Dealing with High Crime Areas

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Making Millville’s High-Crime Properties Safe

I hear it a lot: “Just get rid of Section 8.” Here’s the truth. The Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program is federally funded and administered by state/local agencies. The city can’t ban it, and under New Jersey law landlords can’t refuse someone just because they use a voucher.

What we can do—and will do—is crack down on criminal activity at any address, voucher or not. That means enforcing code and fire laws, using nuisance-property tools, working with landlords and the housing authority on lease violations, and protecting victims who call for help.

Who suffers most from violence and chaos? The good families living on those blocks—the folks who just want to work hard, raise their kids, and sleep through the night. A small number of offenders are hurting everyone else. My plan targets those individuals and the properties that enable them, so law-abiding residents across Millville can breathe easier and take their neighborhoods back.

The city has ALL of the legal authority to facilitate all of this. It takes effort and willpower to accomplish this. Please see the EXPANDED VERSION ON MY WEBSITE for all of the legal justifications.

1. Pinpoint the hot houses. Rank the worst addresses by verified crime + code/fire hits. No rumors. No politics.

2. Show up and clamp down. Inspect, warn, and set 30-day deadlines. PD + trespass affidavits = non-tenant troublemakers removed on the spot. Victims/911 callers protected.

3. Kick out the bad actors—by the book. When evidence meets legal grounds, owners must enforce the lease. Where appropriate, HUD allows Section 8 evictions for qualifying criminal activity (we follow 24 CFR 982.310 + VAWA protections). Guests who cause chaos get banned.

4. Harden the property. Lights on. Cameras on entries. Locks fixed. Trash gone. Hazards repaired. On-site manager if needed—short, firm deadlines.

5. Hit the wallet if they stall. Daily fines. City does the work and liens the property. Licenses on probation. Repeat offenders get constant inspections.

6. If it still won’t clean up—take control.Judge can appoint a custodian/receiver, push a special tax sale, or close/board/demo if unsafe.

Enough—Millville won’t be held hostage by a handful of criminals. This plan boots the bad actors, hardens the properties they abuse, and sends the bill to them—not you. Back it, and your block gets quiet again fast—and stays that way.

See the expanded version on my website with the complete legal roadmap that we can follow.

Step 1 — Identify and legally substantiate “nuisance properties” (NJ)

A. Anchor your municipal authority (what lets us act)

• General      police powers to protect health, safety, and welfare (ordinances      “necessary and proper”). FindlawJustia
• Abatement      & liens: Municipality may abate a nuisance/correct defects and      place a municipal lien for costs. JustiaFindlaw
• Receivers/custodians     for problem buildings when authorized by ordinance. JustiaFindlaw
• Unsafe/Unfit      buildings (State codes):
      • Uniform Construction Code (UCC)—unsafe structure notice, vacate      or demolish orders. Legal Information Institute
      • Uniform Fire Code (UFC)—imminent hazards & evacuation;      due-process notices; appeals. NJ.govJustiaLegal Information Institute
• Abandoned      Properties Rehabilitation Act (APRA): abandoned property lists,      special tax sales, and receivership/rehab tools. JustiaLegal Information Institute

B. What can count as a “nuisance property” (and what to avoid)

• Serious      code/fire conditions (imminent hazard, repeated UFC/UCC violations,      failure to correct). Document inspections, NOVs, re-inspections. NJ.govLegal Information Institute
• Criminal      nuisance conduct tied to the premises (e.g., maintaining a place for      unlawful activity) with evidence—not mere rumor. Use criminal      complaints/convictions where applicable. Justia+1
• APRA      criteria (vacant/abandoned definitions) if we’re leveraging      abandoned-property tools. Legal Information Institute

⚠️ Fair-housing guardrails (must follow):

• Do not     treat arrests alone (no conviction/evidence) as proof. HUD warns      that arrest-only policies and blanket criminal-history bans create FHA     risk; use individualized, documented facts. HUD ArchivesFederal Register
• Do      not penalize 911 calls or victims (domestic violence, stalking,      disability-related crises). HUD’s nuisance guidance + VAWA protections      apply; DOJ has enforced against “crime-free” schemes (Hesperia). HUD ArchiveseCFRDepartment of Justice
• Section      8 / source-of-income: NJ LAD bars discrimination based on      vouchers; our criteria must be voucher-neutral. NJ.govFindlaw

