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Ventnor City adopts affordable-housing ordinance, names liaison and marketing plan
Summary
Ventnor City adopted an affordable-housing ordinance requiring a 20% set-aside for developments of 10 or more units, appointed Tom Ciccarone as municipal housing liaison, and approved an affirmative marketing plan to guide unit allocation and outreach.
Ventnor City adopted ordinance 2026-006 on March 12 creating Chapter 102 (Affordable Housing) and approved companion resolutions to implement the town’s fourth-round affordable-housing obligations.
Nick Carlson of Archer and Greiner, who advised the city on its fair-share filings, told the commission the housing element and fair-share plan were submitted on time and accepted by the court. He said one objector, the Fair Share Housing Center, requested additional drafts for review but did not object to the core substance of the plan. "They accepted the documents that we submitted on October 9," Carlson said.
The commission kept a 20% set-aside requirement for affordable units but limited that obligation to projects of 10 or more units. "We did make it 20 percent, and in exchange it was only for 10 or more units," Carlson said. Tiffany, who drafted most of the ordinance language, confirmed reporting schedules and draft deadlines tied to the March 15 filings required by the court.
The council adopted companion resolutions that together establish the municipal housing liaison role, an affirmative marketing plan, and a spending plan to implement the ordinance. The commission named Tom Ciccarone as the municipal housing liaison (resolution 2026-089); the liaison role will oversee applications and coordinate marketing and eligibility for units. The affirmative marketing plan requires the city to use an agent (not a city employee) to take applications and determine eligibility in an "affirmative" manner so selection is not arbitrary.
Mayor Bridal and Commissioner Landgraf applauded staff work on meeting the court deadlines. Mayor Bridal noted the package will be the subject of the city’s public hearing and filings required by the Fair Share process. The commission passed the ordinance and companion resolutions by roll-call vote; no members present recorded opposing votes in the roll calls recorded in the meeting file.
What’s next: staff will finalize the remaining draft documents required by the court, submit them before the March 15 deadline and implement the affirmative marketing procedures and liaison appointment when the resolutions take effect.
