Media Coverage

By Michael Daigle
Daily Record
Nov 3, 2007

Candidates see need for affordable housing

Eleven express concerns in poll about impact of prices on Morris County

Eleven of the 30 major party candidates running for state or county offices across Morris County expressed concerns about the availability of affordable housing, when polled by the Housing Alliance of Morris County.

The Alliance, a community collaboration program of United Way of Morris County, sent questionnaires to the major party candidates running for Morris County freeholder, or state Senate or Assembly in the 21st, 24, 25th and 26th districts.

"The candidates' thoughtful responses to our questionnaire demonstrate that the need for affordable housing is on everyone's mind," said Blair Schleicher-Wilson, executive director of Morris Habitat for Humanity. "That is the first step in developing the dialogue to find workable solutions in solving the problem."

Blair also is the outgoing co-chairwoman of the Housing Alliance.

No reply
Not responding to the questionnaire were:

Freeholder candidates Democrat Moshe Cohen and incumbent Republican Douglas Cabana.

21st District: Senate Republican incumbent Thomas Kean Jr.; and Assembly candidates, incumbent Republicans, Jon Bramnick, and Eric Munoz, and Democrats Norman Albert and Bruce Bergen.

24th District: Republican Senate candidate Steve Oroho; and Assembly Republican candidates, incumbent Allison Littell McHose and Gary Chiusano.

25th District: Senate candidates, incumbent Republican Anthony Bucco, Democrat Frank Herbert; Assembly candidate Democrat Marshall Gates.

26th District: Senate candidates, Republican Joseph Pennacchio and Democrat Wasim Khan; Assembly candidates, incumbent Republican Alex DeCroce, Republican Jay Webber and Democrats Wayne Marek and David Modrak.

Business angle
Several candidates cited the impact of the high cost of housing on the county's ability to attract new businesses, the increased highway traffic as workers move farther from their jobs in search of an affordable home and the subsequent environmental impact. Other candidates said that increased state regulation has hampered the ability to develop affordable housing.

Michelle Roers DiNapoli, director of community impact at United Way and co-chairwoman of the Housing Alliance, said that the questions were posed to determine to what degree candidates measured the housing situation, ranging from a crisis to a concern.

The questionnaires asked each candidate if there is an affordable-housing crisis in Morris County. Freeholder candidates were asked for a position statement, to describe the role of the county, and whether they would support the creation of a county housing trust fund, an increasingly popular tool around the country.

Candidates for state office weighed in on how to fund/achieve Gov. Jon Corzine's stated goal of 100,000 affordable units in 10 years; whether or not to abolish Regional Contribution Agreements, whereby under state law, towns can pay other towns build or restore affordable housing; and abolishing prevailing wage requirements for developing affordable-housing projects.

Household finances
The United Way said that to afford a home at the average selling price of $491,228, a Morris family needs an annual income of $127,000. The median income in the county in 2006, according to the U.S. Census was $89,000.

The high cost of housing is a factor in the 27 percent decline between 1990 and 2000 in the number of county residents between the ages of 20 to 29, the agency said.

Forty-two percent of all renters in Morris County spend more on housing than is considered affordable, the agency said. Affordable housing loosely translates to spending no more than a third of one's income on housing. The median home prices exceeds $500,000.

DiNapoli said "the lack of affordable housing affects our entire community. It is not just an issue that affects the poor, but mostly affects the working class. Lack of affordable housing in Morris County places unnecessary strain on transportation and infrastructure, quality of life, and even employment."

Incoming Housing Alliance Co-Chairwoman Melody Federico, director of housing development at NewBridge Services Inc., said: "The candidates' answers highlight the varied ways we all view affordable housing."

She noted, "What is clear is that the candidates recognize the high cost of real estate and its impact on the community."