New Jersey law will create statewide affordable housing directory

Finding affordable places to live in New Jersey should become a little easier under a new law that will create a statewide online directory of affordable housing, with a special focus on seniors and veterans.

Bill A3363, sponsored by Assembly members Cody Miller, Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, and William Sampson, was signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy. It is designed to provide residents with a single, central location to find affordable housing, eliminating the need to call multiple offices or search through scattered websites.

“The search for a place to call home shouldn’t have to be an overwhelming experience, nor should the right place always have to feel like it’s out of reach,” said Miller (D-Atlantic, Camden, Gloucester). “Through this bill, we’re giving families in our communities clear, up-to-date information about the available affordable housing options in their communities, including affordable senior and veteran housing units, ensuring they can find a place to call home without unnecessary obstacles.”

Under the law, every municipality will be required to file a report four times a year with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. The report will list all affordable housing units, affordable veterans housing units, and affordable senior citizen housing units in that town.

Each listing must include basic information a renter or buyer would want to know, such as whether applications are being accepted, if there is a waiting list, and how to apply to live there.

“For too many people, the hardest part of finding affordable housing is simply figuring out where to start,” saidJackson (D-Hunterdon, Mercer). “By compiling these resources, we’re cutting through confusion and putting meaningful information in the hands of families who are working hard to find stability.”

Once the department receives the information from towns, it will be posted on the websites of the Department of Community Affairs and the New Jersey Housing Resource Center of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.

Municipalities will also have to provide links to those state sites on their own websites so residents can more easily find the information.

“I speak with people in my district all the time who are searching for a place to live but keep running into dead ends,” said Sampson (D-Hudson). “Nobody should have to feel like they’re on their own when they’re trying to find a home, and through this bill we’re carving out a path forward for those who need it most.”

The version of the bill Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law includes changes he requested when he conditionally vetoed the original measure earlier in the year. Murphy asked that the bill streamline reporting requirements, align them with existing housing law, remove a state reimbursement mandate, and delay when the law kicks in.