C. The documentation package (build a defensible record)

• Inspection      file: photos, UFC/UCC notices, time-stamped entries, compliance      windows, re-inspection results. (UFC/UCC specify notice & appeal      rights.) JustiaLegal Information Institute
• Police/public      safety file (if relevant): incident reports or criminal complaints      with underlying facts (not arrest lists). Tie conduct to the      property; note outcomes. (Avoid arrest-only metrics.) HUD Archives
• Property      status: APRA vacancy/abandonment factors where used. Legal Information Institute
• Ownership      & registration: confirm Landlord Registration Act     compliance (N.J.S.A. 46:8-27 et seq.). Non-registered owners are weaker      litigants. NJ.govJustia

D. Due process (bake in fairness from the start)

• Clear      notice citing the specific statute/reg (UFC 5:70-2.10) and appeal      path (UFC 5:70-2.19; UCC boards). JustiaLegal Information InstituteNJ.gov
• Opportunity      to cure with reasonable timelines (unless imminent hazard). NJ.gov
• Escalation      ladder: re-inspect → orders → municipal abatement & lien     under 40:48-2.12f/g if noncompliant. Justia+1

E. Output of Step 1 (what you’ll have in hand)

• A case      file for each address meeting criteria (inspection chronologies,      reports, photos, certified mailings, affidavits).
• A legal      memo/checklist tying each proposed action to: UFC/UCC sections      (for safety issues), 40:48-2.12f/g for abatement/liens, 2C:33-12/12.1     for criminal nuisance where charged, APRA if using      abandoned-property tools, and HUD/VAWA/LAD guardrails that were      applied. Legal Information Institute+1NJ.govJustia+3Justia+3Justia+3HUD ArchiveseCFRFindlaw

Step 2 — Abatement agreements + calibrated penalties (not “evict-or-be-fined”)

What you can require (safe + effective)

• Owner      Abatement Agreement tied to verified problems (from Step 1): security      lighting, cameras on entrances/exits, access control, trespass      authorization for police, repairs to cure code/fire hazards, on-site      management hours, and lawful lease enforcement where there’s      documented criminal activity. Fines should attach to failure to      implement these measures by deadline—not to whether a tenant is      evicted. This keeps us on the right side of HUD fair-housing guidance and      NJ law. HUD Archives
• Guest      control without evicting the whole household: use owner “no-trespass”      letters and have PD enforce New Jersey defiant trespass (2C:18-3)      against non-tenant troublemakers. Findlaw

What you cannot do (or must avoid)

• No      penalties for 911/EMS calls (DV, medical/mental-health, safety checks)      and don’t count arrests alone. HUD has flagged both as Fair Housing      Act risks; build explicit carve-outs. HUD Archives
• Don’t      condition fines on “you must evict.” The city can’t compel an eviction      outcome; you can only require reasonable, lawful abatement steps and cite      the owner if they don’t perform them. Pair that with separate      criminal/civil tools for the worst cases.

If the unit is voucher-assisted (Section 8/HCV)

Owner eviction authority exists—but must follow federal + NJ steps:

• Grounds.     An owner may terminate during the lease only for: serious or repeated      lease violations, violations of law related to the tenancy, or other good      cause (e.g., documented criminal activity that threatens health/safety). Nonpayment      by the PHA is not a ground. eCFR
• Criminal      activity standard. The owner may terminate for drug-related or      other threatening criminal activity even without an arrest or      conviction—but to reduce FHA risk, your program should still rely on documented,      verifiable conduct (police reports, founded charges, code/fire      records), not raw arrests. eCFR
• Notice      + PHA copy. The owner’s termination notice must state the grounds, and      the owner must send a copy to the PHA; eviction can only occur by      court action. eCFR
• VAWA      protections. Owners/PHAs cannot penalize victims of domestic      violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; lease bifurcation      and other protections apply. Bake this into your forms. eCFRLegal Information Institute

What the City should do: when Step-1 evidence shows qualifying conduct, package it for the owner and PHA (incident summaries, certified orders, photos). Your abatement agreement can say “owner must lawfully enforce the lease (up to and including filing in court) ifverified conduct meets federal/NJ standards,” but the fine triggers should be tied to missed abatement actions and ongoing code/fire noncompliance, not to the eviction result itself. HUD Archives

If the unit is not voucher-assisted (most private rentals in NJ)

Evictions are governed by NJ’s Anti-Eviction Act. You can point owners to specific “good cause” grounds that match your verified issues and expect them to act lawfully:

• Disorderly      conduct after “notice to cease.” (2A:18-61.1(b))
• Damage      to property. (2A:18-61.1(c))
• Substantial      lease or rules violations after “notice to cease.” (2A:18-61.1(d)–(e))
• Conviction-based      grounds (e.g., drug offenses on or near the premises) within      statutory time limits. (2A:18-61.1(n), (p)–(r))
• Notice      timing (e.g., three days for disorderly/damage) flows from 2A:18-61.2     and court guidance. Owners must serve required notice to cease and notice      to quit before filing. Justia Lawcityofjerseycity.com

Your SOP should say: we’ll flag the matching ground(s) for counsel, and we’ll expect owners to file only when the facts cleanly meet those grounds and notices have been served.

