ASSEMBLY HOUSING COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 684

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  OCTOBER 13, 2022

      The Assembly Housing Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 684, with committee amendments.

      As amended, this bill requires that at least two Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) agencies operate in certain populous counties and that all HPP agencies remain open during public health emergencies.  Under the bill, “populous county” means any county with a population of 350,000 or more, according to the most recent federal decennial census.

      The bill specifically requires the Department of Community Affairs to provide funding to ensure that at least two agencies are established in populous counties to help manage and implement the HPP within that populous county.

      Under the bill, to the extent permitted by federal law, the funding provided to an additional agency within a populous county are to be paid from the monies received by the State under the federal “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act,” Pub.L.116-136, or any other financial assistance provided by the federal government to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  If federal funding is not available to satisfy the full amount of establishing a second agency within a populous county, then the Commissioner of Community Affairs is permitted to notify the State Treasurer and the Joint Budget Oversight Committee of the Legislature of the deficiency and to request that the Legislature appropriate a portion of the remainder from the General Fund, or other available State funding sources.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2022-2023 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments to the bill would lower the threshold of what counts as a “populous county” from any county with a population of 400,000 or more, to any county with a population of 350,000 or more, according to the most recent federal decennial census.  The committee amendments would also make a technical correction.