TRENTON — A state appeals court told Gov. Chris Christie’s administration they have to come out with new rules for affordable housing obligations by March 8. The court also said the council, which is under the Department of Community Affairs, to submit progress reports on the new rules every two weeks until then, starting on Friday, Jan. 28. In...
Lori Grifa, Commissioner, NJ Department of Community Affairs, testifies during a Assembly Housing and Local Governance Committee hearing at the Statehouse in November.TRENTON — A state appeals court told Gov. Chris Christie’s administration they have to come out with new rules for affordable housing obligations by March 8.
The court also said the council, which is under the Department of Community Affairs, to submit progress reports on the new rules every two weeks until then, starting on Friday, Jan. 28.
In October, the court struck down a large portion of the state’s “third round” affordable housing rules that dictate towns’ obligations to provide low and moderate income housing, and gave the state five months to write new regulations.
The council has not begun developing the regulations and said they would not meet the March 8 deadline because they are seeking a stay of the requirement from the state Supreme Court while several groups appeal parts of the October decision.“The mere pendency of a motion for a stay to the Supreme Court does not provide justification for COAH’s failure to comply with this court’s order,” wrote judge Jose L. Fuentes in the order, which was written Friday but received and released by the Fair Share Housing Center – an affordable housing advocacy group – this morning
"New Jersey can't afford the Christie Administration's foot-dragging on this critical issue," said Kevin Walsh, associate director of the center. "Thousands of working families, people with special needs, and lower-income seniors and New Jersey's business community are anxiously awaiting sound and constitutional regulations."
Depending on how the first progress report looks, the court will decide whether to appoint a special master to oversee the agency.
The Legislature last week passed a bill that would eliminate the Council on Affordable Housing and sets new benchmarks for the state’s affordable housing policy, but Gov. Chris Christie is opposed to several of its provisions.