Penalty ladder that holds up

1. Warning      + abatement plan (30 days).
2. Administrative      fines for missed abatement tasks (not “failure to evict”).
3. Enhanced      inspections / license probation for rentals that don’t implement      measures.
4. City-performed      abatement + liens under municipal nuisance powers if hazards persist.
5. Receivership/custodian      or criminal-nuisance action for the worst actors. (These steps are      independent of a tenant’s voucher status and are anchored in code/fire and      nuisance authority.) Legal Information Institute

Guardrails to print right on your forms (one-liners)

• “Emergency-call      safe harbor.” Calls for police/EMS/medical/mental-health assistance,      including by or for DV/SA/stalking victims, do not count as      incidents and will never trigger adverse action. HUD Archives
• “Arrest-only      ban.” Arrests without underlying verified conduct don’t count.      We rely on documented facts. HUD Archives
• “Voucher      neutrality.” City actions are voucher-neutral; NJ LAD forbids      source-of-income discrimination (including HCV). NJ.gov
• “HCV      eviction protocol.” For HCV cases, owners must follow 24 CFR      982.310 (grounds, written notice, copy to PHA; court action only) and      honor VAWA protections in 24 CFR part 5, subpart L. eCFRLegal Information Institute

Step 3 — Enforcement track (lawful lease enforcement + court-ready files)

What triggers the eviction path (when appropriate)

• You’ve      documented verified conduct at/attributable to the unit (from Step      1) and the owner has an abatement agreement (Step 2) but problems      continue.
• From      here, owners pursue lawful grounds under NJ or HUD rules; you keep      city penalties tied to missed abatement tasks and ongoing code/fire      noncompliance.

If the unit is voucher-assisted (HCV/“Section 8”)

• Grounds      & procedure (24 CFR 982.310): Owner may terminate only for      serious/repeated lease violations, law violations related to the tenancy,      or other good cause; must give written notice and copy the PHA;      eviction is by court action only. eCFRLegal Information Institute
      • 24 CFR 982.310: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-IX/part-982/subpart-G/section-982.310
• VAWA      protections (24 CFR part 5, subpart L): Don’t penalize      survivors; allow lease bifurcation/emergency transfers; keep documentation      confidential. eCFRLegal Information Institute
      • VAWA subpart L:      https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-L

If the unit is not voucher-assisted (most private rentals)

• Good-cause      only under NJ Anti-Eviction Act (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1):      e.g., disorderly conduct after notice to cease, substantial      lease/rules violations after notice to cease, property damage,      certain conviction-based grounds. Pair with notice to quit/cease     rules in 2A:18-61.2. Justia LawNew Jersey Courts
      • Grounds (NJ DCA bulletin):      https://www.nj.gov/dca/codes/publications/pdf_lti/grnds_for_evicti_bulltin.pdf
      • Statute text (2A:18-61.1): https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-2a/section-2a-18-61-1/
      • NJ Courts overview (notices, process):      https://www.njcourts.gov/self-help/landlord-tenant

Guest control (when the problem is non-tenant people)

• Use      owner no-trespass authorization and enforce defiant trespass     (N.J.S.A. 2C:18-3) against non-tenant troublemakers—often cleaner      than whole-household eviction. NJSL Legislative Histories
      • Statute (PDF):      https://repo.njstatelib.org/bitstreams/67d8da96-b633-4271-96b6-ec14553a2ea3/download

Fair-housing guardrails you must keep in Step 3 (to avoid blowback)

• Don’t      count arrests alone; rely on documented conduct. Tri-County Suburban REALTORS®
      • HUD criminal-records guidance (2016):      https://tcsr.realtor/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Criminal-Records.pdf
• Don’t      penalize 911/EMS calls or victims (DV/SA/stalking,      medical/mental-health). HUD Archives
      • HUD nuisance/crime-free memo (2016): https://archives.hud.gov/news/2016/pr16-134-FinalNuisanceOrdGdnce.pdf
• Voucher      neutrality (NJ LAD): no policies that punish use of vouchers. Justia Law
      • NJ LAD (10:5-12):      https://codes.findlaw.com/nj/title-10-civil-rights/nj-st-sect-10-5-12/

