2018-19 State Legislative Policy Priorities



2018-19 State Legislative Policy Priorities The lack of affordable homes in New Jersey harms our residents and stifles our economy. This situation was made worse by Superstorm Sandy. Vacant properties hamper the revitalization efforts of communities, and the foreclosure crisis continues to obstruct our state’s economic recovery. We have a simple solution: start with the basics of making sure everyone can afford to call New Jersey home. To “Build a Thriving New Jersey,” we need to build homes we can afford, and we need to revitalize the communities where we work and live through the following: Tools to help produce more affordable homes for lower income families:"New Jersey Residential Foreclosure Transformation Act." (A2115/S1584) sponsored by Asw. Jasey and Sen. Cruz-Perez/Singleton. This bill creates the "NJ Foreclosure Transformation Program" as a temporary program within the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (“HMFA”) for the purpose of purchasing foreclosed residential properties from institutional lenders and dedicating them for occupancy as affordable homes. 12/10/18: Passed Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.Create new financing mechanisms (A2596/S1482) sponsored by Asm. Mukherji and Sen. Singleton. $600 million in tax credits available to developers to construct affordable, mixed-income housing developments in low income neighborhoods. Half the rentals will be affordable. Increase relocation assistance based on the increase of the CPI (A2109/S331) sponsored by Asm. Jasey and Sen. Cruz-Perez. Relocation assistance has not increased since 1972! This bill provides for a 4.5-fold increase in all of the statutory assistance amounts over two years, and for the indexing of the amounts to changes in the CPI-U beginning 36 months after the effective date of the bill. 2/7/19: Passed the Assembly Housing and Community Dev. Committee; Land Banking (S1214/A3797) sponsored by Sen. Ruiz and Asw. Jasey. Permits municipal land banking in conjunction with online property database development. 5.30.19: Passed both Houses. On the Governor’s desk.Revises neighborhood revitalization tax credit program to increase permitted annual tax credit allocation to $15 million. (S3599/A5185) sponsored by Sen. Singleton and Asm. Wimberly. 3/25/19: Passed Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. 5/13/19 Passed Senate and Urban Affairs Committee.Establishes additional $75 county recording fees to increase funding to the "New Jersey Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF)."?(A3474)?sponsored by Asw. Vainieri Huttle. Require all new residential development consisting of 20 or more apartments to reserve at least 30 percent of the apartments for low- or moderate-income housing for at least 98 years. (A4414/S3056) sponsored by Asw. Timberlake and Senator Gill. Preserve the State Budget and Production Funding: We support the Governor’s state budget that funds the rehabilitation and construction of homes that are affordable to low and moderate income residents with the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. For the first time in a decade this Fund is not being diverted to fill budget gaps. The Network will continue to advocate for increased funding for The State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) and to continue to expand the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program (NRTC) as part of our campaign to “Build a Thriving NJ” with a $600 million annual investment in housing and community development. Ensure an Equitable, Sustainable Sandy Recovery: The Network will continue to partner with our allies to advocate that federal Sandy recovery funds address the critical housing needs of people who were impacted by the storm. Reimbursement payments to Superstorm Sandy-impacted homeowners subjected to contractor fraud (A4529/S3191) sponsored by Asm. Mazzeo/Sen. Gopal. 5.23.19: Passed Assembly Extends foreclosure protection and mortgage relief programs for certain Superstorm Sandy-impacted homeowners (A5096/S3582) sponsored by Asm Armato and Sen. Greenstein. 3/25/19: Passed Assembly Reduce the Impact of Foreclosures and Address Problem PropertiesNew Jersey continues to be one of the states with the worst foreclosure problems. To solve this persistent crisis, we support the following initiatives: Foreclosure Prevention Funding: (A2123/ S2906) sponsored by Asw. Sumter and Sen. Singleton. Creates a Foreclosure Prevention and Neighborhood Stabilization Revolving Trust Fund; places temporary surcharge on mortgage foreclosure complaints. The fund will be financed through a temporary $800 surcharge placed on each foreclosure complaint filed in the State. Most of the funds collected during the fiscal year shall be allocated to qualified non-profit entities for the purpose of maintaining or expanding their foreclosure prevention programs. Codifies and funds the Foreclosure Mediation Program (A664/S1244) sponsored by Asw. Jasey and Sen. Rice. This bill also dedicates monies from foreclosure filing fees and fines to administer the program and fund housing counselors. 4/29/2019 Approved P.L.2019, c.64.Revises residential mortgage foreclosure process (S742/A3667) sponsored by Sen. Diegnan and Asw. Jasey. This bill requires a servicer who files a foreclosure complaint to tell the homeowner about all possible assistance to help them avoid foreclosure and provide a single point of contact to help them through the process.Hold Creditors responsible for non-residential buildings?