TRENTON — A proposal to reform affordable housing rules in New Jersey is on the drawing board — again. Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) withdrew proposed affordable housing legislation today that Gov. Chris Christie conditionally vetoed, and vowed to introduce a new bill that draws on the best ideas from the Assembly, Senate and governor. "I’m going to try to...
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N.J. Sen. Ray Lesniak introduces a new affordable housing reform bill.TRENTON — A proposal to reform affordable housing rules in New Jersey is on the drawing board — again.
Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) withdrew proposed affordable housing legislation today that Gov. Chris Christie conditionally vetoed, and vowed to introduce a new bill that draws on the best ideas from the Assembly, Senate and governor.
"I’m going to try to bridge the gap between the houses and the governor and I’ll be able to do it," Lesniak said.
The legislation passed the Senate in June, and was modified significantly before passing the Assembly in January. Christie sent the bill back to the legislature on Jan. 24, saying the original version of the bill was "clearly superior."
In its original form, the bill required 10 percent of new construction in towns be affordable. The new measure changed the provision to 10 percent of all housing, which Christie said put a "disproportionately heavy burden" on towns currently below the 10 percent mark.
Lesniak would not provide details about the new proposal, which he expects to introduce next Monday, except that it would still abolish the Council on Affordable Housing. Christie said today he will consider the measure if it mirrors the original legislation, which easily passed the Senate.
"Then the Assembly studied it for the better part of six or seven months and came back with a special interest-laden bill that was going to require the building of thousands of new units of housing in towns all across New Jersey," Christie said. "I’m not doing that."
Michael Cerra, senior legislative analyst for the New Jersey League of Municipalities, said the League had serious reservations about the bill that reached the governor’s desk, and hopes the new version does not increase obligations on towns, ensures towns are protected from litigation, and includes adequate funding for municipalities.
"It’s good news that the legislature is going to take another run at this," Cerra said.
