ASSEMBLY, No. 2865

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

217th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 16, 2016

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  TROY SINGLETON

District 7 (Burlington)

Assemblywoman  PATRICIA EGAN JONES

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblyman  ADAM J. TALIAFERRO

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

Assemblyman  RAJ MUKHERJI

District 33 (Hudson)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes Statewide database of beds in shelters for the homeless.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act concerning emergency shelters for the homeless and supplementing P.L.1983, c.530 (C.55:14K-1 et seq.).

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency shall allow operators of shelters for the homeless and selected local information and referral providers who place persons in the shelters to have access to real-time information about the occupancy status of shelter beds in the State as collected by the Homeless Management Information System, in order to determine the availability of shelter beds in the community or within a certain geographic area.

 

     2.    A shelter for the homeless, which is subject to regulation by the Department of Community Affairs pursuant to N.J.A.C.5:15-1.1 et seq., shall cooperate in providing any necessary information to the database, as determined by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the Department of Community Affairs, and the Department of Human Services, as a condition of being eligible to receive funding for the shelter from the Department of Community Affairs and the Department of Human Services.

 

     3.    This act shall take effect on the 60th day following enactment.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill would require the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) to allow operators of shelters for the homeless and others who place persons in homeless shelters to have access to real-time information about the occupancy status of shelter beds, as collected by the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), to determine the availability of shelter beds in the vicinity.  This will allow operators of homeless shelters that are currently full to ascertain whether there are available beds in nearby shelters so as to enable them to direct individuals in need of emergency shelter to locations that can accommodate them. 

     This bill also requires a shelter for the homeless to cooperate in providing any necessary information to the database, as determined by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the Department of Community Affairs, and the Department of Human Services, as a condition of being eligible to receive funding for the shelter from the Departments of Community Affairs and Human Services.