In a letter to the editor, Jersey City Councilman-at-Large candidate Elvin Dominici explains why he feels the city’s rent relief program has failed their low-income and senior populations.
Dear Editor,
A recent news report states that Jersey City has NOT PAID OUT a single penny out of
the $7.8 million dollars provided by the federal government to give much needed rental
relief to residents and families suffering to make ends meet during the pandemic.
Our local residents are doing their part to make ends meet and keep a roof over their head
while the mayor and his handpicked city council have no sense of urgency in giving them support that they are entitled to as a way to prevent housing displacement or
instability.
Jersey City might be quick to run to social media and the papers to claim they are the
largest and most diverse city in Hudson County but they have done nothing to help our
diverse communities throughout the city in getting rental assistance.
Along with this, the current administration and the mayor’s handpicked “leadership” at the Jersey City Housing Authority have the audacity to create barriers to this rental assistance.
If Mayor Fulop and his handpicked city council members had empathy to care for
Jersey City residents, they would’ve ensured that the rental assistance program started
months ago, when the city first received the funding in March 2021, rather than waiting
five months later to create a TWO-WEEK application period.
Along with that, they would’ve offered various ways for residents to apply for the program rather than requiring everyone to only apply online.
I’ve heard from numerous low-income and senior citizen residents who tried to apply to
the program by calling the city or JCHA only to be told that they have to apply online.
When the resident replied that they do not have a computer or internet, they were told
that they could visit the Jersey City Public Library and use their computers. Why are we
making it so difficult for residents to receive support to keep their housing?
The answer is very simple: the mayor and his handpicked city council members do not
care about our residents and families suffering to make ends meet during the pandemic.
If I did not know any better, I would think Jersey City was run by people similar to Republicans in states like West Virginia or Tennessee because they too created barriers to help struggling residents apply for rental assistance.
This city government must stop playing with the lives of struggling Jersey City residents
and families. If they truly care about our fellow residents, they must do the
following NOW:
• Extend the application window for the rental assistance application process through at
least September 15, 2021.
• Allow residents to submit their application either electronically or on paper, in person.
• Create a specific phone number that residents can call to schedule an appointment to
complete an application or for assistance with the application with Jersey City
employees working from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm during the application window.
•Work with local community organizations (i.e., faith-based communities, neighborhood
associations, nonprofits) who can help residents complete their application and prepare
to be sent to the city.
We cannot tolerate this level of irresponsibility and disinterest from the administration
and several of the council members to assist families and residents in need who call
Jersey City their home.
I ask fellow residents to speak up and demand proper representation, empathy, and support from their local representatives! Let’s get our residents and families the help that they desperately need right now.
Elvin Dominici
Jersey City Councilman-at-Large candidate.
He should also comment on the Mayor and the Governor who have ignored the residents of Jersey City, and New Jersey as a whole; Unemployment has basically spit in the face of NJ residents. for months we have been waiting to find out what is the problem with the unemployment certification process. Instead we are lied to by nj unemployment representatives. Blatantly told that the phone system and the system in general is old and doesn’t work. That management knows but has done zero to make the changes. I personally have been not able to certify since April. Several calls later there is still no answers and reaching out to public officials have resulted in NO HELP. But they’ll soon be out scavenging for our votes so they can get in office and do more of nothng
If this guy was honest, he would say thst the mayor picks more than just city council. He picks almost every head of every city department.
But he also maintains “ plausible deniability”… just in case.
Only way is to vote these people out expose and expell those same people will need our vote