Bill > A1813

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a simple, understandable requirement and formula to be used to calculate a municipality's need for low and moderate income housing. Under the bill, a municipality's fair share housing obligation shall be deemed satisfied if at least 20 percent of the housing in the municipality is occupied by low and moderate income individuals or families and units of disabled housing. The calculation of the percentage of housing stock occupied by low-and moderate-income individuals or families would be determined through the following equation: the total number of households in a municipality earning most recent affordable housing regional income limits established by the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing, or its successor, plus the number of disabled bedroom units in the municipality, divided by the total number of households in the municipality, multiplied by 100. Under the bill, housing units occupied by low and moderate income senior citizen households may constitute up to 60 percent of low-and moderate-income housing stock in a municipality for the purposes of complying with affordable housing requirements. The bill also amends the local redevelopment housing law to encourage the development of communities that meet the needs of persons of low and moderate income who are senior citizens. The current state of affordable housing in New Jersey creates a multitude of unknowns for municipalities throughout the State. The administrative process to address these matters has faltered after years of political strife. This bill would take a realistic, rational, and holistic approach to determining the need for affordable units in each municipality. The result of this bill would be the increased availability of low and moderate income housing in regions where the need is greatest, and would provide clear guidance for municipalities and the courts.

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Erik Peterson (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Housing Committee (on 01/14/2020)