Post by admin on Apr 2, 2009 6:19:02 GMT -5
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Freeholders back bill to put end to COAH
BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer
The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders have joined a growing chorus of state and local lawmakers who are seeking extensive changes to the way affordable housing is handled in New Jersey.
On March 11 the freeholders voted 5-0 in favor of a resolution supporting state Assembly bill A-3570, which calls for the abolition of the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), because of what the board perceives as hardships the agency's mandates place on municipalities.
"The freeholders have joined many lawmakers in New Jersey in supporting the bill to abolish [COAH]," said William Heine, Monmouth County's director of public information. "This does not mean they do not support affordable housing. It merely means they feel COAH has overstepped its authority."
According to the resolution, "COAH has unlawfully extended its regulatory power far beyond what was authorized in the original enabling legislation of 1985 and subsequent legislation."
The freeholders state that COAH has "consistently ignored legislative directives and attempts by the Legislature to impose limits on [the agency's] regulatory powers, in effect becoming a fourth branch of state government that refuses to answer to the Legislature or the people of the state of New Jersey."
The resolution criticizes COAH's revised third round regulations which call for the statewide construction of some 115,000 units of affordable housing by 2018. Previous regulations required municipalities to provide 52,000 affordable housing units.
"The recent third round regulations issued by COAH have placed unreasonable, destructive and costly state mandates on New Jersey municipalities that were never intended or authorized by the Legislature," the resolution reads. "These state mandates serve no purpose but to exacerbate the existing high property tax burden imposed on New Jersey residents and also serve to accelerate the flight of middle class residents from the state."
Introduced to the state Legislature in January and sponsored by Assemblymen Richard Merkt (R-Morris) and Peter Biondi (R-Morris and Somerset), bill A-3570, if eventually enacted into law, would see COAH completely dissolved and all of its responsibilities turned over to the Legislature.
Some 26 Assembly members have thrown their support behind the proposed law, includingAssemblymanDeclanO'Scanlon and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (both R-Monmouth and Mercer).
Although A-3570 was introduced in January, officials with the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which oversees COAH, said they had not yet been made aware of the proposed bill.
"We have yet to see this legislation," DCA spokesman Christopher Donnelly said. "In the meantime, COAH will continue to move forward with the implementation of its third round rules and with providing New Jersey residents with the affordable housing they need and deserve.
"(DCA Commissioner Joseph) Doria's door is always open should either assemblyman wish to discuss ways in which they can help, not hinder, efforts to provide affordable housing," Donnelly said.
Under the proposed bill, state and municipal affordable housing obligations would be determined by the Legislature rather than COAH. Additionally, the Legislature would reinstate the use of regional contribution agreements (RCAs) by municipalities.
RCAs, which were abolished in June 2008, allowed one municipality to pay another town to assume a portion of its affordable housing obligation. The receiving town would use the money to rehabilitate substandard housing or to construct affordable housing units.
Those who supported abolishing RCAs said the deals were being used by municipal officials who sought to forgo the construction of affordable housing units within their towns.
Affordable housing, as defined by the state, is housing that can be bought or rented with 30 percent or less of an individual's income.
Freeholders back bill to put end to COAH
BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer
The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders have joined a growing chorus of state and local lawmakers who are seeking extensive changes to the way affordable housing is handled in New Jersey.
On March 11 the freeholders voted 5-0 in favor of a resolution supporting state Assembly bill A-3570, which calls for the abolition of the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), because of what the board perceives as hardships the agency's mandates place on municipalities.
"The freeholders have joined many lawmakers in New Jersey in supporting the bill to abolish [COAH]," said William Heine, Monmouth County's director of public information. "This does not mean they do not support affordable housing. It merely means they feel COAH has overstepped its authority."
According to the resolution, "COAH has unlawfully extended its regulatory power far beyond what was authorized in the original enabling legislation of 1985 and subsequent legislation."
The freeholders state that COAH has "consistently ignored legislative directives and attempts by the Legislature to impose limits on [the agency's] regulatory powers, in effect becoming a fourth branch of state government that refuses to answer to the Legislature or the people of the state of New Jersey."
The resolution criticizes COAH's revised third round regulations which call for the statewide construction of some 115,000 units of affordable housing by 2018. Previous regulations required municipalities to provide 52,000 affordable housing units.
"The recent third round regulations issued by COAH have placed unreasonable, destructive and costly state mandates on New Jersey municipalities that were never intended or authorized by the Legislature," the resolution reads. "These state mandates serve no purpose but to exacerbate the existing high property tax burden imposed on New Jersey residents and also serve to accelerate the flight of middle class residents from the state."
Introduced to the state Legislature in January and sponsored by Assemblymen Richard Merkt (R-Morris) and Peter Biondi (R-Morris and Somerset), bill A-3570, if eventually enacted into law, would see COAH completely dissolved and all of its responsibilities turned over to the Legislature.
Some 26 Assembly members have thrown their support behind the proposed law, includingAssemblymanDeclanO'Scanlon and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (both R-Monmouth and Mercer).
Although A-3570 was introduced in January, officials with the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which oversees COAH, said they had not yet been made aware of the proposed bill.
"We have yet to see this legislation," DCA spokesman Christopher Donnelly said. "In the meantime, COAH will continue to move forward with the implementation of its third round rules and with providing New Jersey residents with the affordable housing they need and deserve.
"(DCA Commissioner Joseph) Doria's door is always open should either assemblyman wish to discuss ways in which they can help, not hinder, efforts to provide affordable housing," Donnelly said.
Under the proposed bill, state and municipal affordable housing obligations would be determined by the Legislature rather than COAH. Additionally, the Legislature would reinstate the use of regional contribution agreements (RCAs) by municipalities.
RCAs, which were abolished in June 2008, allowed one municipality to pay another town to assume a portion of its affordable housing obligation. The receiving town would use the money to rehabilitate substandard housing or to construct affordable housing units.
Those who supported abolishing RCAs said the deals were being used by municipal officials who sought to forgo the construction of affordable housing units within their towns.
Affordable housing, as defined by the state, is housing that can be bought or rented with 30 percent or less of an individual's income.