Richard T. Smith, President of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference, and Christian Estevez, President of the Latino Action Network, issued the following statement calling on legislative leaders to post A4266/S2340/A4034 for a final vote today:

Legislative leaders must act today to ensure that hundreds of thousands of New Jersey families are protected from eviction and foreclosure because of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 450,000 households in our state will be unable to pay their August rent, according to a recent study. This economic crisis is falling on the back of communities of color that are at greater risk of catching the virus and have suffered under generations of systemic racism that make them more economically vulnerable to the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.

At a time when thousands of New Jerseyans are marching in the streets demanding racial justice, the Legislature must step up to the plate today to provide housing security to hundreds of thousands of Black and Latino families. These families have lived under a cloud of fear and uncertainty long enough. They deserve to know that they will not be evicted because of a public health emergency beyond their control. Legislative leaders must act to post this legislation for a final vote for today’s session.