Bloomberg Delays Affordable Housing Mandates

Why Won’t Corzine?

Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R-Somerset) and Senator Phil Haines (R-Burlington) called on the Corzine Administration to follow the lead of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who announced that New York City’s affordable housing program will be delayed for one year. According to a report in the January 6, 2009 edition of The New York Times, Mayor Bloomberg announced in his weekly radio address New York City’s housing plans would be delayed for one year due to the faltering economy and reduction in the price of federal low-income housing tax credits that help investors finance the building of housing for low-income families.

“Housing advocates in New York have acknowledged that delaying the city’s housing program is a ‘reasonable concession in uncertain and difficult economic times,’ yet Governor Corzine refuses to acknowledge the harm that he is doing by his stubborn refusal to listen to bi-partisan calls to defer implementation of this damaging and unworkable law,” said Bateman.

Senator Bateman is the prime sponsor of S-2448, which would expand the timeline for municipalities to file affordable housing plans with the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH). The bill would provide the Legislature with time to fix the substantive errors in the COAH regulations and laws. In addition several Democrats in the Legislature and local government have called for the extension, but were rebuffed by the Corzine Administration.

“We need to extend the COAH deadlines so that the Legislature can come up with housing policies that capable of being implemented in a practical manner and are fair to taxpayers,” said Haines. “The COAH numbers are deeply flawed and an extension would allow for the reasoned reappraisal of the faulty projections upon which the housing mandates are based,” said Bateman.

“The Democrat leadership needs to work toward a bi-partisan solution to the crisis that they have created. We must provide for affordable housing opportunities without destroying our economy or forcing billions in new costs onto taxpayers when they can least afford it,” said Haines. Mayor Bloomberg’s stance is a responsible reaction to the economic challenges that we are facing. The Governor should show the same thoughtfulness before it is too late.”