More than 250 New Jersey municipalities have finalized with the courts and housing advocates plans that detail how many affordable homes they are allotting within their borders and where these units could be built.

Not all of the proposed developments will happen. Towns are not obligated to build all the housing, they simply need to allow for its construction. It’s not clear how many may be built as there is no longer a state agency overseeing the process.

This year, for the first time in more than a decade, a New Jersey governor has proposed depositing the full amount of fees received — about $60 million — into the state Affordable Housing Trust Fund in recognition of the need for more affordable housing.

At this NJ Spotlight roundtable experts will look briefly at the history of the affordable housing issue in New Jersey — from the Mount Laurel decisions to the current court process — and dive deeply into:

• Where we are today regarding the state’s need for more affordable homes
• How many more municipalities need to draft plans and how many units are planned?
• How many homes are actually likely to be built? Where and when? Who’s going to pay for them?
• What are the prospects of the state retaking control of the process?

Attendees may submit questions for consideration in advance of the event as part of the registration process.

Opening remarks:

Peter Reinhart, Director, Kislak Real Estate Institute, Monmouth University

Panelists:

Staci Berger, President and Chief Executive Officer, Housing and Community Development Network of NJ

Christiana Foglio, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Community Investment Strategies

Assemblywoman Holly T. Schepisi, Assistant Republican Leader, Member Joint Committee on Housing Affordability, Member Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity, Member Housing and Community Development Committee

Kevin Walsh, Executive Director, Fair Share Housing Center

Additional panelist to be named.

Moderator:

Colleen O’Dea, Editor at Large, NJ Spotlight