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In this Week's Edition
News
NJ Governor's Conference & Housing Updates
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Federal Updates
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Voter Engagement & Information Hub
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Advocacy Actions
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NJHMFA Updates:
Compliance Division Audit
Vendor Immediate Change
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Thriving Together: Building Inclusive Communities
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Worth a Listen: Radical Common Sense
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Banking Designed for People with Disabilities
Resources & Events
ICYMI - SNAP Benefits Webinar Recording
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Annual Financial Justice Summit
October 7, 2026
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Hoarding in Older Adults
October 7, 2026
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Learning How States are Designing Land Use
Reforms to Expand Housing Supply
October 14, 2026
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Housing Affordability Solutions: Grants & Financing
October 14, 2026
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Tenants Rights and Protection from Eviction
October 14, 2026
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Invitation to Boggs Center Viewing of Life After
October 15, 2026
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Healing-Centered Housing:
Supporting Older Adults Through
a Trauma-Informed Lens
October 22, 2026
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The Fair Share Model:
What States Are Learning About Housing Targets
October 22, 2026
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Conversations & Tools to
Build a Person-Centered Life
October 20 - October 29, 2026
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FHLBNY Affordable Housing Program Training
November 2026 - January 2027
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SHA Member Events
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SHA Member Meeting
October 7, 2026
In-Person | Trenton
Not yet a member?
Learn more here.
SHA members can email Joseph Christensen for member event details
and registration.
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SHA Members Housing Supports Program Provider Roundtable
Nov 23, 2026 | Virtual
12:00 - 1:00 PM
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Developers Meeting
Dec 14 | Virtual
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Community Events
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NJAMHAA Fall Conference
October 20, 2026 | Iselin
Registration Open
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CHLP 50th
Anniversary Celebration
Oct 22, 2026 | Glen Ridge
Registration Open
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HCDNNJ Under One Roof
Oct 23, 2026
Hyatt, New Brunswick
Registration Open
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Save the Date
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CSH Housing Summit
April 6–8, 2027 | Denver
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SHA Job Board & Housing Opportunities
Follow After News and Events
| | Last week SHA was glad to join Monarch Housing Associates at their 5th Annual Housing as a Human Right Conference. SHA's Executive Director, Kate Kelly, spoke on a panel titled "Perspectives on the Human Right to Housing" with NJ Assemblywoman Katie Brennan, Taiisa Kelly, CEO at Monarch, Dr. Jermaine Meadows, NYC Director of Government Affairs, Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, and Brandon McGee, Jr., Former Deputy Director, Connecticut Department Housing and Legislator. | | | SHA was happy to join The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities (NJCDD) at the 2026 Community Building Awards. The Awards honor people and groups who help build communities where everyone belongs. These awards recognize strong leadership, advocacy, and actions that support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families. Congratulations to all of this year's honorees! | | |
SHA Welcomes New &
Returning Members in 2026
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SHA returns to The Palace for our
28th Annual Conference!
November 13, 2026
The Palace at Somerset Park
| | Discount Extended! Get Early Savings by Oct 9! | | Sponsor, Exhibit, and Ad Opportunities | | Only two notebook sponsorships left! Now includes 1 attendee registration. | | Sponsorships: Promote your organization through tiered visibility opportunities | | |
Ads: Share your message
in the program book or on multiple digital displays around the venue
| | Exhibits: Connect directly with attendees in our expanded exhibit hall | | NJ Governor's Conference & Housing Updates | | |
On Tuesday, in a speech at the Governor’s Conference on Housing and Economic Development, Governor Mikie Sherrill announced a comprehensive five-pillar housing strategy to address New Jersey’s housing affordability and production challenges, with a focus on building more homes, accelerating development, strengthening partnerships with municipalities, expanding housing opportunities, and helping New Jersey residents remain in homes they can afford.
Through Executive Order No. 17, the Governor brought state agencies together to form the Housing Governing Council. This Council was tasked with identifying how to speed housing development, coordinate public resources, and expand access to housing.
Among the actions announced through the new agenda:
• Increasing planned housing on state-owned land from 20,000 to 40,000 new homes
• Working to improve approval processes to create clearer and more predictable development timelines
• Deploying a new tax credit auction to generate additional resources for affordable housing
• Expanding hands-on housing development assistance to municipalities
• Advancing transit-oriented housing development
• Strengthening efforts to preserve existing affordable housing and expand pathways to homeownership
The Housing Governing Council’s report estimates that New Jersey needs at least 350,000 additional homes to keep pace with population growth and address the state’s housing shortage. For the supportive housing community, increasing housing production also requires creating deeply affordable, accessible housing that enables people with disabilities and other special needs to live independently in communities of their choice.
