A3101

An Act addressing chronic homelessness by providing for the establishment of coordinated State and local programs, amending P.L.1995, c.244 and N.J.S.2A:17-34, and supplementing P.L.1984, c.180 (C.52:27D-280 et seq.)

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. (New section) This act shall be known and may be cited as the “County Homelessness Trust Fund Act.”

2. (New section) The Legislature finds and declares:

a. Despite laudable efforts by all levels of government, private individuals, nonprofit organizations, and charitable foundations to end homelessness, the number of homeless persons in New Jersey is unacceptably high. The State’s homeless population, furthermore, includes a large number of families with children, youth, and employed persons.

b. Fiscal and social costs of homelessness are high for both the public and private sectors and declares that ending homelessness should be a joint goal for State and local government.

c. A myriad of factors contribute to homelessness, including a shortage of affordable housing; a shortage of jobs that pay wages and benefits sufficient to support a family; high property taxes which undermine housing affordability; a lack of an accessible and affordable health care system available to all who suffer from physical and mental illnesses and chemical and alcohol dependency; domestic violence; and a lack of education and job skills necessary to acquire adequate wage jobs in the economy of the twenty-first century.

d. The creation of county homelessness trust funds in counties that have completed and endorsed a plan to end homelessness will provide some of the additional funds necessary to move homeless or formerly homeless individuals toward the goal of permanent affordable housing and self-sufficiency.

3. (New section)As used in this act:

“Community action agency” means a nonprofit, private, or public organization contracted by a county board of social services or the State of New Jersey.

“County homeless housing grant program” means the vehicle by which competitive grants are awarded by the governing body of the county, utilizing moneys from the homeless housing account, for activities directly related to housing homeless individuals and families, preventing homelessness, and other efforts directly related to permanently housing homeless persons, as administered by the local government or its designated subcontractor.

“County Homelessness Trust Fund Task Force” means the voluntary local committee created to advise a local government on the creation of a local homeless housing plan and participate in a local homeless housing program. It shall include a representative of the county, representatives from each of the three municipalities in the county with the largest populations of homeless people, representatives from the organization responsible for developing, implementing, or both, the local plan to end homelessness, at least three homeless or formerly homeless persons, and three representatives of local private or nonprofit organizations with experiencing in assisting the homeless or providing low-income housing.

“Department” means the Department of Community Affairs, unless otherwise designated.

“Director” means the Director of the Division of Housing in the Department of Community Affairs.

“Homeless person” means an individual living outside, or in a building not meant for human habitation or in which the person 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.

“Housing authority” means any of the public corporations created pursuant to section 17 of P.L.1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-17).

“Housing continuum” means the progression of individuals along a housing-focused scale with homelessness at one end and home ownership at the other.

“Homeless housing plan” means the 10-year plan developed by a local government to address housing for homeless persons that includes measurable and achievable objectives to end homelessness in that community and has been approved by the governing body of the county or municipality.

“Homeless housing strategic plan” means the 10-year plan developed by the department, in consultation with the Department of Health and Senior Services, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Human Services.

“New Jersey homeless census” means an annual Statewide census, conducted as a collaborative effort by municipalities, counties, community based organizations, and State agencies, with the technical support and coordination of the department to count and collect data on all homeless individuals in New Jersey.

“Local government” means a county or municipal government.

“Outcome measurement” means the process of comparing specific measures of success against ultimate and interim goals.

4. (New section) a. The department shall coordinate and administer a program to count and collect data on all homeless individuals in New Jersey, in conjunction with all counties and municipalities, as well as community-based State agencies, and shall publish the results of the census within 180 days of the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

b. Six months after the first New Jersey census, as required by subsection a. of this section the department, in consultation with the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Health and Senior Services, and the Department of Human Services, shall prepare and publish a 10-year homeless housing strategic plan, which shall outline Statewide goals and performance measures for homeless persons and homeless families with children. To guide local governments in the preparation of a local homeless housing plan, the department shall issue temporary guidelines consistent with P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and include the best available data on each local government’s homeless population. A local government’s 10-year homeless housing plan shall not be substantially inconsistent with the goals and program recommendations of the temporary guidelines and, when promulgated, the homeless housing strategic plan.

