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A4936
ASSEMBLY, No. 4936
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED MAY 7, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman� KENYATTA STEWART
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman� YVONNE LOPEZ
District 19 (Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Kearney
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes Whole-Home Repairs Program in HMFA;
appropriates $25 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
establishing the Whole-Home Repairs Program,
supplementing P.L.1983, c.530 (C.55:14K-1 et seq.), and making an
appropriation.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� As used in P.L.��� ,
c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
���� �Agency� means the New Jersey
Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency established pursuant to section 4 of
P.L.1983, c.530 (C.55:14K-4).
���� �Eligible homeowner� means a
homeowner with a household income that is less than 80 percent of the area
median income and is an owner of record as evidenced by a publicly recorded
deed.
���� �Eligible landlord� means a
landlord who owns fewer than 10 residential properties, as determined the
agency.
���� �Program� means the Whole-Home
Repairs Program established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.�������
) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
���� �Whole-home repairs� means
modifications, repairs, or updates to homeowner or rental-occupied dwelling
units to address:
���� physical accessibility;
���� habitability and safety
concerns;
���� energy and water efficiency,
resilience, and weatherization;
���� or other conditions as
determined by the agency.
���� 2.��� a.�������� The agency
shall establish a Whole-Home Repairs Program to administer grants or forgivable
loans for whole-home repairs for eligible homeowners and eligible landlords who
apply to the program pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection b of this section.�
The purpose of the program is to improve the physical condition of eligible
residential properties where physical improvements are substantially needed
including, but not limited to, physical accessibility, habitability and safety
concerns, energy and water efficiency, resilience, and weatherization, or other
conditions as determined by the agency.�� Any residential unit receiving
assistance under this program will remain affordable to low- and
moderate-income households for a period of time to determined by the agency.
���� b.��� In effectuating the
provisions of subsection a. of this section, the agency shall:
���� (1) provide grants to eligible
homeowners to implement whole-home repairs that reflect local constructions
costs;
���� (2) provide loans, which may
be forgivable, to eligible landlords, who agree not to increase rent beyond a
reasonable limit as determined by the agency, for a period of not less than two
years following completion of repairs, to implement whole-home repairs for
individual units and common areas that reflect local construction costs;
���� (3) not use more than 10
percent for the awarded funds for administrative functions; and
���� (4)�� establish an application
process by which an eligible homeowner or eligible landlord may apply to the
program.
���� c.���� In considering an
application for a grant or loan pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the
agency shall give priority to low-income households, seniors, persons with
disabilities, properties with documented health and safety standards, or
homeowners and landlords who, due to financial hardship, are unable to make
repairs that address imminent health and safety risks, including, but not
limited to, mold, lead hazards, structural deficiencies, and accessibility
needs.�
���� d.��� Any work performed in
connection with any grant or loan authorized pursuant to this section shall
provide that not less than the prevailing wage shall be paid to workers
employed in the performance of work conducted.� The prevailing wage rate shall
be determined by the Commissioner of Labor pursuant to P.L.1963, c.150
(C.34:11-56.25 et seq.).
���� e.���� There is established in
the agency a Whole-Home Repairs Fund for the purpose of providing the moneys
necessary to administer the Whole-Home Repairs Program.
���� 3.��� The agency shall, in
accordance with the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1
et seq.), adopt rules and regulations as necessary to effectuate the provisions
of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill),
including, but not limited to, area median income determinations, what
constitutes financial hardship, application processes for eligible homeowners
and eligible landlords, loan forgiveness criteria and reasonable rent increase
limits, the length by which a residential unit that receives assistance will
remain affordable to low- and moderate-income households, and other necessary
standards for review of eligible homeowner and eligible landlords program
applications.
���� 4.��� There is appropriated $25,000,000
from the General Fund to the Whole-Home Repairs Fund, established pursuant to
subsection c. of section of 1 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before
the Legislature as this bill), to effectuate the purposes of that section.�
���� 5. �� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the sixth month following enactment.
STATEMENT
����
���� This bill establishes a Whole-Home
Repairs Program (program) in the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency
(agency).
���� The bill provides that the agency is to administer grants and loans for
whole-home repairs to eligible homeowners and eligible landlords to address
physical accessibility, habitability and safety concerns, energy and water
efficiency, resilience, and weatherization, or other conditions as determined
by the agency.�
���� Under the bill, the agency is
to provide grants to eligible homeowners to implement whole-home repairs that
reflect local constructions costs or provide loans, which may be forgivable, to
eligible landlords, who agree not to increase rent beyond a reasonable limit as
determined by the agency, to implement whole-home repairs for individual units
and common areas that reflect local construction costs.� The agency is
permitted to use no more than 10 percent of the grant funds towards
administrative costs. �The bill provides that the agency is to establish an
application process by which an eligible homeowner or eligible landlord may
apply to the program.� Additionally, the bill requires any residential unit
that receives assistance under this program to remain affordable to low- and
moderate-income households for a period of time to be determined by the agency.
���� The bill requires the agency,
in considering an application for a grant or loan to give priority to
low-income households, seniors, persons with disabilities, properties with
documented health and safety standards, or homeowners and landlords who, due to
financial hardship, are unable to make repairs that address imminent health and
safety risks, including, but not limited to, mold, lead hazards, structural
deficiencies, and accessibility needs.�
���� The bill provides that any
work performed in connection with any grant or loan authorized pursuant to the bill
will conform to less than the prevailing wage as determined by the Commissioner
of Labor pursuant to P.L.1963, c.150 (C.34:11-56.25 et seq.).
���� The bill establishes the
Whole-Homes Repairs Fund for the purpose of providing moneys to administer the
Whole-Homes Repairs Program.
���� This bill requires the agency
to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the provisions of this bill,
including, but not limited to, area median income determinations, what
constitutes financial hardship, application processes for eligible homeowners
and eligible landlords, loan forgiveness criteria and reasonable rent increase
limits, the length for which a residential unit that receives assistance will
remain affordable to low- and moderate-income households, and other necessary
standards for review of eligible homeowner and eligible landlords.
���� This bill appropriates $25
million from the General Fund to implement the Whole-Home Repairs Program.