TOMS RIVER – At a recent Township Council meeting, officials took the next step to tell the state that they have satisfied their affordable housing requirements.
Decades ago, a lawsuit stated that the town of Mt. Laurel was essentially zoning poor people out. In the court decision that followed, all towns were required to set aside a certain portion of homes for low-to-moderate income residents. The way this was decided has changed over the years, but every New Jersey town was impacted.
The third round of obligations for towns, which lasted from 1999 to 2025, is just finishing up. The fourth round is just beginning. The Fair Share Housing Center oversees this process.
At the most recent Township Council meeting, the council passed a resolution amending the Affordable Housing Spending Plan and Affordable Housing Compliance Policies and Procedures.
Mayor Daniel Rodrick said “We are still negotiating with the state.”
Residents questioned the town’s affordable housing numbers, since there has been a strong push for taking care of the homeless recently. A few residents said there should be more affordable housing in town.
Rodrick explained how the town is using the affordable housing trust fund to keep the rent low on affordable homes.
The trust fund is an account controlled by the town. Every developer pays a fee into this account.
That money will then be used to buy deed restrictions to keep a unit affordable for decades.
Rodrick said that this will keep these units affordable. Without doing this, the owner of the property can list it at market rate.
During a previous meeting, officials had said that the state’s fourth round showed Toms River’s “present need” is 526 units and its “prospective need” is 670 units. However, the report also clarifies that these obligation numbers are non-binding. However, professionals hired by the township have done their own calculations, bringing that number down to 114.
Police At Meetings
In other news, a resident asked about the status of police officers visiting neighborhood meetings.
Pat Klaslo, an Ortley Beach resident who frequently comments at town meetings, said there had been meetings since the 1980s but now police aren’t allowed to come. These officers were welcome visitors who told them about scams. The residents could also tell them their concerns.
Rodrick said that there is an election this year and one candidate is the president of the Ortley Beach Voters and Taxpayers Association. Having a township representative at OBVTA meetings “might be perceived” as the town trying to help a candidate.
Klaslo said that there haven’t been any police coming to any kind of meetings in other areas of town, too.
“It’s not politics,” she said. “You just don’t want us knowing anything.”
Rodrick said the police chief must have misunderstood his request.
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