Bill Text: NJ A4043 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires DCA to make information on homeless prevention programs and services available on its Internet website.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-06-08 - Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee [A4043 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A4043-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GARY S. SCHAER
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DCA to make information on homeless prevention programs and services available on its Internet website.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning homeless prevention programs and services and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Community Affairs shall prepare and make available on the department's Internet website, in an easily printable format, information on all municipal, county, State, or federal homeless prevention programs and services that are available to a homeless person or to a person who is at imminent risk of homelessness and who is not eligible for, or does not qualify to receive, municipal, county, State, or federal social or public assistance services. The department shall update the information whenever new information about the programs and services become available. The information shall include, but not be limited to, a list, by county, of:
(1) grant programs and homeless intervention programs, including the "Homeless Veterans Grant Fund" established by section 4 of P.L.2013, c.239 (C.54A:9-25.33), "Statute of Liberty Trust Fund," established by section 3 of P.L.1987, c.57 (C.32:32-3), "County Homelessness Trust Fund," created by P.L.2009, c.123 (C.52:27D-287a et al.), and the Homeless Intervention Program in the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, that supply grants and provide referral assistance services to homeless veterans, homeless persons, and persons at imminent risk of homelessness, as applicable;
(2) homeless youth programs and other homeless services provided to teens and young adults by the Division of Children's System of Care and Office of Adolescent Services in the Department of Children and Families;
(3) homeless prevention services provided by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency in the Department of Children and Families to families involved in the child welfare system;
(4) homeless services provided by the Division of Mental Health Services in the Department of Human Services to persons suffering from mental illness or co-occurring addiction and mental health disease; and
(5) other municipal, county, State, or federal housing and homeless prevention programs that provide financial and other supportive services to homeless persons or those at imminent risk of homelessness.
b. The department shall require each county and municipal welfare agency, Division of Child Protection and Permanency local office, veterans service office, emergency shelter for the homeless, health care facility, State psychiatric hospital, crisis intervention unit, screening service, library, and community-based outreach program and nonprofit organizations providing housing and homeless prevention services in the State to:
(1) post the information specified in paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section in a conspicuous public place in the agency, office shelter, facility, hospital, unit, screening service, library, or place where housing and homeless prevention services are provided; and
(2) provide the information, at no cost, to homeless persons or persons at imminent risk of homelessness who are not eligible for, or do not qualify to receive, municipal, county, State, or federal social or public assistance services.
c. The department shall ensure, in consultation with the Departments of Children and Families, Human Services, and Military and Veterans Affairs, that:
(1) the information posted on its website is made available on the websites of the Departments of Children and Families, Human Services, and Military and Veterans Affairs, and is updated as necessary; and
(2) a website link to the information is posted to the Intranet website of every county and municipal welfare agency, Division of Child Protection and Permanency local office, and veterans service office in the State.
d. As used in this section, "homeless person" means a teen, a young adult, a veteran, as defined under N.J.S.11A:5-1, N.J.S.18A:66-2, section 6 of P.L.1954, c.84 (C.43:15A-6), or section 1 of P.L.1983, c.391 (C.43:16A-11.7), an unemployed or underemployed person, a person with mental illness, or a person with developmental disabilities who is living outside, or in a building not meant for human habitation or which the person has no legal right to occupy, or in an emergency shelter, in a temporary housing program which may include a transitional and supportive housing program if habitation time limits exist, or temporarily in the home of another household, or in a motel.
2. Pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the Department of Community Affairs, in consultation with the Departments of Children and Families, Human Services, and Military and Veterans Affairs, shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to prepare and make available on the department's internet website, in an easily printable format, information on all municipal, county, State, or federal homeless prevention programs and services available to a homeless person or to a person who is at imminent risk of homelessness and who is not eligible for, or does not qualify to receive, municipal, county, State, or federal social or public assistance services. DCA would update the information whenever new information on the programs and services becomes available.
The information would include, but not be limited to, a list, by county, of: grant programs and homeless intervention programs supplying grants and providing referral assistance services to homeless veterans, homeless persons, and persons at imminent risk of homelessness, as applicable; homeless youth programs, homeless services, and homeless prevention services provided by the Departments of Military and Veterans Affairs, Children and Families, and Human Services (DMVA, DCF, and DHS) to teens, young adults, families involved with the child welfare system, and persons suffering from mental illness or co-occurring disorders; and other municipal, county, State, or federal housing and homeless prevention programs that provide financial and other supportive services to homeless persons or those at imminent risk of homelessness.
DCA would require each county and municipal welfare agency, Division of Child Protection and Permanency local office, veterans service office, emergency shelter for the homeless, health care facility, State psychiatric hospital, crisis intervention unit, screening service, library, and community-based outreach program and nonprofit organizations providing housing and homeless prevention services in the State to post the information specified in the bill in a conspicuous public place in the agency, office shelter, facility, hospital, unit, screening service, library, or place where housing and homeless prevention services are provided. The bill also mandates that the entities provide the information to homeless persons or persons at imminent risk of homelessness who are not eligible for, or do not qualify to receive, municipal, county, State, or federal social or public assistance services.
DCA would ensure, in consultation with DCF, DHS, and DMVA, that: the information posted on the DCA website would be available on the DCF, DHS, and DMVA websites, and updated as necessary; and a link to the information would be posted to the Intranet website of every county and municipal welfare agency, DCPP local office, and veterans service offices in the State.
As used in the bill, "homeless person" means a teen, a young adult, a veteran, as defined under N.J.S.11A:5-1, N.J.S.18A:66-2, section 6 of P.L.1954, c.84 (C.43:15A-6), or section 1 of P.L.1983, c.391 (C.43:16A-11.7), an unemployed or underemployed person, a person with mental illness, or a person with developmental disabilities who is living outside, or in a building not meant for human habitation or which the person has no legal right to occupy, or in an emergency shelter, or in a temporary housing program which may include a transitional and supportive housing program if habitation time limits exist, or temporarily in the home of another household, or in a motel.
