“Area median income” means the median income by household size for an applicable county as determined by the department. “Assistance” means cash payments for unpaid rent provided to the landlord by any federal, State, county, or local rental assistance program, including, but not limited to, payments ultimately provided to a landlord through an application submitted by a tenant through the Eviction Prevention Program, as established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2021, c.188 (C. 52:27D-287.10).

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Community Affairs.

“Covered period” means the period beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending on August 31, 2021.

“COVID-19 pandemic” means the outbreak of COVID-19 throughout the world, recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020.

“Credit reporting agency” means any consumer reporting agency as that term is defined by the federal “Fair Credit Reporting Act,” 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq., which shall include any agencies which specialize in tenant screening or rental history reporting.

“Deep subsidy” means a rental housing subsidy which limits the tenant’s share of the monthly rent to a percentage of the tenant’s income, and which can be adjusted to maintain that percentage should the tenant’s income change.

“Department” means the Department of Community Affairs.

“Household income” means the lower of the following numbers: (1) the combined income of all household members over the twelve months immediately preceding an application for assistance or protection, or (2) the combined income of all household members in the three months immediately preceding an application for assistance or protection, annualized by multiplying the combined income by a factor of four.

“Low-income household” means a household with a total current annual household income equal to 50 percent or less of the area median income for a household of the same size and composition.

“Middle-income household” means a household with a total current gross annual household income of 80 percent or more than, but less than 120 percent of, the area median income for a household of the same size and composition.

“Moderate-income household” means a household with a total current gross annual household income in excess of 50 percent but less than 80 percent of the area median income for a household of the same size and composition.

“Shallow subsidy” means a rental housing subsidy that limits the tenant’s share of the rent to a percentage of the tenant’s income, provided however, that the subsidy shall be capped at a fixed amount.

“Very low-income household” means a household with a total current annual household income less than or equal to 30 percent of the area median income for a household of the same size and composition.

L.2021, c.188, s.2.