NJ evictions: Federal renters relief only partly distributed burlingtoncountytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from burlingtoncountytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
New Jersey renters behind on their housing payments can still apply to the state’s Emergency Rental Assistance lottery program, which provides recipients with six months to one year’s worth of rent.
Since the application period opened in late March, the Department of Community Affairs has received 74,247 applications. From that pool, the state expects to choose 20,000 applications for the lottery by the end of this week. So far, 296 families have received rental assistance grants from the state this round, getting about $3 million of the $353 million allocated, the agency said.
The application program will remain open until all the money is used; the state originally estimated that it would cover 30,000 households using the December 2020 federal stimulus funds. But New Jersey now expects to collect an additional $272 million at a minimum from the American Rescue Plan, signed by President Joe Biden in March.
While New Jerseyans cannot be kicked or locked out of their homes through at least mid-July because of a COVID-related moratorium, tens of thousands of renters are behind on payments and face eviction once the moratorium lifts, putting both landlords and tenants at financial risk.
To prepare for an impending flood of landlord-tenant cases, New Jersey should hire and train legal specialists, create a streamlined case settlement process and connect renters with financial assistance, according to a 69-page report released Wednesday by a special committee formed by New Jersey Chief Justice Stuart Rabner.
Among the 18 recommendations:
Trials should be virtual whenever possible once the moratorium lifts to eliminate crowded calendar calls.
Landlords pandemic protocols range from strict to laissez-faire inquirer.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from inquirer.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.