N.J. Admin. Code § 5:80-33.17

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024

Section 5:80-33.17 - Point system for the Supportive Housing Cycle

(a) The point system for the Supportive Housing Cycle includes all point categories of the Family Cycle except for the point categories at N.J.A.C. 5:80-33.15(a)3, concerning large-family units, N.J.A.C. 5:80-33.15(a)5, concerning social services, and N.J.A.C. 5:80-33.15(a) 21, concerning supportive housing units. Additionally, the point categories at N.J.A.C. 5:80-33.15(a)14 ii and iii are replaced, respectively, with the following, for a maximum of seven points available pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:80-33.15(a)14 for applications in the Supportive Housing Cycle.

1. Two points shall be awarded to projects that offer on-site transportation at least once per week. Evidence of existing service and/or an executed contract stipulating fees and frequency of service shall be submitted in the application.

2. For non-age-restricted projects, a project that is fully located within a school district wherein 40 percent or more of the students are either meeting expectations (Level 4) or exceeding expectations (Level 5) on the Grade 4 New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA) in both Math and English Language Arts (ELA) shall receive one point. NJHMFA shall rely on the most recent data available from the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) as of the application deadline, as well as the data for the preceding calendar year. For example, the data released for 2021 and 2022 by the DOE will be accepted for applications submitted in 2023. If the NJSLA is no longer in use, NJHMFA will substitute whatever assessment is designated as a replacement by the DOE.

3. For age-restricted projects, a project that is fully located within a municipality wherein 25 percent or more of the residents in the municipality are 55 years of age or older shall receive one point. NJHMFA shall rely upon the American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table DP05 (ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates), U.S. Census Bureau. NJHMFA shall rely upon the data effective in the calendar year of the application deadline, as well as in the preceding year. For example, the data released in calendar years 2021 and 2022 by the U.S. Census Bureau will be accepted for applications submitted in 2023.

(b) The Supportive Housing Cycle also includes the following point categories:

1. Applicants shall be awarded up to five points to the extent the social services plan required at N.J.A.C. 5:80-33.12(c)14 iv incorporates a description of the supportive service needs of the target population(s), which may include a range of services across a wide continuum of care and intensity appropriate to the target population(s). The description must acknowledge that each special needs tenant does not have to utilize the services appropriate to the target population(s). The social services plan must address the specific appropriate and needed services to assist tenants to maintain their housing and stable community living at no cost to the tenant. Appropriate and needed services must be supported by supportive service agreements and evidence-based practice, research, and/or direct practice experience. Supportive housing projects must have, at a minimum, a social service coordinator. The supportive services plan must address the following:

i. The social service provider(s) must demonstrate three or more years of experience in providing social services to the target population(s) or to a related special needs population;

ii. A description of the proposed services that will benefit the targeted population, including location of services (that is, on-site or in the community), documentation to support how these services will be funded, and how measures to evaluate service outcomes will be addressed (such as quality of life and consumer satisfaction);

iii. A description of how the service provider will facilitate tenant/landlord relationships, including detailed eligibility and ineligibility criteria for tenant selection and screening (that is, what disqualifies a prospective tenant), as well as a plan for problem resolution to minimize evictions for supportive housing tenants;

iv. Provision of at least one of the following services:

(1) Twenty-four-hour, seven-day a week on-call crisis response capability;

(2) Financial management training from a qualified provider and ongoing budget support; and

(3) Linkage and ongoing follow-up services to health care, including dental care, and physical health care and primary health care prevention services; and

v. Mandatory staff training, to be conducted at least annually, on matters specific to the special needs population(s) served for all on-site personnel, not just those employed by the social service provider(s). This training requirement includes staff, such as property managers, maintenance workers, and custodians, and is independent of any training or certifications required for service-provider staff by their employers.

2. Up to two points will be awarded as follows: one point will be awarded to applicants that will provide on-site healthy lifestyles education and programming, consisting of educational workshops and health promotion programs to encourage better physical and emotional health for tenants of the supportive housing units; and one point will be awarded to applicants that will provide job training and job search assistance and support to tenants of the supportive housing units. Applicants shall provide evidence of funding commitments and signed agreements with qualified service providers specifically identifying a detailed scope of services to be provided and term for the provision of these services. The identified education and/or employment service provider must have experience providing services to the target population.

3. Applicants that plan to develop all of the units as lease-based permanent supportive housing (no time limit for tenancy and/or program participation) shall be awarded two points.

4. Applications that evidence rental assistance funding commitments from the HUD McKinney-Vento Programs or other government source(s) of project-based or sponsor-based rental assistance for all the special needs units shall be awarded two points.

5. Applications submitted by a qualified nonprofit organization with 100.00 percent of the general partner interest in the final ownership entity shall be awarded two points. Applications submitted by a qualified nonprofit organization with at least 50.00, but less than 100.00, percent of the general partner interest in the final ownership entity shall be awarded one point.

6. Projects that encourage integrated community living opportunities, including mixed-income projects, mixed-special needs projects, and scattered site projects, shall be awarded two points.

7. Five points shall be awarded to projects that meet all of the following minimum living standards:

i. Dwelling units in which each bedroom measures not less than 100 square feet;

ii. Unrelated residents have their own bedroom;

iii. No more than four unrelated adults share a bathroom; and

iv. Residents have access to a full kitchen for meal preparation.

N.J. Admin. Code § 5:80-33.17

Amended by 49 N.J.R. 435(a), effective 3/6/2017

Amended by 51 N.J.R. 833(a), effective 6/3/2019

Amended by 56 N.J.R. 343(b), effective 3/4/2024

Administrative Change, 56 N.J.R. 601(a) effective 3/19/2024