c. In consultation with the Council on Affordable Housing, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Health and Senior Services, and the Department of Human Services, the department shall prepare, and from time-to-time amend, a five-year housing advisory plan. The purpose of the plan is to document the need for affordable housing for all residents in this State, but in particular the homeless or near homeless, and the extent to which that need is being met through public and private sector programs, to facilitate planning to meet the affordable housing needs of the State and to enable the development of sound strategies and programs for affordable housing. The information in the five-year housing advisory plan shall include:

(1) an assessment of the State’s housing market trends;

(2) an assessment of the housing needs for all economic segments of the State and special needs populations;

(3) an inventory of the supply and geographic distribution of affordable housing made available through public and private sector programs;

(4) a status report on the degree of progress made by the public and private sectors toward meeting the housing needs of the State;

(5) an identification of State and local regulatory barriers to affordable housing and proposed regulatory and administrative techniques designed to remove barriers to the development and placement of affordable housing; and

(6) specific recommendations, policies, or proposals for meeting the affordable housing needs, and in particular the housing needs of the homeless or near homeless of the State.

The five-year housing advisory plan required under this subsection shall be prepared and submitted to the Governor and the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing Affordability, or its successor, on or before the first day of the seventh month next following the enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and subsequent plans shall be submitted every five years thereafter.

d. Each July 1st, beginning July 1, 2009, the department shall submit an annual progress report to the Legislature detailing the extent to which the State’s affordable housing needs, as determined under P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), were met during the preceding year and recommendations for meeting those needs.

e. Program outcomes, and performance measures and goals, shall be created by the department and reflected in the department’s homeless housing strategic plan as well as interim goals against which the performance of the State and local governments may be measured, including:

(1) by the end of year one, completion of the first New Jersey homeless census required by this section.

(2) by the end of each subsequent year, goals, common to all local programs which are measureable and the achievement of which would move that community toward housing its homeless population; and

(3) a reduction of the homeless population Statewide and in each county by 50 percent by July 1, 2019.

f. The department shall submit annually to the Governor and to the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing Affordability, or its successor, an assessment of the State’s performance in furthering the goals of the State’s 10-year homeless housing strategic plan and the performance of each participating local government in creating and executing a local homeless housing plan which meets the requirements of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). The annual report may contain the following performance measures:

(1) the reduction in the number of homeless individuals and families from the initial count of homeless persons;

(2) the number of new units available and affordable for homeless families by housing type;

(3) the number of homeless individuals identified who are not offered suitable housing within 30 days of their request or identification as homeless;

(4) the number of households at risk of losing housing which is maintained only due to a preventative intervention;

(5) the transition time from homelessness to permanent housing;

(6) the cost per person housed at each level of the housing continuum;

(7) the ability to successfully collect data and report performance;

(8) the extent of collaboration and coordination among public bodies as well as community stakeholders, and the level of community support and participation;

(9) the quality and safety of housing provided; and

(10) the effectiveness of outreach to homeless persons, and their satisfaction with the program.

g. Based on the performance of local homeless housing programs in meeting their interim goals, general population changes, and changes in the homeless population recorded in the annual New Jersey homeless census, the department may revise the performance measures and goals of the State homeless housing strategic plan, set goals for years following the initial 10-year period, and recommend changes in any local government’s plan.

5. (New section) A local government may adopt a 10-year homeless housing plan to the address housing needs of homeless persons within its jurisdiction, which shall be in accordance with the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). The plan shall include provisions for establishing a trust fund for the purposes of receiving funds pursuant to P.L. ,c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and shall evidence a strategic local scheme to identify and address the needs of the homeless within the jurisdiction, including strategies to reduce the need for emergency room care, hospital care, law enforcement, foster care, and other social services associated with the homeless and homelessness.

