This bill creates a public awareness campaign and call center to help New Jersey residents navigate property tax relief programs. It requires the Division of Taxation to educate homeowners and tenants about six specific programs (including ANCHOR, Homestead, Stay NJ, veterans' benefits, and senior/deductions) through media and online resources, explaining eligibility, applications, and required documents. A multilingual call center must provide real-time assistance for these programs, staffed within the state. The bill also mandates an annual report from the Stay NJ Task Force on its activities. The direct beneficiaries are residents eligible for these property tax relief programs.
This bill creates the Safe Haven Homeless Housing Program to fund renovations of underused buildings (like vacant malls, hotels, or office parks) into housing for homeless individuals and families with very low incomes (earning ≤30% of area median income). It appropriates $30 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to provide low-interest loans to qualified developers for these renovations, with the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency administering the program. The housing must include supportive services to help residents transition to stable housing, either as temporary transitional housing (up to 24 months) or permanent supportive housing.
This bill (A 3349) amends New Jersey law to explicitly include "emergency, transitional, and permanent housing" as a funded service for domestic violence victims through the existing "Domestic Violence Victims' Fund." The Fund, managed by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, is financed by civil penalties ($50-$500) from domestic violence convictions and other designated moneys. It directly affects victims of domestic violence by ensuring these housing needs are covered alongside existing services like shelter, food, utilities, and legal assistance. The change clarifies that housing must be funded from this dedicated account, not other general funds.
This bill requires New Jersey court records related to landlord-tenant disputes (such as evictions or rent collection cases) to become permanently confidential to the public starting five years after the case was filed. After this five-year period, landlords, tenant screening services, and the public cannot access these records unless a court specifically approves disclosure for public interest, while removing all tenant-identifying information. Landlords are also prohibited from using these old court records when screening new tenants. Public entities must ensure these records remain confidential, though demographic data about eviction trends (without tenant names or addresses) may still be used for research.
This bill imposes a fee on institutional investors (like real estate investment trusts or corporations) owning single-family residential properties that meet specific "unproductive" criteria, such as overgrown vegetation, disconnected utilities, or lack of furnishings. It directly affects institutional owners of residential properties that are deemed abandoned or vacant under the bill's detailed definitions. The fee mechanism aims to incentivize productive use of these properties, increase housing availability, and generate revenue for housing needs. The legislation targets the growing role of institutional investors in reducing housing supply, as documented in a 2022 state study.
This bill (A4322) protects specific tenants during federal government shutdowns by preventing evictions or foreclosures from residential properties. It applies to federal employees furloughed without pay or recipients of SNAP (food assistance) benefits. During a shutdown, the Governor may issue an executive order halting enforcement of eviction/foreclosure judgments for these "eligible residents," with the order lasting up to one month after the shutdown ends. Exceptions allow enforcement if the court deems it necessary for justice or if the eviction is unrelated to rent nonpayment.
This bill requires landlords of multi-unit rental properties (excluding very small owner-occupied buildings with three or fewer units) to provide tenants with a legal resources notice. Landlords must distribute the notice at move-in, lease renewal, and when legal action is taken against a tenant, and post it prominently in the building. The notice, developed by the state Department of Community Affairs, lists free and private legal services, common tenant rights, and a $1,000 penalty for non-compliance. It directly affects landlords in qualifying properties and ensures tenants have accessible information about legal assistance.
This bill prohibits landlords in New Jersey from restricting how tenants pay rent or where they must pay it. Specifically, landlords cannot require rent to be paid only by cash, check, or card, must accept all standard payment methods, and cannot demand payment outside the building or charge fees for common payment methods. It applies to all residential leases signed after enactment and requires landlords to accept cash, checks, or card payments made by tenants. Violations are punishable as disorderly persons offenses, with fines up to $1,000 or six months in jail.
This bill repeals New Jersey's "Statewide Non-Residential Development Fee Act" and redirects its previously collected fees into the newly established "New Jersey Affordable Housing Trust Fund." The fund will receive money from the repealed fee system, municipal development trust funds, and other dedicated housing funds. It will finance specific affordable housing projects - including rehabilitation, accessory dwelling units, and conversions for low- and moderate-income households - in municipalities with approved housing plans or receiving state aid. The bill requires projects to be certified by municipal governing bodies and ensures housing units remain affordable for qualifying households.
This New Jersey bill requires municipalities to reserve at least 50% of affordable housing units in new developments for veterans who served in time of war or other emergency, as defined by state law. It mandates that veterans applying within the first 90 days of a project's marketing period receive priority for these units, with remaining units then open to the general public. After the initial 120-day marketing period, veterans are placed on a special waiting list to maintain the 50% reservation as units become available. The bill adds this veterans' preference to existing affordable housing requirements without altering the overall fair share obligations for low and moderate income housing.
