Hopatcong Trying to Meet Affordable Housing Goals

Hopatcong is in the "workshop phase" of planning how to meet the obligations established by the Council on Affordable Housing, borough planner Paul Gleitz said.

Gleitz outlined potential solutions at the Planning Board's meeting Tuesday at borough hall. The board will eventually make up a draft to be presented to COAH in September.           

According to the New Jersey League of Municipalities, between 1987 and 1999, COAH calculated affordable housing obligations for the 566 municipalities in New Jersey using a formula of projected population, economic and employment growth according to land availability, employment growth and income of residents in each municipality.

Hopatcong's Growth Share Obligation—calculated based on actual and anticipated municipality growth from 2004 to 2018—is 22 units. Its Prior Round Obligation—residual obligation from 1987 to 1999— is 93 units, and its Rehabilitation Obligation—the number of low- and moderate-income housing that requires rehabilitation—is 33 units.

"We're doing our best to meet the obligations with existing units," Gleitz said.

Possible solutions include 100 percent affordable housing projects partnered with nonprofit developers, such as 24 senior rental homes on property donated by the municipality on Bell Avenue, 10 accessory apartments and 30 family rental units in other locations.

"I just personally think the accessory units are a good idea," Mayor Sylvia Petillo said.           

Other options include working with nonprofit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity to get closer to the COAH calculations. According to Gleitz's research, 13 sites are available for construction.

Gleitz said excess credit is built into these plans in order to assure obligations are met over the next eight years.

"Are these COAH plans easy? No…But my plan is to spread these requirements over a number of projects," he said.

Though board members voiced concern over certain components of the plan, many praised Gleitz for his work.           

"We've got to be out of the box to make this work…I think the COAH plan is really outstanding," councilman Michael Francis said.

Gleitz will discuss the COAH plan again Wednesday at the Mayor and Council Meeting at the 7:30 p.m. at borough hall.