Business.NJ.gov Update 08122021
Masks Strongly Encouraged Indoors
On Thursday, June 24, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) extended its federal eviction moratorium, previously set to expire on June 30, through July 31, 2021. The agency stated in its announcement that this latest extension of the moratorium, which has been in place since September 2020 under the CDC's powers during a public health emergency, is intended to be the last. The eviction moratorium prevents housing providers from evicting tenants who are unable to pay all or some of their rent due to loss of income or medical expenses, have attempted to obtain rental assistance, earned no more than $99k ($198k for joint filers) in 2020 or does not expect to earn more than that in 2021, is making "best efforts" to make timely partial payments, and eviction would likely render them homeless or force them into a shared living setting.
Following the announcement, the White House released a fact sheet on "Initiatives to Promote Housing Stability by Supporting Vulnerable Tenants and Preventing Foreclosures." It outlines plans by the Administration to coordinate across federal agencies and the state, local, and national governments to provide resources for tenants and housing providers to access rental assistance funds and programs, develop plans for anti-eviction diversion practices to benefit tenants, housing providers, and relieve some of the burden on the court systems, and better communicate the existence of emergency rental assistance program (ERAP) funds and counseling programs to vulnerable tenants and housing providers. These initiatives include:
- Encouraging state and local courts to adopt "anti-eviction diversion practices," to help housing providers and tenants reach agreements and access rental assistance to keep people in their homes while helping to make housing providers whole;
- Highlighting the federal assistance funds for state and local governments, and their range of potential uses (including eviction diversion plans);
Changes to Take Effect in Two Phases – On Friday, May 28 and Friday, June 4
TRENTON– Governor Phil Murphy announced plans to lift major COVID-19 restrictions and move forward with the state's most significant reopening steps to date. Effective on Friday, May 28, the indoor mask mandate in public spaces will be lifted, as well as the six-foot social distancing requirement in both indoor and outdoor spaces, the prohibition on dance floors at bars and restaurants, and the prohibition on ordering and eating/drinking while standing at bars and restaurants. Additionally, effective Friday, June 4, indoor gathering and capacity limits will be lifted.
Over the last two weeks, key COVID-19 benchmarks have been achieved across New Jersey, including a dramatic increase in vaccinations, and significant decreases in new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, spot positivity rates, and rates of transmission, solidifying the foundation for the state's sweeping reopening steps. Per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, individuals who are not fully vaccinated -- defined as two weeks after receiving the second shot of a two-dose vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or two weeks after receiving a single-dose vaccination (Johnson & Johnson) – are strongly encouraged to continue masking and social distancing.
"Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, my administration has been guided by science, data, and facts to put New Jersey on the road to recovery with the public health and safety of all New Jerseyans as our highest priority," said Governor Murphy." Together, we have made tremendous progress in crushing this virus, and the last two weeks have shown significant decreases in key areas of our data, including new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, spot positivity rates, and rates of transmission. These data points, coupled with a dramatic increase in our vaccination efforts resulting in over 4.7 million New Jerseyans with their first shot, allow us to lift major restrictions and move forward with our most significant reopening steps to date."
The following changes will go into effect on Friday, May 28:
How can people safely get together? What are the limits for indoor and outdoor gatherings?
Attending a gathering, ceremony, or celebration is permitted, but different limits apply depending on the type of gathering and where it is happening:
Indoor Gatherings
Face coverings are required in indoor public spaces and in outdoor public spaces when social distancing is difficult to maintain. COVID-19 remains a threat, particularly at indoor gatherings with unvaccinated individuals. Follow the safety tips described in this article to protect yourself and your community.
Ocean City, NJ was named one of the Best Places to Live in New Jersey by PureWow.com!
"A haven for summer holiday-goers and full-time residents, Ocean City has a wholesome reputation. From a livability standpoint, you can’t beat the pleasant coastal climate and tons of year-round outdoor activities. Ocean City also wins points for its pristine beaches and overall cleanliness. "
NAR's Federal Advocacy team has been working closely with Congress and the Administration to ensure the interests of REALTORS®, their families, consumers, and the entire real estate industry are protected in any federal action in response to COVID-19.
On December 21, Congress passed a COVID-relief package, which also included an Omnibus spending bill for FY21, and some tax extenders. Below is a summary of the major provisions of that bill impacting REALTORS®:
COVID-RELATED PROVISIONS
Unemployment Assistance
- Extends the maximum number of weeks individuals may receive unemployment benefits, from 39 weeks to 50 weeks.
- Extends all unemployment assistance, including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation from December 26, 2020- March 14, 2021.
- Limits payment of retroactive PUA benefits to weeks of unemployment after December 1, 2020, and PUA requests end on March 14, 2021.
- Eligible individuals may receive PUA benefits until April 5, 2021 as long as the individual has not reached his or her maximum number of weeks of unemployment.
- Extends Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) at $300 per week for 10 weeks. This provides supplemental unemployment benefits for individuals receiving PUA or regular unemployment compensation for weeks after December 26, 2020 until March 14, 2021.
- Extends Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) for a maximum of 24 weeks for eligible individuals.
- Phases out the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program and ends the program on April 5, 2021.
- Extends interest-free loans to states to keep their unemployment insurance trust funds running.
- Reimburses states at 50 percent for the first week of compensable regular unemployment benefits for states with no waiting period.
- Provides individuals seeking unemployment benefits with the right to appeal any state determination or redetermination regarding rights to PUA.
- Provides a repayment waiver for individuals who received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), but who were not entitled to receive PUA, if the PUA payment was the fault of the individual and repayment would be "contrary to equity or good conscience." State labor agencies must make all individual determinations regarding one's repayment or waiver status.
- Requires individuals to continue to re-certify weekly with the state that the individual's loss of income is due to a Covid-related reason or issue and the individual is unemployed for a such week.
- Adds additional program measures requiring individuals seeking unemployment to provide documentation of earnings and employment to state agencies as a mechanism for states to verify the identity of individuals seeking unemployment benefits.
- Imposes "return to work" reporting requirements for states to provide a way for employers to report when someone turns down a job and to notify claimants of the requirement to accept suitable work, unless there is a good cause for refusal.