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Bill

A 5026

Requires organizations providing services to homeless persons to participate in Homeless Management Information System to track occupancy of shelter beds.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Linda Carter and 1 co-sponsor

Requires all providers serving homeless individuals to participate in HMIS, reporting real-time shelter bed occupancy to improve coordination and capacity planning.

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Housing Committee
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Bill Summary · A 5026

Summary of Bill A-5026 (2026) — New Jersey

Purpose and intent

  • Requires all organizations that provide services to persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness to participate in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to track real-time shelter bed occupancy.
  • Integrates HMIS oversight and data reporting with the state Office of Homelessness Prevention (OHP) or, if HMIS remains with the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA), keeps HMIS under NJHMFA but expands obligations and funding to support participation.

Key provisions and changes

  • Establishment and oversight

    • Reaffirms and clarifies the structure of the Office of Homelessness Prevention (OHP) within the Department of Community Affairs, including its duties to collect data, coordinate services, assess resources, and promote policy coordination for homelessness prevention.
    • Allows for the transfer of HMIS from the NJHMFA to the OHP if deemed appropriate by implementation, with funding and appropriations transferred accordingly.

  • HMIS participation requirements

    • Requires NJHMFA or the OHP (if HMIS is transferred) to adopt rules and regulations that:
    • Mandate participation in HMIS by all state and local agencies and private organizations providing services to homeless individuals or those at risk of homelessness.
    • Define required data reporting, explicitly including occupancy data for shelter beds.
    • Establish criteria for private organizations (e.g., hotels/motels) to qualify as providers offering services to this population.
    • Specifies that data sharing and participation are to be pursued as part of the program’s reporting and coordination efforts.

  • Funding and grants

    • The agency overseeing HMIS (NJHMFA or OHP) must provide grants to agencies and private organizations to cover costs of joining and participating in HMIS.
    • Grants are awarded via a formal application process, determined by the Executive Director of NJHMFA or the Director of the OHP, as applicable.
    • Annual budget requests must include information on financial needs for HMIS-related grants as part of each respective agency’s budget.

  • Real-time bed occupancy reporting

    • Requires shelter operators and selected local information and referral providers to use HMIS and to provide real-time occupancy information on shelter beds.
    • Shelter bed occupancy must be updated not later than one hour after a bed becomes available or a bed is filled.
    • Note: The requirements in this section do not apply to shelters for victims of domestic violence.

Who is affected

  • State and local government agencies involved in homelessness services and funding.
  • Private organizations that provide direct services to homeless individuals or those at risk (including shelters, information and referral providers, and hotels/motels that qualify as service providers).
  • Shelter operators responsible for reporting bed occupancy data.
  • HMIS administrators (NJHMFA or OHP, depending on transfer status).

Timetable and procedural notes

  • Immediate effect: The act is stated to take effect immediately upon enactment.
  • Implementation process:
    • Rules and regulations must be adopted by the relevant agency (NJHMFA or OHP) to mandate participation and data reporting, including occupancy data.
    • A grant funding mechanism is to be established to assist implementing organizations.
    • Annual budget considerations must reflect HMIS-related funding needs.

Practical impact

  • Enhanced visibility into homelessness services through centralized HMIS data, enabling better coordination, resource allocation, and assessment of program effectiveness.
  • Real-time bed occupancy data to improve shelter capacity planning and reduce wait times for shelter placement.
  • Financial support for organizations to join and maintain HMIS participation, reducing barrier-to-entry costs.
  • Alignment across state and local agencies with standardized reporting requirements, though implementation details (specific data elements, privacy safeguards, and data sharing protocols) will be defined in the implementing rules.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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