Bill Text: NJ S1510 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Enhances opportunities for qualified residential projects under the Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant Program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-16 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee [S1510 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-S1510-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Enhances opportunities for qualified residential projects under the Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant Program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning qualified residential projects under the Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant Program and amending P.L.2008, c.46.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 18 of P.L.2008, c.46 (C.52:27D-329.9) is amended to read as follows:
18. a. Notwithstanding any rules of the council to the contrary, for developments consisting of newly-constructed residential units located, or to be located, within the jurisdiction of any regional planning entity required to adopt a master plan or comprehensive management plan pursuant to statutory law, including the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission pursuant to subsection (i) of section 6 of P.L.1968, c.404 (C.13:17-6), the Pinelands Commission pursuant to section 7 of the "Pinelands Protection Act," P.L.1979, c.111 (C.13:18A-8), the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority pursuant to section 5 of P.L.2006, c.16 (C.52:27I-5), or its successor, and the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council pursuant to section 11 of P.L.2004, c.120 (C.13:20-11), but excluding joint planning boards formed pursuant to section 64 of P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-77), there shall be required to be reserved for occupancy by low or moderate income households at least 20 percent of the residential units constructed, to the extent this is economically feasible.
b. Subject to the provisions of subsection d. of this section, a developer of a project consisting of newly-constructed residential units being financed in whole or in part with State funds, including, but not limited to, transit villages designated by the Department of Transportation and units constructed on State-owned property, shall be required to reserve at least 20 percent of the residential units constructed for occupancy by low or moderate income households, as those terms are defined in section 4 of P.L.1985, c.222 (C.52:27D-304), with affordability controls as required under the rules of the council, unless the municipality in which the property is located has received substantive certification from the council and such a reservation is not required under the approved affordable housing plan, or the municipality has been given a judgment of repose or a judgment of compliance by the court, and such a reservation is not required under the approved affordable housing plan.
c. (1) The Legislature recognizes that regional planning entities are appropriately positioned to take a broader role in the planning and provision of affordable housing based on regional planning considerations. In recognition of the value of sound regional planning, including the desire to foster economic growth, create a variety and choice of housing near public transportation, protect critical environmental resources, including farmland and open space preservation, and maximize the use of existing infrastructure, there is created a new program to foster regional planning entities.
(2) The regional planning entities identified in subsection a. of this section shall identify and coordinate regional affordable housing opportunities in cooperation with municipalities in areas with convenient access to infrastructure, employment opportunities, and public transportation. Coordination of affordable housing opportunities may include methods to regionally provide housing in line with regional concerns, such as transit needs or opportunities, environmental concerns, or such other factors as the council may permit; provided, however, that such provision by such a regional entity may not result in more than a 50 percent change in the fair share obligation of any municipality; provided that this limitation shall not apply to affordable housing units directly attributable to development by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority within the New Jersey Meadowlands District.
(3) In addition to the entities identified in subsection a. of this section, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, in conjunction with the Atlantic County Planning Board, shall identify and coordinate regional affordable housing opportunities directly attributable to Atlantic City casino development, which may be provided anywhere within Atlantic County, subject to the restrictions of paragraph (4) of this subsection.
(4) The coordination of affordable housing opportunities by regional entities as identified in this section shall not include activities which would provide housing units to be located in those municipalities that are eligible to receive aid under the "Special Municipal Aid Act," P.L.1987, c.75 (C.52:27D-118.24 et seq.), or are coextensive with a school district which qualified for designation as a "special needs district" pursuant to the "Quality Education Act of 1990," P.L.1990, c.52 (C.18A:7D-1 et al.), or at any time in the last 10 years have been qualified to receive assistance under P.L.1978, c.14 (C.52:27D-178 et seq.) and that fall within the jurisdiction of any of the regional entities specified in subsection a. of this section.
d. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection b. of this section, or any other law or regulation to the contrary, for purposes of mixed use projects or qualified residential projects in which a business receives a tax credit pursuant to P.L.2007, c.346 (C.34:1B-207 et seq.) or section 35 of P.L.2009, c.90 (C.34:1B-209.3), or both, an "eligible municipality," as defined in section 2 of P.L.2007, c.346 (C.34:1B-208), shall have the option of deciding the percentage of newly-constructed residential units within the project, up to 20 percent of the total, required to be reserved for occupancy by low or moderate income households. For a mixed use project or a qualified residential project that has received preliminary or final site plan approval prior to the effective date of P.L.2011, c.89, the percentage shall be deemed to be the percentage, if any, of units required to be reserved for low or moderate income households in accordance with the terms and conditions of such approval.
(2) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection b. of this section, or any other law or regulation to the contrary, for purposes of qualified residential projects in which a business receives a tax credit pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2009, c.90 (C.52:27D-489f), an eligible municipality in which a qualified residential project is located shall have the option of deciding the percentage of newly-constructed residential units within the project, up to 20 percent of the total, required to be reserved for occupancy by low or moderate income households.
(b) For the purposes of this paragraph (2):
"Eligible municipality" means a municipality that is qualified to receive assistance under P.L.1978, c.14, (C.52:27D-178 et seq.), a municipality under the supervision of the Local Finance Board pursuant to the provisions of the "Local Government Supervision Act (1947)," P.L.1947, c.151 (C.52:27BB-1 et seq.), a municipality identified by the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs to be facing severe fiscal distress, an SDA municipality, or a municipality in which a major rail station is located;
"Major rail station" means a railroad station located within a qualified incentive area which provides access to the public to a minimum of six rail passenger service lines operated by the New Jersey Transit Corporation;
"SDA district" means an SDA district as defined in section 3 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C.18A:7G-3);
"SDA municipality" means a municipality in which an SDA district is situate.
(cf: P.L.2011, c.89, s.5)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill amends the "Fair Housing Act" to allow certain municipalities in which a qualified residential project is being developed under the Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant (ERGG) program, to determine the percentage of newly-constructed residential units within the project that must be reserved for occupancy by low or moderate income households.
Current law requires a developer receiving State financing for a project consisting of newly-constructed residential units to reserve at least 20 percent of the new residential units for low or moderate income households. This requirement does not apply if the municipality in which the property is located has already satisfied its affordable housing obligations. Current law contains another exception for qualified residential projects in which a business receives a tax credit pursuant to the "Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Act." Under that exception, "Urban Transit Hub" municipalities had the option of deciding the percentage of newly-constructed residential units within the project to reserve for low or moderate income households.
The "New Jersey Economic Opportunity Act of 2013," P.L.2013, c.161 (C.52:27D-489p et al.), merged the "qualified residential project" component of the "Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Act" into the ERGG program, but did not authorize an exception to the 20 percent affordable housing set-aside requirement for qualified residential projects under the ERGG program. Section 1 of this bill amends the law to address that omission.