What the city keeps doing in Step 3 (parallel track)

• Keep      enforcing UFC/UCC orders and timelines (imminent hazards; unsafe      structures). HUD Archives
      • UFC imminent hazard (5:70-2.16):      https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-jersey/N-J-A-C-5-70-2-16
• Use abatement      + lien authority (N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.12f) and, if needed, seek a custodian/receiver     (40:48-2.12g) for non-performing owners. NJ.gov
      • Liens (2.12f):      https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-40/section-40-48-2-12f/
      • Custodian (2.12g):      https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-40/section-40-48-2-12g/

Court-ready evidence package (give this to the owner/PH A or to their counsel)

• Timeline      of verified incidents, copies of UFC/UCC orders, inspection      notes/photos, police reports/complaints showing underlying conduct,      and proof of notices to cease/quit (for NJ AEA cases) or owner’s      notice + PHA copy (for HCV cases). New Jersey CourtseCFR

Step 4 — Disposition & long-term stabilization

A) Put chronic cases under a court-appointed custodian (receiver).
Adopt/trigger your local ordinance to ask the court to appoint a custodianto take charge, collect rents, make repairs, and bill costs back as a municipal lien under N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.12g. Justia LawFindlaw

B) Use the Abandoned Properties Rehabilitation Act (APRA) when it’s vacant/abandoned.

• Determine      “abandoned” (≥6 months not legally occupied + statutory conditions)      and place on the Abandoned Property List; then you can pursue      rehab/possession or special tax sale. N.J.S.A. 55:19-81     (definition), 55:19-55 (list/authority), 55:19-101 (special      tax sale). Justia Law+1NJSL Legislative Histories
• APRA      gives a structured path to transfer control to a responsible party or push      rehab under court supervision. Justia Law

C) If it’s truly unsafe, repair/close or demolish with lien.
When a building is unfit or unsafe, you can order repair, closure, or demolition and lien the costs under Title 40’s unfit-building powers (N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.3; 40:48-2.5/-2.5a). Use UCC/UFC findings to document the hazard. Justia Law+1

• UCC      (Unsafe structures): N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.32. Legal Information Institute
• UFC      (Imminent hazards): N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.16. Legal Information Institute

D) Recover every dollar (and change ownership incentives).
All city-performed abatement/board-up/repair costs attach as municipal liensunder 40:48-2.12f; unpaid liens position you for disposition through tax sale or APRA routes. Justia LawFindlaw

E) Stabilize the block so problems don’t rebound.

• Require      post-rehab security & CPTED fixes (lighting, access control,      cameras at entries) through the abatement agreement or as      certificate-of-occupancy conditions under your police powers (40:48-1,      -2). Justia Law+1
• Move      cooperative owners to a higher rental-license tier (fewer      inspections/lower fees); keep chronic actors on probation with      audits—again under 40:48-1, -2. Justia Law

Key links (for counsel and staff)

• Custodian/receiver:     40:48-2.12g — law.justia.com ✔ Justia Law
• Municipal      abate & lien: 40:48-2.12f — law.justia.com ✔ Justia Law
• APRA      (abandoned): 55:19-81 (definition), 55:19-55 (list), 55:19-101      (special tax sale) — law.justia.com / NJ legislature ✔ Justia Law+1NJSL Legislative Histories
• Unsafe/Imminent      hazard codes: UCC 5:23-2.32; UFC 5:70-2.16 — Cornell LII ✔ Legal Information Institute+1
• Unfit/unsafe      demolition authority: 40:48-2.3, -2.5/-2.5a — law.justia.com ✔ Justia Law+1
• General      police powers (to run your tiered licensing & CPTED conditions):     40:48-1, -2 — law.justia.com ✔ Justia Law+1

Step 5 — Oversight, transparency, and sustainment (12-month loop)

1) Publish + meet by the book.

• Run      a quarterly public scorecard (aggregated stats only) and handle records      under OPRA as amended (P.L. 2024, c.16); use the GRC’s updated      text/guide so your templates match the new rules. NJ.gov+1
• If a      board/commission is taking action (vs. staff-only case huddles), notice      and conduct meetings per the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA). NJ.govNew Jersey State Library

2) Civil-rights & fair-housing audit (at least annually).

