Governor Murphy Announces $15 Million FEMA Award to Increase Climate Change Resiliency
To conclude Climate Week, Governor Phil Murphy today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) selected New Jersey's application, awarding $15 million in funding to increase climate change preparedness and provide immediate relief to homeowners in the aftermath of a storm. New Jersey will provide a 10% match, about $1.5 million, as part of the award.
The selection, through FEMA’s Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) program, will allow New Jersey to make low-interest loans to local governments most in need of financial assistance, including low-income areas and underserved communities, for their hazard mitigation and resilience infrastructure needs.
“This award is essential to ensuring that our local communities have the tools they need to get ahead of the next disaster,” said Governor Murphy. “As our state experiences the growing intensity of storms and sea-level rise due to climate change, this program will allow us to increase available resources so we can provide prompt assistance to New Jerseyans. I’m grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration and New Jersey's congressional delegation for fully funding the STORM Act as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
The Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act established the STORM Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to provide revolving loan funds to states, eligible federally recognized tribes, territories, and Washington, D.C. to finance projects that reduce risks from natural hazards and disasters.
Through the STORM RLF program, FEMA empowers these entities to make funding decisions and award loans directly. These revolving loan funds will help local governments carry out hazard mitigation projects that reduce disaster risks for communities, homeowners, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to build climate resilience.
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New Jersey Announces ‘Fund My Future’ Grant Opportunity to Support New Jerseyans Seeking Job Training and Career Advancement
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) announced the release of a Notice of Grant Opportunity (NGO) to provide funds to organizations that can offer career coaching and services to New Jerseyans aspiring to reach their career goals.
The grant funding is part of “Fund My Future” (FMF), a transformative pilot program that helps qualified New Jersey residents achieve life-changing career goals by providing financial assistance for upskilling and education. Selected organizations will work with program participants to develop Individual Employment Plans (IEPs) tailored to specific career development needs. Participants will be partnered with a professional career counselor who can help navigate the evolving job market.
“This grant creates valuable opportunities for underserved New Jersey residents,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “It will ensure that our residents can overcome barriers to meaningful employment and help make New Jersey’s economy fairer for everyone.”
Grant applicants can include non-profit and for-profit entities, government agencies, or higher education institutions. Grantees must work with residents whose household incomes are below ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) guidelines. Awarded grantees will receive funding contingent upon meeting the grant’s performance metrics and expenditures.
“Fund My Future allows us to help New Jersey workers who are struggling to stay competitive develop marketable skills today that will grow into their careers of tomorrow,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “This initiative will serve as a launch pad for individuals who want to take the leap to redefine themselves in the workforce to change the trajectory of their profession and lives.”
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Murphy Administration Releases New Reports Highlighting the Urgent Need to Continue Improving Health Care Affordability
The Murphy Administration released a trio of reports assessing the quality and affordability of health care in New Jersey. These reports serve as a critical first step to understanding and addressing the health care affordability challenge impacting individuals and families both in the state and across the nation. Together, the reports show that a lack of affordable health care continues to burden New Jerseyans, and they will be instrumental in supporting the development of innovative and collaborative approaches to address high costs.
The reports come on the heels of recently enacted legislation that protects consumers from harmful medical debt and builds upon a significant foundation of health care affordability and accessibility initiatives championed by Governor Murphy. This includes record enrollment into quality, affordable health coverage through Get Covered New Jersey, enhanced Medicaid benefits, a landmark legislative package aimed at prescription drug affordability and transparency, and increased prescription drug assistance for low-income seniors, which have brought financial relief to New Jersey residents as well as provided a strong foundation for long-term solutions that expand access to affordable health care.
“We’ve taken critical steps toward addressing the rising cost of health care in New Jersey, but these reports underscore the urgency to continue our progress in making high-quality health care more affordable for all,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “It’s time to ramp up our work to transform our health care system so that it delivers the best care possible at a price that every New Jerseyan can afford.”
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Murphy Administration Launches $20 Million Resilience Program to Modernize Stormwater Infrastructure and Management in Face of Climate Change Threats
To mark Climate Week, the Murphy Administration announced the launch of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Ready to Be Resilient Stormwater and Resilience Funding Program to modernize stormwater infrastructure and management strategies in the face of increased precipitation that is resulting from a warming climate. The program is funded by $20 million from the Biden-Harris Administration’s American Rescue Plan.
The program will provide $9 million for a variety of resilience-related efforts, including grants to incentivize regional watershed management (with a priority to overburdened communities), development of local technical assistance programs, advancement of flood mapping, and improvement of post-disaster damage assessment protocols. In addition, the program will make $11 million available as principal forgiveness loans through the State Revolving Fund for local stormwater resilience infrastructure projects that focus on green technologies.
“Helping our local communities modernize infrastructure and get ahead of the next storm is key to building a more climate resilient future for our state,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Thanks to this additional funding from the American Rescue Plan, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping further our efforts to prevent and respond to the increasing threat of climate change in New Jersey.”
“The science, including New Jersey-specific rainfall studies, clearly demonstrates that precipitation is becoming more intense and frequent as a result of climate change,” Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said. “Through this new program, the DEP is focusing its expertise and resources on providing communities with the resources they need to replace outdated stormwater infrastructure that significantly exacerbates localized flooding while modernizing our stormwater management practices and strategies to meet the increasing threats of climate change.”
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NJDOT Announces Safety Public Awareness Program to Address Dangerous Driving Behaviors and Promote Safety as a Way of Life
New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) announced the launch of its statewide Roadway Safety Public Awareness Program, a comprehensive effort aimed at addressing dangerous driving behaviors and promoting safety as a way of life. The program, which will run through the end of the year, will deliver safety messaging on billboards, radio stations, digital platforms, and social media.
Public engagement efforts are part of NJDOT’s ongoing commitment to improving roadway safety for everyone who uses and relies on New Jersey’s transportation systems, including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and people with mobility assistance needs.
The creative concepts are designed to resonate with roadway users on a personal level, underscoring the very real and potentially tragic consequences of distracted driving, speeding, and driving under the influence.
“Unsafe driving behaviors have far-reaching consequences, often ending in tragedies that could have been prevented,” Governor Murphy said. “Too many motorists have developed bad habits behind the wheel – and that is costing lives. This public awareness program is one way to remind people we have a shared responsibility to keep one another other safe on our roadways.”
“People know they shouldn’t text and drive, speed through work zones, or get behind the wheel while intoxicated – but too often, they do it anyway,” NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor said. “That’s why this program is less about educating and more about creating an emotional connection that encourages real behavior change. We want safety to become a way of life, and hope this can be the start of a movement to respect our fellow roadway users, because one bad decision behind the wheel can cost someone their family member, friend, or loved one.”
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