Overview
In New Jersey, tenants cannot raise the conditions of their home during an eviction proceeding unless they can deposit all of the money their landlord claims they owe to the court. For renters with limited financial resources, this requirement limits the legal defenses available to them when asserting their rights in court- even if they are living in deplorable conditions. The Healthy Homes Initiative seeks to change this. By combining a revolving bond fund, legal services, social services, and research, the Initiative is a multi-disciplinary project intended to reduce the inequities driven by this practice.
The Healthy Homes Initiative is a joint venture of the Center for Justice Innovation, Rutgers Law School Housing Justice and Tenant Solidarity Clinic (Newark), Rutgers Law School Housing Advocacy Clinic (Camden), the Camden Coalition, and Make the Road New Jersey.