6. Section 12 of P.L.1995, c.244 (C.2A:50-64) is amended to read as follows:

12. a. With respect to the sale of a mortgaged premises under foreclosure action, each sheriff in this State shall provide for, but not be limited to, the following uniform procedures:

(1) Bidding in the name of the assignee of the foreclosing plaintiff.

(2) That adjournment of the sale of the foreclosed property shall be in accordance with N.J.S.2A:17-36.

(3) (a) The sheriff shall schedule a sale date within 120 days of the sheriff's receipt of any writ of execution issued by the court in any foreclosure proceeding.

(b) If it becomes apparent that the sheriff cannot comply with the provisions of subparagraph (a) of this paragraph (3), the foreclosing plaintiff may apply to the office for an order appointing a Special Master to hold the foreclosure sale.

(c) Upon the foreclosing plaintiff making such application to the office, the office shall issue the appropriate order appointing a Special Master to hold the foreclosure sale.

(4) That the successful bidder at the sheriff's sale shall pay a 20 percent deposit in either cash or by a certified or cashier's check, made payable to the sheriff of the county in which the sale is conducted, immediately upon the conclusion of the foreclosure sale. If the successful bidder cannot satisfy this requirement, the bidder shall be in default and the sheriff shall immediately void the sale and proceed further with the resale of the premises without the necessity of adjourning the sale, without renotification of any party to the foreclosure and without the republication of any sales notice. Upon such resale, the defaulting bidder shall be liable to the foreclosing plaintiff for any additional costs incurred by such default including, but not limited to, any difference between the amount bid by the defaulting bidder and the amount generated for the foreclosing plaintiff at the resale. In the event the plaintiff is the successful bidder at the resale, the plaintiff shall provide a credit for the fair market value of the property foreclosed. A surcharge equal to five percent of the sale amount due shall be charged to each successful bidder for each foreclosed property that is sold, which shall be in addition to any other charge allowed by law. The county treasurer shall deposit the surcharges collected pursuant to this paragraph into a fund that shall be used by the county to accomplish the purposes of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). This fund shall be known as the “County Homelessness Trust Fund.” Any redemption permitted by law following a sheriff’s sale shall result in the return of the surcharge to the successful bidder.

(5) It is permissible, upon consent of the sheriff conducting the sheriff's sale, that it shall not be necessary for an attorney or representative of the person who initiated the foreclosure to be present physically at the sheriff's sale to make a bid. A letter containing bidding instructions may be sent to the sheriff in lieu of an appearance.

(6) That each sheriff's office shall use a deed which shall be in substantially the following form:

THIS INDENTURE,

made this ..................... (date) day of ..................... (month), ........... (year). Between ................................ (name), Sheriff of the County of ................. (name) in the State of New Jersey, party of the first part and .................................................... (name(s)) party of the second part, witnesseth.

WHEREAS, on the ...................... (date) day of ......................... (month), ....... (year), a certain Writ of Execution was issued out of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division- .................... (name) County, Docket No. directed and delivered to the Sheriff of the said County of .................. (name) and which said Writ is in the words or to the effect following that is to say:

THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY to the Sheriff of the County of .................. (name),

Greeting:

WHEREAS, on the ................. (date) day of ............. (month), ............... (year), by a certain judgment made in our Superior Court of New Jersey, in a certain cause therein pending, wherein the PLAINTIFF is:

...................................................................

and the following named parties are the DEFENDANTS:

...................................................................

IT WAS ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that certain mortgaged premises, with the appurtenances in the Complaint, and Amendment to Complaint, if any, in the said cause particularly set forth and described, that is to say: The mortgaged premises are described as set forth upon the RIDER ANNEXED HERETO AND MADE A PART HEREOF.

BEING KNOWN AS Tax Lot ........ (number) in Block ......... (number) COMMONLY KNOWN AS (street address) ....................... .

TOGETHER, with all and singular the rights, liberties, privileges, hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining, and the reversion and remainders, rents, issues and profits thereof, and also all the estate, right, title, interest, use, property, claim and demand of the said defendants of, in, to and out of the same, to be sold, to pay and satisfy in the first place unto the plaintiff,

...................................................................

the sum of $ ......... (amount) being the principal, interest and advances secured by a certain mortgage dated ............... (date, month, year) and given by ........................ (name) together with lawful interest from

...................................................................

until the same be paid and satisfied and also the costs of the aforesaid plaintiff with interest thereon.

