ASSEMBLY LEADERS PRAISE GOVERNOR’S CALL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING COOPERATION

ASSEMBLY LEADERS PRAISE GOVERNOR’S CALL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING COOPERATION

(TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. and Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman today praised Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s call for cooperation in bringing affordable housing to New Jersey.

Roberts (D-Camden) released the following:

“It’s no secret that New Jersey’s affordable housing laws have failed to bring the dream of decent housing to our poor and middle-class citizens while concentrating the poor in our cities. That’s why we embarked with our landmark reforms on transforming New Jersey’s affordable housing landscape to one of hope and promise for our families, but we can only get there if we work together. New Jersey has some of the nation’s highest housing costs, and that’s a problem long in the making and one that won’t be easy to solve. But this much is clear – we’ll never provide the dream of affordable housing to hard-working New Jerseyans if everyone doesn’t work cooperatively. I welcome the governor’s call for teamwork and am confident it will bring a renewed enthusiasm for ensuring all our residents have a decent place to call home.”

Watson Coleman (D-Mercer) released the following:

“The ultimate goal has always been to make housing affordable for every New Jerseyan, so working cooperatively to put decent housing within reach of every New Jerseyan is a must. Housing policies that stockpile working families in areas rife with poverty and away from jobs are immoral. Everyone has a basic right to live where they wish to live, and working families denied access to affordable housing options cannot hand a better future to their children. We need to change this, which is why everyone must heed the governor’s call to join forcesr to make this goal reality. Criticism and political gamesmanship never tucked a child to bed in a decent home in a decent neighborhood with a decent school. We look forward to working together to ensure hard-working New Jerseyans have access to affordable and decent homes. We can do nothing less.”