Bills Propose to Ban RCAs
Posted by Phil Morin on January 16, 2007
General Assembly Leader John J. Roberts Jr. (D-Camden) and Sen. Nia Gill (D-Essex) have introduced bills that would ban future regional contribution agreements (“RCAs”) between municipalities under the Fair Housing Act. N.J.S.A. 52:27D-312 currently permits municipalities to transfer up to 50% of their affordable housing obligation to another municipality within its housing region by means of a contractual agreement into which two municipalities voluntarily enter. Under both A-3857 and S-2451, municipalities will be prohibited from addressong any portion of its fair share obligation by using RCAs ethat were entered into or approved by COAH or a court after June 1, 2006. Rather than utilizing RCAs to fund rehabilitation activity in urban centers, a new program with the Department of Community affairs will provide funds to municipalities for the rehabilitation of substandard units. The bills require 75% of the funds to be allocated to the urban aid municipalities.
