Make the Road New Jersey Responds to Launch of Excluded New Jerseyan Fund Website

October 14, 2021 – Elizabeth, NJ: In response to the New Jersey Department of Human Services’ announcement that the Excluded New Jerseyan Fund (ENJF) will launch later this month, and the newly unveiled ENJF website, Yesenia Moreno, a member leader of Make the Road New Jersey and participant in the 24-day hunger strike, issued the following statement:

“Today is a welcome day for the hundreds of thousands of immigrants left behind from relief for more than a year and a half. Our organizing efforts have paid off. We welcome the launch of the new Excluded New Jerseyans’ Fund website and look forward to working together once the Fund launches later this month so that as many households as possible can apply without delay. We know that $40 million allocated to the fund will only reach a small percentage of families in need and urge the state legislature and Gov. Murphy to provide additional funds so that no one is left behind.”

To sign up for more information and free assistance with applications from Make the Road New Jersey once the Fund opens, individuals can text ALIVIO (“Relief” in Spanish) to 52886 or visit https://p2a.co/hZLwfJN. Make the Road New Jersey and the Recovery for All Coalition will conduct Facebook live streams Friday at 7 pm to help get out the word and explain eligibility.

According to the DHS, the ENJF provides a one-time, direct cash benefit to eligible households who have suffered an economic hardship due to COVID-19 and were excluded from both the federal stimulus checks and COVID related unemployment assistance — including undocumented individuals, residents re-entering from the justice system, and any other individuals otherwise excluded.

Eligible households will receive a benefit of up to $1,000 per eligible individual and a max of $2,000 per household. Households with incomes up to $55,000 a year with documented hardship or lost income due to COVID-19 can apply for assistance.