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Committee advances homelessness‑prevention substitute that raises eviction‑filing fee to fund diversion programs amid split testimony
Summary
The Appropriations Committee reported a substitute for A3282/A4964 that revises homelessness prevention eligibility and raises the eviction filing fee (amended during consideration). Supporters said the fee will fund eviction diversion; opponents warned costs will be passed to tenants and harm small landlords.
The Assembly Appropriations Committee voted to report an assembly committee substitute for A3282 and A4964 on May 15, advancing a package that revises the state's homelessness prevention program and adds an increase to the eviction‑filing fee to raise revenue for prevention and diversion services.
Supporters, including the Housing & Community Development Network and the New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness, argued the change would expand eligibility for homelessness prevention programs and provide funding for eviction diversion services at a time when homelessness has risen sharply. Raissa Ruben Stegwitz cited state data showing a 45% increase in homelessness over two years and said more than 58,000 people appeared in the state's homelessness information system in 2024. She also summarized research the Eviction Lab has published, saying fee increases have been associated with lower filing rates in some studies.
Opponents included the New Jersey Apartment Association and Legal Services of New Jersey. David Brogan of the Apartment Association said raising the filing fee and prohibiting recovery of those fees would unfairly raise landlords’ costs and urged policymakers to consider rental assistance funding instead. Maura Sanders of Legal Services praised aspects of the homelessness prevention revisions but warned the added filing fee “will ultimately always be passed on to tenants and will be a harm to very low income tenants.”
Testimony at the hearing reflected a still‑unresolved balance between raising targeted revenue for eviction prevention and protecting low‑income tenants and small landlords. Several witnesses and committee members urged amendments to prohibit landlords from passing the fee onto tenants; testimony noted the bill had been amended shortly before the hearing so that the fee increase was smaller than the original proposal (witnesses referenced a drop from proposals of up to $150 to an amendment raising the fee by $75).
Outcome and next steps: Committee members voted to report the substitute. The committee record notes continued engagement between sponsors, industry groups, legal services and housing advocates; specific statutory language and anti‑pass‑through safeguards were discussed as likely topics for amendment before floor consideration.
