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 endorsed plan and adopted 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.
Development Fee

Ordinance 2764-25-0505

This ordinance was adopted by the Borough Council at a June 2, 2025 meeting to establish an Affordable Housing Development Fee and Trust Fund. This ordinance applies to 2 and 3-family developments.
Quick sheet This 1-pager (double-sided) summarizes the borough's Fair Share Housing Obligations. It was distributed at the Planning Board and Borough Council meetings in June 2025.

 

Questions

Kevin Sluka
Clerk-Administrator

(908) 725-2300 ext. 1983
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