Twp. uses loophole to avoid housing obligation
With the growing debate on our third round obligation for the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), I feel that Middletown can do more than pay poorer municipalities to take as much as legally possible through regional contribution agreements (RCAs). In my opinion, this is nothing more than Middletown utilizing a legal loophole to get around its constitutional obligation.

As a young resident of Middletown, this issue directly affects me and my family. The practice of using RCAs to displace young residents from the communities that they were raised in is immoral and should be suspended. I applaud and support the efforts of Matthew Morehead in his fight to bring more affordable housing to Middletown.

Mayor Gerald Scharfenberger and his committee should stop their practice of "gated community" with its COAH obligation. Also, I support Mr. Morehead in his attempt to have an ordinance of regional preference adopted to award more of this housing to residents in the region.

In conclusion, if Mayor Scharfenberger and his committee are unwilling to change their practice then it will be up to Mr. Morehead, his organization and all young residents to appeal to other municipalities not to accept RCAs from Middletown. This would force Middletown to live up to its constitutional obligation and end its biased "gated community" approach to COAH.

Cory Blais

Lincroft section of Middletown