Burlington County Commissioner Felicia Hopson teamed with Evesham Mayor Jackie Veasy and Deputy Mayor Heather Cooper to host a webinar devoted to sharing information with residents about available housing and mortgage assistance.
Speaking at Evesham’s first-ever Housing and Mortgage Assistance Webinar on March 11, Hopson reminded participants that assistance is still available for households impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and others who need it.
“While we are all hopeful the worst of COVID-19 is finally behind us, we know challenges remain as families continue to struggle from the economic impacts of the health crisis and now the global turmoil caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” said Hopson, who serves as the County’s liaison for Human Services. “Burlington County has always made assisting residents a priority, and by working with partners like the State of New Jersey, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and towns like Evesham, we’ve helped distribute groceries to thousands of food insecure families and saved hundreds of households from foreclosure or eviction.”
“Our programs have been a lifeline throughout the pandemic and we’re committed to continuing them for as long as they are needed.”
Evesham Mayor Jaclyn Veasy and Deputy Mayor Heather Cooper said the webinar helped ensure residents know about critical assistance programs.
“The webinar was the perfect opportunity for members of the public to learn more about the many different housing and mortgage assistance programs that are available for those who might be facing financial difficulties,” said Evesham Mayor Jaclyn Veasy. “We know housing expenses are still a challenge for many households in Evesham and across Burlington County, so we were thrilled to be able to host this webinar and give our residents the chance to ask questions directly to our great presenters.”
“During this pandemic we’ve worked hard to continually share resources and information with our residents who were in need of assistance,” added Deputy Mayor Heather Cooper. “Many in Evesham were fortunate enough to live through these past two years without needing to access such programs, but some were not.”
“If we can guide even just one additional household in need to the programs that can help, then we’ll have done our job as public servants.”
During the webinar, participants received information about the emergency rental assistance available from Burlington County’s partnerships with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and other social service providers and the Burlington County Mortgage and Utility Assistance Program.
The mortgage and utility assistance program was launched by the county last year and provides income eligible residents that experienced hardship from the pandemic with up to six months of assistance for outstanding mortgage payments or utility bills.
Hopson also shared information about Burlington County’s First-Time Home Buyers Program, which assists low- and moderate-income residents with purchasing a first home in the county. Residents may receive up to $4,000 for closing costs and an additional $5,000 towards their down payments.
Joining Hopson, Veasy and Cooper on the webinar were Malikah Morris, deputy director of the Burlington County Department of Human Services and the head of the Burlington County Housing Hub, and Jesse Crawford, lender outreach and marketing coordinator for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.
Located on the first floor of the County Human Services Building in Westampton, the Housing Hub opened in December 2019 and provides a one-stop location to go to receive help from a variety of government agencies and social service providers.
In 2021, the Housing Hub assisted more than 2,500 residents, providing services ranging from emergency shelter and housing placement to security deposit, moving and food assistance, legal services and utility assistance.
Another 1,765 residents have received services from the Hub so far this year.
“When we created the Housing Hub in 2019, we wanted it to become the go-to for residents experiencing problems related to housing,” Hopson said. “We believed having a central location to connect residents with assistance was needed, but even I have been taken aback by its success. It’s a credit to the Hub’s incredible staff and the social service agencies that partner with us.”
The Housing Hub is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Human Services Building, 795 Woodlane Road and can be reached by calling 609-265-5185 or emailing [email protected].
