Grifa will be the second high-ranking cabinet official to leave Gov. Chris Christie's administration this month
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Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Lori Grifa, right, speaks during the Mayors' Box Luncheon on November 16 alongside Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff. Grifa will be stepping down from her post.TRENTON — Lori Grifa is stepping down as commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs, according to a source with knowledge of her plans.
Grifa will be the second high-ranking cabinet official to leave Gov. Chris Christie's administration this month. Board of Public Utilities President Lee Solomon announced on Nov. 10 he was departing to return to the Superior Court as a judge.
The source was not authorized to speak on the record before the public announcement, which is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at the Statehouse. The governor's office declined to comment on Grifa's plans to step down, which was first reported by PolitickerNJ.com.
Asked last week, Grifa wouldn't say whether she planned to stay in the Christie administration.
"If we could bottle the rumors and the gossip and the hearsay, we would have a great sustainable energy program in New Jersey," she said Thursday.
Gubernatorial administrations often experience high-level turnover at their halfway marks. Attorney General Paula Dow, who has also expressed interest in being a judge, is expected to leave the administration as well.
Christie nominated Grifa to run the Department of Community Affairs one week after his inauguration, saying she would bring discipline to how the state dishes out financial aid to towns. The department has wide-ranging influence, from support to local governments to fire code inspections.
That places Grifa at the center of New Jersey's longstanding battle over high property taxes, and towns have struggled with lower state aid and a tighter tax cap.
Democrats have criticized the Christie administration for ongoing property tax increases, but Grifa said there have been some successes.
"We saw very promising evidence that this is moving in the right direction," she said. "I would not suggest to you there's been dramatic improvements, but there has been a steady increase in improving numbers."
Grifa also said more towns were sharing services, helping to lower costs.
During Grifa's tenure, Community Affairs took responsibility for ensuring low-income residents had access to housing after Christie dissolved the much-maligned Council on Affordable Housing.
William Dressel, executive director for the League of Municipalities, said Grifa made "valuable contributions" to the state.
"She was quite knowledgeable on the issues, and she was always receptive to our suggestions and comments," he said.
Dressel said Grifa helped loosen onerous rules on affordable housing. But Kevin D. Walsh, associate director at the nonprofit Fair Share Housing Center advocacy group, criticized her record and Christie's policies. Walsh said allowing individual towns more leeway to make decisions with less state oversight will permit wealthy areas to offer less affordable housing.
"It's a disaster for families and seniors and people with special needs," he said.