“SHA applauds the Administration’s commitment addressing New Jersey’s housing shortage and increasing affordable housing production through strategic efforts across state agencies and leadership." said Kate Kelly, Executive Director of SHA. "Our member community looks forward to continuing work on expanding supportive and affordable housing opportunities for all New Jerseyans."
| | On Friday, the White House announced the clawback of $56 million of the set aside for FY 2025 HUD Comprehensive Housing Counseling funds. This was part of an $800 million clawback of FY 2025 congressionally appropriated funds. Contact your House and Senate offices. This is a clawback of congressionally appropriated funds intended to help their constituents buy a house, avoid foreclosure, manage finances, or navigate the rental market. They need to hear from you. | | A team of provider groups and individual Medicaid enrollees filed a new, separate lawsuit on community engagement requirements under H.R.1. The lawsuit claims that the process for determining “medical frailty” exclusions set forth by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' interim final rule is too burdensome, and that allowing the use of claims data to verify medical frailty status from only the past twelve months is overly restrictive. Learn more from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing from their H.R.1 Resource Hub and download the Identifying and Preventing Coverage Loss slide deck. | | Voter Engagement & Information Hub | | |
The New Jersey Center for Nonprofits shares the latest Voter Engagement Guide resource to empower communities ahead of election day. This 63-page guide is loaded with practical resources to help nonprofits get your communities #VoteReady for the 2026 elections. Whether you’re helping someone register to vote, sharing reliable election information, or encouraging your community to make a voting plan, the guide has resources you can put to use right away.
NJ voter registration must be completed by October 13, 2026
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
SHA is a proud member of the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits.
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HUD re-opened the FY 2026 NOFO leaving only nine working days to complete applications. Your Congressperson probably isn’t aware of the impossible situation that HUD has created for your community. It is essential that your Members of Congress hear from you. Speak plainly, speak passionately, and loudly. Use the following resource from NAEH to contact your representatives.
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SHA signed onto a national letter in support of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) led by the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders (NAAHL). Organizations can join in signing by October 6th. Sarah Brundage, President & CEO of NAAHL, spoke as SHA's 2025 Keynote Address.
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Use ACTION's talking points to make the case to policy makers that the CRA proposal under consideration would reduce equity investments in Housing Credit properties.
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Log your concerns with the OCC and FDIC by submitting a comment letter on behalf of your organization. ACTION has drafted a template letter that you can use and adjust to meet your needs.
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New Jersey Statewide Disability Rights Rally
Monday, October 5, 2026 | 12:00 - 3:00 PM
1 Memorial Drive, Trenton, NJ 08608
Alliance Center for Independence is leading a rally at the Trenton War Memorial for Statewide Disability Rights. Click here to access a flyer for details to share. Get more information by visiting adacil.org or calling 732-738-4388 and emailing adacil@adacil.org.
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2030 Census data determines congressional representation and guides trillions in federal funding for local services—we cannot afford an incomplete count.
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Submit a Comment by Oct 13: Read NCN’s Comment Guide to easily draft and submit your official feedback.
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Sign the Letter: Add your organization to NCN’s national opposition letter.
- Amplify: Forward this message to peer organizations and community partners.
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NJHMFA Updates:
Compliance Division Audit Vendor Immediate Change
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Effective immediately, NJHMFA will no longer utilize ACES Connect for post‑purchase audits and will be transitioning to QC Ally. NJHMFA will continue to use the current contact information on file as the designated recipient for audit reports. If you need to update your contact information or add additional users—including shared mailboxes—please email QualityControl@njhmfa.gov.
An exciting new enhancement with this system is its capability to support multiple contacts, including shared mailboxes. Lenders are responsible for internally managing all communication and responses related to audit findings.
For lenders who have not yet provided a primary QC contact, please email QualityControl@njhmfa.gov with the subject line “QC Contact” and include the name, email address or general mailbox, and phone number for the designated contact person.
