S3820

An Act establishing rental assistance and case management services for certain young adults, supplementing chapter 27D of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.

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 Fostering Success Voucher Act.”

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

“Department” means the Department of Community Affairs.

“Foster care” means care provided in a resource family home to a child in need of temporary out-of-home placement for protective or other social services reasons. “Foster care” shall not include placement with the child's birth parent or a parent of a child whose adoption has been finalized.

“Kinship care” means kinship care provided under the kinship legal guardianship program established pursuant to sections 7 through 10 of P.L.2001, c.250 (C.30:4C-84 et seq.) or other kinship care program administered by the Department of Children and Families.

“Rental assistance voucher” means a voucher provided for rental assistance through the voucher program.

“Voucher program” means the New Jersey Fostering Success Voucher Program, established pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) to provide rental assistance vouchers and developmentally-appropriate case management services.

3. The New Jersey Fostering Success Voucher Program is established in the Department of Community Affairs for the purpose of providing rental assistance vouchers and securing developmentally-appropriate case management services to eligible young adults.

a. In order to be eligible to provide services through the voucher program, a case management agency shall be:

(1) operating a program through the federal “John C. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood,” administered pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s.677 et seq.; or

(2) a provider contracted with the Office of Housing in the Department of Children and Families, or any other division or office of the Department of Children and Families, to assist persons in need to access housing and appropriate services.

b. In order to be eligible to obtain rental assistance vouchers and services through the voucher program, a person shall:

(1) be at least 18 years of age, but less than 26 years of age;

(2) have been in foster care or kinship care;

(3) be currently experiencing homelessness or be at imminent risk of homelessness and have voluntarily agreed to participate in services offered and provided by a case management agency in accordance with the rules and regulations of the department;

(4) reside in the State; and

(5) have an income that does not exceed that of a moderate-income household, as defined pursuant to the “Fair Housing Act,” P.L.1985, c.222 (C.52:27D-301 et al.).

4. a. The department shall administer the voucher program to ensure that housing quality standards, amounts of housing assistance for each rental assistance voucher, recipient contribution requirements, and application processes are comparable to those amounts, standards, and processes established for the State rental assistance program pursuant to P.L.2004, c.140 (C.52:27D-287.1 et al.). The department shall enroll eligible young adults into the voucher program and administer the housing voucher component of the voucher program. The department shall contract with one or more case management agencies to secure developmentally-appropriate case management services for each individual enrolled in the voucher program.

b. A person shall not be prohibited from applying for or receiving a rental assistance voucher due to prior adjudications in the justice system.

c. To be eligible to receive a rental assistance voucher under the voucher program, a person shall commit to participate in case management services provided by a case management agency secured by the department in accordance with the rules and regulations of the department. If the person receiving a rental assistance voucher under the voucher program, fails to participate in case management services, the case management agency shall make reasonable efforts to engage the person in case management activities, and to support the person to ensure compliance with the requirements of the program

d. The department may terminate the voucher or case management services in accordance with standards and processes for terminating voucher assistance and case management services established in the rules and regulations of the department.

5. On or before the first day of the seventh month next following enactment, the Commissioner of Community Affairs, in consultation with the Department of Children and Families, shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to implement the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

6. There is appropriated to the Department of Community Affairs from the General Fund $10,000,000 to effectuate the purposes of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

7. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill would establish the “New Jersey Fostering Success Voucher Act” to provide rental assistance and case management services for certain young adults leaving foster care or kinship care.

The bill directs the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to establish the New Jersey Fostering Success Voucher Program (voucher program) to provide rental assistance vouchers and case management services to eligible young adults. In order to be eligible to obtain rental assistance vouchers and services through the voucher program, the bill requires a young adult to:

· be between 18 and 26 years of age;

· have been in foster care or kinship care;

· be experiencing homelessness, or at imminent risk of homelessness, and have voluntarily agreed to participate in services offered and provided by a case management agency;

· reside in the State; and

· have an income that does not exceed standards established in the bill.

Rental assistance vouchers would be provided in amounts comparable to those amounts and standards established for the State rental assistance program pursuant to P.L.2004, c.140 (C.52:27D-287.1 et al.). A young adult who receives a rental assistance voucher would be required to participate in case management services provided by a case management agency that meets standards established in the bill. The bill requires a case management agency to make reasonable efforts to engage a program participant, and support the participant in coming into compliance with the program requirements prior to terminating services.

The bill directs the Commissioner of Community Affairs to adopt rules and regulations to implement the provisions of the bill on or before the first day of the seventh month following enactment.

The bill would appropriate $10 million from the General Fund to DCA for the implementation of the program.