Bill Text: NJ A4546 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires reservation of portion of funding under State rental assistance program for households ineligible for federal Section 8 program due to leave resulting from pregnancy or newborn care needs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-13 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Housing Committee [A4546 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A4546-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ALEXANDER "AVI" SCHNALL
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires reservation of portion of funding under State rental assistance program for households ineligible for federal Section 8 program due to leave resulting from pregnancy or newborn care needs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning rental assistance for households experiencing pregnancy or newborn care needs and amending P.L.2004, c.140.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. 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. The program shall reserve a portion of the funds available to it to provide assistance for households that are unable to participate in the federal Section 8 program due to time taken off from work or community service responsibilities as a result of pregnancy or the need to care for an infant under six months old.
(cf: P.L.2017, c.29, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of Community Affairs to reserve a portion of the funds available through the State rental assistance program (SRAP) to provide assistance for households that are unable to participate in the federal Section 8 program due to time taken off from work or community service responsibilities as a result of a pregnancy or the need to care for an infant under six months old.
Federal law requires that residents of housing supported by the federal Section 8 program, who do not qualify for an exemption, contribute certain community service hours each month. Exemptions from this requirement include engagement in 30 hours per week of employment activities, status as a senior citizen, and disability. Pregnancy and parental leave only qualify for an exemption in certain limited circumstances. This bill is meant to establish an alternative housing support option, through the State-funded SRAP program, for households experiencing pregnancy or the need to care for a newborn.