AND for that purpose a Writ of Execution should issue, directed to the Sheriff of the County of .............. (name) commanding him to make sale as aforesaid; and that the surplus money arising from such sale, if any there be, should be brought into our said Court, as by the judgment remaining as of record in our said Superior Court of New Jersey, at Trenton, doth and more fully appear; and whereas, the costs and Attorney's fees of the said plaintiff have been duly taxed at the following sum: $ ............. (amount)

THEREFORE, you are hereby commanded that you cause to be made of the premises aforesaid, by selling so much of the same as may be needful and necessary for the purpose, the said sum of $......... (amount) and the same you do pay to the said plaintiff together with contract and lawful interest thereon as aforesaid, and the sum aforesaid of costs with interest thereon.

And that you have the surplus money, if any there be, before our said Superior Court of New Jersey, aforesaid at Trenton, within 30 days after pursuant to R.4:59-1(a), to abide the further Order of the said Court, according to judgment aforesaid, and you are to make return at the time and place aforesaid, by certificate under your hand, of the manner in which you have executed this our Writ, together with this Writ, and if no sale, this Writ shall be returnable within 12 months.

WITNESS, the Honorable ........... (name), Judge of the Superior Court at Trenton, aforesaid, the ........... (date) day of ............. (month), ...... (year).

/s/ ........... (Clerk)

Superior Court of New Jersey

/s/.............................

Attorney for Plaintiff

As by the record of said Writ of Execution in the Office of the Superior Court of New Jersey, at Trenton, in Book ............ (number) of Executions, Page ........ (number) etc., may more fully appear.

AND WHEREAS I, the said .......................... (name), as such Sheriff as aforesaid did in due form of law, before making such sale give notice of the time and place of such sale by public advertisement signed by myself, and set up in my office in the .......................... (name) Building in .................. (name) County, being the County in which said real estate is situate and also set up at the premises to be sold at least three weeks next before the time appointed for such sale.

I also caused such notice to be published four times in two newspapers designated by me and printed and published in the said County, the County wherein the real estate sold is situate, the same being designated for the publication by the Laws of this State, and circulating in the neighborhood of said real estate, at least once a week during four consecutive calendar weeks. One of such newspapers, ......................... (name of newspaper) is a newspaper with circulation in ................. (name of town), the County seat of said ................. (name) County. The first publication was at least twenty-one days prior and the last publication not more than eight days prior to the time appointed for the sale of such real estate, and by virtue of the said Writ of Execution, I did offer for sale said land and premises at public vendue at the County ................ (name) Building in ...................... (name of town) on the ............... (date) day of ........................, .... (month) (year) at the hour of ............. (time) in the ......... (a.m. or p.m.).

WHEREUPON the said party of the second part bidding therefore for the same, the sum of $................ (amount) and no other person bidding as much I did then and there openly and publicly in due form of law between the hours of ............... (time) and ................ (time) in the ........ (a.m. or p.m.), strike off and sell tracts or parcels of land and premises for the sum of $ ................ (amount) to the said party of the second part being then and there the highest bidder for same. And on the ............ (date) of ................. (month) in the year last aforesaid I did truly report the said sale to the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division and no objection to the said sale having been made, and by Assignment of Bid filed with the Sheriff of .................. (name) County said bidder assigned its bid to:

...................................................................

NOW, THEREFORE, This Indenture witnesseth, that I, the said .................. (name), as such Sheriff as aforesaid under and by the virtue of the said Writ of Execution and in execution of the power and trust in me reposed and also for and in consideration of the said sum of $ ............... (amount) therefrom acquit, exonerate and forever discharge to the said party of the second part, its successors and assigns, all and singular the said tract or parcel of lands and premises, with the appurtenances, privileges, and hereditaments thereunto belonging or in any way appertaining; to have and hold the same, unto the said party of the second part, its successors and assigns to its and their only proper use, benefit, and behoof forever, in as full, ample and beneficial manner as by virtue of said Writ of Execution I may, can or ought to convey the same.

