PASCACK VALLEY—Approximately 2,000 new affordable housing units must be constructed across the Pascack Valley’s eight towns over the next decade, from July 2025 to June 2035, according to fourth-round affordable housing figures the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) released Oct. 18.
Several mayors and other officials in the Pascack Valley called these new obligations “unrealistic” and vowed to seek reductions through updated land inventories, known as Vacant Land Analyses, for their towns.
Of the eight towns, Woodcliff Lake was assigned the highest “prospective need” for affordable housing, at 423 units during the fourth round (2025–2035). Park Ridge had the lowest prospective need, at 138 units, according to the DCA. However, Park Ridge also faces a “present need” for rehabilitating 137 existing affordable units.
“They’re not realistic numbers,” Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo said on Tuesday. “We’re confident that we can work together with DCA and Fair Share Housing Center to arrive at a more realistic number.” Rendo added that they would request a vacant land adjustment, noting the borough has limited developable land.
Currently, two parcels of developable land at the now-closed Hilton Hotel and part of BMW’s campus may be considered for housing, commercial, or retail space in the future.
In Montvale, which is required to provide 348 affordable units, Mayor Mike Ghassali said he plans to file for a stay in Mercer County Superior Court by Friday, Oct. 25, that would apply statewide to the fourth-round obligations.
“The numbers [348] exceed what we have built in the past three rounds—it’s not possible,” Ghassali told us. “We will present our own more reasonable numbers and maintain our immunity while pursuing litigation.”
Ghassali filed a separate lawsuit in Mercer County Superior Court on Sept. 9, alleging that the fourth-round obligations are unconstitutional. He said the lawsuit, joined by 24 towns, prompted the state attorney general’s office to request extra time to respond.
All municipalities statewide must adopt an affordable housing plan, including their proposed number of units to be built between 2025 and 2035, by the state deadline of Jan. 31, 2025.
Residents can access the DCA’s report and affordable housing methodology at: nj.gov/dca/dlps/pdf/FourthRoundCalculation_Methodology.pdf.
Other Pascack Valley Numbers
The DCA also provided fourth-round affordable housing obligations for:
- Emerson: 181 units
- Hillsdale: 220 units
- River Vale: 195 units
- Township of Washington: 184 units
- Westwood: 235 units
- Both River Vale and Westwood also have “present need” rehabilitation obligations, at 49 and 19 units, respectively.
We reached out to Pascack Valley mayors for comment.
Hillsdale Mayor Michael Sheinfield said that to meet the 220 affordable units required—at a ratio of four market units to one affordable unit—Hillsdale would need to construct 1,100 new homes, which could increase the local population by one third. Currently, Hillsdale has approximately 3,500 homes.
“We’re not set up for that,” Sheinfield said. He noted that an affordable housing committee, formed in April, would soon meet to formulate a response. “That’s not a workable number,” he said of the 220-unit requirement. The committee and council plan to strategize on how best to reduce the mandate. “We’re not saying ‘do nothing,’” Sheinfield added, emphasizing the need for a thoughtful approach.
In an Oct. 18 press release, DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez explained, “The calculations help address New Jersey’s housing shortage by equipping municipalities with clear numbers so they can better plan for affordable housing options in their communities.” She highlighted that the new law provides opportunities to develop “missing middle” housing—options such as townhouses, duplexes, and other multi-family units that bridge the gap between single-family homes and large apartment complexes.
Suárez added, “The law establishes a streamlined framework for determining and enforcing municipalities’ affordable housing responsibilities under the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Mount Laurel doctrine and the State’s Fair Housing Act.” Disputes about municipalities’ affordable housing obligations will be resolved by the New Jersey Judiciary, with assistance from a new Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program.
Under the new housing law, “present need” is defined as the number of substandard existing housing units currently occupied by low- and moderate-income (LMI) households. This includes households lacking complete kitchen and plumbing facilities or facing overcrowded conditions.
Prospective need, calculated by the DCA using Jacobson’s Methodology, factors in land and income capacity, as well as regional housing demand. Bergen County, which is in Housing Region 1 along with Hudson, Passaic, and Sussex counties, has a regional prospective need of 27,743 affordable units for the fourth round. Statewide, the prospective need totals 84,698 units from 2025 through 2035.