NJ governor freezes affordable housing council

Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday took a step toward revamping the way the state mandates affordable housing by freezing all activities of a state board until a task force he created can review the agency.

Christie had promised during his election campaign last year that he would offer mayors relief from the mandates ordered by the Council on Affordable Housing.

On Tuesday, he created the five-member task force, led by Marcia Karrow, a former Republican legislator from Hunterdon County, that will examine the council and recommend reforms within 90 days.

“Effectively, COAH has been shut down,” Christie said in announcing the task force.

Courts have found towns have an obligation to provide homes for lower-income people, and the council was formed to implement those rulings. But many towns have been reluctant to build the cheaper units, saying that requiring affordable housing is a prime example of a court meddling in social engineering.

Earlier rules required municipalities to approve a unit of affordable housing for every eight market-rate homes that were built, and an affordable home for every 25 jobs created. That number changed to require one out of every five new housing units.

Mayors in many towns say the council’s oversight has slowed and, in some cases, prevented them from building affordable housing.

If towns don’t file plans that meet the state requirements, they can be sued by land developers. When builders win in court, they get the right to put up homes at a higher density than otherwise would be allowed.

“In short, the message to municipalities in New Jersey is that their COAH nightmare is over,” the governor said. “”We’re going to make sure development gets places back into the hands of local municipalities to make these kind of decisions.”

Specifically, Christie’s task force will consider the best means for determining a municipality’s housing obligation. It will also consider ways to incorporate disabled and work-force housing, as well as redevelopment of existing housing units, in the obligation formula.

Read more at APP

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