• Check      outcomes for disparate impact under FHA (the 3-step standard in 24      CFR 100.500); adjust thresholds/definitions if any protected group is      being hit harder without a strong, necessary justification. eCFRLegal Information Institute
• Confirm      your nuisance program follows HUD’s 2016 guidance (don’t count      911/EMS calls; don’t rely on arrest-only data). HUD Archives
• Re-verify      VAWA protections are honored for survivors in HUD-assisted housing      (lease bifurcation, emergency transfers, confidentiality). eCFRLegal Information Institute
• Reaffirm      NJ LAD compliance, including source-of-lawful-income     (voucher) protection—keep everything voucher-neutral. NJ.gov

3) Annual training & SOP refresh.
Train police/code/fire/landlord-licensing staff and participating landlords on: (a) your carve-outs (DV/medical/mental-health calls), (b) “documented conduct, not arrests,” (c) HCV eviction rules/VAWA, and (d) OPRA/OPMA handling for case files. Point the materials to the HUD + CFR sources above. HUD ArchiveseCFR

4) Funding the work (so it’s not a paper tiger).
Use CDBG where eligible: code enforcement in deteriorating areas (24 CFR 570.202(c)) and clearance/demolition (24 CFR 570.201(d)). That can cover inspection salaries, legal proceedings for enforcement (not repairs), and unsafe-structure clearance. eCFR+1

5) Data governance & privacy.
Publish only aggregated, de-identified address stats; release underlying records through OPRA with required redactions (use the GRC’s updated materials). Keep case-conference huddles staff-level to avoid OPMA unless a public body is deliberating. NJ.gov

6) Annual ordinance tune-up.
With counsel, adjust point thresholds, incident definitions, and timelines using your audit results; reaffirm citations to UFC/UCC, nuisance-abatement/liens, and receivership so your authority chain is crystal clear. Tie these updates to a brief public memo citing the sources above. HUD ArchiveseCFR

General police power & abatement/liens

- https://codes.findlaw.com/nj/title-40-municipalities-and-counties/nj-st-sect-40-48-2/

- https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-40/section-40-48-2-12f/

- https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-40/section-40-48-2-12g/

Uniform Fire Code (UFC)

- https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-jersey/N-J-A-C-5-70-2-16

- https://regulations.justia.com/states/new-jersey/title-5/chapter-70/subchapter-2/section-5-70-2-10/

- https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-jersey/N-J-A-C-5-70-2-19

Uniform Construction Code (UCC)

- https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-jersey/N-J-A-C-5-23-2-32

- https://regulations.justia.com/states/new-jersey/title-5/chapter-23/subchapter-2/

APRA (Abandoned Properties)

- https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-55/section-55-19-98/

- https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-55/section-55-19-101/

Criminal nuisance statutes

- https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-2c/section-2c-33-12/

- https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-2c/section-2c-33-12-1/

Landlord registration (NJ)

- https://www.nj.gov/dca/codes/publications/pdf_lti/landlord_idnty_law.pdf

- https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-46/section-46-8-27/

Fair housing guardrails

- HUD nuisance/crime-free guidance (2016): https://archives.hud.gov/news/2016/pr16-134-FinalNuisanceOrdGdnce.pdf

- HUD criminal-records guidance (2016): https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/HUD_OGCGUIDAPPFHASTANDCR.PDF

- VAWA housing regs: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-L

- DOJ–Hesperia settlement (crime-free ordinance): https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-secures-landmark-agreement-city-and-police-department-ending-crime-free

- NJ LAD—source of lawful income: https://www.nj.gov/dca/home/discrimination.shtml ; https://codes.findlaw.com/nj/title-10-civil-rights/nj-st-sect-10-5-12/

Core municipal tools (New Jersey)

