Bill Text: NJ A5389 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Restricts certain affordable housing eligibility to certain State residents and certain individuals with employment history in the State.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-05-08 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Housing Committee [A5389 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A5389-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ERIK PETERSON
District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)
SYNOPSIS
Restricts certain affordable housing eligibility to certain State residents and certain individuals with employment history in the State.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act restricting certain affordable housing eligibility to State residents and individuals with employment history in the State, supplementing P.L.1985, c.222 (C.52:27D-301 et al.) and amending P.L.2004, c.140.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New section) A contractual guarantee or deed restriction that is intended to ensure that a housing unit is protected as low- or moderate-income housing, and that takes effect on or after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall restrict occupancy of the housing unit to a household for which, at the time of application, at least one household member:
a. has been a legal resident of the State for at least two consecutive years; or
b. has worked in the State for at least 35 hours per week for at least two consecutive years.
2. Section 1 of P.L.2004, c.140 (C.52:27D-287.1) is amended to read as follows:
1. The Commissioner of Community Affairs shall establish a rental assistance program for low income individuals or households. This program shall be in addition to and supplement any existing programs established pursuant to the "Prevention of Homelessness Act (1984)," P.L.1984, c.180 (C.52:27D-280 et al.).
a. The program shall provide rental assistance grants comparable to the federal section 8 program, but shall be available only to State residents who are not currently holders of federal section 8 vouchers.
b. Assistance to an individual or household under the State program shall be terminated upon the award of federal section 8 rental assistance to the same individual or household.
c. The program shall reserve a portion of the grants for assistance to senior citizens aged 62 or older who otherwise meet the criteria of subsection a. of this section.
d. The program shall reserve a portion of the grants for assistance to veterans who have successfully completed the Veterans Transitional Housing Program, or "Veterans Haven," a vocational and transitional housing program for homeless veterans administered by the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs.
e. The program shall reserve a portion of the funds available to it for tenant-based vouchers to veterans, other than those veterans eligible for assistance pursuant to subsection d. of this section.
f. Eligibility for the program shall be limited to a household for which, at the time of application, at least one household member:
(1) has been a legal resident of the State for at least two consecutive years; or
(2) has worked in the State for at least 35 hours per week for at least two consecutive years.
(cf: P.L.2017, c.29, s.1)
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the second month next following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill would restrict certain affordable housing eligibility for certain State residents and certain individuals with an employment history in the State.
The bill would require that, as a part of a contractual guarantee or deed restriction intended to ensure that a housing unit remains low- or moderate-income housing, occupancy of the housing unit would be restricted for a household for which at least one household member has either been a legal resident of the State for two consecutive years, or has worked in the State for at least 35 hours per week for at least two consecutive years.
The bill would also restrict eligibility for assistance through the State rental assistance program to a household for which at least one household member has either been a legal resident of the State for two consecutive years, or has worked in the State for at least 35 hours per week for at least two consecutive years.
The bill to would take effect on the first day of the second month next following enactment to allow time for administrators to adjust to the new requirements.