(S1422/A3217) sponsored by Senator Andrzejczak and Asm. Land. Requires creditors to maintain vacant and abandoned non-residential properties under foreclosure. Hold Creditors responsible for building interiors.? (S1423/A3216) sponsored by Senator Andrzejczak and Asm. Land. Requires creditors to maintain the interior of vacant and abandoned residential properties under foreclosure. 6.6.19 Passed Assembly Housing CommitteeCreates Mortgage Assistance Pilot Program?(S1145/A3430) sponsored by Sen. Singleton and Asw. Murphy. Creates a pilot program that allows homeowners with negative home equity, and who are in default of a mortgage owned by the agency, to lower the remaining principal owed on the mortgage to an amount more reflective of current market realities. This will occur in exchange for conveying an equity share in the property to the agency. Passed Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee; 2/7/19: Passed the Assembly Housing and Community Dev. Committee Moratorium on certain foreclosures and places additional requirements for foreclosure (A3119/S2605) sponsored by Asw. Tucker and Sen Ruiz. Grants a six-month forbearance to pursue a mortgage settlement. 3/7/18: Passed Assembly Housing CommitteePromote the ability of community residents to purchase a foreclosed home as their primary residence. (A4412/S2993) sponsored by Asw. Timberlake and Sen. Gill. Revises sheriff’s procedures for residential mortgage foreclosure sales in order accomplish this. Requires the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to produce a database and map which details the extent of foreclosed properties in the State.? The bill establishes an additional $30 fee to pay for the database operation. (S3412/A5000) sponsored by Sen. Singleton and Asw. Mosquera. 3/25/19:?Passed both Houses 5.13.19 Conditionally Veto. 6.10.19 Concur with CV. The bill now requires lenders to provide DCA with the notice of intention to foreclose, along with a detailed description of the property, at the time the lender mails the notice to the homeowner.Require the responsible party for a vacant and abandoned property to register the property with the municipality in which the property is located. The bill would also provide enforcement tools to help ensure that these properties are properly maintained.?(S1155/A5084) sponsored by Sen. Ruiz and Asw. Speight. 3/4/19: Passed the Senate and Urban Affairs Committee. 6.6.19 Passed Assembly Housing CommitteeProtect People Experiencing Homelessness:Extends Emergency Assistance for certain individuals - caretaker of disabled dependent, permanently disabled, over 60 or chronically unemployable (S866/A3294) sponsored by Sen. Sweeney and Asw. Vainieri Huttle. 12/20/2018: Signed into law by Governor P.L.2018, c.164.Allows individual to receive additional lifetime emergency assistance under certain circumstances (A5203/S3586) sponsored by Asm. Mukherji and Sen. Sweeney. This bill requires that Work First New Jersey emergency assistance benefits received by an individual more than seven years prior to submitting an application for emergency assistance benefits will not be counted toward the cumulative 12-month limit on benefits that may be provided to an individual under the program.?Limits cost of the program to $20 million annually. 4/30/2019 Signed into law by Governor P.L.2019, c.74.Establishes Office of Homelessness Prevention; appropriates $3 million to DCA. (A5204/S3585) sponsored by Asm. Mukherji and Sen. Sweeney44/30/2019 Signed into law by Governor P.L.2019, c.73.Allows county homelessness trust funds to be used for code blue emergency shelter services. (S2737/A4177) sponsored by Sen. Singleton and Asw. Pintor Marin. A County may approve a surcharge of five dollars for each document recorded, two dollars of which must be used to support Code Blue. 3/18/19: ?Signed into law by Governor P.L.2019, c.53.Allows a County to increase the surcharge for County Homeless Trust Funds (A1918/S773) sponsored by Asm Mukherji, Asw. Chaparro and Sen. Cunningham/Cruz-Perez/Stack. Permits up to seven dollar increase in surcharge for document recordation with county in support of county homelessness housing trust funds.Requires each county to establish County Homelessness Trust Fund (A4632) sponsored by Asw. Downey. Code Blue (S3511/A5298) sponsored by Sen. Singer and Asm. Mukherji. This bill authorizes the provision of certain health and social services to at-risk individuals during a Code Blue alert initiated in response to certain cold weather events. 5.30.19: Passed Senate unanimously. Establishes a Code Red and improves Code Blue. (A4566/S3121) sponsored by Asw. ?Huttle and Senator Greenstein. 5.16.19 Passed Assembly Human ServicesDirects Adjutant General to enter into agreements with legal services organizations to provide legal services to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness once Federal Government allocates funds. (S2525/A4022) sponsored by Sen. Singleton and Asm. Armato. 12/17/18: Passed Senate unanimously This bill establishes guidelines for determining creditworthiness of applicants seeking to rent affordable home. (S1939/A1869) sponsored by Sen. Turner and Asm. Verrelli. 