Gov. Phil Murphy today signed legislation designed to expedite the construction permitting process and simultaneously announced more than $19 million will be awarded to organizations across New Jersey to aid in the completion of dozens of affordable housing units statewide including four in Highland Park.
Assemblyman Rob Karabinchak and Senator Patrick Diegnan, who represent the 18th Legislative District, sponsored the new law, which alters the Uniform Construction Code Act and aligns New Jersey with several other states where private sector inspections supplement government inspections.
“In New Jersey, applying for and receiving a building permit can be a lengthy and costly process,” Diegnan said. “This law will establish a means to simplify and expedite the process to shorten the time it takes to get a new construction permit. I am grateful to my colleagues and the governor for providing residents with an alternative option for contractors, businesses, and homeowners who wish to take a quicker route to getting an inspection done.”
The legislation codifies a three-day construction inspection turnaround from the date of the requested inspection and allows for developers to contract with private on-site inspection agencies if local construction officials cannot complete the inspection within three days of the requested date. The ultimate approval and sign-off on a certificate of occupancy will still come from local construction officials.
“By codifying the required three-day inspection turnaround, we ensure things can move along expeditiously,” Karabinchak said. “Right now, three days is the standard but because it’s not set in stone it’s often ignored and at the expense of a business or contractor experiencing costly delays.”
The law also provides local governments with several avenues to improve their ability to conduct inspections in a timely manner, including a more streamlined bidding process to contract with private inspection agencies to conduct inspections for them or enter into shared services agreements to consolidate work among multiple municipalities.
“The (legislation) signed today will foster a more efficient system of handling building code inspections that will result in a more affordable housing market, revitalized economic strength and additional career and business opportunities in the construction industry,” said New Jersey Builders Association CEO Jeff Kolakowski.
“(Legislators found) a sensible solution to a problem that has quietly plagued the state’s residents and its development and business communities for years. This is a prime example of good governance and how the public and private sectors can come together to better meet the needs of our state.”
Senate President Nick Scutari, who also sponsored the legislation in the upper house, said the new law will help ordinary citizens cut through bureaucratic red tape and expedite important inspections which will help spur the economy.
“We are also making important investments in affordable housing that will help make homes more affordable for families who face financial obstacles in finding places to live,” Scutari said. “These efforts will make housing more affordable and improve the quality of life for residents in diverse communities.”
More than $19 million from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF), National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF), and the HOME Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO) Production Program will be awarded to organizations statewide.
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which is administering the funds, provides financial assistance for the development of various affordable housing projects. The federal funding DCA receives from the NHTF and CHDO programs comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
All the awards were given to smaller rental and homeownership housing projects sized at 25 or fewer units, which often have difficulty obtaining financing. These projects, totaling 79 units, will fill gaps within the existing affordable housing framework, build on current assets and investments, and add value to neighborhoods.
The projects are also being developed by organizations that have a strong connection to the housing equity issues in their communities including the Reformed Church of Highland Park Affordable Housing Corporation (RCHP-AHC).
As a provider of affordable housing, support services, and meaningful community connections to low-income individuals and families, RCHP-AHC has made a profound impact.
RCHP-AHC owns more than two dozen properties across Central Jersey that house diverse low-income tenants including veterans, women aging out of foster care, developmentally disabled adults, homeless youth, chronically homeless individuals, and others with significant life challenges.
The nonprofit’s footprint will expand with DCA awarding it $1 million from the NHTF for the creation of four rental units through the acquisition and rehabilitation of a property on North 4th Avenue in Highland Park.
In addition to the properties it owns, RCHP-AHC rents 160 units and serves as a temporary intermediary for families including refugees, asylum seekers, and re-entering citizens who would otherwise be unable to secure an apartment rental due to poor credit, no credit history, temporary unemployment, and other factors.
As past recipients of the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey’s “Outstanding Municipal Partners” award for redevelopment, Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale, co-pastor of the Reformed Church of Highland Park, and recently retired Highland Park Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler have been honored for their mutually supportive work.
“Offering housing that gives access that is safe and modern to residents of all economic backgrounds is key to the success of any community,” Brill Mittler said. “We are proud of the work RCHP-AHC has done in Highland Park and beyond.”
RCHP-AHC has helped Highland Park fulfill its New Jersey affordable housing obligations, which in part mandate that 13 percent of the borough’s affordable housing units be financially accessible to very low-income households.
RCHP-AHC believes faith communities are uniquely positioned to provide affordable housing and intentional, compassionate community support for neighbors in need. The nonprofit provides quality projects in a fiscally responsible and cost-efficient manner with partners at the municipal, county, state, and federal levels.
RCHP-AHC’s first project – a seven-unit apartment suite on the church’s roof for women aging out of foster care – opened in 2008, the same year the NHTF was established.
Since then, RCHP-AHC has developed affordable housing units in Edison, Highland Park, New Brunswick, Iselin, South River, Newark, Bridgewater, Plainfield, Somerset, Keyport, and Princeton.
RCHP-AHC is among 17 developers who were awarded funds totaling a $19,082,545. Other award recipients include the Perth Amboy YMCA ($1 million for seven units in Perth Amboy) and Triple C Housing, Inc. ($1,000,000 for two units in North Brunswick).
Senator Patrick Diegnan 