DCA Launches NJHOMES Initiative

• Posted on: 04/30/2025

NJHOMES Will Help Municipalities Develop Affordable Housing that Aligns with Community Needs and Character

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) today announced the launch of the New Jersey Housing Opportunities for Municipal Equity and Success (NJHOMES) initiative that is aimed at assisting municipalities in developing affordable housing that meets community needs and is scaled for every neighborhood. NJHOMES kicked off at a convening of municipalities from across the state in New Brunswick last week to learn more about the initiative’s offerings.

NJHOMES will provide financial resources, training, technical assistance, and web-based tools to help municipalities learn about affordable housing models, build neighborhood engagement, and select housing that is the right fit for their community.

“DCA has long worked to ensure a more equitable housing landscape in New Jersey, guiding families toward safe, affordable homes and paths to homeownership, which strengthen communities and benefit all residents,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “Without a doubt, NJHOMES will help jumpstart affordable housing projects around the state by providing municipal officials with a clear path forward on how to achieve their vision and goals.”

A primary focus of the initiative is to demonstrate the options available to municipalities to bridge the gap between single-family homes and large apartment complexes. Diverse housing models such as duplexes, townhomes, and accessory dwelling units can serve residents at all life stages while bringing vibrancy to neighborhoods.

“Wonderful things can happen when towns thoughtfully and intentionally choose the housing they will develop,” said DCA Assistant Commissioner Janel Winter, who leads the Division of Housing and Community Resources. “The purpose of NJHOMES is to provide towns with the support they need to develop life cycle housing – housing for residents at all life stages and income levels – that will help their towns to thrive now and in the future."

NJHOMES is using a three-pronged approach:

• The NJHOMES curriculum includes training on all aspects of the housing development process from the municipal perspective, including how to utilize planning and zoning to facilitate innovative development, how to foster strong partnerships with developers who are invested in the community, and how to use housing as a springboard for economic development.
• The NJHOMES Choice planning tool is an interactive, web-based portal designed by DCA data specialists that allows municipalities to test the impact of a variety of types of housing models on their affordable housing obligations and plans.
• The NJHOMES Launchpad is a competitive opportunity that will offer funding, enhanced technical assistance, a learning and collaborative community, and mentorship to an initial cohort of 10 to 20 municipalities that commit to specific development projects within the next two years. DCA anticipates posting the Request for Proposals for the NJHOMES Launchpad in May.

NJHOMES is the latest initiative in the last 13 months to advance affordable housing efforts statewide. In March 2024, Governor Murphy signed landmark affordable housing legislation to support towns in meeting their affordable housing responsibilities required under the State Constitution. Under this law, DCA released calculations in October 2024 to assist each municipality in planning for its affordable housing development over the next decade. The vast majority of municipalities have adopted DCA’s calculations.

Additionally, since the start of the Murphy Administration, DCA has provided more than $225 million in funding, creating nearly 1,300 units of affordable rental and homeownership opportunities through the State’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the National Housing Trust Fund, and the NJ Healthy Homes initiative. Most of this housing has been projects ranging from one to 24 units.

For more information about NJHOMES, visit https://nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/njhomes.shtml.

DCA’s Division of Housing and Community Resources provides a wide range of services addressing needs in housing assistance, housing production, community development, neighborhood revitalization and improvement, energy assistance, and community services.

DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including affordable housing production, building safety, community planning and development, fire safety, disaster recovery and mitigation, and information privacy.

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: