Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes centralized directory for affordable and senior citizen housing.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning affordable housing and senior citizen housing, and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
“Affordable housing unit” means a housing unit that constitutes very low income, low income, or moderate income housing as those terms are defined pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1985, c.222 (C.52:27D-304).
“Senior citizen housing unit” means a housing unit located in a senior citizen housing project as that term is defined pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1990, c.55 (C.2A:42-103).
b. Each county shall submit information on a monthly basis to the Commissioner of Community Affairs concerning the affordable housing units and senior citizen housing units located within the county.
The information shall be organized by municipality and shall include: (1) the name and address of each building, complex, or development in which an affordable housing unit or senior citizen housing unit is located; (2) the name of the landlord, manager, or other person who manages or exercises authority over the property; (3) whether applications are being accepted for tenancy in any identified housing unit; (4) whether there is a waitlist for tenancy in any identified housing unit; (5) instructions on how to apply for tenancy in any identified housing unit, including a link to apply online if applicable; and (6) any other information useful to the public as determined by the commissioner.
c. The information submitted pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall be published on the Internet website of: (1) the Department of Community Affairs; (2) the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency; and (3) the New Jersey Housing Resource Center.
d. Each county that maintains an Internet website shall provide links on the website to the Internet websites of the State government entities set forth in subsection c. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
In order to provide a centralized directory of affordable housing and senior citizen housing in New Jersey, this bill requires each county to submit information on a monthly basis to the Commissioner of Community Affairs concerning the affordable housing units and senior citizen housing units located within the county. Under the bill, the information would be published and updated on the Internet websites of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA), and the New Jersey Housing Resource Center (HRC). Additionally, counties that maintain Internet websites would be required to provide links on their websites to the DCA, NJHMFA, and NJHRC so that county residents could access the compiled information.
The bill requires the submitted information to be organized by municipality and to include: (1) the name and address of each building, complex, or development in which an affordable housing unit or senior citizen housing unit is located; (2) the name of the landlord, manager, or other person who manages or exercises authority over the property; (3) whether applications are being accepted; (4) whether there is a waitlist; (5) instructions on how to apply for tenancy in any of the identified housing units, including a link to apply online if applicable; and (6) any other information useful to the public as determined by the commissioner.