[Adopted 9-11-2007 by Ord. No. 34-07]
The purpose of this article is to create the administrative mechanism
needed for the execution of the City of Long Branch's responsibility
to assist in the provision of affordable housing pursuant to the Fair Housing
Act of 1985.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
The entity responsible for administering the affordability controls
of some or all units in the affordable housing program for the City of Long
Branch to ensure that the restricted units under administration are affirmatively
marketed and sold or rented, as applicable, only to low- and moderate-income
households.
The employee charged by the governing body with the responsibility
for oversight and administration of the affordable housing program for the
City of Long Branch.
A.
Establishment of position of Municipal Housing Liaison
Officer. There is hereby established the position of Municipal Housing Liaison
Officer for the City of Long Branch.
B.
Subject to the approval of the Council on Affordable
Housing (COAH), the Municipal Housing Liaison Officer shall be appointed by
the governing body and may be a full- or part-time municipal employee.
C.
The Municipal Housing Liaison Officer shall be responsible for oversight and administration of the affordable housing program for the City of Long Branch, including the following responsibilities which may not be contracted out, exclusive of Subsection C(6), which may be contracted out:
(1)
Serving as the City of Long Branch's primary point
of contact for all inquiries from the state, affordable housing providers,
administrative agents, and interested households;
(2)
Monitoring the status of all restricted units in the
City of Long Branch's Fair Share Plan;
(3)
Compiling, verifying, and submitting annual reports as
required by COAH;
(4)
Coordinating meetings with affordable housing providers
and administrative agents, as applicable;
(5)
Attending continuing education opportunities on affordability
controls, compliance monitoring, and affirmative marketing as offered or approved
by COAH;
D.
Subject to approval by COAH, the City of Long Branch may contract with or authorize a consultant, authority, government or any agency charged by the governing body, which entity shall have the responsibility of administering the affordable housing program of the City of Long Branch, except for those responsibilities which may not be contracted out pursuant to Subsection C above. If the City of Long Branch contracts with another entity to administer all or any part of the affordable housing program, including the affordability controls and affirmative marketing plan, the Municipal Housing Liaison Officer shall supervise the contracting administrative agent.
E.
Compensation. Compensation shall be fixed by the governing
body at the time of the appointment of the Municipal Housing Liaison Officer.
F.
Administrative powers and duties assigned to the Municipal
Housing Liaison Officer:
(1)
Affirmative marketing.
(a)
Conducting an outreach process to insure affirmative
marketing of affordable housing units in accordance with the affirmative marketing
plan of the City of Long Branch and the provisions of N.J.A.C. 5:80-26.15;
and
(b)
Providing counseling or contracting to provide counseling
services to low- and moderate-income applicants on subjects such as budgeting,
credit issues, mortgage qualification, rental lease requirements, and landlord/tenant
law.
(2)
Household certification.
(a)
Soliciting, scheduling, conducting and following up on
interviews with interested households;
(b)
Conducting interviews and obtaining sufficient documentation
of gross income and assets upon which to base a determination of income eligibility
for a low- or moderate-income unit;
(c)
Providing written notification to each applicant as to
the determination of eligibility or noneligibility;
(d)
Requiring that all certified applicants for restricted
units execute a certificate substantially in the form, as applicable, of either
the ownership or rental certificates set forth in Appendixes J and K of N.J.A.C.
5:80-26.1 et seq.;
(e)
Creating and maintaining a referral list of eligible
applicant households living in the housing region and eligible applicant households
with members working in the housing region where the units are located; and
(f)
Employing the random selection process as provided in
the affirmative marketing plan of the City of Long Branch when referring households
for certification to affordable units.
(3)
Affordability controls.
(a)
Furnishing to attorneys or closing agents forms of deed
restrictions and mortgages for recording at the time of conveyance of title
of each restricted unit;
(b)
Creating and maintaining a file on each restricted unit
for its control period, including the recorded deed with restrictions, recorded
mortgage and note, as appropriate;
(c)
Ensuring that the removal of the deed restrictions and
cancellation of the mortgage note are effectuated and properly filed with
the appropriate county's register of deeds or county clerk's office
after the termination of the affordability controls for each restricted unit;
(d)
Communicating with lenders regarding foreclosures; and
(e)
Ensuring the issuance of continuing certificates of occupancy
or certifications pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:80-26.10.
(4)
Resale and rental.
(a)
Instituting and maintaining an effective means of communicating
information between owners and the administrative agent regarding the availability
of restricted units for resale or rental upon availability of the information
to the Municipal Housing Liaison Officer; and
(b)
Instituting and maintaining an effective means of communicating
information to low- and moderate-income households regarding the availability
of restricted units for resale or re-rental upon availability of the information
to the Municipal Housing Liaison Officer.
(5)
Processing request from unit owners.
(a)
Reviewing and approving, in conjunction with the City
Attorney, requests from owners of restricted units who wish to take out home
equity loans or refinance during the term of their ownership;
(b)
Reviewing and approving, in conjunction with the City
Attorney, requests to increase sales prices from owners of restricted units
who wish to make capital improvements to the units that would affect the selling
price, such authorizations to be limited to those improvements resulting in
additional bedrooms or bathrooms and the cost of central air-conditioning
systems; and
(c)
Processing requests and making determinations, in conjunction
with the City Attorney, on requests by owners of restricted units for hardship
waivers.
(6)
Enforcement.
(a)
The posting annually in all rental properties when the
information becomes available to the Municipal Housing Liaison, including
two-family homes, of a notice as to the maximum permitted rent together with
the telephone number of the administrative agent where complaints of excess
rent can by made;
(b)
Creating and publishing a written operating manual, as
approved by COAH, setting forth procedures for administering such affordability
controls; and
(c)
Providing annual reports to COAH as required.
(7)
The administrative agent shall have authority to take
all actions necessary and appropriate to carry out its responsibilities hereunder.
