New Jersey
What you need to know to apply for affordable housing in New Jersey
3-minute read
NJ affordable housing history: Video
Take a look at North Jersey’s history with affordable housing over the last 50 years.
More than 4,000 people recently applied for a Cherry Hill development with 28 affordable units.
In East Hanover in Morris County last year, there were about 9,500 applicants for 45 units.
A building that opened last year in Teaneck with 40 affordable units for people age 62 and older had more than 700 applicants.
“It is very competitive,” said Joshua Bauers, the director of exclusionary zoning litigation for the nonprofit Fair Share Housing Center. “It is just emblematic of the housing shortage we are all existing in.”
The search for affordable housing can be complicated and arduous, and the odds of getting awarded an apartment are long. But advocates say reforms to the system in recent years have made the process more accessible, and they hope other planned changes will make it easier for applicants.
To qualify for affordable housing in New Jersey, applicants must earn at or below 80% of the median family income for the county where the housing is, under the state’s Uniform Housing Affordability Controls.
Units are available to people at various income levels, for those earning 30%, 50% or 80% of the median income.
In Bergen, Hudson, Passaic and Sussex counties, a family of four would earn up to $96,329 to qualify for moderate-income housing, $60,206 to qualify for low-income housing and $36,124 to qualify for very low-income housing.
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In December, because of the state’s new affordable housing law, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, or HMFA, adopted interim amendments to the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls.
Under the law, all units are required to be “affirmatively marketed.”
But under the old rules, which hadn’t been updated in 20 years, the specified marketing still included television and radio with no mention of the internet or social media.
“That’s one of the big updates you’ll see,” Bauers said. “That was probably one of the most outdated aspects of the old rules.”
Other recent changes have also eased the process for potential applicants.
Soon after the start of the pandemic, the state changed the law to require a central location for all affordable housing to be advertised. Now all units are listed on the New Jersey Housing Resource Center’s website at nj.gov/njhrc, which previously was used to advertise only affordable housing units financed by the HMFA.
“Everything funnels to there — the idea is it should be really easy to figure out what housing is available,” Bauers said. “Before, you could go on five different websites operated by administrative agents to do the applications and figure out what’s available. Now it’s all in one place.”
That new requirement is included in the updated rules, he said.
Under the Fair Chance in Housing Act, which went into effect in 2022, a landlord cannot consider an applicant’s criminal history on an initial housing application, in an interview or in other ways before making an offer.
In the years since Mount Laurel, a cottage industry of businesses that act as administrative agents for affordable housing has sprung up. Those companies, including Piazza & Associates in Princeton, Community Grants, Planning and Housing and the nonprofit Housing Partnership of Morris County, all have slightly different procedures for applying.
People in need of affordable housing will fill out an application or pre-application, and then the administrative agent runs a lottery to establish the order of who gets the housing.
After the lottery, people start to get matched up with units. Sometimes landlords or property owners have their own application process tenants must go through.
The Fair Share Housing Center is hoping to make the application as uniform as possible, so people won’t have to fill out so many forms. It is also pushing for a window of eligibility in which people won’t have to repeatedly supply documents proving they are eligible for affordable housing or government benefits, like food stamps.
Currently, applicants must fill out separate applications for each unit, and repeatedly provide documentation that they meet the income requirements. Because each application carries a fee, the process of applying can become unaffordable for those seeking housing, Bauers said.
“The housing shortage is a tremendous part of the problem — one we are trying to solve through building more affordable housing,” he said. “But we are hopeful these updates will alleviate some of these access problems.”
Another change affordable housing advocates are pushing for is clear requirements for unit sizes, access to amenities and other features. They are seeking regulations requiring developers to build one-, two- and three-bedroom affordable units, with specific minimum unit and bedroom sizes, so housing is available and suitable for families.
“People looking for affordable units sometimes end up on yearslong wait lists before they finally get access to housing,” Bauers said. “We are really happy with what the HMFA is doing with the new rules. This will make it easier for people who need housing to access it.”
Governor Mikie Sherrill at BJ’s Wholesale Club in Ocean Township after collapse
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill meets with first responders before a press conference at BJ’s Wholesale Club in Ocean Township.
Last week wasn’t a great one when it comes to weather at the Jersey Shore.
This one will be much better, at least if you like heat.
A heat wave will hit New Jersey this week with hot weather moving into the area on Tuesday. The warm temperatures will stick around for most of the week before we get a little relief by the end of the weekend.
The National Weather Service forecasts the heat wave to start July 14 with a sunny day with highs around 92 degrees. Wednesday is even hotter with temperatures expected to flirt with 100 degrees. Thursday stays hot with a high of 92 degrees forecasted, with Friday and Saturday also expected to see highs in the low 80s.
According to the NOAA, Wednesday the Jersey Shore area will be under an extreme heat watch.
Tuesday through Friday are expected to be sunny, with some clouds. Saturday is when showers roll in.
Sunday the heatwave is expected to break. Showers are also expected to stick around with a high of 84 degrees expected.
2-minute read
Paper Plane Coffee adding a new Maplewood NJ location
Paper Plane Coffee, the popular Montclair spot, will open a Maplewood location.
The Record, NorthJersey.com, the Daily Record and the New Jersey Herald want to keep you up to date on all the newest shops, restaurants and service providers moving into your towns. Below is a roundup of businesses that recently opened or are coming soon.
Are you opening a business in North Jersey? Get the word out to your neighbors as soon as possible. Send us your information and photos and we will try to add them to our next new-business roundup.
