Members of the New Jersey Advocacy Network to End Homelessness respond to the pending S1 legislation in the following published op-eds.
Rev. Bruce H. Davidson, Director of the Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry in New Jersey wrote this op-ed on behalf of 14 other leaders of religious organizations (Inter-Faith religious groups) within the state:
“We are therefore concerned that current proposals in Bill S1 will take us back to policies that kept New Jersey one of the most economically segregated states in the country. Placing decision-making regarding a community’s fair-share of affordable housing in the hands of that community substitutes local discretion for a fair and uniform statewide policy. Bringing back Regional Contribution Agreements allows communities to again back away from their affordable housing obligation and the real cost of providing it. The bill expands affordable housing guidelines to include higher-income households, but leaves out specific targets for lowest-income households.
We believe this promotes policies of housing affordability that leave the most vulnerable behind.”
To read the entire article please click here.
Tim Doherty, Executive Director of Project Freedom Inc. and member of the board of COAH shared:
“S1 seeks to eliminate COAH, placing authority instead in the hands of the State Planning Commission, which would allow towns to self-certify their housing compliance. Towns that have not complied up to this date would be off the hook, as no prior-round obligation would be required. Is that really fair to towns that have achieved compliance in past rounds? Furthermore, does anyone really believe that towns will continue to provide affordable housing if they are not monitored for compliance?
Under COAH regulations, New Jersey has created more affordable housing than any other state during the past decade, which has benefited all New Jersey citizens, especially our senior citizens and people with disabilities. Let’s not start to reinvent the affordable housing wheel again.”
For the entire article please click here.
For additional information, including a detailed analysis of S1, as well as a suggested plan for the development of affordable housing visit the Housing and Community Development Network of NJ website
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