United Way of Morris County News
Recent News

Countdown to COAH...  A Program for Municipal Officials
January 27, 2005

In a program sponsored by the Housing Partnership for Morris County on January 27, 2005, municipal officials from several towns in Morris County came together to learn about New Jersey's brand new "growth share" affordable housing plan. About 60 municipal officials attended the event, and learned what they can do to help address the affordable housing shortage.

Under new rules approved by New Jersey's Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), municipalities must have a plan for growth share in a meaningful way. The growth share plan calls for building one affordable home for each eight market-rate homes, and one affordable home for every 25 jobs that are created, based on the size of a new commercial building.

Attorney Edward Buzak and planners John Madden and Adrian Humbert were among the evening's presenters. Each stressed the need for municipal leaders to begin to plan now how they will fit affordable housing into their towns. One way is to work with non-profit agencies that are interested in building affordable housing and have creative suggestions for how to do so. Mr. Madden shared that communities that are effectively dealing with affordable housing rules "are using affordable housing to build communities, not as isolated projects."