• Abate      & lien authority (lets the city order corrections, do the work if      ignored, and lien the property). Justia LawFindlaw
      https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-40/section-40-48-2-12f/
      https://codes.findlaw.com/nj/title-40-municipalities-and-counties/nj-st-sect-40-48-2-12f/
• Custodian/receiver      tool (court-proof way to take charge of chronic nuisances when an      owner won’t act). Justia LawFindlaw
      https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-40/section-40-48-2-12g/
      https://codes.findlaw.com/nj/title-40-municipalities-and-counties/nj-st-sect-40-48-2-12g.html
• Ordinance      penalties (caps & due process) — general penalty statute incl.      special rules for housing/zoning fines (30-day cure & hearing      before >$1,250). Use this to tie fines to missed abatement tasks     (lighting, cameras, access control, repairs), not eviction outcomes. Justia Law
      https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-40/section-40-49-5/
• Uniform      Fire Code (imminent hazards, evacuations, notices & appeals) —      anchors safety-driven abatement items and timelines. Legal Information InstituteJustia
      https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-jersey/N-J-A-C-5-70-2-16
      https://regulations.justia.com/states/new-jersey/title-5/chapter-70/subchapter-2/
• Uniform      Construction Code (unsafe structures; admin/enforcement) — backstops      orders to repair/secure. NJ.gov+1Justia
      https://www.nj.gov/dca/codes/codreg/pdf_regs/njac_5_23_2.pdf
      https://www.nj.gov/dca/codes/codreg/ucc.shtml
      https://regulations.justia.com/states/new-jersey/title-5/chapter-23/subchapter-2/

Tenant-facing guardrails you need on the face of your forms

• Fair      housing: don’t penalize 911/EMS calls; don’t use arrests alone; avoid      blanket “crime-free” mandates. HUD’s 2016 memo warns local      nuisance/“crime-free” schemes can violate the FHA and should have DV/SA      carve-outs. Use documented conduct, not arrest tallies. HUD Archives
      https://archives.hud.gov/news/2016/pr16-134-FinalNuisanceOrdGdnce.pdf
• Criminal      records & FHA (2016 OGC guidance + 2022 reminder). Arrest-only and      blanket conviction bans are high-risk; use individualized, evidence-based      assessments. NovocoHUD
      https://www.novoco.com/documents97930/hud_ogc_guide_fha_040416.pdf
      https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PIH/documents/pih2023-13.pdf
• DOJ      enforcement example (Hesperia). First DOJ resolution ending a      “crime-free rental” program; good citation when explaining why we don’t     fine landlords for not evicting. Department of Justice
      https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-secures-landmark-agreement-city-and-police-department-ending-crime-free
• NJ      Law Against Discrimination (LAD) — source of lawful income (incl.      vouchers) + limits on discriminatory municipal actions. Keep the      program voucher-neutral; no “Section 8 penalties.” NJ.govFindlawJustia Law
      https://www.nj.gov/oag/dcr/downloads/DCR-Model-Fair-Housing-Policy.pdf
      https://codes.findlaw.com/nj/title-10-civil-rights/nj-st-sect-10-5-12/
      https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-10/section-10-5-12-5/
• VAWA      housing protections (must not punish victims; emergency transfer plans).     Add explicit DV/SA/stalking safe harbor to your forms and SOP. eCFR+1
      https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-L
      https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-L/section-5.2005

How Step 2 interfaces with actual evictions (when appropriate)

• For      HCV (Section 8) units — owner rules to terminate tenancy (grounds; must      copy PHA; court action only). Your abatement plan can require      the owner to lawfully enforce the lease when Step-1 facts meet      these standards; your fines should be for non-performance of      abatement, not for failure to evict. eCFR
      https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-IX/part-982/subpart-G/section-982.310
• For      non-voucher units — NJ Anti-Eviction Act (good-cause grounds; notices      to cease/quit and timing). Use this to steer owners toward proper      filings only when facts/notice fit. Justia LawNJ.gov+1
      https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-2a/section-2a-18-61-1/
      https://www.nj.gov/dca/codes/publications/pdf_lti/evic_law.pdf
      https://www.nj.gov/dca/codes/publications/pdf_lti/grnds_for_evicti_bulltin.pdf

Practical guest control (without evicting the household)

• Defiant      trespass (use with owner “no-trespass” letters) to target non-tenant      troublemakers. Justia Law
      https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-2c/section-2c-18-3/

What these citations let you do (cleanly)

• Write      Owner Abatement Agreements that require: lighting/cameras, access      control, trespass authorization, property management hours, code/fire      corrections, and lawful lease enforcement when verified      conduct meets state/federal standards. Fines attach to missed abatement      milestones (and ongoing UFC/UCC noncompliance), not to eviction      outcomes. Justia Law+2Justia Law+2Legal Information InstituteNJ.gov
• Bake      in safe harbors: emergency-call immunity and DV/SA protections      (VAWA), no arrest-only metrics, voucher neutrality (NJ LAD). These are      straight from HUD/DOJ/NJ sources above. HUD ArchiveseCFR+1NJ.gov