FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, March 26, 2021

Lt. Governor Oliver named the 2021 recipient of the National Lieutenant Governors Association Improving Lives and Communities Award

COVINGTON, KY – New Jersey Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver today received the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) Improving Lives and Communities Award. Lt. Governor Oliver is the 2021 recipient of the annual award presented in partnership by the NLGA and Anthem.

The Improving Lives and Communities Award is presented to an NLGA Member working to enhance the lives of constituents through impacting aspects of community life and addressing social drivers of health.

Teresa Hursey, Medicaid Plan President at Amerigroup New Jersey said, “Lt. Governor Oliver is a prime example of how state leaders can impact the lives of residents by addressing social drivers of health. At Amerigroup, we understand the critical role that affordable and accessible housing, economic stability, community planning and development, and COVID-19 recovery can play in promoting good health which is why we’re honored to recognize her work in New Jersey.”

Elected in 2017, Lt. Governor Oliver’s many efforts in New Jersey led to this award. As Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), Lt. Governor Oliver has granted hundreds of millions of dollars in affordable housing, emergency rental assistance, neighborhood preservation and revitalization, and community development, and assisted vulnerable renters and landlords, housing organizations, and small and micro businesses.

Last week, Lt. Governor Oliver announced the second phase of the DCA’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program which will provide $353 million to help residents pay their rent during the pandemic.

In January 2021, Lt. Governor Oliver announced a new strategic plan with First Lady Tammy Murphy to address the high rates of mortality that Black women and babies face in New Jersey.

Additionally, Lt. Governor Oliver in December 2020 announced millions of dollars in funding for affordable housing projects sized at 25 or fewer units that often have difficulty obtaining financing. These smaller projects will fill the gaps within existing affordable housing, add value to neighborhoods, and largely be developed by community-based organizations that have a strong connection to the housing equity issues in their communities.

In receiving this award, Lt. Governor Oliver said, “I appreciate this recognition, as well as the opportunity to spread the word about New Jersey’s efforts to improve the quality of life for all residents. I hope my peers in other states can take what we’ve learned in New Jersey and apply it to their own efforts to address the health and vitality of communities and positively impact the wellbeing of families and citizens.”

“NLGA partners in this recognition process to assist in bi-partisan identification of leaders committed to effectively tackling the current and future challenges of our nation,” said NLGA Director Julia Brossart. “By recognizing Lt. Governor Oliver, attention is brought to her accomplishments in New Jersey in a way that can bring ideas to other states and territories.”

The award was presented to Lt. Gov. Oliver during the virtual 2021 NLGA Federal State-Relations Meeting. To learn more about the NLGA Improving Lives and Communities Award, visit:

https://nlga.us/programs/awards/improving-lives-and-communities-award/

The DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including local government management and finance, affordable housing production, fire safety, building safety, community planning and development, and disaster recovery and mitigation.

For more information on the Atlantic City Initiatives Projects Office, visit https://www.nj.gov/dca/home/ac/initiativesoffice.html.

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media:

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: 

 

   DCa on Twitter

CONTACT:

Tammori Petty
Gina Trish
Lisa Ryan
(609) 292-6055