Mayor no fan of new COAH law
By ROBERT LINNEHAN
The Cherry Hill Sun
8/2/2008

Platt says township will enter into appeal formed by N.J. League of Municipalities

Mayor Bernie Platt levied harsh words against Gov. Corzine and Trenton for new Council on Affordable Housing regulations signed into law on July 17. Platt said the township will join an appeal formed by the N.J. State League of Municipalities against the COAH regulations.

Under the new regulations, Communications Director Dan Keashen said, the township will be responsible for 775 units of affordable housing.

Corzine signed new legislation on July 17 to reform affordable housing laws in New Jersey and increase housing opportunities for low- and middle-income families.

The bill effectively ends the Regional Contribution Agreement, which many municipalities used as means to reach their affordable housing requirements under the Fair Housing Act.

The RCA allowed municipalities to send COAH units to other municipalities in exchange for funds. The municipalities that received the COAH units and the funds could only use the money to rehabilitate existing affordable housing.

“For too long we’ve allowed wealthy municipalities to buy their way out of their affordable housing obligations,” said state Sen. Dana Redd (D-Camden). “If New Jersey is to continue to grow and thrive, it is critical that we provide affordable housing opportunities in all of our communities – urban, suburban and rural – so that working families, young people and seniors can continue to call the Garden State home.”

However, many municipalities in the state are now seeing their COAH unit requirements skyrocket. The only two COAH compliant municipalities in Camden County are Voorhees Township and Audubon.

The new regulations are just another series of unfunded mandates from the state, Platt said. The township has little space or funds for the construction of so many affordable housing units, he said.

“The new regulations make it difficult for townships to achieve compliance on available undeveloped land because there is less developable land now than 25 years ago,” Platt said. “Now, the state is requiring more than twice the affordable units than the courts have ever required, and this undue burden is not something cash-strapped municipalities need.”

The costs of the affordable housing units will likely fall on the backs of the township taxpayers, Platt said.

He also added that if the COAH regulations are indeed implemented, the cost of being COAH compliant will increase drastically for the township.

Platt also disagreed with the state’s decision to partially pay for COAH units by taxing job growth.

“Under the revised rules, for every 16 jobs a New Jersey company adds, it must pay a ‘growth share’ for the privilege. The new rules would make companies pay for a unit of housing for every 16 jobs they add,” Platt said. “This works directly against the free market by adding another undue burden for businesses moving into town or expanding their operations.”

Cherry Hill joins a number of municipalities in the state that have banded together under the League of Municipalities’ appeal.

According to Bill Dressel, executive director of the league, the league filed the appeal with the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey, appealing the regulations adopted by the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing on June 2 of this year.

The appeal is broader than just the recent July 17 legislation, Dressel said, and it questions the validity of the current COAH regulations.

“The league’s challenge has nothing to do with the recent passage of legislation regarding affordable housing. If the Legislature had not approved A-500, we would still be here today. We are challenging the validity of the COAH regulations.

“We take this action in support of achieving a sustainable affordable housing policy and in defense of our property taxpayers,” Dressel said. “We hope that the end result will be a methodology that encourages the participation of local governments, accommodates and promotes the development of affordable housing and does so in a manner consistent with local and state planning efforts.”