STATEWIDE — The Christie administration on Wednesday announced that the reorganization plan to abolish the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) was completed as part of an affordable housing reform effort. Affordable housing responsibilities have been transferred to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA).
COAH attempts to interpret court rulings about housing laws that towns build certain numbers of affordable units for every new market-rate unit.
Some towns, including Secaucus, have felt that certain formulas unfairly pushed them to build more units than necessary.
“The governor and I believe every person in New Jersey is entitled to a safe and decent place to live, but that housing and land use decisions should be made locally,” said DCA Commissioner Lori Grifa in the announcement. “The transfer of the functions of COAH to the DCA will enable that; and, we believe, will reduce the bureaucratic log-jam and frustration that has chilled housing development for the last few years. The Department of Community Affairs will work with municipalities on affordable housing, not against them.”