Somerset County Board of Freeholders
The Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders will proclaim April as Housing Month in Somerset County for the 17th consecutive year at its regular meeting on April 7 at the county administration building, located at 20 Grove St. in Somerville.
April 2009 marks the 41st anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which gives individuals the right to choose where to live without discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, gender, familial status, national origin and disability.
The goal of Housing Month is to increase awareness of various housing issues, highlight solutions for addressing unmet housing needs and profile successful housing programs and activities.
“Somerset County seeks to help responsible people achieve the dream of home ownership,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Jack M. Ciattarelli, planning division liaison. “One way we do so is by providing education and long-range budget planning for first-time home buyers.”
A Step by Step Homebuyer Education course will be held Tuesday, April 21, from 5:15 to 9:30 p.m. at the Somerset County Coalition on Affordable Housing (SCCOAH), in the downstairs conference room at 600 First Ave. in Raritan. Pre-registration by April 13 is required.
Representatives will be available to address home-buying issues, including budgeting, credit, the mortgage application process, homeowners insurance, New Jersey real estate laws, New Jersey Affordable Housing, grant programs and more. Upon completion of the course, participants will be given a certificate.
Call SCCOAH at (908) 704-9649 for more information about various Housing Month programs.
SCCOAH will hold its annual Outstanding Achievement in Affordable Housing Awards breakfast Tuesday, April 28, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Somerville Elks Lodge on Union Avenue in Bridgewater. To attend, call 908-704-9649. Tickets are $30 per person.
Freeholder Deputy Director Jack M. Ciattarelli and Margaret Lambe Jurow of Legal Services of New Jersey will be guest speakers. An awards presentation will be held honoring this year’s recipients: Alice M. Plastoris, Esq. for “Leadership in Housing Issues and Foreclosure Prevention” and Allstate New Jersey Insurance Company for “Outstanding Achievement in Neighborhood Excellence.”
