Morris Township schedules special Jan. 29 meeting to begin fourth-round fair-share housing process

Township officials announced a special meeting for Jan. 29 to begin Morris Township's fourth-round fair-share housing process under New Jersey's affordable-housing law.

Township Attorney Jared Kanter told the committee that the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) requires municipalities subject to fair-share rules to pass a resolution by Jan. 31 setting forth their preliminary need for the fourth round. "By 01/31/2025, each municipality who's subject to fair share housing in New Jersey has to pass a resolution setting forth its... need," Kanter said. He described the Jan. 29 meeting as the first public step in a transparent process and said the resolution will not make decisions about specific sites or unit counts beyond meeting the statutory filing requirement.

Why it matters: The fourth-round fair-share process can lead to binding municipal obligations for affordable housing, potential changes in zoning, and public hearings on proposed sites. Kanter said the Jan. 29 item will be procedural: it will present the DCA number, the township's review, and the report prepared by staff and consultants.

Public access and timeline: The special meeting is noticed for Jan. 29 with a closed session beginning at 6 p.m. and public session to follow (approximately 6:30–7:00 p.m. as the closed session concludes). Kanter and township officials emphasized that all materials and analyses will be made available to the public and that the process will include additional opportunities for public participation.

Ending: The Jan. 29 meeting will start Morris Township's formal fourth-round fair-share process; any decisions about sites, unit counts, or zoning changes will occur in subsequent hearings and are not part of the Jan. 29 procedural filing.