PATERSON, NJ – U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today announced that the cities of Clifton, Passaic, and Paterson, as well as Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic counties, had received a total of $14,644,214 in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of the department’s first allocation of COVID-19 funding to help Americans weather the continuing pandemic. The recovery funds cover the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) that aid in community-building, the Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG) for the homeless, and the Housing Opportunities for Persons With Aids (HOPWA) grant program.

“This crisis is placing unbearable pressure upon the shoulders of all Americans, but especially our most vulnerable communities,” said Rep. Pascrell, one of Congress’s strongest advocate for federal housing assistance to lower-income communities. “In times of disaster, we need an all-hands-on-deck approach, with our federal government stepping in for our seniors, impoverished families, homeless, and those with AIDS. These grants will provide vital assistance to our neediest neighbors. Importantly, this is the first spate of covid recovery grants we have received and I will keep pushing HUD and federal agencies to give more to North Jersey as this pandemic continues.”

Breakdown of grants:

Bergen County: $5,562,321 in CDBG COVID recovery funds; $2,748,124 in ESG COVID recovery funds

Hudson County: $1,271,486 in CDBG COVID recovery funds; $602,817 in ESG COVID recovery funds

Passaic County: $537,434 in CDBG COVID recovery funds

Clifton: $673,595 in CDBG COVID recovery funds

Passaic: $801,051 in CDBG COVID recovery funds

Paterson: $1,502,258 in CDBG COVID recovery funds; $689,534 in ESG COVID recovery funds, and $255,594 in HOPWA COVID recovery funds

The Community Development Block (CDBG) Grants program provides annual grants to states and local units of government to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.