Morris Township adopts reduced Round 4 affordable‑housing obligation, sets next steps

Morris Township Committee on Jan. 29 adopted a binding resolution setting the township's present‑need affordable housing obligation at nine units and its prospective 2025–2035 obligation at 308 units, after planners revised data used by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA).

The adoption, made by roll call vote, moves the township to submit the resolution and the planners' memorandum to the Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program and post the materials on the township website within 48 hours, officials said.

Nut graf: The DCA initially assigned Morris Township a prospective obligation of 571 units when it released fourth‑round numbers on Oct. 18, 2024. Township planners at Phillips Price reviewed DCA's mapping and parcel‑level assumptions and reduced the municipality's developable acreage, lowering the land capacity factor and the township's calculated prospective need to 308 units. The change is procedural: municipalities may adopt a binding local number and submit it for dispute resolution under the amended Fair Housing Act.

Planners' findings and recommendation

Liz Laney, a planner with Phillips Price, told the committee…