We’re also interested in reporting business closings. Have a tip? Contact Business Reporter Daniel Munoz at munozd@northjersey.com, or 201-270-9870, and Stephanie Noda at noda@northjersey.com, or 973-558-0950.
Story continues below photo gallery
Cre8sArt School, Westwood
Arts education classes for students of all ages and levels, including year-round classes, camps, workshops and portfolio development programs.
WHERE: 24 Booker St., Westwood
WHEN: Grand opening was June 14. Hours are 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 888-371-9904 or visit https://cre8sart.com/
Point 5 Jersey, Morristown
Liquor store dedicated to non-alcoholic drinks, from mixers to specialty beverages.
WHERE: 48 Washington St., Morristown
WHEN: Grand opening was June 17.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 862-286-0555, email point5jersey@gmail.com or visit www.point5jersey.com
Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record.
Email: munozd@northjersey.com; Twitter:@danielmunoz100, Facebook and Instagram
Every Saturday night all summer, cowboys ride bucking broncs in a Salem County town called Pilesgrove. That rodeo has run weekly since the 1950s. Two hours north, Frenchtown builds its whole downtown around a contemporary arts center on the Delaware River. High Bridge sends walkers straight from Main Street onto an old iron-country rail trail. These eight towns each reward a single Saturday. You have driven past their exits for years.
Frenchtown
Fewer than 1,500 people live in Frenchtown, which sits on the Delaware River in the hills of Hunterdon County, in the western part of the state. The whole town fits into a few blocks around Bridge Street, where the restaurants, shops, and river views cluster alongside ArtYard, a contemporary arts center that runs both gallery shows and live performances. From the edge of town you can pick up the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail, more than 70 miles of flat, multi-use path along the old canal route with connections into other trail networks, so you can leave the car parked all day. Just outside the borough, Frenchtown Preserve adds miles of trails for hikers, cyclists, and anyone hoping to spot wildlife.
Tuckerton
Long Beach Island gets the crowds, but Tuckerton sits just a few miles across the bay and keeps a much lower profile. The town centers on the Tuckerton Seaport, a stretch of preserved historic buildings and boatworks that doubles as an event space, with local tours and a seasonal ferry running out of it. Main Street runs down to Lake Pohatcong, and beyond that you will find marinas, restaurants, and waterfront spots like South Green Street Park, a reliable place to fish or just watch the water. Tuckerton also makes an easy base for the protected coastline nearby, including the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
High Bridge
The Columbia Trail starts just off Main Street in High Bridge and runs north into Morris County, which makes this small Hunterdon County town a natural jumping-off point for a long walk or ride. Main Street itself is a short run of coffee shops, restaurants, and local businesses, enough for a meal before or after the trail. The town wears its ironworking past openly, most visibly at the Solitude House, one of its oldest homes and a window into the era when iron drove the local economy. Lake Solitude sits nearby for anyone who wants the water view to go with the history.
Pitman
The Broadway Theatre of Pitman anchors this South Jersey town, a restored 1920s venue that books plays, concerts, and stand-up through the year. A few blocks away is Pitman Grove, which started as a Methodist summer camp meeting ground; its streets fan out from the Pitman Grove Auditorium, where the community and religious gatherings were once held, and the radial layout is still visible on a map today. The Uptown Pitman district around both sits lined with restaurants, galleries, and neighborhood shops, so a theater night easily turns into a full afternoon and evening.
Cranbury
Cranbury has held onto its old architecture better than most towns its size, and the result is a Main Street that reads like a preserved 19th-century streetscape. The Cranbury History Center, a small museum focused on how the village grew, makes a good first stop for the backstory. From there it is a short walk to Brainerd Lake, best taken in from Cranbury Village Park on the north shore. What stands out is how complete the small-town feel is, given that some of the busiest stretches of Central Jersey sit only a short drive away.
Mount Holly
Mount Holly is the county seat of Burlington County, and it still flies under the radar for most people outside the area. The Mill Race Village district at its center is a restored historic neighborhood of independent shops and restaurants, and the Union Firehouse handles the after-dark side with live shows. For something stranger, the Burlington County Prison Museum opens up a 19th-century jail with a long, reputedly haunted history. It is the most populated town on this list, but Rancocas State Park is close enough that trading the streets for hiking, fishing, or hunting takes only a few minutes.
Woodstown
Woodstown sits in the middle of Salem County farm country, and its biggest draw is right next door in Pilesgrove: the Cowtown Rodeo, the oldest weekly running rodeo in the country, staged on Saturday nights through the summer. The same grounds host the Cowtown Farmers Market, a year-round indoor and outdoor produce and flea market. Downtown Woodstown fills in the rest with breweries, bookstores, diners, and the Blue Moon Theatre for community shows. For a slower look at the surrounding countryside, the Woodstown Central Railroad runs scenic rides and themed excursions through the fields.
Belvidere
Belvidere sits in a bend of the Delaware River across from Pennsylvania, out in rural Warren County, about as far off the main routes as this list goes. Its historic district is one of the best preserved in the region, with buildings dating to the early 1800s arranged around a classic town green. The Warren County Historical Society runs a museum here for anyone curious about how the town and county took shape. A town boat ramp puts you straight onto the river, one of the more underrated stretches for paddling and fishing in this corner of the state.
Eight Towns Worth the Detour
What ties these eight together is not a single landscape but a single habit: each one built its identity around something concrete and kept it. Frenchtown and Belvidere lean on the river, Tuckerton on the bay, Woodstown on its farm-country rodeo, Pitman and High Bridge on a restored theater and an old iron trail. Spend a Saturday in any of them and the appeal is obvious within the first hour, which is the whole argument for taking the exit instead of driving past it.
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