N.J.S.A. 52:27D-287 — Maximum lengths of terms of eligibility; conversion of loans to grants

52:27D-287. Maximum lengths of terms of eligibility; conversion of loans to grants The Department of Community Affairs shall establish maximum lengths of terms of eligibility for temporary rental assistance and other temporary housing assistance, and varying levels of assistance, and shall be empowered to convert loans into grants when necessary to carry out the purposes of this act. L.1984, c. 180, s. 9, eff. Nov. 9, 1984. 52:27D-287a Short title. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "County Homelessness Trust Fund Act." L.2009, c.123, s.1. 52:27D-287b Findings, declarations relative to county homelessness trust funds. 2. The Legislature finds and declares: a. The creation of county homelessness trust funds in counties that have completed and endorsed a plan to end homelessness will provide some of the additional funds necessary to move homeless or formerly homeless individuals toward the goal of permanent affordable housing and self-sufficiency. b. Despite laudable efforts by all levels of government, private individuals, nonprofit organizations, and charitable foundations to end homelessness, the number of homeless persons in New Jersey is unacceptably high. The State's homeless population, furthermore, includes a large number of families with children, youth, veterans, the elderly, and employed persons. c. Fiscal and social costs of homelessness are high for both the public and private sectors and ending homelessness should be a joint goal for State and local government. d. A myriad of factors contribute to homelessness, including a shortage of affordable housing; a shortage of jobs that pay wages and benefits sufficient to support a family; high property taxes which undermine housing affordability; a lack of an accessible and affordable health care system available to all who suffer from physical and mental illnesses and chemical and alcohol dependency; domestic violence; and a lack of education and job skills necessary to acquire adequate wage jobs in the economy of the twenty-first century. e. It is critical that emergency shelters for the homeless are able to provide sufficient and adequate shelter services to all homeless individuals in their communities when a Code Blue alert is in effect due to severely cold weather. Allowing county homelessness trust funds to be used in support of emergency shelter for the homeless services provided in connection with a Code Blue alert would create an additional funding source to help ensure that this goal is met. L.2009, c.123, s.2; amended 2019, c.53, s.1. 52:27D-287c Definitions relative to county homelessness trust funds. 3. As used in P.L.2009, c.123 (C.52:27D-287a et al.): "Code Blue alert" means an alert declared pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2017, c.68 (C.App.A:9-43.20). "Community based organization" means a nonprofit, private, or public organization funded with public or private funds, or both, that provides housing and services to families and individuals who are homeless. "County homeless housing grant program" means the vehicle by which competitive grants are awarded by the governing body of the county, utilizing moneys from the County Homelessness Housing Trust Fund, for activities directly related to housing homeless individuals and families, preventing homelessness, and other efforts directly related to permanently housing homeless persons, as administered by the local government or its designated subcontractor, or directly related to temporarily housing homeless persons in connection with a Code Blue alert. "County Homelessness Trust Fund Task Force" means the voluntary local committee created to advise a local government on the creation of a local homeless housing plan and participate in a local homeless housing program. It shall include a representative of the county, representatives from each of the three municipalities in the county with the largest populations of homeless people, representatives from the organization responsible for developing, implementing, or both, the local plan to end homelessness, at least three homeless or formerly homeless persons, and three representatives of local private or nonprofit organizations with experience in assisting the homeless or providing low-income housing. Among the responsibilities of the County Homelessness Trust Fund Task Force is to assess priorities for funding, review of applications, and preparation of an annual report and an annual measurement of the progress of the trust fund. "Department" means the Department of Community Affairs, unless otherwise designated. "Director" means the Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs. "Homeless person" means an individual living outside, or in a building not meant for human habitation or which the person has no legal right to occupy, 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. "Housing authority" means any of the public corporations created pursuant to section 17 of P.L.1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-17). "Housing continuum" means the progression of individuals along a housing-focused scale with homelessness at one end and home ownership at the other. "Homeless housing plan" means the plan approved by a local government to address housing for homeless persons that includes measurable and achievable objectives to end homelessness in the county. "Local government" means a county government. "Outcome measurement" means the process of comparing specific measures of success against ultimate and interim goals. L.2009, c.123, s.3; amended 2019, c.53, s.2. 