(a) The county/municipal agency shares
responsibility with the individual/family in receipt of emergency assistance to resolve the emergency
situation and to assist the individual/family to secure a suitable permanent housing arrangement. Receipt of
emergency assistance is contingent upon the recipient's taking reasonable steps toward resolving the emergent
situation. Reasonable steps shall include the recipient's signature on a written notice of recipient
responsibilities while receiving temporary housing/shelter; participation in formulating, complying with and
carrying out a plan for service; fulfilling the number of housing searches mutually agreed upon; and
following agency recommendations related to resolving the emergent situation. The service plan shall consist
of mandatory and non-mandatory activities as determined by the agency. The agency shall review each activity
listed on the service plan with the recipient. Failure to comply with the mandatory activities of the service
plan without good cause shall result in termination of EA benefits for a period of six months. In no case
shall the EA granted exceed the limits set forth in
10:90-6.4 concerning time limits and extensions in situations of
extreme hardship.
1. The service plan shall be developed between the county
or municipal agency and the recipient of emergency assistance within 10 days of the EA authorization date in
order to provide a plan of action aimed at working toward securing permanent shelter and also, where directly
related to securing such shelter, at resolving the circumstances that contributed to the emergency situation.
When appropriate, development of the service plan shall be coordinated with the development of the individual
responsibility plan (IRP) discussed in 10:90-4.8. For individuals requesting EA for reason of family
violence or the risk of family violence, the EA service plan must be coordinated with any services offered
through the designated victim service provider agency and included in the family violence safety and service
plan in accordance with 10:90-20.1(b)1 ii. Every effort shall be made
to avoid situations in which the development and execution of one plan infringes upon the development and
execution of the other, thereby placing the recipient in danger of being either sanctioned due to
non-cooperation or terminated from receipt of EA. The service plan shall include, as appropriate, but is not
limited to:
i. Selection of a housing arrangement which takes into
consideration the recipient's circumstances, such as mental or physical problems.
(1) Every effort will be made to locate suitable housing in the community
of prior permanent residence. If, however, shelter/housing is not available at the most reasonable rate,
taking into consideration individual circumstances and services provided, within the municipality of
customary residence, the recipient, as a condition of eligibility, shall be obliged to accept shelter/housing
outside the municipality of customary residence;
ii.
Provision of the following specified services:
(1) Information;
(2) Referral;
(3) Assistance in
securing shelter, including transportation;
(4) Assistance in
arranging for child care; and
(5) Referral for legal services;
and
iii. Other service plan activities may include the
following:
(1) Actively looking for safe and affordable permanent housing
and providing documentation of such efforts;
(2) Seeking and
maintaining employment or following through with other programs that may lead to self-sufficiency;
(3) Attending all scheduled meetings with the agency worker;
(4) With agency assistance, planning the short-term or long-term goals
associated with maintaining permanent housing;
(5) Providing
proof of applications for public and subsidized housing;
(6)
Cooperating in providing needed documentation for public or subsidized housing;
(7) Participating in programs designed to address barriers that may
prohibit the assistance unit from maintaining permanent housing, which includes, but may not be limited to,
the Substance Abuse Initiative, the Behavioral Health Initiative and TIP; or
(8) Following through with other agency referrals for services, including
the Social Security Administration, Legal Services, child care services, and housing assistance.
2. The EA service plan shall be monitored monthly, at
a minimum, for recipients residing in a shelter, motel or hotel. For recipients in receipt of a TRA, the EA
service plan shall be monitored, as appropriate by the agency, but not less than every six months.
3. The county or municipal agency shall reevaluate and/or revise the
service plan as warranted by changes in the recipient's shelter needs and/or other pertinent circumstances.
i. When emergency assistance has been extended beyond the 12-month maximum
found at 10:90-6.4(a)
above for either an initial period of six months or a second period of six
months (applicable to WFNJ/TANF recipients only), the service plan must be revised in order to address the
special circumstances which have contributed to the hardship which caused the extension.
