Dear Editor,
As president of the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity Newark, I applaud the work of Essex County and the City of Newark in preparing “The Road Home: A Ten-Year Plan to end Homelessness in Newark and Essex County (2010-2020).” I particularly agree with the report’s focus on preventing homelessness and the conclusion that permanent housing solutions are less expensive and highly preferable to temporary ones.
Habitat for Humanity Newark has built homes for more than 70 hard working, low-income families in Newark since its founding in 1986. We are currently engaged in a plan to accelerate our level of building in Newark and elsewhere in Essex County. We look forward to continuing to work with Mayor Booker and Essex County Executive DiVincenzo to do our part to provide affordable housing options that prevent families from slipping into homelessness.
I would encourage individuals and corporations to join us in our efforts. Please visit us online at www.habitatnewark.org to learn more.
Jeff Farrell
Montclair, NJ

One of the steadfast hallmarks of capitalism has been the all-mighty price tag.
The ongoing slump in the real estate market continues to plague the building materials industry in New Jersey. It was recently reported that pending sales of New Jersey homes dropped by the greatest margin since February 2009 – when the U.S. economy shed more than 726,000 jobs.
Gov. Chris Christie recently said he can punt a football into Mendham Township from his home in the Borough.
Unless you're a building professional or in a related field, chances are you have no idea about a federal law enacted April 22. In all probability, if your home was built before 1978, the law just further reduced the value of your home.

