NJ Affordable Housing Trust Fund opens applications for $45M

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Approximately $45 million is coming online from the state to assist dozens of affordable housing projects in New Jersey.

The Department of Community Affairs will issue a request for proposals Sept. 5 for the Fiscal Year 2026 Affordable Housing Trust Fund. In addition to the $35 million available to assist between 10 and 20 projects statewide, DCA said it will set aside an additional $10 million for Habitat for Humanity projects.

The AHTF is open to municipalities as well as for-profit and nonprofit developers. The fund provides financial assistance to advance affordable housing opportunities. The application window will close Oct. 3, 2025, at 5 p.m.

Hopefuls must submit RFP applications electronically through DCA’s SAGE system along with required documentation.

The fund also anticipates a “highly competitive” process. Submissions will undergo review with those meeting threshold requirements advancing to a scored consideration. The commissioner will then receive a ranked list to review for final funding decisions, DCA said.

Applicants who previously submitted or had applications in process before the June 3 pause in AHTF applications must reapply under the FY2026 RFP. Existing applications may be copied forward into the FY2026 cycle within SAGE.

The agency stressed that applicants should not mail or email documents.

In addition to the direct impacts of providing housing, DCA also noted tangential effects to strengthen neighborhoods and drive economic growth.

The Fourth Round of affordable housing obligations officially started July 1. The latest arrive along with a streamlined process to determine municipalities’ obligations, as well as to address challenges. According to nonprofit Fair Share Housing Center, a record 423 towns adopted and filed Housing Element and Fair Share Plans earlier this summer.

The AHTF was cut from $125 million to $5 million with the passage of the state’s current fiscal year budget. At the start of August, the state announced it would restore some of that figure, to hit that $45 million amount. In its reporting, Gothamist said a DCA spokesperson declined to comment on the source of diversion.

In a statement, Gov. Phil Murphy described access to affordable housing as “crucial” to his administration’s efforts to foster opportunity.

“Creating affordable housing remains one of the Department’s highest priorities,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn Suárez.

“By making these strategic decisions, we can invest in more projects, extend opportunities to more families, and continue advancing New Jersey’s affordable housing goals,” Suárez added.

DCA said a webinar on the application window will follow the posting of the RFP.