After advertising last spring for a developer to build multi-unit affordable housing, Maplewood has selected a finalist — Ingerman, a for-profit property management, construction and development company based in Collingswood, NJ.
Township Committee member Vic De Luca reported at the Sept. 17 TC meeting that Ingerman had been selected by the township’s Affordable Housing Board from 10 for-profit developers that responded to the RFEI after the town had reached out to “about 40 for-profit and non-profit developers.”
Maplewood’s Affordable Housing Board reviewed the 10, ranked them, and selected four to be interviewed.
“Tonight, the Affordable Housing Board is recommending that we work with Ingerman as a partner to construct 40 units of affordable housing in Maplewood,” said De Luca.
Read Ingerman’s submission letter below.
“We don’t have the sites yet. That is part of the process. We would engage in that partnership with Ingerman to identify sites around town,” said De Luca, acknowledging, “It’s very difficult because property is expensive and we’re just not making more of it.”
Mayor Nancy Adams suggested that adaptive reuse of existing properties could be an option. DeLuca agreed and added, “It could be a lot of things. We could look at above certain [buildings], some public buildings we have, and things like that.”
De Luca explained that Ingerman would cover pre-development costs.
“That was a real attraction to us. They would be responsible for going after the funding from the state. We’re looking to get some high quality, affordable housing tax credits.”
De Luca said that a 40-unit 100% affordable housing development would help the township meet its obligation “with the new round of affordable housing regulations coming out and a new number that we’re going to have to meet.”
READ MORE: Maplewood Leaders: New Affordable Housing Law Could Mean More Development & Density
“We want to be ahead and we want to be progressive and proactive. We’re asking tonight if the township committee could authorize Township Administrator Mr. [Patrick] Wherry and [Community Development Director] Ms. [Annette] De Palma to negotiate an affordable housing agreement with Ingerman, spelling out the responsibilities of each party during this partnership. And then that agreement would come back to us for our approval. And once we approve that, then the partnership would start and we would work with them and start looking at potential sites and start talking to property owners and seeing what is possible.”
Mayor Adams congratulated the township on its work on affordable housing — “while other municipalities are running away from their affordable housing obligation.”
“I think those of us up here on the governing body at this time are very much in favor of doing what we can to try to create affordable housing, understanding some of the difficulties that come with that.”
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