Vetoed by Governor Phil Murphy

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with house amendments and pass a bill that establishes the 2020 New Jersey Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Highlights:

• Establishes the 2020 New Jersey Emergency Rental Program for helping residential tenants who experienced financial setbacks attributable to the COVID-19 crisis in order to satisfy their rental obligations (Sec. 1).

• Appropriates $100 million to the Department of Community Affairs to be credited to the 2020 New Jersey Emergency Rental Program (Sec. 2).

• Requires the Commissioner of Community Affairs to modify the “Homeless Prevention Program Regulations” in the following ways, including (Sec. 1):

• A person or household will be deemed to be in imminent danger of homelessness if the household is unable to make rental payments for reasons beyond the household’s control and attributable to the COVID-19 crisis; 

• A person or household need not have been served with a summons and complaint for eviction to be eligible for assistance under this program; 

• A person or household will be eligible for assistance if their annualized current income is no more than the upper limit of “medium income” as defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, however, the Commissioner may establish funding priorities to benefit low-income and moderate-income persons and households;

• A person or household will be eligible for assistance under this program although it may be unlikely for the person or household to be able to pay shelter costs after the period of assistance has ended.

Full Bill Text