[Adopted 12-16-2002 by Ord. No. 8-2002]
The purpose of this article is to establish an affordable housing affirmative
marketing program to guide the placement of households in affordable housing
in the Borough of Pemberton in accordance with procedures established by the
New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing.
The Borough of Pemberton, County of Burlington, has a fair share obligation
of 16 units of which 10 provide new affordable housing opportunities. This
article will apply to all new developments that contain proposed low- and
moderate-income units that are listed below and any future developments that
may occur.
The affirmative marketing plan is a regional marketing strategy designed
to attract buyers and/or renters of all majority and minority groups, regardless
of sex, age or number of children, to housing units which are being marketed
by a developer/sponsor, municipality and/or designated administrative agency
of affordable housing. The plan will address the requirements of N.J.A.C.
5:93-11. In addition, the plan prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental,
financing or other services related to housing on the basis of race, color,
sex, religion, handicap, age, familial status/size or national origin. The
Borough of Pemberton is in the Housing Region 4, as designated by the Council
on Affordable Housing, consisting of the Counties of Burlington, Camden and
Gloucester. The affirmative marketing program is a continuing program and
will meet the following requirements:
A.
All newspaper articles, announcements and requests for
applications for low- and moderate-income units will appear in the following
daily newspapers/publications. (One regional newspaper is sufficient as long
as the combined outreach efforts attract sufficient applicants.) Traditionally,
municipalities place at least one ad in a regional newspaper, one ad in a
countywide newspaper and one ad in a local newspaper.
B.
The primary marketing will take the form of at least
one press release sent to the above publications and a paid display advertisement
in each of the above newspapers. Additional advertising and publicity will
be on an "as needed" basis.
C.
The advertisement will include:
(1)
The street address of available affordable housing;
(2)
Directions to housing units;
(3)
The number of bedrooms per unit;
(4)
The range of selling prices/rents;
(5)
The size of units;
(6)
The household income limits; and
(7)
The location of applications, including business hours
and where/how applications may be obtained.
D.
All newspaper articles, announcements and requests for
applications for low- and moderate-income housing will appear in the Community
News, the local neighborhood-oriented weekly newspaper; notices will also
be provided to all religious houses of worship in the Borough and surrounding
Pemberton Township, publications and organizational newsletters within the
region:
(1)
The Community News.
The following is the location of applications, brochure(s), sign(s)
and/or poster(s) that will be used as part of the Borough's affirmative
marketing program, including specific employment centers within the region:
A.
Pemberton Borough Hall, 50 Egbert Street, Pemberton,
NJ.
B.
Pemberton Branch Library, Broadway, Browns Mills NJ.
C.
Developer's sales/rental office on site.
D.
Pemberton Area Senior Citizens Center, Brook Street,
Browns Mills, NJ.
E.
Pine Grove Plaza Shopping Center, Browns Mills, NJ.
F.
Burlington County College, Pemberton-Browns Mills Road,
Pemberton, NJ.
G.
Buttonwood Hospital, Pemberton-Browns Mills Road, Pemberton,
NJ.
H.
Deborah Heart and Lung Center, Trenton Road, Browns Mills,
NJ.
The following is a list of community contact person(s) and/or organization(s)
in the Borough of Pemberton, Burlington County, and Mercer County that will
aid in the affirmative marketing program with particular emphasis on contacts
that will reach out to groups that are least likely to apply for housing within
the region:
Applications will be mailed to prospective applicants upon request.
Additionally, applications will be sent to the chief administrative employees
of each of the following agencies in the counties of Burlington County, Gloucester
County and Camden County:
The following is a description of the random selection method that will
be used to select occupants of low- and moderate-income housing:
A.
Households that apply for low- and moderate-income housing
will be pre-screened by the Housing Administrator for income eligibility by
comparing their total income to the current low- and moderate-income limits
adopted by COAH. Applicants will be notified as to their eligibility status.
B.
In order to ensure a sufficient supply of qualified applicants,
the advertising process will continue until at least 10 income-eligible applicants
have applied for each low- and moderate-income unit available or until all
of the available low- and moderate-income units within the Township have been
sold or rented, whichever occurs first.
C.
Having pre-screened applicants for income eligibility,
the Housing Administrator will analyze the income and household size of each
applicant to determine which of the available low- and moderate-income housing
units the applicant is qualified to occupy.
D.
The Housing Administrator will interview each applicant
to verify the applicant's income and review the applicant's credit
history. Applicants will be required to submit income verification for each
household member 18 years or older. This process will be utilized in establishing
the final certified applicant group.
E.
If there is more than one certified applicant for an
available low- and moderate-income unit, placement will be made on a first-come-first-served
basis, considering the date the application was first received by the Housing
Administrator.
The Borough of Pemberton is ultimately responsible for administering
the affirmative marketing program. The Borough of Pemberton has delegated
this responsibility to NJDCA Housing Affordability Service. NJDCA Housing
Affordability Service will income qualify low- and moderate-income households;
place income eligible households in low- and moderate-income units upon initial
occupancy; provide for the initial occupancy of low- and moderate-income units
with income qualified households; continue to qualify households for reoccupancy
of units as they become vacant during the period of affordability controls;
assist with advertising and outreach to low- and moderate-income households
if in contract; and enforce the terms of the deed restriction and mortgage
loan as per N.J.A.C. 5:93-9. The Borough's Fair Housing Officer within
Borough of Pemberton is the designated housing officer to act as liaison to
the Housing Affordability Service. The Borough's Fair Housing Officer
and/or NJDCA Housing Affordability Service will provide counseling services
to low- and moderate-income applicants on subjects such as budgeting, credit
issues, mortgage qualification, responsibilities of homeownership, rental
lease requirements and landlord/tenant law. The following service providers
have agreed to perform the above services:
A.
Borough of Pemberton, Fair Housing Officer.
Households who live or work in the COAH-established housing region may
be given preference for sales and rental units constructed within that housing
region. Applicants living outside the housing region will have an equal opportunity
for units after regional applicants have been initially serviced. The Borough
of Pemberton intends to comply with N.J.A.C. 5:93-11.7.
Developers of low- and moderate-income housing units may assist in the
marketing of the affordable units in their respective developments if so designated
by Borough of Pemberton.
The marketing program will commence at least 120 days before the issuance
of either temporary or permanent certificates of occupancy. The marketing
program will continue until all low- and moderate-income housing units are
initially occupied and for as long as affordable units are deed restricted
and occupancy or reoccupancy of units continues to be necessary.
The Borough of Pemberton in conjunction with the Housing Affordability
Service will comply with monitoring and reporting requirements as per N.J.A.C.
5:93-11.6 and 12.1.
