N.J. Admin. Code § 5:42-2.1

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 5:42-2.1 - Tenant set aside preferences/tenant selection

(a) Vouchers will be available under the State Rental Assistance Program (S-RAP), to be allocated as described below:

1. Tenant Set-Aside Preference: Families. Not less than 35 percent of the allocation shall be set aside for families. The Department shall establish county specific waiting lists dependent upon program funding. DCA will accept a pre-determined number of applicants and they will be selected on a first-come first-served basis.

2. Tenant Set-Aside Preference: Elderly. Not less than $ 7.5 million of the vouchers will be set-aside for the elderly population aged 62 and older. The Department shall utilize a "lottery process" to randomly select participants from its existing Housing Choice Voucher waiting list. When the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is exhausted, a county specific waiting list will be established for senior citizens age 62 and above. DCA will accept a pre-determined number of applicants and they will be selected on a first-come first-served basis.

3. Tenant Set-Aside Preference: Homeless Families. Not less than 22 percent of the vouchers will be set-aside for homeless families with children, graduates of transitional housing programs and households that are currently participating in a DCA-administered temporary housing assistance program and facing homelessness due to termination of funding. DCA will establish a separate waiting list for this set-aside. Admission to this waiting list shall be from referrals provided by:

i. The Division of Family Development at the Department of Human Services through the county-based administrative entities that is county board of social services, domestic violence and homeless shelters;

ii. Transitional housing programs (acknowledged by the DCA-S-RAP) with a certification that the applicant has successfully completed the program requirements and will graduate within 60 days; and

iii. Transfers of households who are currently on a DCA-administered temporary housing assistance program.

(1) These applicants will be selected from the waiting list with priority given to transfers from the DCA programs.

4. Tenant Set-Aside Preference: Project Based Assistance. Seventeen percent of the vouchers will be project-based for special initiatives that may include DCA/Division of Youth and Family Services initiatives and other special needs. DCA's existing Housing Choice Voucher waiting list and developer referrals will be used for the project-based assistance set-aside. Project-based assistance will be administered under a separate set of rules.

5. Tenant Set-Aside Preference: Disabled Individuals. Not less than 10 percent of vouchers will be set-aside for disabled head of households or spouse. DCA will establish a separate Statewide waiting list for this set-aside. DCA will accept a pre-determined number of applicants which will be selected on a first-come first-served basis.

6. Tenant Preference: Homeless Veterans. DCA shall apply a preference for homeless veterans. A homeless veteran's preference will be added to the homeless set-aside waiting list.

7. Tenant Preference: Low-Income Veterans. DCA shall apply a preference for veterans who were discharged following active-duty service in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Navy and have household income that does not exceed 30 percent of area median income. A veteran's preference will be added to the family set-aside tenant-based waiting list.

N.J. Admin. Code § 5:42-2.1

Amended by 50 N.J.R. 1209(a), effective 5/7/2018