Standards' response to N.J.S.A:27D-437.16 that allows third-party inspections to mitigate municipal delays. She noted DCA’s efforts with the ongoing lead-based paint inspections for pre-1978 homes, with over 20,000 inspections conducted under a $180 million program as the program continues under the FY 2025 budget.
The Acting Commissioner also noted the Local Assistance Bureau for achieving over $267 million in cost savings by improving local government efficiency without compromising service quality. The Local Efficiency Achievement Program has also granted 90 awards to support municipalities in adopting shared services.
For more information, please visit the League’s blog post on the SFY2025 DCA budget blog post.
Contact: Andrew LaFevre, Legislative Analyst, alafevre@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x116.