And, I, the said ................ (name), do hereby covenant, promise and agree, to and with the said party of the second part, its successors and assigns, that I have not, as such Sheriff as aforesaid, done or caused, suffered or procured to be done any act, matter or thing whereby the said premises, or any part thereof, with the appurtenances, are or may be charged or encumbered in estate, title or otherwise.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I the said ..................... (name) as such Sheriff as aforesaid, have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year aforesaid.

Signed, sealed and delivered

in the presence of

.................................. ..............................

Attorney at Law of New Jersey ...........(name) Sheriff

STATE OF NEW JERSEY) SS.

.......(county )

I, ............... (name), Sheriff, of the County of ............... (name), do solemnly swear that the real estate described in this deed made to

...................................................................

was by me sold by virtue of a good and subsisting execution (or as the case may be) as is therein recited, that the money ordered to be made has not been to my knowledge or belief paid or satisfied, that the time and place of the same of said real estate were by me duly advertised as required by law, and that the same was cried off and sold to a bona fide purchaser for the best price that could be obtained and the true consideration for this conveyance as set forth in the deed is $ ........................ (amount).

..................................

......... (name), Sheriff

Sworn before me, ................. (name), on this .......... (date) day of .................. (month), ......... (year), and I having examined the deed above mentioned do approve the same and order it to be recorded as a good and sufficient conveyance of the real estate therein described.

STATE OF NEW JERSEY) ss. ........................

.......... (Name) County) Attorney or Notary Public

On this ................... (date) day of ................. (month), ........ (year), before me, the subscriber, ........................ (name) personally appeared ...................... (name), Sheriff of the County of ................ (name) aforesaid, who is, I am satisfied, the grantor in the within Indenture named, and I having first made known to him the contents thereof, he did thereupon acknowledge that he signed, sealed and delivered the same on his voluntary act and deed, for the uses and purposes therein expressed.

.............................

Attorney or Notary Public

b. At the conclusion of the sheriff's sale, the attorney for the plaintiff may prepare and deliver to the sheriff a deed in the form provided pursuant to paragraph (5) of subsection a. of this section for the sheriff's execution and the deed shall be delivered to the sheriff within 10 days of the date of the sale. The sheriff shall be entitled to the authorized fee, as a review fee, even if the plaintiff's attorney prepares the deed.

c. The sheriff's office shall, within two weeks of the date of the sale, deliver a fully executed deed to the successful bidder at the sale provided that the bidder pays the balance of the monies due to the Sheriff by either cash or certified or cashier's check. In the event a bid is satisfied after the expiration and additional interest is collected from the successful bidder, the sheriff shall remit to the plaintiff the total amount, less any fees, costs and commissions due the sheriff, along with the additional interest.

(cf: P.L.1995, c.244, s.12)

7. N.J.S.2A:17-34 is amended to read as follows:

2A:17-34. All advertisements for the sale of real estate by virtue of executions issued out of any court of this state shall state the approximate amount of the judgment or order sought to be satisfied by the sale. When practicable, the advertisements shall state the street numbers of the real estate to be sold. Advertisements shall also state that a surcharge will be applied to the winning bid price of foreclosed properties for deposit into the County Homelessness Trust Fund as required by section 6 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill.

(cf: N.J.S.2A:17-34)

8. (New section) a. Amounts raised by the surcharge imposed pursuant to section 6 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be deposited into a “County Homelessness Trust Fund” to be created by the county and shall be used exclusively for the purposes authorized by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). Any interest or other income earned on monies deposited into the county trust fund shall be credited to the fund to be used for the same purposes as the principal. A county may deposit other funds into the County Homelessness Trust Fund, as it may, from time to time, deem appropriate.

b. No monies in the trust shall be utilized to pay or discharge the principal or interest on any indebtedness incurred for any purpose by the trust or any other governmental entity.

