§ 52:27D-517 — Definitions relative to housing for certain veterans.

2. As used in this act: "Director" means the Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs. "Disability" means the same as that term is defined pursuant to section 3 of the "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990," 42 U.S.C. s.12102. "Division" means the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs. "Eligible veteran" means a veteran who is low-income or has a disability, or both. "Energy efficient features or equipment" means features or equipment within a primary residence that help to reduce the amount of electricity used to heat, cool, or ventilate the residence, including but not limited to insulation, weatherstripping, air sealing, repaired heating systems, or duct sealing. "Family member" means a spouse, child, parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin, grandparent, grandchild, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, stepbrother, stepsister, half-brother, or half-sister, whether the individual is related by blood, marriage, or adoption. "Homeless veteran" means a veteran who is living outside, or in a building not meant for human habitation or which the veteran has no legal right to occupy, in an emergency shelter, or in a temporary housing program which may include a transitional and supportive housing program if habitation time limits exist, or temporarily in the home of another household, or in a motel. "Low-income veteran" means a veteran occupying a household with a gross household income equal to 50 percent or less of the median gross household income for households of the same size, and within the same housing region, as defined by subsection b. of section 4 of P.L.1985, c.222 (C.52:27D-304). "Primary residence" means a dwelling unit that is owned by the eligible veteran or by a family member of the eligible veteran, and occupied by the eligible veteran as his or her principal residence. "Qualified organization" means a nonprofit veterans' organization that qualifies as a section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) tax exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code. "Rehabilitation" means the repair, renovation, alteration, or reconstruction of any building or structure. "Veteran" means any resident of the State now or hereafter who has been discharged honorably or under general honorable conditions in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard of this State or another state as defined in section 1 of P.L.1963, c.109 (C.38A:1-1), or any honorably discharged member of the American Merchant Marine who served during World War II and is declared by the United States Department of Defense to be eligible for federal veterans' benefits. L.2017, c.258, s.2; amended 2019, c.500, s.12; 2023, c.302, s.1.