TOWNSHIP CLOSES AFFORDABLE HOUSING WAITING LIST AS IT GRANTS POST OFFICE EXEMPTION

As the Township Committee gave initial approval this week to an affordable housing exemption for the proposed Maplewood Village Post Office Redevelopment plan, Mayor Vic De Luca also revealed that some 3,000 people are on the Township's waiting list for affordable housing units.

"We don't know if all of these people are qualified, but we draw down as units become available," he said, noting there are two openings.

The Township has created just 21 units in recent years, four at the Station House, on the site of the former police station; 16 at Maplewood Crossing next to De Hart Park; and one on Boyden Avenue, De Luca said.

He also said the waiting list is being closed and will no longer accept new people on the list: "We don't want to give false hopes."

De Luca made the comments Tuesday just hours after the TC gave initial approval to the developer of the Post Office redevelopment, JMF Properties, for an exemption from the 10% affordable housing requirement in its project that calls for 23 units. Instead, JMF will pay $100,000 to the Township for its affordable housing fund.  

De Luca added that the $100,000 cash payment the Post Office developers are making to the Township would allow some improvements to housing rehabilitation programs for low-income residents.