Murphy signs bills aimed at helping those facing foreclosure

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has signed into law a measure aimed at helping the state continue to recover from a housing foreclosure crisis that stemmed from the Great Recession.

The first-term Democrat signed the nine bills Monday in Atlantic City.

The administration says about one out of a thousand homes are in foreclosure, a total of about 20,000 households. Atlantic City has the highest foreclosure rate at one in 42.

Murphy highlighted one measure that establishes a program run by the state's judiciary to offer residents mediation in foreclosure. He says the program will ensure that residents can get housing counseling.

The bills stem from a 2018 report by the state's judiciary that found the foreclosure rate went from 25,000 per year in 2006 to 65,000 annually in 2009.