9. (New section) a. Each county shall utilize its County Homelessness Trust Fund for the operation of a homeless housing grant program. This program is established in order to provide:

(1) for the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of housing projects or units within housing projects that supply permanent affordable housing for homeless persons or families, including those at risk of homelessness;

(2) rental assistance vouchers, including tenant and project based subsidies, for affordable housing projects or units within housing projects that provide permanent affordable housing for homeless persons or families, including those at risk of homelessness;

(3) supportive services as may be required by homeless individuals or families in order to obtain or maintain, or both, permanent affordable housing; and

(4) prevention services for at risk homeless individuals or families so that they can obtain and maintain permanent affordable housing.

b. Grants awarded by the governing body of the county shall be used to support projects that:

(1) measurably reduce homelessness;

(2) demonstrate government cost savings over time;

(3) employ evidence-based models;

(4) can be replicated in other counties;

(5) include an outcome measurement component;

(6) are consistent with the local homeless housing plan; or

(7) fund the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation projects that will serve homeless individuals or families for a period of at least 30 years or the equal to the longest term of affordability required by other funding sources.

10. (New section) A county may collaborate with any other county that has established a County Homeless Trust Fund to provide joint funding for projects permitted under P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

11. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill creates a State plan to address homelessness and permits local governments to create homeless prevention trust funds and establish programs to address homelessness.

The Legislature recognizes the need for the State to play a primary role in coordinating, supporting, and monitoring the needs of the homeless. The purpose of this bill is to provide a clear assignment of responsibilities and a clear statement of achievable and quantifiable goals for the homeless population, accomplished through systematic data collection on the homeless population in New Jersey, in conjunction with a partnership between the State and local governments to count homeless persons and assist them in finding housing.

Under the bill, the Department of Community Affairs is required, in consultation with the Department of Children and Families, Department of Corrections, Department of Health and Senior Services, and the Department of Human Services, to prepare and publish a ten-year homeless housing strategic plan which will outline Statewide goals and performance measures for homeless measures and for homeless families with children. Local governments may prepare a ten-year homeless housing plan, which may not be substantially inconsistent with the goals and program recommendations of temporary guidelines of the State, and, when promulgated and adopted, with the State strategic plan.

The department is also to prepare, and amend from time-to-time, a five-year housing advisory plan. The purpose of the plan is to document the need for affordable housing for all citizens of the State who do not have such housing, and the extent to which that need is being met through public and private sector programs, to facilitate planning to meet the affordable housing needs of the State’s homeless or near homeless population. The information in the five-year housing advisory plan must include:

-an assessment of the State’s housing market trends;

-an assessment of the housing needs for all economic segments of the State and special needs populations;

-an inventory of the supply and geographic distribution of affordable housing units made available through public and private sector programs.

-a status report on the degree of progress made by the public and private sector toward meeting the housing needs of the State;

-an identification of State and local regulatory barriers to affordable housing and proposed regulatory and administrative techniques designed to remove barriers to the development and placement of affordable housing; and

-specific recommendations, policies, or proposals for meeting the affordable housing needs of the State.

The five-year housing advisory plan is to be prepared and submitted to the Governor and the Joint Committee on Housing Affordability, and subsequent plans must be submitted every five-years thereafter.

The State and local goal, set by the bill, is to reduce homelessness by 50 percent within a ten-year period.

This bill requires counties to establish a “County Homeless Trust Fund.” Monies in the trust fund will be raised through a dedicated surcharge equal to five percent of the amount paid by a successful bidder on the purchase of a foreclosed property. If the owner of the property at the time it was placed in foreclosure redeems the mortgage, the surcharge will be returned to the successful bidder.

The purpose of the trust fund is to support projects that supply permanent affordable housing, rental assistance vouchers, supportive services, and prevention services for homeless individuals and families, including those at risk of homelessness. Grants will be awarded by the governing body in each county and shall be used to support projects that measurably reduce homelessness, demonstrate cost savings over time, utilize outcome measurement and can be replicated in other counties.