Montclair Issues Rare ‘Section 8’ Vouchers, Many Remain On Wait List

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Housing Authority recently issued some new Section 8 vouchers for local residents, but many more people remain on the waiting list.

Last week, the township announced that five Housing Choice Voucher Program vouchers – otherwise known as “Section 8” – were released to Montclair residents.

Federal Section 8 vouchers are available for very low-income families, elderly residents and people with disabilities. Participants are free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program, including single-family homes and townhouses.

In June 2024, Montclair’s waiting list opened for the first time since 2007. On that date, 225 people were allowed onto the rolls. See Related: Montclair Needs Much More Affordable Housing; Waiting List Grows

The current waiting list is now closed.

“The Montclair Housing Authority will work proactively to move through the waiting list,” township officials said. “New vouchers will be issued systematically and as finances allow.”

Learn more about the Section 8 program in Montclair here.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MONTCLAIR

The demand for affordable housing in Montclair has long exceeded the available supply.

State officials recently released the affordable housing quotas that New Jersey towns and cities will have to meet over the next 10 years, including Montclair. Read More: Montclair Gets Its New Affordable Housing Numbers From State

The calculations include numbers for “present need” (existing housing units deemed substandard/deficient and in need of repair), and “prospective need” (the number of new units that will be needed based on population trends).

Here are the totals for Montclair:

• Present Need – 132
• Prospective Need – zero

The Montclair Town Council accepted these numbers in a resolution at their Jan. 7 meeting.

Towns and cities don’t have to create the housing themselves, but must ensure that the threshold is met – often by requiring a certain percentage of affordable housing units as part of local real estate development projects. Other ways to meet the quota include creating 100-percent affordable housing projects, preserving existing affordable homes, or creating accessory dwelling units.

• See Related: Accessory Dwelling Units In Montclair (What To Know About New Law)
• See Related: Here's How Much Montclair Homeowners Pay In Taxes (2025 Update)

The Department of Planning and Community Development provided an overview of the new affordable housing regulations to the Township Council in July 2024. View it online here.

Graduate students from the Bloustein School at Rutgers University recently worked with the Montclair Township Housing Commission to assess local affordable housing options. View the final report here.

A town hall meeting about Montclair's 2025 housing plan took place on March 13. Watch the video below, via MontclairTV34.

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