HUDSON COUNTY — Various local lawmakers have been weighing the odds of a proposed state bill to change the way affordable housing is managed and mandated in New Jersey. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, more than 100 organizations demanded yesterday that lawmakers reject the proposal.
For our prior articles on this measure in the Secaucus Reporter and other papers, click the links below.
Today’s story notes: “Proponents of a controversial bill expected to win approval by the state Senate on Thursday say it will simplify New Jersey’s complex and unpopular rules on how towns provide affordable housing. Yet opposition has been mounting since the first version of the bill was introduced by Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D., Union) in January, and on Wednesday more than 100 organizations called for lawmakers to abandon the plan. Critics say the proposal directs low-cost housing away from areas near employment hubs that most need it, while inviting sprawl to rural areas. The measure would abolish the Council on Affordable Housing, which enforces municipal affordable-housing quotas. It was created by the legislature 25 years ago in response to Supreme Court rulings that towns had a constitutional obligation to provide low- and moderate-income housing. Developers, government officials, and housing advocates have been fighting over how best to achieve that ever since.”