Bill Text: NJ A376 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides reimbursement to emergency shelter following certain evictions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Housing Committee [A376 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A376-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman STERLEY S. STANLEY
District 18 (Middlesex)
Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER
District 22 (Middlesex, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Provides reimbursement to emergency shelter following certain evictions.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act providing a reimbursement to an emergency shelter following certain evictions and supplementing P.L.1985, c.48 (C.55:13C-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. An operator of an emergency shelter established for the homeless pursuant to P.L.1985, c.48 (C.55:13C-1 et seq.) may bring an eviction action against a shelter occupant for refusing to vacate the space in which the shelter occupant was authorized to stay in the emergency shelter after a duration of time provided for in section 2 of P.L.2013, c.204 (C.55:13C-2.2).
b. (1) In the event that a shelter occupant is evicted from an emergency shelter, the operator of the emergency shelter may apply for reimbursement from the Department of Community Affairs, on a form developed and published for that purpose by the Commissioner of Community Affairs, for costs incurred and revenue forgone due to the shelter occupant refusing to vacate the emergency shelter while the eviction action was pending.
(2) The form developed pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall require an operator of an emergency shelter to, at minimum, provide the name of the emergency shelter, the date range and the amount for which the operator is requesting reimbursement, and any supporting documents concerning the evicted person's refusal to vacate and subsequent eviction action. An operator of an emergency shelter shall submit a request for reimbursement to the Department of Community Affairs within 30 calendar days after the evicted shelter occupant is served a warrant for removal.
(3) The Department of Community Affairs shall review each application submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, and shall reimburse each operator of the emergency shelter for qualifying costs described in paragraph (1) of this subsection.
2. The Legislature shall annually appropriate from the General Fund to the Department of Community Affairs, monies as shall be necessary to effectuate the purposes of P.L. , c. (C ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires State reimbursement to an emergency shelter operator in event of an eviction action against a temporary guest. The bill clarifies that an operator of an emergency shelter may bring an eviction action against a shelter occupant for refusing to vacate the space in which the shelter occupant was authorized to stay after the duration of time authorized by section 2 of P.L.2013, c.204 (C.55:13C-2.2).
In the event that the shelter occupant is evicted from the emergency shelter, the bill allows the operator of the emergency shelter to seek reimbursement from the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for costs incurred and revenue forgone due to the shelter occupant refusing to vacate the emergency shelter while the eviction action was pending.
The bill requires the reimbursement request form to include, at minimum, the name of the emergency shelter, the date range and the amount for which the operator is requesting reimbursement, and any supporting documents concerning the evicted person's refusal to vacate and subsequent eviction action. An operator of an emergency shelter would be required to submit a request for reimbursement to the Department of Community Affairs within 30 calendar days after the evicted shelter occupant is served a warrant for removal. The bill further requires DCA to provide reimbursements for qualifying costs.
The bill includes a provision requiring annual appropriations from the General Fund to the Department of Community Affairs as necessary to effectuate the purposes of the provisions of the bill.
