Stone Harbor Endorses Housing Plan but Has No Land to Build

STONE HARBOR, N.J. — Stone Harbor Borough Council has endorsed its state-required fourth-round affordable housing plan, acknowledging the obligation to provide 26 affordable units between 2025 and 2035. The vote took place June 17. Although the borough accepted the obligation, a vacant land analysis concluded that Stone Harbor does not have any available parcels large enough to support new residential development. As a result, the borough is not required to construct the 26 units at this time.
If land were to become available in the future, the fourth-round obligation would be activated. Stone Harbor already carries 266 units in unmet need from previous rounds, and those obligations remain on hold until buildable land is identified. During the last round of obligations, the sale of land at Villa Maria by the Sea created enough development space to trigger the borough’s requirement. That obligation was met when the borough purchased a multifamily home on Third Avenue.
New legislation signed earlier this year revised the process for managing municipal housing obligations, but the requirement remains rooted in a 1975 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that makes affordable housing a constitutional issue. The current deadline for towns to approve their fourth-round housing plans is June 30. Third-party objections can be submitted through Aug. 31, but borough officials do not expect any, given the land constraints.