Township Committee Strives to Meet State Affordable Housing Mandate

The Warren Township Committee continues to make significant progress in meeting the state’s affordable housing mandate while responsibly integrating affordable housing into the community. This comes after 15 years of court rulings upholding the legislative mandate imposed on municipalities across the state to increase affordable housing throughout the state.
“Warren Township, unlike other municipalities, has worked hard to avoid court action and developer lawsuits that would otherwise control our town’s future. We have proactively met our obligations under the law, while refusing to compromise our residents’ quality of life,” stated Mayor Victor Sordillo.
In the current environment, the Township Committee has enumerated a list of strict requirements that would-be developers must adhere to. These requirements are intended to protect our neighborhoods, shield our school system from undo impacts, maintain the curb-appeal of our housing stock, and ease the burden of traffic throughout the town.
By following this strategy, Warren Township has met each round of reformulated affordable housing mandates and is now closer to being in compliance with projected state affordable housing numbers than towns that have buried their heads in the sand regarding this challenge.
Mayor Sordillo stated, “Residents who have stayed on top of this issue recognize that our persistence, dedication, and resolve have brought us to this point.”
While the final numbers are not yet known, it appears that the number of existing affordable housing units provides more than half of all units that Warren will ultimately be required to provide. As it has in the past, the Township Committee continues to seek to locate developments that include affordable units throughout the town, to avoid concentrating the impact of new development. These developments will vary in size and scope, but all will adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Township Committee and town officials. Additionally, as plans for them are presented to the Planning Board and elsewhere, residents will have many opportunities to help shape what Warren will be like in the coming decades.
The Township Committee will continue to communicate with Township residents as the process continues and more information is available.