Hoboken Has $521K To Help Those Behind On Rent Due To Coronavirus

HOBOKEN, NJ — Has the coronavirus pandemic made it difficult for you to pay rent after March 1? If you fall within income limits and don’t have other resources or significant savings, you can apply to get some of the $521,313 made available to Hoboken residents through the federal CARES Act.

In addition, during the State of Emergency, no tenant is permitted to be evicted from their home or apartment for the inability to pay rent. See below for information on the local tenant advocate that can help you.

Also, residents also can get help with heating and energy bills.

Various other avenues of relief and benefits have also been made available, including family leave for 12 weeks if you can’t work due to your child’s school or camp being closed, and changes to unemployment rules to help those who were at a job for a short time, or freelancing. (More information here.)

On Monday, the city said in a Nixle alert: “Eviction prevention program and rental assistance – applications now open Thanks to our partnership with Hudson County, Hoboken has been allocated $521,313 in funding through the CARES Act for those needing rental assistance or facing eviction due to COVID-19. If you fit the criteria below, I encourage you to apply for grant funding which can help pay for rent if you can’t afford it. Tenants in need can apply for up to six months of back rent.”

The income limits vary by household size; for instance, a family of four has to be earning $78,900 or less. The income limits page notes that “Households will be required to use unrestricted cash assets in excess of $2,500 to assist in paying arrears.”

Here are other factors:

• Hoboken or Hudson County resident

• Must show the need for rental assistance due to COVID-19

• Current on rent as of March 1, 2020

• Document ability to pay rent after assistance is provided

The website https://cares.hcnj.us will remain open until 5 p.m. on Sept. 2.

Also, the city said, “If you need assistance, the Hoboken Shelter and the Waterfront Project are hosting in-person open office hours at 300 Bloomfield St. on Thursday, Aug. 27 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on Friday, Aug. 28 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (please wear a face mask). Tenants needing assistance can also call Hudson County at 201-395-4799 or visit the website above for more information.”

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Also, New Jersey residents can get help with heating and energy bills. Information is here.

Coronavirus numbers in Hoboken, including kids

The city of Hoboken adjusted its total coronavirus fatality number to 31 on Thursday (read more here), and announced that testing will be offered at two sites rather than just one this week (more here).

On Monday, the city said in a new alert that after confirmation of two new cases since Thursday, Hoboken now has a total of 695 known, confirmed COVID-19 cases.

As for a breakdown, the city said that the age group with the most cases, 188, was the 17-30 age group. Also, 183 were in the 31-40 age group. Nine children between ages 1 and 16 have tested positive.

This past Thursday, the Hoboken Health Department had reported that 693 Hoboken residents had tested positive for the virus since the start of the pandemic. A week earlier, the number was 687.

Hoboken, a city of 53,000 people in one square mile, across the river from Manhattan, was one of the first towns to close facilities in March amid the pandemic.

Testing update

The city said that this week, it will offer testing both through a partnership with Riverside Medical under the 14th Street Viaduct on weekdays, and with Prompt MD at a pop-up site at 605 Jackson St. this Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. For the former, call 201-420-5621 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday for an appointment. For the latter, go to http://www.hobokennj.gov/promptmd.

Results may take three days, the city said, as there is a national shortage of rapid tests.

The city said that 650 people were tested at both sites on Monday and Tuesday of last week.

The city noted in a followup email over the weekend, “Residents are asked to keep in mind that a COVID-19 test is recommended at least 5-7 days after a potential exposure, and that many who have contracted the virus do not have symptoms. Receiving a COVID-19 test prior to the 5-7 days after a potential exposure may yield inaccurate results. Residents are asked to quarantine until after receiving the test result.”

Hoboken and national coronavirus statistics and trends

On Saturday, Gov. Phil Murphy said the number of coronavirus cases statewide had risen to 189,236, with 14,114 confirmed deaths, including 3 new deaths and 427 new cases confirmed since the day before.

