Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed an executive order on April 27 aimed at accelerating housing production and expanding access to affordable housing across New Jersey, launching a multi-agency effort to address the state’s housing shortage.

Executive Order No. 17 directs state agencies to coordinate efforts to increase housing supply and reduce barriers to development. The administration expects to release a broader housing plan by September.

“We can’t make New Jersey more affordable without making housing more affordable,” Sherrill said in a statement. “With this executive order, we are aligning every tool at our disposal to accelerate housing production and make it easier for families to put down roots.”

The directive establishes a Housing Governing Council that will bring together key agencies, including the Department of Community Affairs, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the Economic Development Authority, and NJ Transit. The council is expected to convene within 45 days.

Within 60 days, state agencies must submit reports outlining steps to boost housing production, including reducing regulatory barriers, identifying underused state-owned land for development, and improving coordination across government.

The council will then deliver recommendations within 150 days, focusing on setting housing goals, tracking production, expanding development on state land, improving financing processes, and increasing access to affordable housing.

State lawmakers and housing advocates said the effort reflects growing pressure to address rising housing costs and limited supply.

“Our housing supply has simply not kept pace with demand, and the crisis is being felt in every community,” Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald said in a statement, adding that the plan could help workers live closer to their jobs and allow communities to grow more sustainably.

Supporters said the order’s emphasis on coordination and reducing red tape could help speed development, particularly near transit and on publicly owned land.

New Jersey faces a shortage of more than 200,000 affordable homes, according to housing advocates cited in the announcement. Rising rents and home prices have left many residents struggling to find housing they can afford.

Advocates for affordable housing said there is a need for broader reforms, including zoning changes and continued investment in affordable housing programs, to address the crisis.

The New Jersey Builders Association (NJBA) was elated about the order and praised Sherrill.

“This is an important step forward in addressing New Jersey’s affordability crisis. Our challenges are driven by a shortage of housing supply, and aligning agencies to remove barriers and accelerate production is exactly the kind of leadership this moment demands,” NJBA CEO Jeff Kowlakowski said.

“New Jersey can build its way toward greater affordability, a greener and more energy-efficient housing stock, and more modern, resilient communities, but only if we make it easier to build and identify where a full range of diverse housing options should be encouraged,” Kowalkowski said. “We look forward to working with the Administration to ensure this effort delivers meaningful regulatory reform, faster approvals, and real housing production on the ground.”