A695

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblywoman ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblymen Holley, Coughlin and Schaer

SYNOPSIS

Requires DHS to give priority to temporary rental assistance over use of hotels or motels in emergency assistance to Work First New Jersey recipients.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act concerning emergency assistance to certain recipients of public assistance and amending P.L.1997, c.14.

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

1. Section 8 of P.L.1997, c.14 (C.44:10-51) is amended to read as follows:

8. a. Emergency assistance shall be provided only to recipients of Work First New Jersey and persons receiving Supplemental Security Income pursuant to P.L.1973, c.256 (C.44:7-85 et seq.) in emergent situations, as determined by the commissioner, for up to 12 cumulative months; except that:

(1) the commissioner may provide for an extension of emergency assistance for up to six additional months to an assistance unit with dependent children, if the commissioner determines that a case of extreme hardship exists. The commissioner shall review each such case on a monthly basis during the six-month period and shall continue the emergency assistance only if the commissioner determines, based upon the monthly review, that the extreme hardship continues to exist. If the extreme hardship continues to exist at the end of the six-month period, the commissioner may provide an additional six months of emergency assistance to no more than 10% of those assistance units with dependent children which are receiving temporary rental assistance under the emergency assistance component of the program, based upon the most current data available; and

(2) the commissioner may provide for an extension of emergency assistance for up to six additional months to no more than 10% of single adults and couples without dependent children who are receiving temporary rental assistance under the emergency assistance component of the program, if the commissioner determines that a case of extreme hardship exists. The commissioner shall review each such case on a monthly basis during the six-month period and shall continue the emergency assistance only if the commissioner determines, based upon the monthly review, that the extreme hardship continues to exist.

Any form of emergency assistance provided pursuant to this section shall count toward the maximum period of emergency assistance allowed.

b. A person receiving emergency assistance shall contribute from the person's income toward the payment of all emergency shelter arrangements, including temporary housing and temporary rental assistance, in accordance with regulations adopted by the commissioner. As a condition of receipt of emergency assistance, a person shall be required to take all reasonable steps to end the person's dependency on emergency assistance and take all other actions required by the commissioner.

c. The commissioner shall adopt regulations to:

(1) require that each county agency accord priority to the use of temporary rental assistance for apartments, single-family homes, shelters, rooming houses, boarding houses, or other State licensed or approved transitional providers over placements in hotels or motels for persons receiving emergency assistance pursuant to this section;

(2) establish classifications for hotel or motel per diem rates in accordance with the level of enhanced services provided at a participating hotel or motel; and

(3) require each county agency to annually report information to the commissioner, on a form and in a manner prescribed by the commissioner, on the number of emergency assistance recipients receiving temporary rental assistance for apartments, single-family homes, shelters, rooming houses, boarding houses, or other State licensed or approved transitional providers; and the number residing in participating hotels or motels, respectively. The information to be reported shall not include any identifying information about any person receiving emergency assistance. The commissioner shall compile this information and make it available to the public upon request.

d. The provisions of this section shall apply to a person who receives general public assistance pursuant to P.L.1947, c.156 (C.44:8-107 et seq.) after the effective date of this act and is subsequently transferred directly into the Work First New Jersey program.

(cf: P.L.1997, c.14, s.8)

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services to adopt certain regulations concerning temporary residential placements for Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients who are receiving emergency assistance (EA) benefits that include temporary housing.

Specifically, the bill provides that these regulations are to require each county agency that administers the WFNJ program to:

· accord priority to the use of temporary rental assistance for apartments, single-family homes, shelters, rooming houses, boarding houses, or other State licensed or approved transitional providers over placements in hotels or motels for persons receiving EA benefits pursuant to the amended statute; and

· annually report information to the commissioner, on a form and in a manner prescribed by the commissioner, on the number of EA recipients receiving temporary rental assistance for apartments, single-family homes, shelters, rooming houses, boarding houses, or other State licensed or approved transitional providers; and the number residing in participating hotels or motels, respectively.

The bill stipulates that the information to be reported is not to include any identifying information about any person receiving EA benefits, and that the commissioner is to compile this information and make it available to the public upon request.

The purpose of this bill is to establish by explicit statutory authority a clear policy preference for, and a mechanism to ensure public accountability regarding, the use of temporary rental assistance for families receiving EA benefits, in order to enable them to reside in apartments or single-family houses whenever possible. This is clearly preferable to the use of hotels or motels from the standpoint of ensuring both the prudent use of taxpayer dollars and an appropriate living environment for the children of these families.