Montclair May Cut Affordable Housing Quota In Half

Montclair officials may be preparing to cut the municipality’s affordable housing requirements for developers in half.

During the Planning Board meeting on Monday, Planning Director Janice Talley reported that the township’s Economic Development Committee is suggesting that Montclair reduce the amount of required affordable housing from 20 percent to 10 percent.

Montclair’s Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance currently requires that multi-family dwellings with over five units must have 20 percent of the units classify as low or moderate income housing.

Talley said that the proposed new quota would include the stipulation that 10 percent of the units must be “workforce housing” for households making 80 to 100 percent of the area’s median income.

In Montclair, this means that workforce housing would be available to a single person earning $46,000 to $64,100, and a five-person household earning $71,000 to $98,000.

New Jersey’s Fair Share Housing Center stated that Montclair’s affordable housing need will come out to about 1,000 units by 2025, NorthJersey.com reported.

There are currently about 600 affordable units in town, according to the Montclair Housing Commission.

Pictured above: Residences At Montclair, a mixed-use building on Pine Street that has 17 affordable housing units.

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