Upper Donates Land For Habitat Home

PETERSBURG – At its meeting March 26, Upper Township Committee introduced an ordinance to give municipal public land to Habitat for Humanity Cape May, to construct affordable housing. 
The next step is a second reading opportunity for committee coupled with a public hearing April 23 and any comments expressed at that time before the ordinance can be enacted.
The land in question is owned by the township and located on two parcels at Redwood Avenue. Each would be the site of one new home.
The land transfer to Habitat for Humanity would be used for the township’s affordable housing obligations under state law, according to Mayor Richard Palombo.
Habitat for Humanity sells new homes at below market rate with no-interest mortgages to help people own their own homes.
“This affordable housing is not Section 8 housing. It will be sold to people who are working and holding a job. They will be responsible for maintaining the house and paying taxes on it.
“Social media has a lot of things that create noise about what is happening with our affordable housing, but there’s no truth to what is being portrayed,” said Committee member John Coggins, who introduced the ordinance.
In information obtained on the state website, “Section 8” housing deploys a type of voucher program that helps make housing, in the private rental market, affordable to low and very low-income households by reducing housing costs through direct rent subsidy programs to landlords.
In February, per earlier reports, Upper Township Committee approved, in a closed-door session, a settlement with the advocacy group, the Fair Share Housing Center that works to create affordable housing in New Jersey.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.