TRENTON, N.J. – Phil Murphy infuriated landlords last spring by freezing evictions and, more dramatic still, unconstitutionally breaking leases to permit tenants to pay rent with security deposit funds.
As a result, Garden State landlords are suffering without any rent coming in despite the fact that their mortgage payments are still coming due.
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The state received $350 million in federal rental relief back in December 2020.
Governor Murphy still hasn’t disbursed the funds, and the New Jersey COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program hasn’t accepted new applications in several months.
“The Murphy Administration is sitting on millions of federal rental assistance funds that could be put to use today to help both tenants and landlords,” said state Senator Mike Testa (R-1). “There’s been a total lack of urgency from the governor while all sides of the rental community are suffering. It’s unreal.”
“Our families deserve better than an Administration that hoards rental assistance from its neediest resident,” added Assemblyman Antwan McClellan (R-1). “Our office receives hundreds of calls from either renters stressed about their next month’s rent or landlords worries about paying their mortgage. It is disappointing to know the governor isn’t releasing funds that could directly help these residents.”
This isn’t the first time that the Murphy Administration has sat on federal aid while state residents suffered badly. Governor Murphy sat on 90% of the state’s $2.4 billion in CARES Act funding for six months all while complaining throughout 2020 about a purported lack of financial support from the Trump Administration.
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