Houses all over New Jersey, like this one in Elizabeth, were flooded when the remnants of Hurricane Ida tore through the state in September 2021. (Daniella Heminghaus for New Jersey Monitor)
Homeowners still struggling to recover three years after Hurricane Ida ravaged their homes will soon get foreclosure protections under a bill Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law Wednesday.
The new law will put some Ida-impacted homeowners’ mortgage payments on hold for a year and insulate them from foreclosure during that time.
Murphy had conditionally vetoed a similar bill in September, citing concerns about oversight. Sen. Troy Singleton (D-Burlington) and Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez (D-Middlesex), the measure’s prime sponsors, tweaked it to set new eligibility criteria and checks, and it passed unanimously Monday in both the Senate and Assembly.
Colleen Kane is an Ida survivor from Lambertville and member of the New Jersey Organizing Project, a grassroots group that has advocated for the bill since the 2021 storm.
“I am beyond grateful that this bill finally passed after three years, three votes, and three revisions. Right now I am already five months behind on my rent and mortgage. The mortgage forbearance bill will allow me to catch up on my payments and give me some breathing room where I’ll only have to work to come up with my rent, not rent plus mortgage,” Kane said. “It is my hope that this will allow me to afford some of the high costs of repairing my home so my family can live there again.”
Under the new law, foreclosure forbearance will be considered for storm-impacted homeowners who participate in the state’s homeowner assistance and recovery program, as well as those who applied to that program but were rejected because their homes are in flood-hazard areas or floodways; those who applied to the mitigation assistance program; and those who participate or were invited to enroll in the Blue Acres program.
The law gives the state Department of Community Affairs 90 days to create an online portal for applications, and Ida survivors have 30 days after the portal opens to apply. It also permits storm-impacted homeowners now undergoing foreclosure proceedings to get a court stay, if they can show good cause.
“I thank the Governor for working with us on this compromise, and I especially appreciate the support and advocacy of the New Jersey Organizing Project, who were integral in getting this to the finish line,” Singleton said in a statement. “At long last, the homeowners who remain impacted by Hurricane Ida years later will now see the relief and assistance they deserve.”
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