New COAH news

[Guest]

I think this makes total sense. Low income housing should not be 20-30-40% of housing. The 7.5% the senator proposes makes total sense.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/nj_sen_ray_lesniak_sponsors_bi.html

TRENTON — Nearly half of New Jersey’s towns would already be deemed as having enough affordable housing under an updated bill that would replace the way the state approaches housing for lower income residents.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Union), said today it is not designed to produce more affordable housing but rather to comply with a landmark state Supreme Court ruling that towns could not block residents from access to affordable housing.

The current approach of assigning how much affordable housing each town must produce is under attack by the Legislature and the governor. It has been in place since 1985 but has not worked well, Lesniak said.

"It did produce affordable housing, but at an enormous expense," Lesniak said during a meeting with the Star-Ledger editorial board. "There’s a much better way to do it."

Under his legislation, towns would have to either restrict 7.5 percent of housing to lower income residents or have 33 percent of its housing in types of homes traditionally considered affordable, such as multifamily homes, mobile homes or public housing.

The measure would also require developers to make affordable housing from 5 to 20 percent of any new project. In addition, towns could also include incentives for developers to build affordable housing, such as allowing them to build more houses on smaller lots.

Housing advocates said the bill would weaken the state’s efforts to promote housing for people to live near their work, or to be able to afford housing at all.

"In our view, this is Senator Lesniak’s declaration that lower-income New Jerseyans are the enemy," said Kevin Walsh, associate director of Fair Share Housing Center, which has a mission to enforce the Supreme Court ruling in the 1975 case brought against the Mount Laurel township.

Last month, Fair Share won a ruling from a judge to freeze an executive order signed by Gov. Chris Christie that halted the work of the state Council on Affordable Housing. The governor has created also created an affordable housing task force.

Advocates were also puzzled by the notion that a home could be considered affordable simply because of its size or form. They said plenty of smaller apartments or attached townhouses in desirable areas could be very expensive and should not count as affordable, they said.

"It doesn’t make sense to us," said Diane Sterner, executive director of the Housing and Community Development Network.

The New Jersey Builders Association said they supported Lesniak’s efforts but did not have an immediate comment on the latest draft of the bill.

"I suspect that there’ll be tweaks," Lesniak said. "I suspect not everybody will be happy. But I haven’t had an important piece of legislation yet that makes everybody happy."

[Dan Mulligan]

The 7.5% is very encouraging.

The real concern however in the affordable housing mess here in NJ is the Fair Share Housing Center of Cherry Hill
http://fairsharehousing.org/.

Its a group of lawyers who to quote the web site they have...

"Taking Legal Action for Affordable Housing in Communities of Opportunity"

This group basically fights every towns affordable housing plan which they submit to COAH. Including our last plan.

This is all this group does, this is their job.

This is what we are up against!

[Guest]

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[Guest]

[quote="Dan Mulligan"]The 7.5% is very encouraging.

The real concern however in the affordable housing mess here in NJ is the Fair Share Housing Center of Cherry Hill
http://fairsharehousing.org/.

Its a group of lawyers who to quote the web site they have...

"Taking Legal Action for Affordable Housing in Communities of Opportunity"

This group basically fights every towns affordable housing plan which they submit to COAH. Including our last plan.

This is all this group does, this is their job.

This is what we are up against![/quote

This "group" consists of three lawyers. While I don't agree with them realize, we have lobbyists for builders. The municipalities and school boards have lobbying organizations. Dan is outraged that three lawyers lobby and file suits on behalf of affordable housing? I don't no if you are extraordinarily cynical or incredibly naive.

I think the problem is the way Trenton gets lobbied. I don't think the affordable housing advocates are a particularly strong lobby. The problem is Trenton did not want to pay for affordable housing, so they came up with a way for builders and municipalities to provide affordable housing. It is a deeply flawed system.

[Guest]

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[Guest]

I never said they were 60,000. I said they had more than just the three lawyers, in fact I know a few attorneys who work or have worked with them.

I agree, there are a lot of others and that the legislature is the biggest issue. However, when the legislature does act to make changes or the Governor acts to make changes the FSHC is right there in court suing. While receiving funds from lobbying groups, you do not see the electrical union rushing to the court.

[Guest]

To suggest that "lobbyists don't corrupt politicians, politics corrupts politicians" is like saying "guns don't kill people, people kill people". Guns are tools often used to kill people. Lobbyists are tools often used to corrupt politicians.

I blame the NJEA for using our children to shield their own greed. I blame the NJEA for protecting bad teachers. I blame the NJEA for spreading misinformation in their campaign to block reforms.

[Guest]

[Guest]

[Good Faith]

It doesn't surprise me that you find it necessary to warp my point to make yours. I did not say all lobbying is bad (nor are all guns). I didn't say politicians are innocent. I simply believe lobbyists (and bloggers) have a moral obligation to act in good faith.

[publius]