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Mount Olive reports settlement that reduces DCA housing obligation; township plans a 180-unit affordable project
Summary
An unnamed municipal attorney told the council the township reduced its DCA fourth-round affordable-housing obligation from 459 to 317 units and reached settlement with challengers; a proposed 180-unit, 100% affordable project on township-owned land and a Jan. 20 town hall were announced.
The council received a detailed legal update on Dec. 23 about Mount Olive’s affordable housing obligations and recent litigation settlements.
An unnamed municipal attorney told the council that a March 2024 revision to the New Jersey Fair Housing Act established a fourth-round DCA (Department of Community Affairs) obligation for Mount Olive of 459 affordable units over a 10-year period. The attorney said the township and its advisors worked through data and planning processes and reduced that obligation to 317 units through legal and planning measures.
According to the attorney’s summary, the council’s planning process and negotiations allowed the township to lower the number of required dwelling units and to structure projects that lessen high-density impacts. As part of the plan described at the meeting, the township is planning a proposed 180-unit, 100% affordable development on township-owned property; that project was presented as a component of the settlement strategy.
The attorney also said the township met relevant statutory deadlines in the first phase and reached settlement with challengers to resolve the plan. The council scheduled a town hall for Jan. 20 to inform the public about affordable housing obligations, the township’s plan and next steps.
The attorney’s remarks included procedural details: DCA deadlines referenced in the meeting included a Jan. 31 deadline to determine numbers and a June 30 deadline to adopt a housing plan; the attorney said those schedules and the possibility of challenges influenced the township’s approach. Council members and staff said more public education will follow at the January town hall.
