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A recent episode of Community at the Core, the Department of Communication Affairs’ (DCA) podcast, was dedicated to learning about one of DCA’s most innovative housing initiatives, NJHOMES. Inspired by DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez’s vision for a DCA directed program that supports municipalities in accomplishing their affordable housing development obligations, NJHOMES is a data-driven, intentionally planned approach that provides awareness of the housing possibilities available to achieve those goals. In that spirit, NJHOMES was created.

Our Community at the Core guests, DCA’s Assistant Commissioner and Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources (DHCR) Janel Winter, and Manager of Special Projects and multi-decade affordable housing influencer Diane Riley, were the affordable housing experts who were tasked with developing and executing the first ever program, NJHOMES. This edition of provides key insights and important takeaways from that discussion. Of course, we invite you to watch/listen to the program in its entirety and explore the other informative podcasts available on the DCA website and all major streaming platforms. Now, let’s take a deep dive into DCA and life-cycle housing.

Governor Mikie Sherrill launched her priorities in the first months of her administration, one of which is the goal of lowering housing costs and creating pathways to affordable rentals and homeownership in New Jersey. DCA is at the forefront of the effort working with local government units to meet the statutorily legislated deadlines.

To provide a bit of context, in March 2024, legislators during the Murphy Administration enacted A4/S50, the most significant housing reform law in 40 years that streamlined the framework for municipalities’ affordable housing responsibilities. DCA was charged with calculating the number of affordable housing units each municipality needed to create presently and for future growth. Those estimates were released on October 18, 2024. March 15, 2026, was the deadline for local governing bodies to approve their communities’ plans for meeting their housing responsibilities over the next decade.

 DCA is helping communities navigate this process by providing its experts in information technology, data research, planning, and housing to create online tools and educational programs that municipalities can use to guide their housing planning.  The goal: Empowering municipalities to become the architects of their communities’ future.

What is NJHOMES?

The acronym for New Jersey Housing Opportunities for Municipal Equity and Success (NJHOMES). The initiative’s goal is to shift how we think about affordable housing, dispel myths about developers’ remedies, advise local leadership, and effectively plan the future of our communities. At its core, NJHOMES is about empowering municipalities to take ownership of their housing future.

NJHOMES was developed to assist municipalities in achieving their affordable housing obligations legislated by the A4/S50 law. DCA was tasked with helping municipalities understand their individualized responsibilities and, more importantly, how to meet them strategically.

“The department wants to support towns across New Jersey in thinking through and fulfilling the needs of their communities for affordable housing,” said Janel Winter. “Affordable housing simply means housing that people can afford to live in. What's affordable housing for one person is different for someone else. But ultimately, we know everybody needs an affordable place to live.”

NJHOMES Launchpad was developed to support our municipal partners in moving the affordable housing initiative forward. The initial training program was delivered to a cohort of 10 towns that were selected through a competitive request for proposal.  The Launchpad program curriculum was specifically designed for mayors, council members, planners, and municipal staff to empower them with the knowledge, data tools, and support that they need to begin planning and developing life-cycle housing If life-cycle housing is a new term for you, let us explain. 

Housing, at affordable price points, should meet residents’ needs at various stages of their lives, a.k.a. life-cycle housing. For example:

·         Young adults launching from a family home but wanting to live in their hometown

·         Starter homes

·         Homes for growing and multi-generational families

·         Empty nesters who want to downsize but remain in the town they love

·         Senior citizens downsizing and seeking specialized communities

·         People with disabilities

·         Those who need access to mass transportation

 

There are as many scenarios as there are people in the community. Life-cycle housing is a place to hang your hat, find nourishment, raise your family, or however you wish to live – in a place that fits your budget.

Sounds great, but how do we achieve life-cycle housing? This is what we often hear from local officials, “The developer gave us a formal presentation and said that we need to build a 10-story building, and they will make a few of those apartments affordable.” Well, sometimes that works, but a developer’s plan doesn’t have to be a one and done solution.  

Too often, people think affordable housing can only be achieved through the development of large apartment buildings or communities with hundreds of units where the developer allots a small percentage of the total to affordable units. Not true! NJHOMES was created to dispel that notion, and others, by highlighting various alternatives.  Affordable housing comes in all shapes and sizes.

