Four Municipalities Receive COAH Certification
35 Towns Now Certified Under COAH's Revised Third Round Rules


TRENTON - Four more municipalities today received substantive certification under the Council on Affordable Housing's (COAH) revised third round rules. The action came during today's COAH Board meeting. The municipalities are: Collingswood Borough, Palmyra Borough, Peapack & Gladstone Borough, and Stockton Borough.

"Governor Corzine and I applaud these municipalities for their commitment to provide housing that hardworking families, senior citizens and disabled residents can afford," said Department of Community Affairs Acting Commissioner and COAH Board Chairman Charles A. Richman. "Community members such as teachers, firefighters, child care workers and physician's assistants need and deserve affordable places to live and these towns are doing their part."

The four municipalities join Beverly City, Blairstown Township, Cape May Point Borough, Delaware Township, Eastampton Township, East Brunswick Township, Flemington Borough, Florence Township, Frelinghuysen Township, Frenchtown Borough, Harding Township, Hardyston Township, Lawrence Township (Mercer County), Maplewood Township, Milford Borough, Millville City, Montclair Township, North Hanover Township, Old Bridge Township, Orange City, Pennsauken Township, Pennsville Township, Pine Hill Township, Piscataway Township, Plainsboro Township, Rocky Hill Borough, Roxbury Township, South Hackensack Township, Springfield Township, Upper Pittsgrove Township and West Amwell Township as the first 35 towns in the state to receive certification under the third round rules. The third round rules are COAH's regulations governing affordable housing obligations through 2018.

Under the plans certified for these 35 municipalities, 6,861 newly constructed affordable units have already been completed, with another 2,239 proposed. Additionally, 559 units have already been rehabilitated, with another 873 proposed.

Substantive certification is COAH's determination that a municipal fair share plan presents a realistic opportunity for the production of affordable housing to address the town’s portion of the affordable housing need. The substantive certifications granted to these 35 municipalities are valid for 10 years from the municipality's date of petition and provide protection from builder's remedy lawsuits.

COAH, an affiliate of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, facilitates the production of sound, affordable housing for low and moderate income households by providing the most effective process to municipalities, housing providers, nonprofit and for profit developers to address a constitutional obligation within the framework of sound, comprehensive planning.


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