Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes financial relief to certain landlords and tenants in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlights:

• Prohibits residential tenants of very low-income households, low-income households, moderate-income households, or middle-income households from being evicted based upon nonpayment or late payments of rent (Sec. 3A).

• Specifies that any amount of rent found by a court to be due and owing to a tenant shall be considered civil debt and may be pursued as a money judgement in the Superior Court (Sec. 3B).

• Prohibits any person from selling or assigning any civil debt relating to accrued rent during the covered period (Sec. 3C).

• Requires the commissioner to establish an “Eviction Prevention Program” to provide rental relief for New Jersey Residents who are unable to pay rent because of financial hardships linked to the COVID-19 pandemic (Sec. 4A).

• Requires the Eviction Prevention Program to be considered a supplement to the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (Sec. 4).

• Authorizes households to participate in the program if the following are met (Sec. 4):

• The household is unable to make residential rental payments on time;

• The household faced financial hardships as a result of COVID-19; and

• The households annualized current income is no more than 120% of the area median income.

• Requires the following to be demonstrated by a person in the household in order to qualify for rental assistance (Sec. 4):

• Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced reduction in household income;

• Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability;

• Is a New Jersey resident;

• Falls within a household income that establishes rental assistance eligibility; and

• Has a lack of assets and savings to pay rent.

• Requires the department to establish an Office of Eviction Prevention responsible for the following (Sec. 5A):

• Identifying all sources of financial assistance which are intended to prevent eviction of residential tenants;

• Becoming knowledgeable with the application process; and

• Identifying and proposing remedies for the gaps in the assistance system.

• Requires the office to work collaboratively with at least one non-profit, community-based organization (Sec. 5B).

Full Bill Text