Manchester Accepts NJ Affordable Housing Numbers

MANCHESTER, NJ — Manchester Township has accepted the state's affordable housing numbers for needed affordable homes over the next 10 years.

The state Department of Community Affairs released its calculations of affordable housing obligations in October, defining how many low- or moderate-income units each town will need to provide for the 2025-2035 timeframe.

Manchester's present need is 154 units and its prospective need is 412 units, according to the DCA. "Present need" refers to existing housing units deemed substandard/deficient and in need of repair, and "prospective need" estimates the number of new units that will be needed based on population trends.

In a resolution approved at the Dec. 27 meeting, the Township Council approved the numbers without comment.

Mayor Joseph Hankins said the township's review of the numbers found little leeway to counter them because the town has a large amount of land that can still be developed.

All towns are constitutionally mandated to provide their "fair share" of affordable housing for the region, under the Mount Laurel Doctrine, which dates back to 1975.

Towns had until Jan. 31 to approve the DCA quotas or submit their own calculations, and have until June 1 to come up with plans to meet the quotas. In most cases towns meet the obligations by requiring developers to include low- and moderate-income units in their real estate development proposals.

Low-income households are defined as those with earnings at or below 50 percent of county median family income. Moderate-income households earn between 50 and 80 percent of the median family income, according to DCA.

In Ocean County, the median household income is $85,464, according to Census Reporter, an independent organization that collates the U.S. Census Bureau information.