Affordable housing obligation
All New Jersey municipalities are required to determine their fair share of the regional need for affordable housing. The Borough of Somerville accepted the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs recommended present need obligation of 103 units and prospective need obligation of 74 units.
Timeline
| March 2024 | Governor Murphy signed into law Bill A4/S50, which amends the New Jersey Fair Housing Act |
| October 2024 | New Jersey Department of Community Affairs published an estimate of the fair share affordable housing obligations for all municipalities |
| November 2024 | We formed an Affordable Housing Plan committee to review vacant land (as determined by the DCA) and draft the Fair Share Housing Plan. The team meets weekly to review data. |
| January 31, 2025 | Deadline to adopt a resolution that establishes the municipality's fair share of the regional need for affordable housing.  Every municipality must file a court action (lawsuit) for the court to review the plan. |
| February 28, 2025 | Deadline for objections to the adopted resolution |
| May 28, 2025 | Planning Board draft plan presentation and public hearing |
| June 16, 2025 | Borough Council scheduled to endorse plan and adopt development fee ordinance |
| June 18, 2025 | We will file the plan to the courts and DCA (deadline is June 30, 2025) |
| January 2026 | DCA scheduled to accept plan (after a challenge period) |
| July 1, 2026 | Plan becomes effective and 10-year period begins |
Documents
| Resolution 25-0121-039 | Resolution adopting the present need and prospective need for the fourth round of affordable housing obligations. The resolution was unanimously approved by the Borough Council at a January 21, 2025 meeting. |
| Declaratory Judgement Action | The Borough's Declaratory Judgment action was filed on January 23, 2025. |