1/17/19: Passed the Assembly Housing and Community Dev. CommitteeFoster Healthy Homes: Requires municipalities to conduct lead paint inspections in one- and two-family rental units (A1876/S856) sponsored by Asw. Muoio and Sen. Turner/Rice/Weinberg. Requires a lead paint inspection prior to home sale and rental turnover (A1877/S1212) sponsored by Asm. Holley and Sen. Ruiz. Requires DCA to establish procedures for inspection and abatement of mold in homes and schools and certification programs for mold inspectors and workers. (A1433/S2897) sponsored by Asm. Benson/Wimberly and Sen. Madden. 10/22/18: Passed the Assembly Housing and Community Dev. Committee.5.13.19 Passed the Senate and Urban Affairs Committee.Requires various measures to address effects of low levels of lead exposure (A1267/S2305) sponsored by Asw. Tucker/Jasey and Sen. Rice. Enable school personnel to know if a child has a history of elevated blood lead levels and will require schools to educate staff and parents about the dangers of lead exposure. Requires DEP to adopt Statewide plan to reduce lead exposure from contaminated soils and drinking water (S682/A3373) sponsored by Sen. Bateman and Asm. Conaway. 6/25/18: Passed Assembly unanimouslyRequires public and nonpublic schools to test for and remediate lead in drinking water and disclose their test results (A1875/S1355) sponsored by Asm. Chiaravalloti and Sen. Turner.Revises and codifies schedule for childhood lead screening as precondition of child's initial entry into school system. (A3555/S1239) sponsored by Asw. Vainieri Huttle and Sen. Turner.?Proposes constitutional amendment to dedicate revenue collected from sales tax on paint for lead hazard remediation purposes. (SCR26/ACR214) sponsored by Sen. Rice/Turner and Asw. Timberlake. 6/25/18: Passed Senate Community and Urban Affairs CommitteeProvide Tenants with the Right to a Safe, Decent Home:Establishes the “Safe Sanitary Rental Housing Bill of Rights” (A1431) sponsored by Asw. McKnight/Asw. Munoz/Asm. Caputo/Asw. Chaparro. Ensures that all tenants know who their landlord is and regulations that prevent landlords using public subsidies for properties that are not properly maintained.Establishes confidentiality of landlord-tenant court records; addresses adverse actions on rental applications (S806/A2938) sponsored by Sen. Codey/Rice/Stack and Asm. McKeon/Mukherji and Asw. Jasey. Ends “tenant blacklisting” to make it unlawful and end the often-discriminatory practice of rejecting prospective tenants solely because a prior court action had been filed by either side. Codifies and enhances use of breach of implied warranty of habitability as defense to certain eviction actions. (S805/A2937) sponsored by Sen. Codey/Rice and Asm. McKeon. Strengthens tenants’ right to a habitable home by facilitating the right of tenants to raise habitability violations in eviction and other judicial proceedings, while ensuring that judges hearing such cases can both order and obtain appropriate inspections whenever tenants raise health and safety claims.Expand tenant rights (S3044/A4711) sponsored by Senator Stack and Asm. Mukherji This bill would prohibit a landlord from considering certain landlord-tenant case histories when screening tenants.? The bill also would clarify that tenants may pursue a rent receivership action against a landlord without first having to make a rent deposit with the court and that the action may be made on the ground that the implied warranty of habitability has been violated.Requires DCA to inspect multiple dwelling on a tiered schedule based on their track record of abating violations (S1150/A5041) sponsored by Sen. Ruiz and Asw. Reynolds-Jackson. 3/25/19: Passed Senate; 5.23.19: Passed Assembly. On Governor’s deskExpands liability of limited liability companies acting as residential landlord. (S1151/A4379) sponsored by Sen. Ruiz and Asw. Reynolds-Jackson. 9/13/18: Passed Assembly Housing Committee 10/29/18: Amended on the Assembly floor. Requires emergency contact information and 2-1-1 telephone system access instructions to be provided to tenants of multiple dwellings. (S1211/A4980) sponsored by Sen. Ruiz and Asw. Chapparo. 2/21/19: Passed Senate unanimously. 5.13.19 Passed Assembly Housing CommitteeRequires owners of multiple dwellings with at least nine units to provide maintenance services 24 hours a day. (S1154/A4984) sponsored by Sen. Ruiz and Asm Wimberly.Allows for the establishment of a “County Tenant Legal Assistance Program” in each county (S1644/A4502) sponsored by Sen. Stack and Asm. Wimberly The bill requires portion of the administrative fee for residential mortgage execution sales fund the program.Support charitable contributions in New Jersey We are concerned that new federal tax policies could influence the flow of contributions to non-profits. Permit New Jersey residents to deduct charitable contributions from their state income taxes. (S2179/A307) sponsored by Sen. Kean/Singleton and Asm. Webber/Bucco. 3/25/19: Passed Senate unanimously.Advance Housing Policies to Move NJ Forward: We will work to ensure that municipal fair housing plans continue to be approved through ongoing court cases, including through court settlements among fair housing advocates, municipal leaders and community developers. For the complete text of any of these bills, go to njleg.state.nj.us and search by bill number. For more information about these issues, contact Arnold Cohen or Staci Berger, 609/393-3752.*Updated 6/6/2019 ................
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