Affordable housing debate continues Mayor, resident differ over need for housing for young adults BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer MIDDLETOWN - Whether the township has an obligation to provide affordable housing for young adults was the topic of debate at the Feb. 19 Township Committee meeting. Township resident Matthew Morehead, 27, continued comments begun at the Feb. 4 committee meeting where he said that young adults who grew up in Middletown are unable to settle there and raise families because the township exports its affordablehousing obligation to other municipalities. Specifically, Morehead, chairman of the Monmouth County Bayshore Young Democrats, criticized the township's use of RCAs (Regional ContributionAgreements), which allow a municipality to pay another town to assume a portion of its state-mandated affordable-housing obligation. Under an RCA, a sending community may transfer up to half of its share of affordable housing units to a receiving community within the same housing region. Middletown currently has RCAs with Long Branch, Red Bank and Asbury Park. Middletown has used RCAs more than any municipality, according to Scharfenberger, sending $12.1 million to other municipalities to handle 649 of its affordable-housing credits that would otherwise have been built in the township. Morehead later complained that Scharfenberger cut off his comments at the Feb. 4 meeting. This time, both men spoke at length about their differing viewpoints, with other residents providing input, including Morehead's mother. Scharfenberger said that the main difference between the two is a philosophical one. "Is it everybody's responsibility to chip in and buy everyone else something so that they can have it?" Scharfenberger asked. "This is very complex. Middletown did not ignore its obligations. We have affordablehousing plans that we approve and it's a very, very long, time-consuming process." The township has paid othermunicipalities more than $12 million through RCAs to build 649 units of affordable housing. The transfer of the housing obligations is allowed under state Council on Affordable Housing regulations. "As a professor, I don't understand how you can look your students in the eyes and tell them they can't live where they grew up," Morehead told Scharfenberger, who is on the faculty of Monmouth University in West Long Branch. "By not giving affordable housing to young adults, you are driving them out." Scharfenberger said he looks at his students and sees something different from what Morehead sees. "I look out at the parking lot and see my students get into their BMWs," Scharfenberger said. He said that building more housing in Middletown would create more negatives than positives. "What about the schools?What about the roads? What about these huge developments?" Scharfenberger asked. "The burden is on the taxpayers." "Our family has lived here for over 100 years," Sandra Morehead interjected. "The lack of affordable housing will not give Matthew that chance." Matthew Morehead took issue with Scharfenberger's comments about his postcollege dayswhen he said he hadmoved into a small apartment and worked more than one job so that one day he could afford to move into a house. Middletown resident James Fitzgerald agreed with Scharfenberger's statement. "I have two sons who go to college," Fitzgerald said. "They worked hard to pick up their share for their future." Deputy Mayor Pamela Brightbill said that she would love the affordable housing in Middletown to go to young adults, but township officials haveminimal say inwhich group the affordable housing obligation goes toward. According to Brightbill, people living out of state apply for affordable housing inMiddletown and take some of the housing quota. "We can only have a small percent of the housing go toward people who live in New Jersey, let alone Middletown," Brightbill said. "We are given a list without names but with places where people live, such as Ohio and California, whom the affordable housing is going toward.Wewould love to have it go out just to residents in Middletown, but it's not our choice." Morehead said that his groupwould continue to advocate for more affordable housing inMiddletown. "It's our right to live where we grew up," Morehead said. "In the end, we are forced to move away fromsomewherewewant to be."