Bill > A772

Introduced Session

This bill creates the "Sustainable Tiny Home Pilot Program" as a three-year pilot program to combat climate change and reduce the State's carbon footprint through the construction of small, environmentally friendly homes. This bill requires the Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency in the Department of Community Affairs to select municipalities in three regions of the State to participate in the pilot program. The executive director must also manage the pilot program to award grants to builders for the construction of housing developments consisting of homes having no greater than 300 square feet of interior floor space. The executive director, in consultation with the Commissioner of Community Affairs and the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, must adopt green building standards for tiny home dwelling units for the purposes of determining eligibility for a grant under the pilot program. Under the bill, any tiny home dwelling unit constructed in accordance with this pilot program would be considered a permitted use in all residential districts of a pilot municipality. This bill appropriates $5 million from the general fund, of which the executive director would distribute $1.65 million during each of the three years the pilot program is in operation to qualified builders for the construction of housing developments consisting of tiny homes. The executive director would be required to submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature detailing the pilot program's progress in decreasing the State's carbon footprint and combating global warming. The climate change caused by rising global temperatures will likely continue to decrease the size of polar ice sheets and land-based glaciers, causing sea levels to rise and contributing to enhanced coastal erosion, coastal flooding, and the loss of coastal habitats and species. It is estimated that anywhere from 25 to 40 percent of the national solid waste stream is construction-related waste and only 20 percent of construction waste or demolition debris is actually recycled. The pollution associated with an average house is significant, totaling on average 28,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually. By contrast, a tiny home only generates approximately 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually. This pilot program would help address climate change by providing environmentally friendly housing options for the State's residents.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

David Bailey (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Housing Committee (on 01/13/2026)

Official Document