TRENTON , N.J. – New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Susan Bass Levin today announced the release of the state’s Housing Policy and Status Report.

“One of the most fundamental issues that my administration is working to address is the high cost of housing and the need to ensure that hardworking New Jerseyans are able to realize the dream of home ownership,” said Governor Corzine. “That is why my administration is committed to creating and preserving 100,000 units of affordable housing over the next 10 years.”

The document is an outline of the programs the DCA and other state agencies currently have in place to help New Jerseyans find affordable housing; the challenges the state faces in providing affordable housing to everyone who needs it now and in the future; and initiatives being developed to meet those challenges.

“The report reflects a partnership between the state, the housing advocacy community, local governments and affordable housing developers, serving as a catalyst for input, discussion and development of strategies to address the state’s affordable housing crisis,” Levin said. “We are changing programs that don’t work and streamlining operations so that we can be more efficient.”

The housing status report can be viewed at: http://www.nj.gov/dca/housingpolicy06.doc.