Dan Cirucci: Christie Halts COAH Efforts

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Christie Halts COAH Efforts

Today New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed Executive Order 12 creating the Housing Opportunity Task Force, which will initiate an immediate review of the Commission on Affordable Housing and its continued existence.
The mission of the group will be to examine the regulations and methodologies of COAH, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the State Planning Act in meeting the constitutional obligations of the Mt. Laurel court decisions in a manner that is consistent with sound planning and economic growth for the state.
“COAH’s conflicting messages and edicts to municipalities and builders have made it a planning nightmare and a source of endless litigation,” said Governor Christie. “This Task Force will help formulate a sensible planning system that considers economic growth and development, the character of our communities and our commitment to affordable housing opportunities for our residents.”
The Task Force will be chaired by former Senator Marcia Karrow and will be comprised of five members. The task force will serve without compensation, and will be dissolved after issuing its final report in 90 days.
During that time, COAH is to refrain from taking any further action to process applications for substantive certification or to take any other actions to implement the Third Round regulations. Previously, the New Jersey Supreme Court in Mt. Laurel I and II identified a constitutional obligation on the part of municipalities to provide, by their land use regulations, the provision of affordable housing in a manner that is both fair and reasonable. Delays, inefficiencies, sky-rocketing costs and continued litigation have rendered COAH impractical and ineffective.

The Task Force will work to:

· identify the best means for determining whether a municipality should have any further affordable housing obligation;

· examine the regions that have been used by COAH for more than 20 years and whether they are still appropriate;

· review the means of incorporating workforce housing into the concept of affordable housing;

· evaluate the diverse State projections for housing and employment growth to determine the obligation for a variety and choice of housing;

· determine mechanisms that could or should be used to support the rehabilitation of deteriorating housing in the urban centers;

· find economies, efficiencies and savings to meet affordable housing needs;

· determine the appropriateness of methodologies that continue to include prior round need

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About Dan Cirucci

He's been cited by the late Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed across all media.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, a Save Jersey blog columnist, frequent guest on the Matt Rooney radio show and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.

Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.

Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post, Broad and Liberty and other print and online platforms.

A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.

He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.

In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Cirucci's passions include all things Italian, politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel.

He and his wife Carole have two grown children and seven grandchildren.

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