Please note that lenders are responsible for ensuring adherence to the guideline requiring the Agency to have a primary QC contact on file. No exceptions will be granted for future audit reports due to failure to comply with this requirement. Please stay tuned for an additional communication with the official go‑live date.
| | Thriving Together: Building Inclusive Communities | | |
In 2025, the Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey (SHA) launched a grant-funded project addressing the need for affordable housing and support services for older adults in Bergen and Passaic Counties. We are proud to share the three-pronged work of the Thriving Together: Building Inclusive Communities initiative which:
1. Helps older adults access housing
2. Strengthens partnerships between housing and healthcare organizations
3. Supports municipalities as they plan for an aging population
Through collaboration with county agencies, community organizations, healthcare partners, and municipal leaders, the initiative develops practical tools and strategies that can improve older adults' lives today while creating models that can be adapted in communities across New Jersey.
| | Worth a Listen: Radical Common Sense | | Across the country, houses of worship are building new homes and driving economic empowerment. Radical Common Sense with David Bowers, a new podcast from SHA member Enterprise Community Partners and their Faith-Based Development Initiative, brings together faith leaders, policymakers, lenders, and developers to explore how that's happening. Listen to the latest episodes and don't miss SHA's annual conference in November covering a range of topics including when faith communities engage their resources to make housing opportunities. | | Banking Designed for People with Disabilities | | |
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union, with support from MacArthur, Ford Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is developing a new credit union sub-brand specifically designed to serve people with disabilities. It is called Artichoke Credit Union, in honor of Edward V. Roberts, a MacArthur Fellow and civil rights leader. MacArthur’s support is expected to include both grant funding and a program-related investment. Artichoke Credit Union will provide accessible banking, specialized financial education; responsible lending; inclusive product design; live chat, phone, and video support; tools that support long-term financial well-being; and ongoing community-driven improvements.
| | ICYMI - SNAP Benefits Webinar Recording | | In case you missed it, access "SNAP-101 and DFD Programs Overview" recording and slides from the September 24th webinar. | | Annual Financial Justice Summit | | |
October 7, 2026 | 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Seton Hall University | 400 S Orange Ave | Bethany Hall | South Orange Village, NJ 07079
Join SHA member New Jersey Citizen Action along with state and national advocates, officials and other policy experts including Al-Tariq Witcher from SHA member Fair Share Housing Center as they discuss affordability through a financial justice lens. Panels will center around community reinvestment, consumer finance protection, housing, and civil rights enforcement in New Jersey. Light breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Click here to register for the summit.
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Wednesday, October 7, 2026 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET
Hoarding can create significant health, safety and quality-of-life concerns for older adults, their families and the professionals who serve them. This presentation will explore the signs and characteristics of hoarding, best practices for intervention and harm reduction, strategies for working collaboratively with individuals and community partners, as well as an opportunity for audience Q&A.
Click here to register for the webinar.
Interested in this topic? Don't miss "Room for Living: Strategies for Hoarding and Home-Based Support" at SHA's Conference in November. Learn more and register here.
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Learning How States are Designing Land Use
Reforms to Expand Housing Supply
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October 14, 2026 | 2:30 PM ET
The NYU Furman Center will be publishing three new policy briefs covering areas where state legislators have been particularly active in the last few years based on findings from their. Land Use Reform Tracker. It is a resource designed to provide a deeper understanding of how land use policy landscape is changing nationally. The NYU Furman Center will host a webinar at 2:30 PM ET on Wednesday, October 14 to present findings and analysis from upcoming policy briefs.
Click here to register for the webinar.
| | Housing Affordability Solutions: Grants & Financing | | |
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | 5:30 - 7:45 PM ET
North Jersey Federal Credit Union
711 Union Boulevard, Totowa, NJ 07512
Please join SHA member Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLBNY) at North Jersey Federal Credit Union's headquarters for an overview of the FHLBNY's affordable housing grant and financing programs. Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage with members of the FHLBNY team and share insights on housing initiatives. If you know colleagues within your affordable housing network who may benefit from attending, please share this invitation with them.
Click here to RSVP by October 7. Seating is limited.
| | Tenants Rights and Protection from Eviction | | |
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | 6:00 - 7:30 PM ET
It can be difficult to know how to navigate working with your landlord if you are behind in rent or are concerned you may not be able to pay rent soon. Presented by SHA members Community Health Law Project and hosted by the Affordable Housing Alliance, this free webinar provides you with information about your rights as a tenant and manageable steps you can take to avoid eviction.
Click here to register for the webinar.
| | Invitation to Boggs Center Viewing of Life After | | |
Thursday, October 15, 2026 | 6:00PM
105 Joyce Kilmer Ave., Piscataway, NJ 08554
SHA member The Boggs Center on Disability and Human Development is partnering with Rutgers Cinema to offer a free screening of LIFE AFTER, a gripping investigative documentary from Sundance-winning, disabled filmmaker Reid Davenport. In 1983, a disabled California woman named Elizabeth Bouvia sought the "right to die," igniting a national debate about autonomy and the value of disabled lives. After years of courtroom battles, Bouvia vanished from public view. Decades later, Davenport sets out to find what really happened to her, and to reveal why her story is so urgently relevant today.
