What You Need to Know
- Governor Mikie Sherrill has signed an Executive Order (EO) aimed at increasing the supply of all housing types and improving housing affordability for residents statewide
- EO 17 calls for the creation of a Housing Governing Council to be comprised of representatives from various executive branch departments and agencies, and sets deadlines for the Council’s related reporting requirements and recommendations to the Governor
- Issues to be addressed by Council members include existing rules and regulations related to housing development, an inventory of state-owned land that could support future development, existing investments and incentives relevant to future development, and recommendations to streamline existing processes and inter-agency coordination
On April 27, 2026, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed Executive Order No. 17 (EO 17) to address rising housing costs in New Jersey. EO 17 is principally aimed at increasing the supply of all housing types and improving housing affordability for residents statewide.
EO 17 imposes the following three deadlines:
- The Chief Operating Officer (COO) in the Governor’s office is required to organize an interagency Housing Governing Counsel by June 11, 2026, as follows:
- The Council will be comprised of representatives from executive branch departments and agencies selected by the COO, including the Department of Community Affairs, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the Department of Law and Public Safety, the Department of the Treasury, and NJ TRANSIT.
- The COO will serve as Chair of the Council. The Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, and the CEO of NJ TRANSIT will serve as Co-Chairs. The COO retains discretion to appoint additional executive branch representatives to the Council.
- All executive branch departments and agencies must submit a report to the Council by June 27, 2026, with each report addressing:
- Rules and regulations that slow or limit housing development
- An inventory of state-owned land that could support housing development
- Existing investment and initiatives intended to reduce barriers to and accelerate the development of affordable, workforce, and mixed-income housing
- Recommendations to improve coordination among agencies to streamline the process for accessing subsidy or financing programs
- The Council must submit recommendations to the Office of the Governor aimed at accelerating housing production and improving housing and homeowner opportunities by September 24, 2026:
- The initial report should highlight priority areas, including proposing housing goals to guide long-term planning; tracking and accelerating housing production; developing underutilized, unutilized or surplus state-owned property; coordinating funding and financing strategies for housing development, and increasing access to existing affordable and workforce housing throughout New Jersey.
The firm’s Redevelopment team will continue to monitor developments related to EO 17 and will keep you informed accordingly. Please contact the authors of this Alert with questions or to discuss your specific business circumstances.
 |
Robert S. Goldsmith |
 |
Steven G. Mlenak |
 |
Thomas A. McGowan Associate, Redevelopment & Land Use tmcgowan@greenbaumlaw.com 973.577.1910 |