New Jersey lawmakers unveiled legislation to retool the regulations governing the construction of affordable housing in the closing days of the Legislature’s lame-duck session, just months before towns and cities face the fourth round of their affordable housing obligations. 

The bill unveiled Monday would sunset the largely defunct Council on Affordable Housing, transferring some of its regulatory powers to the Department of Community Affairs and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.

Other oversight would remain with the courts, which have had oversight over affordable housing obligations since declaring the council “moribund” in 2015. The court would appoint new regional special masters to determine affordable housing needs in North, Central, and South Jersey.

The bill would still allow towns to determine their own affordable housing obligations, but they would be required to consider their special master’s findings when doing so.

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