{"id":1935,"date":"2024-03-20T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/?p=1935"},"modified":"2024-08-06T23:04:47","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T23:04:47","slug":"gov-murphy-signs-historic-affordable-housing-bill-into-law","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/press-release\/gov-murphy-signs-historic-affordable-housing-bill-into-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Gov. Murphy Signs Historic Affordable Housing Bill Into Law"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/strong>
<\/strong>March 20, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact: <\/strong>Jag Davies (786) 393-8100, comms@fairsharehousing.org
<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gov. Murphy Signs Historic Affordable Housing Bill Into Law<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Law Ensures New Jersey Will Have One of the Strongest Affordable Housing Frameworks in the U.S.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRENTON \u2013 This morning, Governor Murphy signed landmark legislation<\/a> (Bill S50\/A4) to set a course for future enforcement of the Mount Laurel Doctrine<\/a>, the state\u2019s constitutional requirement for every town to provide its fair share of affordable housing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The State Senate passed the bill<\/a> on Monday, following its passage<\/a> by the Assembly last month. The legislation\u2019s primary sponsors were State Senator Troy Singleton and Senate President Nicholas Scutari, as well as State Assemblymembers Yvonne Lopez, Speaker Craig Coughlin, Benjie Wimberly, and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new law will streamline the affordable housing development process for everyone involved by codifying the methodology used to determine affordable housing obligations \u2014 thus reducing judicial involvement and legal costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to current enforcement of the Mount Laurel Doctrine by the New Jersey judiciary, the state is developing more affordable housing than ever before<\/a>. Since 2015, when the New Jersey Supreme Court reinvigorated the Doctrine after decades of political obstruction, New Jersey\u2019s annual affordable housing production has nearly doubled \u2014 providing housing to more than 50,000 people over the last eight years. But New Jersey still faces a significant gap in affordable homes \u2014 an estimated shortage<\/a> of more than 230,000 homes, with 14 prospective renters for each vacant home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mount Laurel Doctrine was established through a series of watershed New Jersey Supreme Court decisions beginning in 1975 due to litigation brought by the Southern Burlington County and Camden County branches of the NAACP. Affordable housing obligations are based on population changes and growth in a region each decade. The current round of affordable housing obligations go through 2025, at which point the Fourth Round of obligations will begin, which will now be governed by this new law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis new law ensures that New Jersey will have one of the strongest frameworks in the U.S. to require affordable homes in historically exclusionary communities,\u201d said Adam Gordon, Executive Director of Fair Share Housing Center<\/strong>. \u201cThis will help tear down the walls that have denied too many in our state access to opportunity and create new affordable homes near jobs, schools, and transportation. We commend Governor Murphy and the legislative sponsors \u2014 Chairs Singleton and Lopez, Speaker Coughlin, and Senate President Scutari. This new law implementing the Mount Laurel Doctrine \u2014 requiring every municipality to provide fair housing opportunities \u2014 is a useful blueprint for beginning to address the nationwide housing crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abThis new law, which builds on New Jersey’s historic Mount Laurel <\/em>decisions, makes it clear that every town needs to provide housing for every socio-economic group in New Jersey,\u00bb said Frank Argote-Freyre, Board Chair of the Fair Share Housing Center<\/strong>. \u00abThe working men and women whom we rely on to keep our society functioning deserve nothing less. The person who mows the lawn has as much right to live in town as the person whose lawn is being mowed.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abThis legislation ensures that New Jersey will have one of the strongest affordable housing frameworks in the country. It’s an important step toward addressing the denial of equal access to opportunity that has plagued our state for decades,\u00bb said Eric Dobson,<\/strong> President of the United Black Agenda<\/strong>. \u00abFor Black residents, our state\u2019s unprecedented housing affordability crisis is compounded by the historical impacts of residential segregation. The Mount Laurel Doctrine has helped achieve greater economic and racial integration across New Jersey, but we still have a long way to go.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abThis new law puts New Jersey on a path toward historic gains in affordable housing production over the next decade,\u201d said Anita Wemple, <\/strong>President & CEO, Community Planning and Advocacy Council.<\/strong> \u201cBy codifying what has worked from the current court enforcement process, this legislation safeguards affordable housing for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abThis legislation is a milestone for New Jersey and brings stability to one of the most important constitutional and human rights \u2014 the right to a safe, healthy, and affordable place to call home,\u00bb said Bishop Fred Rubin, pastor at Community Refuge Church in Manalapan, NJ.<\/strong> \u00abThis new law is good news for the hard-working members of my congregation who are struggling to afford a roof over their heads.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abAs human beings, no matter our faith tradition or walk-of-life, we have the moral obligation to love and care for each other because at the core of everything we are all the same and need the same things: food to nourish our bodies and warm, safe shelter to protect our families,\u201d said Charlene Walker, Executive Director of Faith in New Jersey<\/strong>. \u201cThere shouldn’t be uncertainty around either of these things. We applaud the Senate for voting in favor of this housing bill so that New Jerseyans are able to access the most basic and precious of needs.\u00bb <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abAffordable deed restrictions are a cornerstone in building generational wealth through homeownership, providing equitable access to housing opportunities and laying the foundation for economic stability across generations,\u201d said Lori Leonard, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of South Central New Jersey<\/strong>. \u201cBy abolishing COAH, there lies an opportunity to revise deed restriction language to allow for flexible terms based on funding source and amount. Fairer, more equitable terms ensure housing affordability while accommodating changing circumstances and preferences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abThank you to Gov. Murphy and his Administration for continuing to prioritize housing stability, security and affordability for NJ\u2019s working families and most vulnerable neighbors. We are grateful to Senate President Scutari, Assembly Speaker Coughlin, Senator Singleton, Assemblywoman Lopez and all the legislators who championed this bill to help HouseNJ,\u201d said  Staci Berger, president and chief executive officer of the Housing and Community Development Network of NJ<\/strong>. \u201cOur network includes over 275 members dedicated to the belief that housing is a human right and passage of this bill allows us to continue working towards making NJ a place everyone can afford to call home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abThis legislation will help provide a lot more clarity and transparency in the affordable housing development process,\u00bb said Javier Robles, President of the Latino Action Network. <\/strong>\u00abSkyrocketing housing costs are making it extremely difficult for many hard-working people and vulnerable communities \u2014 including seniors, people with disabilities, and caregivers \u2014 to keep a roof over their heads. This legislation will help ensure access to affordable, accessible, and livable homes, which not only improve the lives of residents but also benefit society.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abOver the course of New Jersey\u2019s history, fair housing policies have been integral in making our state more inclusive,\u00bb said Jesselly de la Cruz, Executive Director of the Latino Action Network Foundation. <\/strong>\u00abIt is encouraging that residents, advocates and policymakers from across our state are joining forces to break down racial and economic exclusion by strengthening the Mount Laurel Doctrine.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis legislation positions New Jersey to create opportunities for every household in the state to thrive by creating a clear process to ensure all municipalities create their fair share of affordable housing,\u201d said Taiisa Kelly, CEO of Monarch Housing Associates<\/strong>.  \u201cWe at Monarch believe Housing is a Human Right and this legislation sets the stage to ensure every New Jersey resident has access to the housing they so critically need, in every community across the state, regardless of race or socioeconomic status.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abThis new law will create much-needed access to housing in the middle of a historic housing crisis. It will help overcome the deep segregation that has plagued our state for decades,\u00bb said Richard Smith, President of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference.<\/strong> \u00abI particularly want to thank lawmakers for adding stronger deed restrictions to this legislation, which will protect the affordability of newly-built homes for decades to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want to thank Governor Murphy for signing the affordable housing packages bill into law today,\u201d said Dena Mottola Jaborska, Executive Director for New Jersey Citizen Action. <\/strong>\u201cThis legislation will strengthen the implementation of the Mount Laurel Doctrine and help ensure that New Jersey municipalities create their fair share of affordable housing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abDomestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness for women and their children,\u201d said Cierra Hart, Director of Housing and Economic Justice at the NJ Coalition to End Domestic Violence. \u201c<\/strong>Affordable housing serves as a catalyst for breaking the cycle of violence and abuse. It offers survivors the stability necessary to access crucial support services \u2014 therapeutic interventions, legal aid, counseling \u2014 that are indispensable in their journey to recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abWe’d like to thank our legislative leaders for helping to make housing more accessible and affordable in New Jersey and our state more racially and economically integrated,\u201d said Peter Kasabach, Executive Director at New Jersey Future<\/strong>. \u201cWith a streamlined and predictable process, towns will now be able to focus their energies on better local planning that leads to more mixed-use, mixed-income communities, where people have greater access to opportunities and can drive less and live more.