The statehouse in Trenton
By Joshua Burd
With New Jersey’s eviction moratorium drawing down and state officials no longer taking applications for rental assistance for landlords and tenants impacted by the pandemic, stakeholders are hoping to see a new eviction prevention program take center stage.
David Brogan, executive director of the New Jersey Apartment Association, said as much Wednesday as the state Department of Community Affairs closed the application process for its COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program Phase II, or CVERAP II. He noted that there are still opportunities for tenants to access rental assistance funds in New Jersey — namely, through the $500 million program that will pay rent arrears and future rent up to a total of 24 months, as well as utility assistance, for lower-income households that are struggling financially due to COVID-19.
“As we look toward 2022, we urge all landlords to work with their tenants on repayment plans, and we urge all tenants to pay their rent so landlords can operate and maintain their buildings,” Brogan said. “At the same time, we urge the DCA to continue providing rental assistance to those who need it by ramping up the newly created Eviction Prevention Program. At the end of the day, landlords and tenants are inextricably linked. While no one could have predicted the impact this virus would have on our society, we can only weather this storm by working together.”
Launched in early September, the Eviction Prevention Program is part of a widely praised bill that both phased out the state’s moratorium on residential evictions and earmarked another $750 million in federal funds for rental and utility assistance. NJAA was among those to work with state Sen. Brian Stack to craft the bill, S3691, which ended the eviction ban in August for some tenants and set a Dec. 31 end date for low- and moderate-income renters.
The law also ensured that rental debt accumulated during the pandemic could not be the basis for an eviction, while creating and funding the Eviction Prevention Program as a supplement to rental assistance. Brogan added that the funds under the $500 million program “have not yet been disbursed but are available, and that process should begin now.”
“Through the passage of S3691, the Legislature and the Governor established unprecedented funding to assist tenants not only during the height of the pandemic, but for years to come, and we commend them for their foresight,” Brogan said. “We urge the Governor and the DCA to shift from CVERAP II to the Eviction Prevention Program and continue helping tenants now and in the future.”
DCA marks payout of $232 million in COVID rent relief, launches eviction prevention program
