This bill amends the Fair Housing Act to clarify the scope of affordable housing obligations for municipalities in New Jersey. It introduces new definitions, including "present need," which refers to the estimate of deficient housing units occupied by low and moderate-income households, and "gap period," which denotes the time between the expiration of housing obligations and the start of the next 10-year prospective need period. The bill emphasizes that municipalities' fair share obligations should be based solely on present and prospective needs for affordable housing, explicitly excluding any retrospective calculations for the gap period.

Additionally, the bill outlines that municipal fair share determinations will not include retrospective needs that may have arisen during the gap period, thereby preventing municipalities from being burdened with obligations based on outdated or speculative housing needs. It also establishes criteria for how municipalities can receive credits for low and moderate-income housing units and sets limits on the number of units that can be allocated to a municipality based on its existing housing stock. Overall, the legislation aims to provide clarity and stability in the planning and zoning processes related to affordable housing, ensuring that municipalities are not unfairly penalized for past gaps in housing obligations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 52:27D-304, 52:27D-307