New Jersey Senate Bill S2087

New Jersey 2024-2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/9/24
• Refer: 1/9/24

Caption

Requires DCA to collect information about State residents seeking affordable housing in State and provide that information to COAH.

Impact

The bill's implementation is expected to streamline the process of assessing and addressing the need for affordable housing by providing targeted data to the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) and its successor. DCA will compile annual reports from the collected data, which will facilitate effective planning and development of affordable housing units in municipalities where demand is high. This approach aims to align housing availability with the needs of residents, potentially alleviating housing shortages in specific localities.

Summary

Senate Bill S2087 aims to address the issue of affordable housing in New Jersey by requiring the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to collect information about residents seeking affordable housing. The bill mandates the DCA to establish a program specifically for gathering data on where residents currently reside, where they work, and their desired location for affordable housing. This information will contribute to a better understanding of housing demand across the state.

Contention

While the bill's intention is to enhance housing opportunities, it could also generate discussions around local control and the appropriateness of state-level data collection. Critics might argue that it could intrude on the autonomy of municipalities in making housing decisions based on localized needs. The effectiveness of DCA's data collection methods and the accuracy of the information obtained might also be questioned, raising concerns over reliance on this data for policy decisions.