[NFBNJ] Governor Murphy and Lieutenant Governor Oliver Announce Short-Term Rental Assistance Program to Help Residents Affected by COVID-19 Pandemic

[joe ruffalo]

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Joe

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From: Brian Mackey
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2020 3:39 PM
To: Joe Ruffalo (NFBNJ President)
Subject: FW: Governor Murphy and Lieutenant Governor Oliver Announce 
Short-Term Rental Assistance Program to Help Residents Affected by COVID-19 
Pandemic





From: Pamela Gaston [mailto:Pamela.Gaston at dhs.nj.gov]
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2020 10:39 AM
To: askcbvi at dhs.nj.gov
Subject: Governor Murphy and Lieutenant Governor Oliver Announce Short-Term 
Rental Assistance Program to Help Residents Affected by COVID-19 Pandemic



May 29, 2020 -Governor Murphy and Lieutenant Governor Oliver Announce 
Short-Term Rental Assistance Program to Help Residents Affected by COVID-19 
Pandemic

Program Will Provide at least $100 Million in Temporary Rental Assistance 
for Low- to Moderate-Income Households, Including the Homeless or Those at 
Risk of Homelessness



TRENTON, NJ – As part of the Murphy Administration’s overall response to 
assist New Jersey residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor 
Murphy and Lieutenant Governor Oliver today announced the COVID-19 
Short-Term Rental Assistance Program. The program will provide rental 
assistance to low- and moderate-income households that have had a 
substantial reduction in income as a result of the pandemic, including those 
who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.



“From the moment this crisis took hold, we’ve made it clear that New 
Jerseyans should not fear losing their home as a result of financial 
hardship caused by COVID-19,” said Governor Murphy. “This program will 
provide at least $100 million in housing relief for low- and moderate-income 
families who need it most. We’ll continue working closely with our 
legislative and community-based partners to further strengthen protections 
for tenants.”



The program will open for applications in July and begin paying rental 
assistance in September.  Qualifying households will be expected to pay 30 
percent of their income toward rent, and the program would pay the remainder 
of their rent up to DCA’s fair market rent payment standard (see chart 
below). At the three-month mark, the household budget will be reviewed to 
determine if assistance is still needed. Assistance that is no longer 
required will be used to serve additional families.



“We understand the challenges families are facing at this difficult time and 
it is our goal to help as many people as possible, which is why we developed 
this new rental assistance program,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, DCA 
Commissioner. “In addition to the new program, DCA is also urging households 
in need to apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), 
which helps people pay for their home energy bills.  With additional funding 
through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, New 
Jersey is able to help even more families cover their rent and energy 
expenses through this crisis.”



The program will devote approximately 20 percent of funding to serve those 
who are very low income and homeless or at risk of homelessness with up to 
12 months of rental assistance. These households will be selected by DCA 
through the Coordinated Entry process in each county’s Homeless Management 
Information System. To help families reach self-sufficiency, case 
management, financial planning, and other assistance will be provided by the 
program.



For the remainder of the funding, DCA will administer an online lottery. 
When the lottery is opened, households may submit applications and 
participants will be selected from the overall pool of applicants through a 
randomized process based on eligibility and the lottery criteria. Applicants 
selected through the lottery will be eligible to receive up to six months of 
short-term rental assistance. Should further funding become available, DCA 
will serve additional households.



Households may qualify for the lottery based on the below standards:



Eligibility Requirements



·        Must be a New Jersey resident.

·        Maximum income up to 80 percent of area median income (AMI).

·        Must have been current in their rental payments as of March 1, 
2020.

·        Must be able to provide proof of impact of COVID-19 beginning on 
March 9, 2020 when Governor Murphy declared the state of emergency.

·        Layoff;

·        Reduced work hours;

·        Unpaid leave to take care of children due to school and daycare 
closures; and/or

·        Need to self-quarantine for 14 days resulted in a loss of income



The COVID-19 Short Term Rental Assistance Program website will launch on 
June 15 with additional information at 
https://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/shorttermrap.html.



DCA will provide the centralized application intake, eligibility review, and 
payment directly to participants’ landlords. As part of the landlord 
contract, DCA will encourage landlords to agree to a reasonable payment plan 
for any rent arrearages, not to evict for any arrearages accumulated prior 
to the start of temporary rental assistance, and not to evict due to unpaid 
rent for six months after the end of assistance.



As more resources become available, DCA anticipates that the program might 
expand to assist additional families.




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