A 4684

ASSEMBLY, No. 4684
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED MARCH 16, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman� ROBERT AUTH
District 39 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes "Affordable Housing Obligation Study
Commission" to assist municipalities in addressing affordable housing
obligations.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act establishing the "Affordable Housing
Obligation Study Commission" to assist municipalities in addressing
affordable housing obligations.
���� Be It
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� a. �The Affordable Housing
Obligation Study Commission is created in, but not of, the Department of
Community Affairs.� The commission shall be independent of any supervision or
control by the department except as expressly authorized under this act.
���� b.� The commission shall
consist of six members as follows: the Executive Director of the New Jersey
Housing and Mortgage and Finance Agency, ex officio, and five public members.�
Of the five public members, one shall be appointed by the President of the
Senate, one shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one
shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, one shall be appointed
by the Minority Leader of the Assembly, and one shall be appointed by the
Governor from a list submitted by the League of Municipalities. �A vacancy
occurring shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, but
for the unexpired term only.
���� c.� The commission shall
organize as soon as may be practicable following the appointment of a quorum of
its members, to elect a chairperson, and to select a secretary, who need not be
a member of the commission.� The commission may formulate and adopt rules of
procedure and operation in furtherance of its responsibilities.� The commission
may divide itself into such subcommittees and task forces, which task forces
may include persons other than members of the commission such as academics,
government officers or professionals, and may enter into such cooperative
arrangements with academic or research institutions, as it deems necessary to
accomplish its purposes.� Persons serving on task forces other than members of
the commission shall serve at the appointment of the chairperson and shall be
non-voting participants in the task forces.� The commission may meet and hold
hearings at such places and times as it shall designate.
���� d. The members of the
commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to
reimbursement for all necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their
duties.� Each member of the commission may be removed from office by the
Governor, for cause, upon notice and opportunity to be heard.
���� e.���� The duties of the
commission shall be to:
���� (1)�� examine and study the
history of affordable housing in New Jersey and how past practices at the State
and local level have resulted in the State�s current legal framework.
���� (2)�� analyze past guidance
from State agencies and advocacy groups to municipalities with respect to methods
of satisfying existing and future affordable housing obligations to determine
whether such guidance has been effective.
���� (3)�� Analyze the actual and
projected population increases in the State, the number of affordable housing
units actually needed to serve the needs of residents.
���� (4)�� hold such public
hearings and other activities as may be desirable, at the discretion of the
commission, to ensure adequate public input into the preparation of a report.
���� (5)�� gather and disseminate
such information on housing needs and strategies as may be useful for the work
of the commission and informative to the public.
���� (6)�� prepare, adopt, and
publish a report, not later than the 365th day next following the organization
of the commission, that provides recommendations to municipalities regarding
strategies which could be utilized to meet affordable housing obligations, and
to State agencies on how best to assist municipalities in meeting affordable
housing obligations.
���� f.���� Upon the publication of
the report by the commission pursuant to this section, the commission shall
immediately expire.
���� g.��� The Department of Community
Affairs shall provide such staff services as may be needed for the commission
to carry out its responsibilities, including assembly of necessary information
and statistics, preparation of draft reports and analyses, and preparation of
the report for review by the members of the commission.
���� 2.� This act shall take effect
immediately and shall expire upon the publication of the report by the
commission pursuant to subsection f. of section 1 of this act.
STATEMENT
���� This bill establishes the
Affordable Housing Obligation Study Commission.� The commission would consist
of six members as follows: the Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and
Mortgage and Finance Agency, ex officio, and five public members.� Of the five
public members, one would be appointed by the President of the Senate, one
appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one appointed by the Minority
Leader of the Senate, one appointed by the Minority Leader of the Assembly, and
one appointed by the Governor from a list submitted by the League of
Municipalities.�
���� The commission would be
required to:
���� (1) examine and study the
history of affordable housing in New Jersey and how past practices at the State
and local level have resulted in the State�s current legal framework.
���� (2) analyze past guidance from
State agencies and advocacy groups to municipalities with respect to methods of
satisfying existing and future affordable housing obligations to determine
whether such guidance has been effective.
���� (3)�� Analyze the actual and
projected population increases in the State, the number of affordable housing
units actually needed to serve the needs of residents.
���� (4)�� hold such public
hearings and other activities as may be desirable, at the discretion of the
commission, to ensure adequate public input into the preparation of a report.
���� (5)�� gather and disseminate
such information on housing needs and strategies as may be useful for the work
of the commission and informative to the public.
���� (6)�� prepare, adopt, and
publish a report, not later than the 365th day next following the organization
of the commission, that provides recommendations to municipalities regarding
strategies which could be utilized to meet affordable housing obligations, and
to State agencies on how best to assist municipalities in meeting affordable
housing obligations.�
���� Under the bill, the
publication of the report by the commission would trigger the immediate
expiration of the commission.