Directs DCA to end veteran homelessness within three years.

S3705

SENATE, No. 3705

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 2, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANTHONY M. BUCCO

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

Senator� CARMEN F. AMATO, JR.

District 9 (Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� Directs DCA to end veteran homelessness within three
years.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning veteran homelessness and
supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� a.� As used in this
section:

���� �Housing First� means an
evidence-based model that uses housing as a tool, rather than a reward, for
recovery and that centers on providing or connecting homeless people to
permanent housing as quickly as possible.� Housing First providers offer
services as needed and requested on a voluntary basis and do not make housing
contingent on participation in services.� Housing First includes time-limited
rental or services assistance, so long as the housing and service provider
assists the recipient in accessing permanent housing and in securing
longer-term rental assistance, income assistance, or employment.

���� �Veteran� means a resident of
this State who served on active duty in the armed forces of the United States,
including persons who served on active duty from the military reserves or the
National Guard.� For the purposes of these criteria, a veteran is any person
who served in the armed forces, regardless of how long they served or the type
of discharge they received.

���� b.� The Commissioner of
Community Affairs shall develop and implement a plan to end veteran
homelessness in the State within three years of the effective date of P.L.��� ,
c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) in accordance
with the criteria and benchmarks for achieving the goal of ending veteran
homelessness established by the United States Interagency Council on
Homelessness.� In consultation with other states and jurisdictions that have
achieved an end to veteran homelessness in accordance with these criteria, the
commissioner shall develop and implement a strategy to end veteran homelessness
through the following means:

���� (1)� Coordination with State
and local government entities, and private community organizations to
continuously assess progress in ending veteran homelessness;

���� (2)� Management of a Statewide
comprehensive, by-name list of veterans experiencing, or at-risk of
experiencing homelessness, prioritized based on vulnerability;

���� (3)� Facilitating the sharing
of data among relevant service providers, including homeless shelters, State
departments, and federal Veterans� Affairs Medical Centers;

���� (4)� Establishment of a system
of priority for veterans in accessing benefits through the Homeless Prevention
Program, established to implement the "Prevention of Homelessness Act
(1984)," P.L.1984, c.180 (C.52:27D-280 et al.), emergency assistance
benefits issued to Work First New Jersey recipients pursuant to section 8 of
P.L.1997, c.14 (C.44:10-51), and any other benefits and housing placement
processes identified by the commissioner, for which prioritization would
contribute to ensuring an end to veteran homelessness;

���� (5)� Establishment of a system
to connect veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness to
available health, mental health, employment, and training resources;

���� (6)� Committing to Housing
First principles through a focus on helping veterans access and sustain
service-focused transitional housing as quickly as possible when in need; and

���� (7)� Identification of funding
sources, as needed from private, foundation, and other potential partners.

���� c.� After the initial
three-year period following enactment of
P.L , c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), and every three years thereafter,
the commissioner shall develop, and then implement, an updated plan to ensure
that veterans do not experience homelessness in the State.

���� d.� Not later than the sixth
month after the end of the initial three-year period following enactment of
P.L��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and
every three years thereafter, the commissioner shall submit a report to the
Governor, and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature
on the development and implementation of the commissioners plans to end veteran
homelessness in the State.

���� 2.� In consultation with the
Commissioner of Human Services, the Commissioner of Community Affairs shall
promulgate, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968,
c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations necessary to effectuate
P.L. , c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� 3.� This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would direct the
Commissioner of Community Affairs to develop and implement a plan to end
veteran homelessness in New Jersey within three years in accordance with the
criteria and benchmarks established for this purpose by the United States Interagency
Council on Homelessness.�

���� The bill directs the
commissioner to develop and implement a strategy to end veteran homelessness
through the following means:

���� (1)� the coordination with
State and local government entities, and private community organizations to
continuously assess progress;

���� (2)� the management of a
Statewide comprehensive, by-name list of veterans experiencing, or at-risk of
experiencing homelessness;

���� (3)� facilitating the sharing
of data among relevant service providers;

���� (4)� the establishment of a
system of priority for veterans in accessing benefits through the Homeless
Prevention Program, emergency assistance benefits, and any other existing
benefit and housing placement processes;

���� (5)� the establishment of a
system to connect veterans experiencing, or at-risk of, homelessness to
available health, mental health, employment, and training resources;

���� (6)� committing to housing
first principles; and

���� (7)� The identification of
funding sources, as needed from private, foundation, and other potential
partners.

���� The bill would require the commissioner,
after the initial three-year period and every three years thereafter, to
develop and then implement an updated plan to ensure that veterans do not
experience homelessness in the State.� The bill would also impose reporting
requirements.

���� This bill would take effect
immediately.