Bill > S268

This bill, titled the "Homelessness Prevention Program Act," revises the existing Homelessness Prevention Program by establishing new eligibility criteria and introducing a new charge for filing eviction actions. The program, administered by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), aims to assist New Jersey residents who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness due to eviction, mortgage foreclosure, or inability to pay rent or mortgage. Eligibility is contingent on factors such as income not exceeding 80% of the area median income, exhausting other financial resources, and not having a history of program delinquency. The bill also introduces a $150 fee for filing an eviction action, which will be collected and transferred to the Office of Eviction Prevention to fund services like resource navigators, homelessness prevention, relocation assistance, and legal services, with the explicit stipulation that this fee cannot be passed on to tenants. Additionally, the bill clarifies that this new eviction filing fee is not considered an expense recoverable by a landlord in lease agreements, nor is it considered "additional rent."

Budget and Finance, Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/S268