Affordable Housing Presentation Planned For Long Valley

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Next month, Long Valley residents will have the chance to learn about the future of affordable housing at an upcoming presentation.

Township officials announced they will host an Affordable Housing Presentation and Public Information Session on March 5 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Municipal Court Room at the Administration Building, 43 Schooley’s Mountain Road.

The presentation, which is open to the public, aims to offer more information and transparency on the ongoing affordable housing efforts.

Last March, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law aimed at changing how municipalities determine the number of mandatory affordable units, under the state Supreme Court's Mount Laurel doctrine and the New Jersey Fair Housing Act.

In October, the state Department of Community Affairs released its first set of affordable housing obligations, outlining each town's 'fair share' of low- or moderate-income units.

The state anticipates that more than 146,000 affordable housing units will need to be built or rehabilitated across New Jersey in the next 10 years to meet the needs of residents.

Under the Mount Laurel Doctrine, all towns are constitutionally required to provide their 'fair share' of affordable housing. The latest calculations cover the fourth round, spanning from 2025 to 2035.

The state's calculations included both 'present need,' referring to substandard housing units in need of repair, and 'prospective need,' which estimates future unit requirements based on population trends.

For Long Valley, that looked like:

• Present need: 20
• Prospective need: 205

Long Valley, like all other towns and cities, wouldn't be required to build the housing itself but must ensure the threshold is met. This is sometimes done by incorporating affordable units into local real estate developments.

Officials said the upcoming presentation will cover the Township's Affordable Housing Obligations and History, ongoing challenges to housing rules and regulations and the implications of the 4th Round Obligation for the Township.