New Jersey
Trenton, NJ 08618
609-393-3752
Lawmakers unwilling to fix
affordable housing policy
By Laurence M. Traub and Linda Zucaro
After slipping from the front page to inside pages (if mentioned at all), the issue of affordable housing has bubbled up again in a notable Asbury Park Press article on Colts Neck's Regional Contribution Agreement (RCA) with Long Branch.
Kudos to the Press for its insightful positioning of the Colts Neck piece and get-to-the-heart-of-the-matter comments in the Nov. 26 editorial "Walk the walk on housing policy."
Affordable housing is not a new issue for us at the Monmouth County Human Relations Commission. We have had commentary published in the Press going back to early 2004 on this issue, which has been obfuscated by our political leaders since 1975.
We have long seen the state's affordable housing policy as broken. In the three decades since the Mount Laurel decisions of 1975 and 1983, only 36,000 more affordable units have been added, in comparison to the more than 650,000 units of all types added during the same period. (During this time, the state's population grew by approximately 1 million.)
Among the obstacles to the construction of more affordable units are the exclusionary zoning practices of many municipalities and the ineffective Fair Housing Act of 1985 and its creation, the Council on Affordable Housing. We have communicated to our state legislators our thoughts on what is wrong with the Fair Housing Act. None appears willing to tackle its repair.
The COAH programs foster segregation within the state. Disparate education facilities exacerbate the education problems that already exist due to lack of funding in the "have not" communities. There will be an impact on our entire infrastructure, including public transportation systems and utilities, with budgetary demands that will only continue to make New Jersey the highest-taxed state in the country.
How do we get our government leaders to act? As the Press has pointed out, governmental leaders have all taken a stand against the present program, yet we do not see any action taken within the Legislature or by the governor.
The Press editorial provided a service in highlighting the insidious nature of regional contribution agreements. These legal compacts, which allow a municipality to pay another to accept some of its affordable housing obligation, often undermine the spirit of the Mount Laurel decisions by reinforcing segregation by economic status, race and ethnicity.
The Press has also held the feet of Gov. Corzine and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr., D-Camden, to the fire. Both of these leaders have decried RCAs; they now need to act vigorously in accordance with their statements.
Reform cannot be a piecemeal effort. A full-court press should be made on the housing issue, with emphasis on producing many more affordable units in Monmouth County and throughout New Jersey. Homes for New Jersey, an amalgam of many parties interested in the issue, has called for 100,000 affordable housing units to be built in the next 10 years. The governor endorsed that goal as a priority in a recent speech.
That would be a good start, but before it can happen, many changes are needed in the state and local bureaucracies. Much work remains. The quantity of affordable housing alone is not a solution. The location of affordable housing must be addressed at the same time.
We don't believe anyone questions the intent of the Mount Laurel decisions. Former Supreme Court Justice Gary S. Stein, a prime mover in the court's Mount Laurel decisions, reminds us of the historical context of exclusionary or effectively discriminatory zoning practices "to keep poor people out, to keep school children out, and to attract ratables." Our task now is to get affordable housing back on track.