Today Gov. Murphy signed S3691/A5685 into law preventing evictions for rental payments that were missed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill also creates a rental assistance program to compensate landlords and mandates the Department of Community Affairs implement and oversee the newly established Eviction Prevention Program.
The following statement can be attributed to ACLU-NJ Legal Policy Fellow Joe Johnson:
“Over the last 18 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the longtime housing crisis in New Jersey that has disproportionately impacted Black and brown communities. The signing of S3691/A5685 is significant, as it protects tenants from evictions for rental payments missed during the health emergency and moves toward addressing the housing crisis in a comprehensive way. In taking this important step forward, we urge lawmakers to commit additional resources to ensure New Jerseyans are protected against eviction once the provisions in the bill expire.
“We’re grateful to prime sponsors Senator Brian Stack and Assemblywoman Brittany Timberlake for their leadership and applaud Governor Murphy for taking swift action by signing the bill into law. We welcome the opportunity to work with the DCA to ensure all allocated funds are distributed effectively, allowing tenants to remain at home and landlords to remain compensated.”
