A5026

An Act concerning agencies that provide services to persons experiencing homelessness and amending P.L.2019, c.73 and P.L.2021, c.440.

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

1. Section 1 of P.L.2019, c.73 (C.52:27D-287.5) is amended to read as follows:

1. a. There is hereby established within the Department of Community Affairs an Office of Homelessness Prevention to coordinate among State and local agencies and private organizations that provide services to persons who are homeless or at risk for homelessness, and to implement a Statewide strategy to address homelessness.

b. The office shall be under the immediate supervision of a director, who shall be a person qualified by training and experience to direct the work of [such] the office. The Commissioner of Community Affairs shall appoint the director, who shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner. The director shall administer the work of the office under the direction of the commissioner and shall perform such other functions of the department as the commissioner may prescribe.

c. In addition to other functions, powers, and duties vested in the Department of Community Affairs by P.L.2019, c.73 (C.52:27D-287.5 et al.) or by any other law, the Department of Community Affairs shall, through the Office of Homelessness Prevention:

(1) Collect, maintain, and make available information concerning persons who are homeless or at risk for homelessness, including demographics information, current services and resources available, the cost and availability of services and programs, and the met and unmet needs of this population. All entities that receive State, county, or municipal funding shall provide the office access to all data they maintain;

(2) Evaluate State and local services and resources and develop, implement, and revise, as necessary, a consolidated plan for addressing the needs of persons who are homeless or at risk for homelessness;

(3) Explore, compile, and disseminate information regarding public and private funding sources for State and local programs serving persons who are homeless;

(4) Assess and provide recommendations for coordinating the activities of State programs, including multi-State programs, and local coalitions for persons who are homeless and promote the effectiveness of programs addressing the needs of persons who are homeless;

(5) Convene meetings and workshops of State and local agencies, local coalitions and programs, and other stakeholders for developing and reviewing policies, services, activities, coordination, and funding of efforts to meet the needs of persons who are homeless, including training, counseling, and navigation services essential to enable persons who are homeless to make the transition to permanent housing; and

(6) Conduct or promote research on the effectiveness of programs addressing the needs of persons who are homeless.

d. All State, county, and municipal departments and agencies shall, upon request, make every reasonable effort to assist the Office of Homelessness Prevention in carrying out the office's functions, powers, and duties.

e. (1) On the effective date of P.L.2019, c.73 (C.52:27D-287.5 et al.), the Office of Homelessness Prevention shall have access to all information in the Homeless Management Information System administered in the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.

(2) The Homeless Management Information System, administered in the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, including any personnel charged with administering and maintaining the Homeless Management Information System, may be transferred to the Office of Homelessness Prevention. If the Homeless Management Information System is transferred pursuant to this paragraph, all appropriations, grants, and other moneys available and to become available to the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, which the agency uses for the maintenance and administration of the Homeless Management Information System, shall be transferred to the Office of Homelessness Prevention.

(3) The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, or the Office of Homelessness Prevention, if the Homeless Management Information System is transferred pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection, shall:

(a) adopt rules and regulations to:

(i) require all State and local agencies and private organizations that provide services to persons who are homeless or at risk for homelessness to participate in the Homeless Management Information System and delineate necessary information reporting requirements as part of this participation, including information concerning the occupancy status of shelter beds pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2021, c.440 (C.55:14K-5.5); and

(ii) establish criteria for hotels and motels to qualify as private organizations that provide services to persons who are homeless or at risk for homelessness; and

(b) provide grants to those agencies and private organizations for any costs associated with joining, and participating in, the Homeless Management Information System pursuant to subparagraph (a) of this paragraph. The Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency or the Director of the Office of Homelessness Prevention, as applicable, shall adopt rules and regulations to facilitate requests for funding to join and participate in the Homeless Management Information System. An agency or private organization that joins and participates in the Homeless Management Information System may apply for a grant on a form and in such a manner as determined by the Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency or the Director of the Office of Homelessness Prevention, as applicable.

(4) Each year after the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency or the Director of the Office of Homelessness Prevention, as applicable, shall submit information on the agency’s or office’s financial needs concerning the provision of grants pursuant to subparagraph (b) of paragraph (3) of this subsection as part of the agency’s or office’s annual budget request.

(cf: P.L.2019, c.73, s.1)

2. Section 1 of P.L.2021, c.440 (C.55:14K-5.5) is amended to read as follows:

1. The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, or the Office of Homelessness Prevention if the Homeless Management Information System is transferred pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection e. of P.L.2019, c.73 (C.52:27D-287.5), shall [allow] require all operators of shelters for the homeless and selected local information and referral providers who place persons in the shelters to [have access to] use the Homeless Management Information System and to provide 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. Shelter operators shall update information in the Homeless Management Information System about the availability of shelter beds not later than one hour after a bed becomes available, or an available bed has been filled.

The provisions of this section shall not apply to shelters for victims of domestic violence.

(cf: P.L.2021, c.440, s.1)

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires all organizations that provide services to persons experiencing homelessness to more effectively track the occupancy status of shelter beds by participating in Homeless Management Information System. The Homeless Management Information System is administered by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) but, under current law, may be transferred to the Office of Homelessness Prevention (OHP).

This bill amends the law to require the NJHMFA, or the OHP if the Homeless Management Information System is transferred, to adopt rules and regulations to require all State and local agencies and private organizations that provide services to persons who are homeless or at risk for homelessness, to participate in the Homeless Management Information System, and to delineate necessary information reporting requirements as part of this participation, including information concerning the occupancy status of shelter beds.

Under the bill, the NJHMFA or the OHP, as applicable, is to provide grants to those agencies and private organizations for any costs associated with joining, and participating in, the Homeless Management Information System. Under the bill, an agency or private organization that joins and participates in the Homeless Management Information System may apply for a grant on a form and in such a manner as determined by the Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency or the Director of the Office of Homelessness Prevention, as applicable.