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Township Council adopts resolution to begin compliance with affordable-housing obligations
Summary
At a special Jan. 27 meeting the Township Council adopted Resolution 25-151 to start the municipal process for meeting state-set affordable-housing obligations; the resolution attaches to a planned declaratory-judgment filing and anticipates a vacant-land adjustment that may lower an initial 184-unit figure.
The Township Council of the Township of Washington voted to adopt Resolution 25-151 at a special public meeting on Jan. 27, 2025, authorizing the municipality to begin the process of complying with state affordable-housing requirements.
Council members adopted the resolution after a brief discussion about the number of units assigned to the township by the Department of Community Affairs and the procedural steps that follow. The planner said the Department of Community Affairs set the township's present-need obligation at zero units and its prospective need for the 2025–2035 period at 184 units. "The township's present need obligation is 0 units and the prospective need or new construction obligation for the 10 year period of 2025 through 2035 is 184 units," the planner said.
The planner and other officials said the 184-unit figure is subject to a vacant-land adjustment that they expect will reduce the obligation to a lower, more realistic total. The planner described this resolution as the "first step in compliance with the amended FHA" and said the vacant-land adjustment and realistic development potential review are upcoming steps in the schedule discussed by staff.
Council members asked about timing and legal steps. Officials said the township intends to attach the certified resolution to a declaratory-judgment complaint and file it in the appropriate court. The meeting record shows the township also will publish related materials on the township website at the same time they file in the courts. Staff described a sequence of review dates for the vacant-land adjustment and related challenge periods discussed at the meeting; those dates were described in the meeting as deadlines in late February and early March, with an anticipated official revised number by "June 0" as stated in the transcript (the transcript date is unclear). The council directed staff to proceed with the steps described in the resolution and related filings.
The council proceeded to a roll call after discussion. The roll call recorded affirmative votes from Councilman Cascio, Councilman Sears, Councilman Oman, Councilwoman Velez and Councilman Hussain Sezzetta; no no-votes or abstentions were recorded in the meeting excerpt.
Officials said passing the resolution preserves the township's municipal zoning authority while the statutory and court processes move forward; speakers warned that failure to adopt could jeopardize zoning protections. The resolution also reserves the township's right to take advantage of any future court rulings or legislative changes that affect municipal affordable-housing obligations.
The council adjourned and noted its next regular meeting will be Feb. 3, 2025, at 7 p.m.