\u00bb <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abExpanding access to affordable housing will go a long way toward desegregating the state and creating stronger, healthier communities across New Jersey,\u00bb said Nicole Rodriguez, President of New Jersey Policy Perspective.<\/strong> \u00abThis legislation will not only help families in need of an affordable home, but also local governments so they have a clearer picture of their fair share obligation and a more efficient process to get new units built. We call on all lawmakers to stand with us in support of this critical measure, ensuring that we leave behind a legacy of progress and prosperity for generations to come.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday is a historic moment for equity in New Jersey as Speaker Coughlin’s landmark housing bill heads to Governor Murphy’s desk,\u201d said Antoinette Miles, state director, New Jersey Working Families Party<\/strong>. \u201cWe applaud the advocates and legislators who have worked so hard to tackle exclusion and ensure the creation of thousands of homes for working families near good schools and jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abThe Supportive Housing Association applauds the passage and signing of the Affordable Housing Bill A4\/S50 into law,\u201d said Diane Riley, Executive Director of the Supportive Housing Association (SHA)<\/strong>. \u201cWith this critical legislation New Jersey continues to lead the nation in ensuring that all people, no matter their abilities or needs, can find a home they can afford in communities throughout the state. SHA encourages the Governor and legislature to continue their vital work on housing, establishing an enduring foundation of affordability where individuals and families with special needs can thrive.\u00bb <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key provisions in the new law include:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Streamlined Process<\/strong> \u2013 The Department of Community Affairs will provide initial guidance numbers for affordable housing obligations. A new Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program would provide mediation opportunities to municipalities to address concerns with the obligations and process. This includes clear timelines for each phase of the Mount Laurel <\/em>certification process, including identification of the affordable housing obligation, adoption of a fair share plan, and adoption of final municipal zoning ordinances and related actions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Codification of Affordable Housing Obligation Methodology<\/strong> \u2013 Inclusion of a statewide method for each municipality to calculate their respective affordable housing obligation for the fourth round and beyond, based on the \u201cJacobson Methodology\u201d adopted in 2018 that represented a middle ground between advocates and municipal positions. Codifying the methodology would allow municipalities to more effectively and efficiently determine their obligation without prolonged judicial involvement, while reducing legal costs associated with the affordable housing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increased Transparency <\/strong>\u2013 <\/strong>Requires more transparent information to be shared with the public at each stage of the process, from adoption of initial plans to what is built and what trust funds are available to non-profit developers to create and rehabilitate affordable housing. Includes regulatory updates on how affordable homes are built and occupied and how trust funds are expended that have not been updated in nearly 20 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repeal of the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH)<\/strong> \u2013 Removes COAH from statute. COAH became a defunct agency that failed to meet its mandate. As such, its removal will allow affordable housing to progress in New Jersey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Regional Contribution Agreements \u2013 <\/strong>Maintains the ban on wealthy towns paying out of their obligations and requires every town to do its fair share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

###<\/em>
Fair Share Housing Center<\/em><\/a> is a nonprofit advocacy organization that uses legal, policy, and community-building strategies to dismantle decades of racial and economic discrimination in New Jersey and nationally that excludes people from the opportunity to live in safe, healthy, and affordable housing.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 20, 2024 Contact: Jag Davies (786) 393-8100, comms@fairsharehousing.org Gov. Murphy Signs Historic Affordable Housing Bill Into Law New Law Ensures New Jersey Will Have One of the Strongest Affordable Housing Frameworks in the U.S. TRENTON \u2013 This morning, Governor Murphy signed landmark legislation (Bill S50\/A4) to set a course for future enforcement […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":1941,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1935","press-release","type-press-release","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-releases"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/1935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-release"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/1935\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}