New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency

DCA & HMFA Welcome Robbinsville to "Live Where You Work" Program

For Immediate Release:
February 13, 2012
Contact:
Hollie Gilroy
,
Lisa Ryan
(609) 292-6055
Robbinsville Township in Mercer County is 41st Municipality to Partner with Agencies on Program


ROBBINSVILLE TOWNSHIP, N.J. – New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) Executive Director Anthony L. Marchetta today joined Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried and other officials at the Robbinsville Senior Center to announce that the Township is the newest member of the Live Where You Work program. It is the 41st municipality to partner with the HMFA on this housing initiative.

“Robbinsville is a community that has a great deal to offer its residents. With a wide array of housing options, a vibrant town center and easy access to the New Jersey Turnpike, Interstate 195 and other major roadways, it is a great, convenient place to live and work,” said New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Acting Commissioner Richard E. Constable III, who is Chair of the HMFA Board. “The Live Where You Work program adds to the township’s quality of life by making it easier for people to buy a home, save money and reduce their commute to work. I encourage other municipalities to follow Robbinsville’s lead and bring this excellent program to their communities.”

The Live Where You Work program provides low-interest, fixed rate mortgage loans to first-time homebuyers purchasing homes in towns where they are employed. Homes must be located in a municipality that has become a Live Where You Work partner with the HMFA, which is an affiliated agency of the DCA. Additional program benefits include down payment and closing cost assistance for the purchase of a home within Smart Growth areas and flexible underwriting criteria for the loan qualification process. The HMFA can also work with participating municipalities to develop additional incentives for homebuyers, such as credit counseling, partnerships with local lenders and community discounts.

"We are very excited to partner with HMFA and introduce Live Where You Work to the Robbinsville community,’’ Mayor David Fried said. “Along with the numerous financial benefits for the first-time homebuyer, this will reduce commute times and enhance our efforts to promote a greener environment.”

The other 40 municipalities participating in the Live Where You Work program include: Trenton, Jersey City, Woodbridge, Elizabeth, Atlantic City, Rahway, Morristown, Evesham, Neptune Township, Bayonne, Carteret, New Brunswick, Paterson, Glassboro, Orange, Keyport, Newark, Washington Township (Gloucester County), Edgewater Park, Cherry Hill, Plainfield, Old Bridge, Passaic, Belmar, Asbury Park, Pemberton, Gloucester City, Voorhees, Manchester, Lakewood, Freehold Borough, East Orange, Red Bank, Collingswood, Middletown, Bridgeton, Haddon Township, Camden, Franklin Township (Somerset County), and Woodbury.

To learn how to get a Live Where You Work mortgage, please call 1-800-NJHOUSE. For more information about how municipalities can join Live Where You Work, please call 609-278-7478. Or you can visit the Live Where You Work website at www.livewhereyouwork.nj.gov The HMFA also operates NJ Housing Resource Center, which is a free online housing information clearinghouse that offers a searchable registry of affordable housing opportunities. Homebuyers interested in looking at houses in designated Live Where You Work communities can use the clearinghouse to search for a home. People can access the Housing Resource Center website at www.njhousing.gov.