This bill establishes the NJHousing pilot program, aimed at providing rental assistance to New Jersey households at risk of eviction. The program will be administered by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and will offer monthly cash transfers to selected households for a duration of 24 months. The DCA is tasked with creating an application portal and conducting a public outreach initiative to solicit applications from residents. Eligibility criteria will be established by the department, which will evaluate applications and randomly select 300 qualified applicants from various counties to participate in the program. The amount of cash transfer each household receives will be determined based on their rent burden and income, with no restrictions on how the funds can be spent.

Additionally, the bill appropriates $6.55 million from the General Fund to support the administration of the NJHousing pilot program. At the conclusion of the program, the DCA will conduct a survey of both enrolled households and those who applied but were not selected, with participants receiving a cash payment for their involvement. The department is also required to report on the program's outcomes, including the effectiveness of the cash transfers and the sufficiency of funding for administrative costs and outreach efforts. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage.