A5601

An Act establishing State and county task forces related to stability of residential rents and supplementing chapter 27D of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

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

1. P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be known and may be cited as the "New Jersey Rent Stabilization Task Force Act."

2. The Legislature finds and declares that it is in the public interest for State policymakers, State residents who struggle to find and remain in affordable housing, advocacy organizations, and other concerned representatives of the public to engage in intensive collaborative efforts to devise more effective means of coordinating among various State and local initiatives that serve individuals who struggle to find and remain in affordable housing, to identify and analyze policies and programs that encourage stability in residential rents, and to develop new policies to stabilize residential rental costs in this State.

3. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

"County task force" means a county rent stabilization task force established pursuant to section 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

"Director" means the Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs

"Division" means the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs.

"State task force" means New Jersey Rent Stabilization Task Force established pursuant to section 4 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

4. a. There is established the "New Jersey Rent Stabilization Task Force" in the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs. The task force shall serve as an advisory body to the division, shall develop recommendations through an intensive collaborative effort among county task forces, established pursuant to section 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and shall:

(1) collect and analyze data related to residential rent increases in the State;

(2) address rising prices of residential rents and advocate for renters in the State;

(3) offer advice to tenants and landlords prior to and during disputes, and to advise counties, the division, and the courts on issues related to rising prices of residential rents Statewide;

(4) develop, promote, and support efforts for the most effective means of coordinating among various State and local initiatives that that serve individuals who struggle to find and remain in affordable housing;

(5) identify policies and programs that operate to ensure stable residential rents Statewide;

(6) develop and publish policy recommendations to stabilize residential rent costs Statewide; and

(7) identify high-risk areas in the State with the highest rates of residential rents, highest increases in residential rents, and highest rates of residential evictions due to nonpayment of rent, habitual late payment of rent, or failure to pay a rent increase, and recommend to the Director of the division policy proposals and methods for decreasing or eliminating rent increases in high-risk areas.

b. The State task force shall consist of 43 members including the director, or the director's designee, and 42 members, who shall be appointed by the director upon the direction of each county task force.

c. The director, or the director's designee, shall serve as chairperson of the State task force. The task force shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members and shall select a vice-chairperson from among the members. The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the State task force.

d. The State task force members shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the limits of funds available to the State task force.

e. The State task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.

f. The State task force may meet and hold hearings at the places it designates during the sessions or recesses of the Legislature.

g. The Department of Community Affairs shall provide staff support to the State task force.

h. Vacancies in the membership of the State task force shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments.

5. a. There is established in the division a county rent stabilization task force for each county in this State. Each county task force shall serve as an advisory body to each respective county, shall develop recommendations through an intensive collaborative effort among local government officials, concerned nonprofit entities in the county, and members of the public, and shall:

(1) collect and analyze data related to residential rent increases in the county;

(2) address rising prices of residential rents and advocate for renters within the county;

(3) offer advice to tenants and landlords prior to and during disputes, and to advise the State task force, the county, the division, and the courts on issues related to rising prices of residential rents in the county;

(5) identify policies and programs that operate to ensure stable residential rents in that county; and

(6) develop and publish policy recommendations to stabilize residential rent costs in the county.

b. Each county task force shall consist of five members who shall be appointed by the director upon the direction of the respective county’s board of county commissioners.

c. A county task force shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the members. The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the county task force. Each county task force shall direct the appointment of two county task force members to serve on the State task force established pursuant to section 4 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

d. The members of a county task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the limits of funds available to the county task force.

e. A county task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.

f. A county task force may meet and hold hearings at the places it designates during the sessions or recesses of the Legislature.

g. Vacancies in the membership of a county task force shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments.

h. The board of county commissioners for a county may elect, by ordinance or resolution, to establish a county task force as a county board with additional powers and duties provided for by the board of county commissioners. If a county elects to establish county task force as a county board, the director shall transfer all records and materials of the county task force to the county, and the board of county commissioners shall provide for the continued operation of the county task force as a county board. The director shall maintain a list of counties that have elected to establish its county task force as a county board, as provided in this subsection.

i. The Department of Community Affairs shall provide staff support to each county task force, unless a county has elected to establish its county task force as a county board pursuant to subsection h. of this section.

6. The director shall report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature on or before one year after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and annually thereafter related to the operations of the State task force and the county task forces. Each report shall set forth a complete operating and financial statement covering the operations and activities of the State task force and each county task force. Each report shall also include any recommendations received by the director for policy proposals and methods for decreasing or eliminating rent increases in high-risk areas.

7. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill, the "New Jersey Rent Stabilization Task Force Act," establishes the "New Jersey Rent Stabilization Task Force" (State task force) and county rent stabilization task forces (county task forces) for each county in the State, all in the Division of Housing and Community Resources (division) in the Department of Community Affairs.

The State task force is to serve as an advisory body to the division, is to develop recommendations through an intensive collaborative effort among county task forces, and is to:

(1) collect and analyze data related to residential rent increases in the State;

(2) address rising prices of residential rents and advocate for renters in the State;

(3) offer advice to tenants and landlords prior to and during disputes, and to advise counties, the division, and the courts on issues related to rising prices of residential rents Statewide;

(5) identify policies and programs ensure stable residential rents;

(6) develop and publish certain policy recommendations; and

(7) identify high-risk areas in the State with the highest rates of residential rents, highest increases in residential rents, and highest rates of residential evictions due to nonpayment of rent, habitual late payment of rent, or failure to pay a rent increase and recommend policy proposals and methods for decreasing or eliminating rent increases in high-risk areas to the Director of the division (director).

The State task force is to consist of 43 members including the director, or the director's designee, and 42 members, who are be appointed by the director upon the direction of each county task force. The director, or the director's designee, is required to serve as chairperson of the State task force. The State task force members are to serve without compensation, but are to be reimbursed for necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the limits of funds available to the State task force. The State task force is permitted to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes. The Department of Community Affairs is required to provide staff support to the State task force.

Each county task force is required to serve as an advisory body to its respective county, is to develop recommendations through an intensive collaborative effort among local government officials, concerned nonprofit entities in the county, and members of the public, and is to:

(1) collect and analyze data related to residential rent increases in the county;

(2) address rising prices of residential rents and advocate for renters within the county;

(3) offer advice to tenants and landlords prior to and during disputes, and to advise the county, the division, and the courts on issues related to rising prices of residential rents in the county;

(5) identify policies and programs that operate to ensure stable residential rents in that county; and

(6) develop and publish policy recommendations to stabilize residential rent costs in the county.

Each county task force is to consist of five members who are appointed by the director, upon the direction the county’s board of county commissioners. The county task forces are required to direct the appointment of two county task force members to serve on the State task force. A county task force is entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.

The bill specifies that the board of county commissioners for a county may elect, by ordinance or resolution, to establish its county task force as a county board with additional powers and duties provided for by the board of county commissioners. If a county elects to establish county task force as a county board, the director is required to transfer all records and materials of the county task force to the county, and the board of county commissioner is required to provide for the continued operation of the county task force as a county board. The bill requires the director to maintain a list of counties that have elected to establish its county task force as a county board. The bill specifies that the Department of Community Affairs is to provide staff support to each county task force, unless a county has elected to establish its county task force as a county board.

Finally, the bill requires the director to report to the Governor and to the Legislature annually, related to the operations of the State task force and the county task forces. Each report is required to set forth a complete operating and financial statement covering the operations and activities of the State task force and the county task forces. Each report is also required to include any recommendations received by the director for policy proposals and methods for decreasing or eliminating rent increases in high-risk areas.