Hudson County Executive Craig Guy and 32nd District State Senator Raj Mukherji today announced a combined $2.8 million to address food security and affordable housing in Hoboken and surrounding areas. The grant funding, which includes $1.8 million from Hudson County to bring a client choice food pantry to Hoboken, and $1 million in state appropriations secured by Sen. Mukherji for urgent repairs and capital needs, will allow 96 single, low-income residents to remain housed at the Hoboken Community Center. The funds will also help expand the reach of the Center’s food pantry to the Jersey City Heights neighborhood.
During today’s press conference, County Executive Guy and Senator Mukherji were joined by Hudson County Board of Commissioners Chairman Anthony Romano (District 5), Hoboken Community Center board member Toni Tomarazzo, Hoboken Council Members Emily Jabbour (Council-at-Large), Joe Quintero (Council-at-Large), Tiffanie Fisher (2nd Ward), Phil Cohen (5th Ward), other Hoboken Community Center board members and Center volunteers.
County Executive Guy stated, “My administration is focused on the rising cost of living, and this funding will help address affordability issues that many Hudson County residents face, specifically food insecurity. To do that, I worked to obtain a $1.8 million dollar county grant to bring a client choice food pantry to the Hoboken Community Center that will serve Hoboken and Hudson County residents in need. As your County Executive, it is my priority to ensure we are doing everything we can to keep the Center’s kitchen stocked with food and make sure its clients have a warm, safe space to call home. I am grateful to Senator Mukherji’s dedicated efforts in securing an additional $1 million in state appropriations to help address the affordability crisis in Hoboken, provide much needed repairs to the Hoboken Community Center, and expand the food pantry to reach communities in the Jersey City Heights.”
“As elected officials, it is imperative that we not only ‘talk the talk’ but actually ‘walk the walk’ – which is exactly what County Executive Craig Guy and the Board of County Commissioners, along with Senator Raj Mukherji, have done. With the $2.8 million in funding, the Hoboken Community Center will help a larger number of Hoboken and Hudson County residents that are in need of housing and food security during a time when affordability is a huge problem for many individuals and families,” said Chairman of the Hudson County Board of Commissioners, Anthony Romano.
The Hoboken Community Center is the oldest public service agency in the Mile Square City. It has provided affordable housing for over 100 years to low-income single men. In 2019, in the wake of the COVID crisis, the Hoboken Community Center opened a food pantry to serve the residents living in the affordable housing residences.
Specifically, Hudson County awarded the Hoboken Community Center with a $1.8 million grant to bring a 5,000 square foot client choice pantry to Hoboken to service Hudson County communities and provide groceries, meats and other proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, personal care items and pet supplies.