Our Work » INCOME United Way Housing for All Summary of Our Work Housing costs can be overwhelming to already tight budgets. As a result, families may be forced to make tough decisions between paying for housing or necessities like child care, nutritious meals, transportation, and medical care. Housing costs are so high in New Jersey that even households earning more than the median annual income of $95,165 have trouble finding an affordable home in our communities. Source: United Way ALICE Report Members of every age group are affected by high housing costs, from seniors who are being forced to move away to young adults who are unable to return to the community they grew up in – these are people we know, people we care about, people we need. Additionally, low-income families and individuals of the ALICE population cannot afford to live here. These are people who perform essential services in our communities, like county and municipal workers, hospital staff, teachers' aides, and retail clerks. As part of United Way of Northern New Jersey’s commitment to provide Housing for All, the United Way Housing Alliance was established in 2004 as a Morris County collaboration of public, private, and nonprofit agencies working together to make affordable housing accessible for all families and individuals in our communities. Affordable housing is defined as housing expenses – rent or mortgage, insurance, taxes, and utilities – that cost no more than 30 percent of a household's annual income. United Way also works with the federal government to develop plans to end homelessness in our local communities and to distribute emergency funds to families and individuals who need it most. United Way Housing for All Mission The mission of United Way Housing for All is to create a well-informed public to the need and issues related to housing and homelessness; create opportunities for public and private organizations to work together to address northern New Jersey’s housing challenges; and to advocate for the adoption of public policy and legislation that fosters affordable housing solutions. United Way Housing for All’s goals are: - To end homelessness in northern New Jersey.
- To increase affordable housing opportunities in Morris County.
- To spread the word that northern New Jersey needs housing for all.
- To increase public knowledge about the affordable housing crisis in Morris County and beyond.
- To influence public policy, locally and statewide.
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