In a letter as symbolic as it is timely, Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) and Assembly Housing and Local Government Chairman Jerry Green (D-Union) formally requested that the Council on Affordable Housing delay the deadline for participating municipalities to file their affordable housing plans from December 31, 2008, for “at least 90 days.”

As key sponsors of A-500, the bill signed into law by Governor Corzine in July which amended the Fair Housing Act to effectively eliminate the use of regional contribution agreements and create a uniform statewide non-residential developers’ fee of 2.5 percent of equalized assessed value among many other changes to state affordable housing law, the message being sent by the letter is loud and clear – key legislative leaders are willing to consider modifications to the current requirements of the Fair Housing Act and recently-adopted regulations.

It appears from both published accounts and statehouse chatter that some of the issues that are on the table include “grandfathering” in RCAs which were pending at the time of enactment of A-500 and suspending the non-residential development fee on a temporary basis and/or for projects which achieved significant progress in the development process prior to passage of A-500.

To view a copy of the release and the letter to COAH from Roberts and Green, click here.

Thanks to New Jersey State League of Municipalities Senior Policy Analyst Michael Cerra for forwarding the link to the Assembly Majority Office’s press release on this issue.