The State of Affordable Housing in NJ and the nation

With Governor Christie saying he will kill the Council on Affordable Housing and the federal government proposing major cuts to HUD programs, what is happening to affordable housing? Arnold Cohen and Nancy Zak-husband and wife-who have worked on housing issues in New Jersey for over 20 years, will discuss the impact of the latest state and federal actions and what we can do about them at our Sunday Platform at 11:00 AM on April 10th.

 Nancy Zak is a Newark resident who has been working for Ironbound Community Corporation doing community organizing for over 30 years. She has been involved as an organizer with a variety of citywide issues, including affordable housing, tenant rights, city budget issues, planning, zoning and environmental concerns. On the neighborhood level, she has been active in environmental clean up, neighborhood planning and quality of life issues for the Ironbound community. She published a tri-lingual neighborhood newspaper, "Ironbound Voices," for over twenty years. One proud accomplishment was coordinating a successful park preservation effort for Riverbank Park, a 100-year-old Olmsted park which was threatened with demolition, through a volunteer community group called SPARK (Save the Park at Riverbank). Nancy lives in Newark with her husband, Newark native Arnold Cohen, and her daughter Beth.

 Arnold Cohen is Policy Coordinator of the Housing & Community Development Network of NJ, responsible for coordinating the Network's public policy advocacy and education activities. Mr. Cohen joined the Network in 1994, prior to which he worked in organizing grassroots and statewide public policy campaigns in the areas of affordable housing, early childhood education, health care and environmental justice. In addition to his work at the Network, Mr. Cohen sits on the boards of the Coalition for Affordable Housing and the Environment and the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness and is a member of the Anti-Poverty Network Steering Committee.

 Sunday Platforms are at 11:00 AM at the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County. The Society is located at 516 Prospect St., Maplewood (at Parker Ave.). Attendance is free. The public is welcome and cordially invited. Call 973-763-1905, or visit www.essexethical.org for further information.

 "Building community through shared ethical values"

Ethical Culture Society of Essex County

www.essexethical.org