Hudson County View
Gov. Phil Murphy (D), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-8) joined Hoboken officials to break ground on their $230 million Rebuild by Design project.
“We know, that given the impact of climate change, it is not a question of if, it is when Hoboken and this region will be struck by another severe storm. I vividly remember how the [Hurricane] Sandy storm surge brought the Hudson River in on Hoboken in the north and the south,” recalled Dawn Zimmer, Hoboken’s mayor between 2009 and 2017.
Hudson Reporter
Hoboken councilman’s use of Airbnb comes under fire
Former running mate and political adversaries question Councilman Mike DeFusco s travel ×
Councilmembers Vanessa Falco, Mike DeFusco, Jim Doyle, and Tiffanie Fisher at a council meeting in 2019
Several elected officials, including a former running mate and political adversaries, are questioning First Ward Councilman Michael DeFusco’s travel and the rental of his home on Airbnb during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to his public AirBNB profile, which has been active since 2013, DeFusco rented his home 23 times between August of 2020 – six months into the pandemic when the Hoboken Health Department reported roughly one or two new cases of COVID-19 a day- and as recently as March 2021 when the Hoboken Health Department routinely reported double-digit figures for new COVID-19 cases.
hosted by Michael”, is posted as a short-term rental on Airbnb, having housed a steady docket of various guests for the past eight months. According to the site, 23 reviews from a variety of guests date back to August 2020 several months into the global pandemic, while state-mandated travel restrictions were in place. Reviews for the unit have been posted by tenants from areas that include Canada, Washington State, Ohio, California, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida.
proud Hoboken homeowner,” and has served on the City Council since 2015. We reached out to DeFusco, who ultimately confirmed to
TAPinto Hoboken that the listing was in fact his apartment. DeFusco also confirmed that he had been traveling, but would not offer any further details on the record regarding the duration and destination of his travels. However, it has been established that the Councilman did travel to Colombia at some point during the period in question. Furthermore, the Councilm
Hoboken Councilwoman-at-Large Vanessa Falco. Facebook photo.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
” … This past year has been a difficult one for residents, students, senior citizens, teachers, first responders, and parents. I am not sure how he feels his absence is appropriate or why. During the pandemic, it was, and still remains an all hands-on deck approach in keeping residents safe,” said Councilwoman-at-Large Vanessa Falco.
“From delivering food, checking on senior citizens, providing education and awareness of testing and vaccines, my council colleagues have all contributed immensely during these difficult times. I unfortunately cannot say that Council member Defusco was a part of our collective efforts during the pandemic. Despite having conversations with him, he never once mentioned that he was out of the country and/or not living in Hoboken and I find that so disingenuous.”