Bill Text: NJ A114 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes Statewide database of beds in shelters for the homeless.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Community Development and Women's Affairs Committee [A114 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A114-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DONALD A. GUARDIAN
District 2 (Atlantic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Lopez, Assemblyman Stanley and Assemblywoman Murphy
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Statewide database of beds in shelters for the homeless.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning emergency shelters for the homeless and supplementing P.L.1983, c.530 (C.55:14K-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency shall allow operators of shelters for the homeless and selected local information and referral providers who place persons in the shelters to have access to real-time information about the occupancy status of shelter beds in the State, as collected by the Homeless Management Information System, in order to determine the availability of shelter beds in the community or within a certain geographic area. Shelter operators shall update information in the Homeless Management Information System about the availability of shelter beds not later than one hour after a bed becomes available, or an available bed has been filled.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to shelters for victims of domestic violence.
2. A shelter for the homeless, except a shelter for victims of domestic violence, which is subject to regulation by the Department of Community Affairs pursuant to N.J.A.C.5:15-1.1 et seq., shall cooperate in providing any necessary information to the database, as determined by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the Department of Community Affairs, and the Department of Human Services, as a condition of being eligible to receive funding for the shelter from the Department of Community Affairs and the Department of Human Services.
3. This act shall take effect on the 60th day following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) to allow operators of shelters for the homeless and others who place persons in homeless shelters to have access to real-time information about the occupancy status of shelter beds, as collected by the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), to determine the availability of shelter beds in the vicinity. Each homeless shelter operator would be required to update information about available shelter beds not later than one hour after a bed becomes available, or an available bed has been filled. These provisions will allow operators of homeless shelters that are currently full to ascertain whether there are available beds in nearby shelters so as to enable them to direct individuals in need of emergency shelter to locations that can accommodate them. This bill also requires a shelter for the homeless to cooperate in providing any necessary information to the database, as determined by the HMFA, the Department of Community Affairs, and the Department of Human Services, as a condition of being eligible to receive funding for the shelter from the Departments of Community Affairs and Human Services.
The bill would not apply to shelters for victims of domestic violence.
