S 2928, "The Preserving Affordable Main Streets Act," modifies zoning rules in New Jersey municipalities to encourage residential development near transit and commercial corridors. It requires municipalities with transit stations to remove minimum parking requirements and use variances for mixed-use or multi-unit developments meeting specific criteria: at least 15 dwelling units per acre, 50% lot area served by water/sewer infrastructure, and location within a half-mile of a transit station. For municipalities without transit stations, it allows similar developments in high-density areas (500+ people/sq mile or 7,500+ population) within a quarter-mile of a main street corridor. The bill also mandates 65-day approval timelines for qualifying projects and voids non-compliant zoning rules if municipalities fail to update ordinances within six months.
SCR 52 proposes a constitutional amendment to ban exclusionary zoning in New Jersey, which prevents municipalities from blocking housing development for low and moderate income residents. The amendment explicitly states that towns are not required to build or fund affordable housing units, removing the "affirmative obligation" that fueled costly lawsuits. This change aims to end "builder's remedy" cases where courts forced specific housing projects, while still allowing courts to strike down discriminatory zoning practices. The amendment must be approved by New Jersey voters in the next general election.
This bill authorizes licensed outpatient substance use disorder treatment programs in New Jersey to provide housing to patients receiving treatment, specifically for individuals needing both services. Programs must offer housing through a separate contract requiring patients to acknowledge repayment of housing subsidies, and must inform patients that housing and treatment are independent services not contingent on each other. The bill maintains existing criminal penalties for programs accepting payment for patient referrals while allowing treatment programs to own, lease, or manage housing units under state zoning and safety regulations.
This bill, S 2889 ("The Desegregate New Jersey Act"), requires New Jersey municipalities to permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs) - secondary living spaces on single-family lots - and mixed-use developments (combining residential and commercial spaces) in areas currently zoned only for single-family homes. It directly affects municipalities (by changing zoning rules) and homeowners (by allowing ADUs without triggering affordable housing quotas). Key provisions ban restrictions like mandatory passageways between units, parking fees for ADUs, or age requirements for occupants, and set a 65-day deadline for permit decisions. Municipalities failing to update zoning by June 2022 must follow these rules until compliance, removing barriers to denser, more diverse housing options.
S 1946 allows New Jersey municipalities to create programs giving priority for affordable housing units to low- and moderate-income veterans who served in wartime or emergencies (up to 50% of affordable units in a project). It amends state housing law to let municipalities use tools like rezoning, tax abatements, or public land to build affordable housing while requiring units to remain affordable for at least six years. The bill specifically adds a veteran preference mechanism into housing selection processes but does not require municipalities to raise taxes or spend public funds for this purpose. This directly affects municipalities developing housing projects and low-to-moderate-income veterans seeking housing in New Jersey.
This bill requires New Jersey municipalities to permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in single-family and two-family residential zones as a standard use, eliminating the need for special approvals beyond standard zoning. It sets specific size limits (minimum 300 sq ft, maximum 1,200 sq ft), height restrictions (max 20 feet), and setback rules (no more than five feet for detached ADUs). The bill also mandates that ADUs must be rented separately from the primary dwelling but cannot be sold separately, and exempts them from fire sprinkler requirements if the primary dwelling does not require them. These provisions directly affect homeowners seeking to build ADUs and municipalities required to update zoning regulations.