Various types of housing include:

• Townhomes
• Condominium apartments
• Single-family homes
• Multi-family homes
• Downtown mixed-use buildings
• Accessory dwelling units (ADUs)
• Rental homeownership (think 2-family homes where the owner rents the other unit for income)

Rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all solution, NJHOMES explores alternative visions of what affordable housing may look like and how it can meet residents’ needs, fulfill their housing responsibilities as legislated by the State of New Jersey, and maintain the character of the community at large. NJHOMES empowers local municipalities with the knowledge to find strong partners who will work to create housing in the community’s interests - not exclusively the developer’s interest.

The NJHOMES Launchpad programming provided the ten communities in the cohort with in-person and virtual training sessions, and individual consultation hours with DCA experts. Some of the expert discussion topics included:

• Groundwork and Planning
• Project Development 101
• Affordable Housing Financing
• Municipal Toolbox
• Zoning Strategies
• Finding the Right Development Partner
• Customized DCA Data Resources

Launchpad will provide $100,000 over two years to each cohort member municipality to support staffing costs for an employee to serve as the municipal lead for NJHOMES projects.

How does NJHOMES Empower Municipalities?

Here’s the goal. To help towns design and implement affordable housing strategies that reflect their unique character while meeting the needs of their residents, and planning for a long-term vision.

With so many options and opportunities, NJHOMES suggests that township leaders have open dialogue with residents and ask important questions.

• Public engagement and dialogue - What do you need? What do your kids need
• What do we want our town to look like in 10 years, in 20 years?
• Where does building housing make sense?
• Have a plan and intentionally select developers who share the community vision.

Housing needs evolve throughout life. Communities that support those transitions stay vibrant, multigenerational, and economically strong.

How Does DCA Expand the Reach of NJHOMES Launchpad Beyond the First Ten Communities? With A New Initiative Called the Affordable Building Club (ABC)

The NJHOMES program poured the foundation of affordable housing education during the Launchpad program. DCA has also invested heavily in turning complex housing data into user-friendly tools.

Municipal leaders now have access to:

• Affordable housing dashboards
• Parcel and land-use data
• Infrastructure mapping
• Rent control surveys
• Ordinance examples
• A housing “choice tool” showcasing real New Jersey developments

Now, with the tools and expertise in place, DCA is launching the Affordable Building Club (ABC) that will be offered broadly to all New Jersey municipalities. 

ABC is framed like a book-of-the-month club – but for housing. ABC will feature the Launchpad program webinars, with the addition of a few new episodes. Each month, one episode of the NJHOMES webinar series will be assigned to registrants. A follow-up live Teams meeting will be held to bring together ABC members and experts for a review of the assignment, discussion, and Q&A period. The program will run for 12 months beginning later this year. 

What Expertise Does DCA Offer?

DCA brings together experts with years of experience and historical data in:  

• Housing and Community Resources
• Local Planning Services
• Local Government Services
• Financial Analysis

Many municipalities didn’t realize this level of assistance was already available through DCA. NJHOMES helps to connect the dots and makes abstract policy actionable through real-world examples and direct paths to valuable resources.

ABC is being designed to spread affordable housing development education across the state so that New Jersey may meet the needs of residents and communities. This program will also provide opportunities for peer-to-peer collaboration, like the experience participants gained during the NJHOMES Launchpad program.  

There is a plethora of information and topics for discussion. Some of those vital topics are:

• Land banking which is strategically acquiring and repurposing property.
• Exploring faith-based properties where communities are partnering with religious institutions that own underutilized land, creating win-win solutions rooted in trust and community presence.
• Rural towns without sewer infrastructure are exploring innovative modular housing options.

The common thread? No single model. Just local solutions built from shared learning.

The Bottom Line of Success 

The goals of NJHOMES are to empower municipal leaders with confidence through information and data so that they may be the architects of their community’s future. To see more diverse housing styles being built, so that families – no matter how they are comprised – can stay in their communities, create more vibrant downtowns, and build stronger local economies.

Where Can You Find More Information About DCA and NJHOMES ABC?

If you are a municipal leader interested in participating in the upcoming Affordable Building Club (ABC) send an email with your interest to: Diane.Riley@dca.nj.gov

Visit DCA’s website to explore NJHOMES: /dca/dhcr/offices/njhomes.shtml

Access the NJHOMES Choice planning tool: 

 

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