Parking Instructions: Free parking is available from 4:00PM - 9:00PM. Click here to register for parking. For questions and instructions related to parking, refer to the Event Parking Guide.
Contact Jillian Guzik (jillian.guzik@rutgers.edu) with any questions.
Registration: Space is limited and registration is required.
Click here to register for this event.
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Healing-Centered Housing:
Supporting Older Adults Through a Trauma-Informed Lens
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October 22, 2026 | 2:00 - 3:30 PM
Join SHA member CSH for a training led by Marilyn Mock, MSW exploring how trauma-informed and healing-centered approaches can improve housing and service outcomes for older adults. Participants will gain practical strategies to foster trust, safety, resilience, and well-being among residents who have experienced housing instability, adversity, discrimination, or other life challenges. Ideal for property management staff, affordable and supportive housing providers, and service coordinators.
Click here to register for the webinar.
Interested in this topic? Don't miss "Healing Spaces, Resilient Teams: Trauma-Informed Design for Housing and Staff" at SHA's Conference in November. Learn more and register here.
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The Fair Share Model:
What States Are Learning About Housing Targets
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October 22, 2026 | 2:00 PM
Join SHA member Fair Share Housing Center on Oct. 22 for a fascinating discussion with housing policy leaders exploring a growing question: Can states establish meaningful affordable housing requirements — and hold local governments accountable for meeting them? This question is taking on new urgency as states nationwide increasingly look to New Jersey’s groundbreaking “fair share” affordable housing framework for inspiration. Speakers will examine how these approaches are evolving, what states are learning from one another, and how statewide housing requirements can boost housing production, counter exclusionary zoning, and advance more equitable growth.
Click here to register for the webinar.
| | Conversations & Tools to Build a Person-Centered Life | | |
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Paramus, NJ (Bergen County)
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Thursday, October 29, 2026
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Hamilton, NJ (Mercer County)
| | FHLBNY Affordable Housing Program Training | | |
November 2026 - January 2027
FHLBNY is hosting a series of virtual and in-person training sessions to prepare stakeholders for successful participation in the 2027 housing grant program rounds. These sessions will provide guidance on program requirements, eligibility criteria, application procedures, and best practices for maximizing program opportunities. To complement these program-specific sessions, a recorded overview of FHLBNY’s Housing and Community Lending Programs will be available beginning October 5, 2027. Please register for one or more training sessions using the detailed information available on the FHLBNY website.
| | SHA Job Board & Housing Opportunities | | |
Housing Opportunities for Individuals Transitioning
from Nursing Homes or Other Institutional Settings
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The Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) is working with service providers to develop housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who are moving out of a nursing home or other institutional setting.
To live and get services in these homes,
a person must:
- Be eligible for DDD services
- Be enrolled in the DDD Community Care Program
If you or someone you know lives in a nursing home, developmental center, or psychiatric hospital and would like to learn about housing options in the community:
| | Housing Opportunities and Waitlists | | |
Bergen County Waitlists
Apply Today
Other County Waitlists
Apply Today
South Brunswick
Apply by October 5, 2026
Woodland Park
Apply by October 7, 2026
Fort Lee
Apply by October 20, 2026
Riverdale
Apply by October 23, 2026
Fair Haven
Apply by October 31, 2026
Newark
Apply by November 1, 2026
Harding Township
Apply by November 4, 2026
Atlantic Highlands
Apply by November 8, 2026
Springfield
Apply by November 9, 2026
Paramus
Apply by November 19, 2026
Cape May Court House
Apply by November 20, 2026
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Morristown
Apply by November 23, 2026
Newark
Apply today!
Green Brook
Apply today!
Newark
Apply today!
Hopewell Township
Apply today!
Woodbridge
Apply today!
Ramsey (62+)
Apply today!
Old Bridge
Apply today!
Manalapan
Apply today!
Colts Neck
Apply today!
Jersey City
Apply today!
Lakewood
Apply today!
Lacey Township
Apply today!
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There are many great ways of supporting SHA: Join as a member or send donations.
Thank you for your support!
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Want all the member benefits with SHA? Visit our website or contact Joseph Christensen to apply or manage your membership.
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Members can post jobs to find applicants within the wider supportive housing community. Click on the button to visit our job page.
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Advocate ● Educate ● Support
The Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey unites its diverse coalition of members to advance, promote, and increase supportive housing opportunities across New Jersey. Since 1998, our statewide mission seeks to enhance lives and accessibility to enable independent living within our communities.
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Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey
185 Valley Street, South Orange, NJ 07079
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