An Affordable Housing Board (AHB) is hereby
established for the purpose of monitoring the compliance of the municipality
in providing housing for low- and moderate-income households pursuant
to the Fair Housing Act of 1985 (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-301 et seq.).
Alternate members may participate in discussions
of the proceedings but may not vote except in the absence or disqualification
of a regular member. A vote shall not be delayed in order that a regular
member may vote instead of an alternate member. In the event that
a choice must be made as to which alternate member is to vote, "Alternate
No. 1" shall vote.
Members of the AHB shall serve without compensation.
Any member may be removed by the governing body
for cause or absence but only after public hearing if requested by
the member and other due process proceedings. Any voting member of
the AHB who has been absent without excuse for three successive regular
meetings may be removed from office by the governing body after notice.
If a vacancy shall occur otherwise than by expiration
of term, it shall be filled for the unexpired term only.
No member or alternate member of the AHB shall
be permitted to act on any matter in which he or she has either directly
or indirectly any personal or financial interest. No member who is
so disqualified may act on that particular matter, shall not continue
to sit with the Board on the hearing of such matter, nor shall participate
in any discussion or decision.
Yearly, the AHB shall organize by selecting
from among its voting members a chairman and a vice-chairman. The
Board shall also select a secretary who may or may not be a member
of the Board or a municipal employee.
The governing body may employ or assign at the
request of the AHB such personnel or experts and other staff as the
AHB deems necessary provided such obligations do not exceed the municipal
budgetary allocation available to the AHB for such use.
Attendance by four voting members shall constitute
a quorum.
The AHB is hereby granted and shall exercise
the following powers:
A. Sales and rentals. Review with the assistance of the
Technical Project Coordinator regulations pertaining to the sale,
rental, resale, and re-renting of affordable housing units.
B. Appeals from Office of Housing and Redevelopment Decisions.
Hold hearings upon notice and adjudicate the complaints of developers
or applicants, owners and renters if the developer, applicant, owner
or renter is not satisfied with the rulings of the Technical Project
Coordinator. In matters involving a hearing, the office shall give
10 days' written notice to all parties involved and shall give all
interested parties an opportunity to be heard.
C. Funding requests. With the assistance of the Technical
Project Coordinator, review requests from federal, state, county,
or local agencies regarding funding or applications for funding.
D. Use of funds. With the assistance of the Technical
Project Coordinator, make recommendations to the governing body regarding
how municipal funds or funds collected for affordable housing from
developers of land not subject to an affordable housing set aside
should be spent and propose priorities for such expenditures.
E. Marketing plans. Review all housing marketing plans
submitted to the Technical Project Coordinator by developers.