I am facing eviction in Camden County, NJ

(Request from John in Pine Hill, New Jersey) Hi i am facing eviction any day now i am 2 months behind on my rent and i have no one to help me and my new born daughter who is 3 months old. Please tell me i can get help. I don’t know hat to do i have until tomorrow to pay the rent.

Dear John,

Congratulations on your new daughter. I’m sure you have come to realize the challenges of providing for a family, with everything being more expensive than before. Let’s examine what can be done prior to an eviction to see if there are alternative arrangements that can be made.

Eviction Process in New Jersey

The first question is whether you received a Notice to Cease or a Notice to Quit. There are some rules regarding proper notice by a landlord to a tenant that an eviction lawsuit will be pursued. The law is murky on this one, and it may depend on whether you have been habitually late or if this is the first time.

The eviction process in New Jersey must be followed by a landlord or else you may have additional rights as a tenant.

Help with Back Rent

Perhaps getting assistance with your 2 months of late rent could help you avoid an eviction. Programs vary by locale, but there are state funds that are distributed to local organizations that may be able to assist with late rent payments.

DHSC

The Diocesan Housing Services Corporation (DHSC) is a related charity of the Catholic Church Diocese of Camden. This organization provides affordable housing to Camden County tenants who need help with a long-term living situation.

Understand that this is completely different from the usual public housing projects that are administered by the County. Instead, the organization builds and renovates existing housing for the purpose of allowing occupation of these units by families who cannot afford to pay the usual market rental rates.

Being a couple of months late on rent may be cured with a cash grant, but it will not make your future rent any more affordable. If you anticipate that you will continue to struggle to make your rent payments, then perhaps you need to consider an alternative living situation that may include cheaper rent.

DHSC creates these affordable housing units which feature lower monthly rental rates. Additionally, the organization focuses on an “affordable luxury” standard, meaning that it would be appropriate for a working family with children. You may find that this offers an excellent alternative to barely getting by.

To see if DHSC has any vacancies that may meet your needs, call 856-342-4125.

Other Programs

There are additional programs in Camden County that may be able to help with rent. We recently worked with another tenant in Pennsauken who was looking for assistance, and we were able to provide a few resources that are available that serve Camden County.

Finally, always include the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey in Camden County in your list of resources. The United Way provides direct grant funding to local organizations that provide rental assistance grants and case management services. The easiest way to gain access is to dial 211. They can connect you through referrals to the agencies that can help you avoid eviction in Camden County, or to move on to a better opportunity than your current rental situation.