Various Titles, CSC Docket No. 2026-1324

BackgroundThe Department of Community Affairs (DCA) requests that various titles be reallocated to the noncompetitive division of the career service on an interim basis to facilitate the hiring of staff in its Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Office, Office of Homelessness Prevention (OHP).

As background, DCA and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) have agreed to transfer the functions and responsibilities of the HMIS from the NJHMFA to the oversight of the DCA’s OHP. This transfer will consolidate services, information, and data collection practices under the State’s central authority on homelessness prevention.

DCA explains that the transfer is authorized by P.L. 2019, c. 73, which also authorized the establishment of the OHP. The statute requires that the OHP “collect, maintain and make available” comprehensive data on people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. In order to facilitate that, it requires that the OHP have access to all information in the HMIS and also authorizes the transfer of HMIS “including any personnel charged with administering and maintaining the [HMIS]” to the OHP. DCA has determined that this transfer is now necessary to enable the OHP to fully comply with its statutory requirements regarding the collection, maintenance, analysis, and publication of data regarding homelessness, as well as the design and implementation of programs addressing homelessness. DCA asserts that this transfer is necessary to properly support and effectively manage the State’s services for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Locating the data collection functions of the Statewide homelessness services system within DCA will enable DCA to greatly enhance efficiency at a time when demands for services are ever greater and federal supports are waning. OHP’s far-reaching guidance on Statewide policy and services is the natural home of the HMIS. OHP provides grant funding or oversight to many of the HMIS system users. These established relationships will enable OHP to incorporate and modernize historical HMIS services. DCA can bring the HMIS data collection practices to the necessary modern and sophisticated levels required by a State that is a leading light in practices and policies supporting people that are homeless.

The transfer of the HMIS Office involves seven positions. Four positions are currently vacant and three are encumbered by current NJHMFA staff. These positions have already been reviewed by the Division of Agency Services (Agency Services), and it was determined that the proposed titles, noted below, appropriately align with the organizational structure and assigned responsibilities of the positions. Accordingly, the DCA has proposed the following titles for the encumbered and vacant positions:

Encumbered Positions

• Catherine Brewster, Program Support Specialist 3, Assistance Programs

• Cinthia Gonzalez, Contract Administrator 2

• Jaclyn Robinson, Technical Assistant 3

Vacant Positions

• Administrative Analyst 4, Information Systems

• Information Technology Specialist

• Administrative Analyst 2, Information Systems

• Technical Assistant 2

To effectuate permanent appointments, DCA seeks to apply the provisions of N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(c). Agency Services advises that there are no current open competitive, promotional, regular reemployment, or special reemployment lists for the requested titles at the DCA. Further, a review of the current incumbents’ qualifications was conducted, and it was determined that each of the current employees meets the requirements of the employee’s respective title. Based on this information, and in light of the mission-critical nature of the HMIS Office transfer, Agency Services recommends that the listed competitive titles be designated noncompetitive on an interim basis.

Agency Services advises that the affected negotiations representatives were notified concerning the subject request and afforded an opportunity to submit comments. There were no comments received.

CONCLUSION

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(a) provides that the Civil Service Commission (Commission) shall allocate and reallocate career service titles between the competitive and noncompetitive divisions.

N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(c) provides that a job title may be placed in the noncompetitive division on an ongoing or interim basis when it is determined by the Commission that it is appropriate to make permanent appointments to the title and one or more of the following criteria are met:

1. Competitive testing is not practicable due to the nature of the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the job;

Analysis2. Certification procedures based on ranked eligible lists have not or are not likely to meet the needs of appointing authorities due to such factors as salary, geographic location, recruitment problems and working conditions; or

3. There is a need for immediate appointments arising from a new legislative program or major agency reorganization.

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(e) provides, in pertinent part, that prior to any reallocation from the competitive to noncompetitive division, whether on an ongoing or interim basis, an administrative review shall be conducted and notice of the proposed reallocation shall be sent to affected appointing authorities and negotiations representatives. The notice shall designate the period of time, which in no event shall be less than 20 days, during which written comment may be submitted, and may provide for a public hearing.

AnalysisBased on the foregoing, ample reasons exist to reallocate the requested titles to the noncompetitive division on an interim basis based on N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(c)3. In this regard, DCA has a mission-critical need to staff its HMIS Office in response to recent legislative mandates. Additionally, N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(g) provides that if a title is designated noncompetitive on an interim basis, at the end of the interim noncompetitive period, which shall be no greater than one year, the job title shall be redesignated as competitive. Individuals appointed during the interim noncompetitive period shall, upon successful completion of their working test periods, attain permanent status in the competitive division.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that the request for interim noncompetitive designations for the requested titles in the Homeless Management Information

System Office be granted. These designations will be effective from December 27, 2025 and end one year later. At the end of this period, the subject titles will be returned to the competitive division of the career service.

ClosingThis is the final administrative determination in this matter. Any further review should be pursued in a judicial forum.