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[quote="Cranbury Conservative"]Advocates defend deadline for submitting affordable housing plans

As Gov. Jon Corzine considers asking the state Council on Affordable Housing to extend the Dec. 31 deadline for 214 towns to submit plans for providing affordable houses and apartments, a coalition of housing advocates argues that the action is unnecessary.

The governor said today his aides are studying the legal ramifications of extending the deadline, something sought by legislators and many municipal officials.

"We're reviewing legislation that is in the Legislature to see what impact that would have in terms of legal responsibilities we have to fulfill," Corzine said.

Corzine was referring to a measure introduced by Sen. Christopher "Kip" Bateman (R-Somerset) that would extend the deadline to June 30. Bateman said an extension would "provide the Legislature with time to fix the substantive errors in the COAH regulations and laws."

The governor would have to ask the COAH board to hold a special meeting before the end of the month to approve an extension.

The Housing & Community Development Network of New Jersey, the Fair Share Housing Center and the New Jersey Branch of the NAACP today released what coalition leaders described as a review of three plans being prepared by towns for submission to COAH.

The Cherry Hill-based Fair Share Housing Center released an analysis of plans developed by Montgomery, Cranbury and Toms River, towns where officials have said new COAH regulations are too onerous, and found that bonuses and adjustments in the rules have allowed towns to reduce their obligations by as much as 80 percent.

The analysis found that with credit for units already built or through other breaks provided by COAH, Montgomery would need to provide 268 houses and apartments over the next 10 years and not the state obligation of 426 units. It found Cranbury would need to provide 150 units instead of 269. Toms River would need to provide 392 units and renovate another 50 existing ones, less than 20 percent of its obligation for 2,231 units.

"Many of these towns are on one hand asking for an extension, and on the other hand drafting plans that produces fairly modest numbers of affordable homes that fall short of the real need in our communities," said Mike McNeil, NAACP housing chairman. "When it comes down to it, it just isn't too hard to meet COAH's rules."

"We applaud towns like Cranbury who are making their plans fit the new laws and rules, and are seeing that their towns will not have to change very dramatically to do so," said Diane Sterner, Housing and Community Development Network director.

The coalition leaders reiterated their opposition to an extension of the deadline, which they argue would also result in lost opportunities for much-needed new construction jobs in the midst of an economic downturn.

As of last week, Sandyston, Frankford, Ewing and Woodcliff Lake had submitted their plans to COAH, and the remaining 210 towns have had their plans approved by their councils or planning boards or have them under review by the panels.[/quote]

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