N.J. Admin. Code § 5:80-26.14

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

Section 5:80-26.14 - Administrative agent

(a) The affordability controls set forth in this subchapter shall be administered and enforced by the administrative agent. The primary responsibility of the administrative agent shall be to ensure that the restricted units under administration are sold or rented, as applicable, only to low-and moderate-income households. Among the responsibilities of the administrative agent are the following:

1. Conducting an outreach process to insure affirmative marketing of affordable housing units in accordance with the provisions of 5:80-26.15;

2. Soliciting, scheduling, conducting and following up on interviews with interested households;

3. Conducting interviews and obtaining sufficient documentation of gross income and assets upon which to base a determination of income eligibility for a low-or moderate-income unit;

4. Providing written notification to each applicant as to the determination of eligibility or non-eligibility;

5. Creating and maintaining a referral list of eligible applicant households living in the COAH region and eligible applicant households with members working in the COAH region where the units are located;

6. Employing a random selection process when referring households for certification to affordable units;

7. Furnishing to attorneys or closing agents forms of deed restrictions and mortgages for recording at the time of conveyance of title of each restricted unit;

8. Creating and maintaining a file on each restricted unit for its control period, including the recorded deed with restrictions, recorded mortgage and note, as appropriate;

9. Instituting and maintaining an effective means of communicating information between owners and the administrative agent regarding the availability of restricted units for resale or rental;

10. Instituting and maintaining an effective means of communicating information to low-and moderate-income households regarding the availability of restricted units for resale or rerental;

11. Reviewing and approving requests from owners of restricted units who wish to take out home equity loans or refinance during the term of their ownership;

12. Reviewing and approving requests to increase sales prices from owners of restricted units who wish to make capital improvements to the units that would affect the selling price, such authorizations to be limited to those improvements resulting in additional bedrooms or bathrooms and the cost of central air conditioning systems;

13. Processing requests and making determinations on requests by owners of restricted units for hardship waivers;

14. Communicating with lenders regarding foreclosures;

15. Ensuring the issuance of Continuing Certificates of Occupancy or certifications pursuant to 5:80-26.10;

16. Notifying the municipality of an owner's intent to sell a restricted unit;

17. Ensuring that the removal of the deed restrictions and cancellation of the mortgage note are effectuated and properly filed with the appropriate county's register of deeds or county clerk's office after the termination of the affordability controls in this subchapter for each restricted unit;

18. Providing annual reports to COAH as required; and

19. Such other responsibilities as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this subchapter.

(b) The administrative agent shall create and shall publish in plain English, and in such other languages as may be appropriate to serving its client base, a written operating manual, as approved by COAH, setting forth procedures for administering such affordability controls, including procedures for long-term control of restricted units; for enforcing the covenants set forth in Appendices A, B, C, D and E of this subchapter, consistent with the provisions of 5:80-26.18; and for releasing restricted units promptly at the conclusion of applicable control periods. The administrative agent shall have authority to take all actions necessary and appropriate to carrying out its responsibilities hereunder. The operating manual shall have a separate and distinct chapter or section setting forth the process for identifying applicant households seeking certification to restricted units, for reviewing applicant household eligibility, and for certifying applicant households in accordance with the household certification and referral requirements set forth in 5:80-26.16.

1. Such process shall require that an applicant household be notified in writing of the results of its application for certification within 20 days of the administrative agent's determination thereof.

2. At the discretion of the administrative agent, such process may include either or both an outreach requirement and a face-to-face applicant interview process.

3. The administrative agent shall establish and maintain a ready database of applicant households as a referral source for certifications to restricted units, and shall establish written procedures to ensure that selection among applicant households be via the database, and in accordance with a uniformly applied random selection process and all applicable State and Federal laws relating to the confidentiality of applicant records.

(c) Except in the case of restricted units receiving UHORP or MONI funding, the municipality in which restricted units are located shall select one or more administrative agents for those units. A municipality itself (through a designated municipal employee, department, board, agency or committee) may elect to serve as the administrative agent for some or all restricted units in the municipality, or the municipality may select HAS or an experienced private entity approved by the Division, the Agency or COAH to serve as administrative agent for some or all restricted units in the municipality. HAS may delegate a portion or portions of its administrative agent duties to third parties, by written contract, provided that in such case HAS shall retain oversight and monitoring responsibilities, including, but not limited to, authority over enforcement policy and actions and confidentiality of tenant/applicant data solicited for rent-up and certification purposes. When a municipality selects an experienced private entity to serve as administrative agent for specific restricted units, the administrative agent must be approved by the Division, if the restricted units are to receive funding under the Neighborhood Preservation Balanced Housing Program, or by COAH, if the restricted units are not to receive funding under the Neighborhood Preservation Balanced Housing Program but are to receive COAH credit. The foregoing approval by COAH or the Division is to be based on the private entity's demonstration of the ability to provide a continuing administrative responsibility for the length of the control period for the restricted units. The Agency shall select the administrative agents for restricted units receiving UHORP or MONI funding.

(d) In all cases where a municipality has selected HAS as its administrative agent, HAS and the municipality shall enter into a contract for the provision of housing affordability control services substantially in the form set forth in Appendix I.

(e) When reviewing a private entity to determine whether it should be designated as administrative agent, a municipality shall obtain and review the following and submit it to the Division, the Agency or COAH, as applicable, for approval:

1. Documentation which demonstrates that the private entity's purposes include the provision of housing services and housing counseling and the promotion of the principles underlying the Federal Fair Housing laws and that the private entity has knowledge of and familiarity with the New Jersey Fair Housing Act, P.L. 1985, c.222 (52:27D-301 et seq.) and its implementing rules;

2. Evidence of a history of successful management of restricted affordable housing units, particularly those produced as a result of the New Jersey Fair Housing Act or through a Mount Laurel court settlement;

3. Representations and warranties from the experienced private entity that, if the entity serves as administrative agent with respect to restricted units in which it has a pecuniary interest, the entity shall not allow the pecuniary interest to compromise in any way its administration of the controls set forth in this subchapter;

4. The draft contract between the municipality and the private entity serving as administrative agent;

5. Documentation of the private entity's capacity to undertake the duties of an administrative agent;

6. A statement of intent to attend continuing education opportunities on affordability controls and compliance monitoring when available; and

7. Such other relevant documents from a specific applicant as required by the municipality to justify approval as an administrative agent.

(f) The administrative agent shall have the authority to discharge and release any or all instruments, as set forth in the Appendices of this subchapter, filed of record to establish affordability controls.

N.J. Admin. Code § 5:80-26.14

Amended by R.2004 d.475, effective 12/20/2004.
See: 36 New Jersey Register 3655(a), 36 New Jersey Register 5713(a).
Rewrote the section.