U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) has introduced the Local Solutions to End Homelessness Act, a bill that has the support of Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla – a likely challenger in the June 4, 2024 primary.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“This legislation will assist communities in the Eighth Congressional District like Hoboken that have been unable to access key funding to address homelessness under existing law,” Menendez said in a statement.
“Our counties and cities understand the unique needs of their local populations and are best positioned to administer funding to assist unhoused residents. My bill would ensure that our communities receive all funding for which they are eligible.”
The bill would revise a funding mechanism so that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG) could aid counties and cities when it comes to assisting unhoused individuals in their communities.
“Hoboken welcomes the Local Solutions to End Homelessness Act legislation, which will provide residents with better access to HUD Emergency Solutions Grant Program funding to help our most vulnerable,” noted Bhalla.
“This legislation addresses the existing challenges posed by the current HUD regulations, ensuring fair distribution of ESG funding crucial for life-saving services. I urge swift passage of this legislation to empower local efforts in Hoboken and across the country.”
HUD’s ESG program is a formula grant program that distributes funds to states and local communities to assist those experiencing homelessness through street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing assistance, and Homeless Management Information Systems.
Specifically, the program assists grantees with engaging unhoused individuals and families living on the street, improving the number and quality of emergency shelters for unhoused individuals and families, operating shelters, providing essential services to shelter residents, rapidly re-housing unhoused individuals and families, and preventing families and individuals from becoming unhoused.
Current law stipulates that any ESG award totaling less than 0.05 percent of the national allocation must be provided to the state rather than the individual recipient or entitlement area or county.
As such, smaller entities, such as Hoboken, have difficulty accessing ESG funding intended to address their needs.
“We are very grateful to Representative Rob Menendez for championing this issue and introducing this critically important legislation that will allow the County to continue providing much needed services to our residents experiencing homelessness,” added Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise.
“We are fortunate to be represented by such a proactive and dedicated Congressman in Washington and look forward to doing all we can to help him pass this bill.”
Menendez announced he was running for re-election at the end of September, taking a swipe at Bhalla in the process, who said hours prior that he was “seriously considering” a bid for Congress.
While his team says he has raised $509,000 to date, there are no FEC filings available yet and Bhalla still has not formally declared his candidacy.
For the time being, Kyle Jasey, the son of Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-27), who had initially announced a run for U.S. Senate against Bob Menendez (D-NJ) this summer – prior to his federal indictments – is the only declared challenger to Rob Menendez for now, as HCV first reported.
