Gloucester Township Council Takes Steps On Affordable Housing

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ - Gloucester Township Council passed a series of proposed ordinances on introduction that impact its affordable housing obligations. In a settlement reached last year with the Fair Share Housing Council, the township’s obligation was set as follows, with a 2025 deadline:

Rehabilitation Share: the township needs to build 135 units;
Prior Round Obligation: the township needs to build 359 units; and
Third Round Prospective Need: the township needs to build 1,014 units.

The number of required affordable housing units in municipalities statewide has been in dispute, and often in litigation, since 1999. In 2015, authority concerning setting affordable housing requirements for municipalities throughout the state fell on the courts.

The Fair Share Housing Center, a public interest group established in 1975 to monitor, enforce and expand guidelines for affordable housing requirements, has been working with townships on obligation settlements since the Council On Affordable Housing (COAH) faded from existence.

This is the third round of affordable housing requirements that have been issued since two court decisions in the 1970s established that municipalities must have an affordable housing aspect to their master plans.

Two proposals passed at the April 8 meeting dealt with changing references to COAH to references to Fair Share Housing; and making sure the township’s collection of affordable housing fees and procedures of law were in compliance with Fair Share Housing.

Council also approved a proposal on introduction that paves the way for 150 affordable units for veterans at the Camden County Lakeland Comlex as part of its plan to satisfy its obligations.

It also passed a proposed ordinance on introduction to establish 481 new residential units, including 100 low- and moderate-income units, in the Blackwood West Redevelopment area.

The public hearings and final votes on all these proposed ordinances are scheduled for the township council meeting on Monday night, April 22.

At the April 8 meeting, Council President Orlando Mercado reminded residents that those who qualify for affordable housing include disabled vets, senior citizens, college students, bus drivers and anyone else who is struggling for one reason or another.

He said affordable housing carries a negative connotation, and there’s an unfounded perception that affordable housing shouldn’t be part of the community.

Thirteen percent of the units to be added are required to be very low-income, according to the agreement. This includes 13 units in Blackwood West and 13 percent of the Lakeland units.

According to the agreement and the settlement, the township will fulfill its obligations as follows:
Prior Round Need, 359 units:
Quail Ridge: 40 existing family rental units;
Revere Run: 37 existing family for-sale units;
Brittany Woods: 29 existing family rental units;
Valley Stream: 8 existing for-sale units
Revere Run III: 79 municipally-sponsored existing family rental units;
Gloucester Township Housing Authority Senior Campus I: 75 existing senior rental units; and
Multiple Sclerosis Association of America: 2 of 24 existing units with surplus carried over to Round 3.

The total number of units is 270, with 89 bonus credits to satisfy the 359 unit designation.

Third Round Prospective Needs, 1,014 units:
Franklin Square Senior Village: 224 senior rental units;
Scenic Falls: 99 family rental units;
Multiple Sclerosis Association of America: 22 remaining existing units from Round 2;
1495 Chews Landing Road: 11 inclusionary apartments, including 1 very-low income unit; and
Market to Affordable Program: 154 units.

With the Blackwood West Redevelopment plan and the Lakeland Complex plan, the total number of units is 760, plus 254 bonus credits for a total of 1,014.

There are multiple types of bonus credits that a township can apply. For example, rental housing is in demand, so a 10-unit affordable housing apartment complex actually could count as 20 units toward a municipality's obligation.

The Market to Affordable Program will include apartments in large rental developments, and the use of abandoned homes. According to township officials, 159 rehabilitated homes are under consideration to be used for affordable housing.

Half these homes must be available by July 1, 2020, with the rest becoming available by July 1, 2024. Twenty-two must be family-rental and be available by the 2020 date.

The Gloucester Township Housing Authority will oversee the Market to Affordable Program, and 13 percent of those units will be very low-income.

A compliance hearing is set for May 29.