NJ Today-

The full state Senate approved a pair of bills sponsored by Senator Raymond J. Lesniak yesterday which are aimed at addressing New Jersey’s foreclosure crisis by transforming abandoned, foreclosed properties into livable homes and by requiring the state to expand participation in the HomeKeeper mortgage assistance program.

“New Jersey is second-worst in the nation – behind only Florida – in the number of homeowners who are seriously delinquent in their home loans,” said Lesniak, D-Union. “And Gov. Christie and his administration have admitted that were asleep at the wheel in terms of mitigating the effects of a disastrous foreclosure crisis. Because of this massive failure, New Jersey residents were evicted from their homes and pockets of blight have appeared in once-thriving communities. It’s time that New Jersey gets serious about helping at-risk homeowners stay in their homes and about cleaning up dilapidated, abandoned properties to make them livable market-rate and affordable housing opportunities.”

[NJ TODAY]