The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has released $3.064 billion in funding through its Community Development Block Grant, Emergency Solutions Grant and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS programs. New Jersey will be receiving over $82 million, with municipalities in Mercer County seeing $3.2 million of that money.
In Mercer County, Ewing Township will receive $143,248, Hamilton $398,638, Princeton $142,940, and Trenton $1.74 million in Community Development Block Grant money. Trenton will also receive $831,962 in ESG recovery funds.
Two-thirds of New Jersey county governments received some sort of funding. Mercer was not one of them, according to the HUD release.
Community Development funds may go toward constructing medical facilities for testing and treatment, acquiring a motel or hotel building to expand capacity of hospitals to accommodate isolation of patients during recovery, replacing HVAC systems to temporarily transform commercial buildings or closed school buildings into clinics or treatment centers, supporting businesses manufacturing medical supplies, constructing a group living facility to centralize patients undergoing treatment, and carrying out job training of health care workers and technicians who are available to treat disease within a community.
ESG funding, such as that going to the City of Trenton, may be used to build more emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families, operate emergency shelters by providing maintenance, rent, repair, security, fuel, equipment, insurance, utilities, food, furnishings, and supplies necessary for the operation, provide Hotel/Motel Vouchers for homeless families or individuals, provide essential services to people experiencing homelessness including childcare, education services, outreach, employment assistance, outpatient health services, legal services, mental health services, substance abuse treatment services, and transportation, prevent individuals from becoming homeless and rapidly rehouse homeless individuals.
HUD said additional funds will follow this first tranche. The CARES Act allows HUD to broaden the reach of its existing grant programs for the remaining $9.136 billion in relief funding. To do this, new grant formulas must be written. HUD began writing new formulas immediately and will continue to work quickly to address communities’ needs.
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