The daily death rate in New Jersey has been declining since back on April 30, when it reached a peak of 460 residents in 24 hours.

Many other states reached record daily death rates in July (see the daily totals in each state here). They have pulled back on their reopenings, including Texas, which closed bars after seeing record numbers of hospitalizations and deaths.

New Jersey updated its list on Tuesday to 35 states that residents must quarantine upon returning from. Read more.

As of a week ago Thursday, 165,000 Americans had died of coronavirus, and more than 5 million have tested positive.

See below for other recent Hoboken coronavirus and reopening updates:

SCHOOLS

• The Hoboken public schools are slated to reopen Monday, Sept. 14 remotely, and then Sept. 21 on-site for those who requested it.

• The district has offered a reopening plan giving parents a choice of either full-time on-site learning (until 3 p.m.) or full-time distance learning. In the buildings, there will be restrictions, such as kids wearing masks and maintaining a 6-foot distance.

• The governor’s school reopening guidance was published on June 26.

• The state has said that all districts must offer a remote learning option.

BUSINESS

• Here is the August schedule of Hoboken “summer streets” that are restricted to vehicles, to encourage walking, bicycling, and outdoor dining.

• Hoboken recently received almost $1.9 million in funding for small businesses, to be distributed in $20,000 grants. Read more here.

• Hoboken businesses received government PPP loans to help with payroll, rent, and more during the pandemic. Read the list here.

• More than 50 of the city’s restaurants opened the week of June 15 for outdoor dining. READ MORE.

• Some of those have added “streateries” for outdoor dining. READ MORE.

• Two of the city’s weekly farmers’ markets reopened in June. READ MORE.

• The city and Patch both have directories of businesses that are open and closed. Check them out and add your listing. READ MORE.

• The city will be closing off certain blocks for businesses to expand and draw foot traffic. READ MORE.

• Here’s what you need to know about applying for unemployment and other benefits during coronavirus. MORE.

• Read more about unemployment, small business, and other coronavirus regulations and benefits in New Jersey here.

LIBRARY

• Residents can return library books and other materials by placing them in the library book/media dropbox in front of the library (500 Park Ave.) from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The library has begun no-contact “curbside pickup” service. Library patrons will be able to reserve the materials online, place their orders via email to [email protected], or call (201) 4202346, ext. 5102. For additional details, visit hobokenlibrary.org.

PARKS

GYMS

• Bhalla said recently, “According to Governor Murphy, the following activities are permitted at indoor gyms starting July 2, as provided by his office: ‘individualized indoor instruction by appointment only where an instructor is offering training to an individual, and the individual’s immediate family members, household members, caretakers, or romantic partners. If a gym or fitness center is offering multiple simultaneous instructions at the same facility, these instructions must take place in separate rooms or, if they take place in the same room, must be separated by a floor-to-ceiling barrier that complies with all fire code requirements.’ “

NURSING HOMES

• New Jersey residents have become alarmed at the high number of residents who have passed away in nursing homes, rehabs, and similar facilities, and have charged that the facilities are undercounting the numbers and not adequately protecting residents and staff. The state has faced questions for weeks from the press about how they will address the problems. They announced plans last month to increase testing at some long term care facilities and to bring in the National Guard to help make changes.

• The state has begun releasing death toll statistics for long-term care facilities like rehabs and nursing homes. See the list here.

• You can report problems with long term care facilities here, or if you suspect coronavirus related misconduct, here.

• Some New Jersey long-term care facilities reopened for limited visits, with precautions, in July.

• Other states have also been dealing with nursing home deaths more recently, including a recent outbreak in a Texas nursing home.

Here are statewide coronavirus resources:

• NJ COVID-19 Information Hub: https://covid19.nj.gov/

• General COVID-19 questions: 2-1-1

• NJ COVID-19 hotline: (800) 222-1222

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This article originally appeared on the Hoboken Patch