52:27D-287d Adoption of homeless housing plan by local government. 4. A local government, in consultation with the Office of Homelessness Prevention in the Department of Community Affairs, may adopt a homeless housing plan to address the housing needs of persons who are homeless within its jurisdiction, which shall be in accordance with the provisions of P.L.2009, c.123 (C.52:27D-287a et al.). The plan shall include provisions for establishing a trust fund for the purposes of receiving funds pursuant to P.L.2009, c.123 (C.52:27D-287a et al.), and shall evidence a strategic local scheme to identify and address the needs of persons who are homeless within the jurisdiction, including strategies to reduce the need for emergency room care, hospital care, law enforcement, foster care, and other social services associated with persons who are homeless and homelessness. L.2009, c.123, s.4; amended 2019, c.73, s.9. 52:27D-287e "County Homelessness Trust Fund." 5. a. Amounts raised by the surcharge imposed pursuant to N.J.S.22A:4-17 as amended by section 8 of P.L.2009, c.123 shall be deposited into a "County Homelessness Trust Fund" to be created by the county and shall be used exclusively for the purposes authorized by P.L.2009, c.123 (C.52:27D-287a et al.). Any interest or other income earned on monies deposited into the county trust fund shall be credited to the fund to be used for the same purposes as the principal. A county may deposit other funds into the County Homelessness Trust Fund, as it may, from time to time, deem appropriate. b. No monies in the trust fund shall be utilized to pay or discharge the principal or interest on any indebtedness incurred for any purpose by the county or any other governmental entity. c. Amounts raised by the surcharge must be expended for the purposes detailed in section 6 of P.L.2009, c.123 (C.52:27D-287f) within four years of being collected. d. Any monies in the trust fund that are not expended after four years will be transferred to the Department of Community of Affairs which will contract with a community based organization in the same county where the Homelessness Trust Fund exists for the purposes of P.L.2009, c.123 (C.52:27D-287a et al.). L.2009, c.123, s.5. 52:27D-287f Utilization of County Homelessness Trust Fund. 6. a. Each county shall utilize its County Homelessness Trust Fund with the advice of the County Homelessness Trust Fund Task Force for the operation of a homeless housing grant program. This program is established in order to provide: (1) for the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of housing projects or units within housing projects that supply permanent affordable housing for persons who are homeless or families, including those at risk of homelessness; (2) rental assistance vouchers, including tenant and project based subsidies, for affordable housing projects or units within housing projects that provide permanent affordable housing for persons who are homeless or families, including those at risk of homelessness; (3) supportive services as may be required by homeless individuals or families in order to obtain or maintain, or both, permanent affordable housing; and (4) prevention services for at risk homeless individuals or families so that they can obtain and maintain permanent affordable housing. b. Grants awarded by the governing body of the county shall be used to support projects that: (1) measurably reduce homelessness; (2) demonstrate government cost savings over time; (3) employ evidence-based models; (4) can be replicated in other counties; (5) include an outcome measurement component; (6) are consistent with the local homeless housing plan; or (7) fund the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation projects that will serve homeless individuals or families for a period of at least 30 years or the equal to the longest term of affordability required by other funding sources. c. Each county that has established a County Homelessness Trust Fund shall transmit information concerning the uses of the funds to the Office of Homelessness Prevention in the Department of Community Affairs in accordance with requirements established by that office. d. The governing body of a county may by resolution establish a preference for veterans that gives first priority, in the distribution of grants, for the benefit of homeless veterans, including those at risk of homelessness. e. A county may utilize its County Homelessness Trust Fund to support emergency shelter for the homeless services provided in connection with a Code Blue alert. L.2009, c.123, s.6; amended 2017, c.320; 2019, c.53, s.3; 2019, c.73, s.10. 52:27D-287g Intercounty collaboration. 7. A county may collaborate with any other county that has established a County Homelessness Trust Fund to provide joint funding for projects permitted under P.L.2009, c.123 (C.52:27D-287a et al.). L.2009, c.123, s.7.

This is the verbatim text of N.J.S.A. 52:27D-287, retrieved from the New Jersey Legislature's public statute corpus. Statutes are amended periodically — for the most current version, check the external source link above. Kyzer is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice.