Can Passaic's plan to create more affordable housing units work for other NJ towns?
PASSAIC — To create additional affordable housing, the city has proposed a zoning change that would allow for the creation of new apartments, or what's called accessory dwelling units, in existing one- and two-family homes.
The accessory dwelling units are secondary apartments generally on a single-family lot, such as a converted basement, attic or garage apartment, which could generate rental income for the homeowner while providing more housing in an area with fewer available apartments.
The city's proposal, which remains to be voted on, would allow owners of one- and two-family houses throughout the city to build accessory apartments in an attic or over a garage that are at least 300 square feet and don't take up more than 50% of the existing home's living space.
The city would also allow these units in basements, but not cellars. The difference is that basements are largely above ground. Not many city properties have cellars, officials said.
The unit also could not take away any onsite parking and must remain affordable by state standards for 20 years. The affordable units would remain deed-restricted for 20 years.
The unit must also have a separate entrance and meet all city housing codes.
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Homeowners who have already created these types of units, considered illegal apartments now, would have the chance to come forward, and if they meet all criteria, they would be able to rent out the space legally.
Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said his administration wants to create affordable housing opportunities in the city, especially because, too often, young residents just starting out have to leave to find them elsewhere.
This proposal may also help keep residents from moving out of the city after they raise their families or retire, Passaic Business Administrator Rick Fernandez said.
This proposal may also keep adult children from having to move back home with their parents because of high rental costs in the area, the mayor said. The accessory apartments would allow families to live close by while maintaining privacy. The arrangement would also help the owners of the homes, who may be living on a fixed income.
"At some point, people want to downsize," Fernandez said. "Maybe you and your spouse move upstairs and a child and family move downstairs."
Lora said this plan would help families build generational wealth in the long run.
Statewide and regional issues
The city is not alone in tackling affordable housing by proposing accessory dwelling units. Similar zoning changes have been seen in Montclair, Maplewood, East Orange, South Orange, Princeton and Bradley Beach.
“A constrained housing supply has been exacerbated by resistance to creating more homes, and that’s made it very expensive — for renting or buying — and it’s getting almost unattainable for most families,” Zoe Baldwin, New Jersey director of the nonprofit Regional Plan Association, told The Record and NorthJersey.com.
“To deal with the housing crisis, we need to look at every available tool," Baldwin said. "So while accessory dwelling units won’t fix this in and of itself, they’re a great way to keep elderly parents close to home but with privacy, or boomerang kids coming back."
The measure will first have to go before the city's Planning Board for review, as it pertains to the city's master plan, and is expected to be on the City Council's agenda in March.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Can Passaic affordable housing plan work for other NJ towns?
