MILLSTONE – As part of an effort to comply with a state mandated obligation to provide opportunities for the construction of affordable housing in the community, the Township Committee has authorized a 50-year lease with the Affordable Housing Alliance, Eatontown, for the construction of a building in which all four units will be designated as affordable housing.
The Affordable Housing Alliance works with municipalities in several counties to assist them with affordable housing compliance.
On Nov. 1, committee members passed a resolution authorizing the execution of a long-term lease with the Affordable Housing Alliance for the construction of a four-unit, two-story building on Burnt Tavern Road. All four units in the building will be designated as affordable housing and will be available to individuals of all ages.
Affordable housing is defined as housing that is sold or rented at below market rates to individuals and families whose income meets certain guidelines.
The building received approval from the Planning Board in June and will be constructed on a 3.4-acre lot. Township Engineer Matt Shafai testified before the board and said the property is owned by Millstone and is reserved for and permitted to be used for affordable housing.
During his testimony regarding the building, Fred Heyer, who serves as the planner for Millstone’s Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment and affordable housing, found the township’s affordable housing strategy to be responsible.
According to Heyer, affordable housing is traditionally provided by dedicating a portion of a housing project’s units as affordable units. He said Millstone officials are pursuing housing projects, such as the building on Burnt Tavern Road, where all of the units will be affordable.
“If you did [the four-unit proposed building] as a traditional inclusionary project … it would take 20 total homes to produce the [affordable housing] value that one building does,” Heyer said.
“From a cost-effective strategy [and] from a municipal planning perspective, it is a bargain for the town. If we can satisfy most of our [affordable housing] obligation with projects like this, we are doing better than most communities,” he said.
After the building received final site plan approval from the Planning Board, the Township Committee authorized the lease for its construction with the Affordable Housing Alliance. The lease will be effective for 50 years.
According to the resolution, the New Jersey Fair Housing Act permits municipalities to enter into leases to supply affordable housing for a minimum of 30 years.
Mayor Michael Kuczinski, Deputy Mayor Fiore Masci and committee members Gary Dorfman and Nancy Grbelja voted in favor of the resolution. Committeeman Bob Kinsey was absent.
