Monroe Township approves affordable housing administrative agent to buy Forest Hills house
One step at a time, Monroe Township Council is looking to satisfy the township’s affordable housing requirements. At the most recent council meeting, Councilman Cody Miller proposed a property to kick-start the “Market to Affordable” program.
The property, 321 Balsam Road, is located in the Forest Hills section of the township.
“For those of you who are familiar with our ‘market to affordable’ program, we have money in our affordable housing trust fund, we have allocated money to Triad as our affordable housing administrative agent to start acquiring some of these properties and rehabbing them,” Miller said. “This is one of the first single-family dwellings we’re looking to sell at an affordable rate.”
Miller came to council to get its approval to allow Triad to put an offer on the house.
“They’re going to put in the initial offer at $85,000,” Miller added. “Construction costs for the rehabilitation would be about $70,000.”
Triad’s role is to identify properties for the township, while the township ultimately decides which to pursue. From there, the council will give Triad permission to put an offer on the house and hire a group to rehab the house. When the house sells, the money from the sale will go back into the township’s trust fund.
Council President Rich DiLucia polled the council to see if it should move forward with allowing Triad to make an offer on the Balsam Road residence. Council approved Triad to make an offer. There is no guarantee it will purchase the house.
In other news:
- Council adopted an ordinance on second reading in regard to police officers’ hourly rates at private or quasi-public events. The hourly rate at events involving churches, schools and nonprofit entities will rise from $50 to $55 per hour. All requests other than churches and schools will rise from $50 to $70 per hour. Per the ordinance, all requests are a minimum of three hours. If the job is not canceled at least one hour prior to the start time, a three-hour minimum will be paid to the officers assigned to work the assignment.
- Knights of Columbus №3352 made a donation to the tot lot located in the Green Meadows section of town on Ward Lane. Dan Kozak, a Knight at №3352, made a statement to council on behalf of the Knights.
“At a recent council meeting, it was discussed about the tot lots in the area that are in need of maintenance. I went to Rich, the council president, and said ‘Would you consider the Knights maybe contributing some finances towards it?’ He agreed that if they would go for it, it would be fine. I went to my fellow Knights, they agreed, they were happy to help the town.”
The Knights donated $1,000 for the Ward Lane tot lot. Kozak added that Knights raise money in a variety of ways — for example, they have a hoagie sale coming up on Nov. 11 after the masses at St. Mary’s church. In addition to selling hoagies at the church, Kozak mentioned they will be scattered through the town.
- Each council member thanked the volunteers and township employees for their work with the fall festival and Halloween parade that took place on Oct. 20.
- The next council meeting will take place on Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. at the municipal building. A work session will take place at 7 p.m. at the same location. Both meetings are open to the public.
