Fanwood Council Approves Marketing Plan for Affordable Housing

Commercials, print ads and on-air slots will be promoting Fanwood's affordable housing units after the township council approved an affirmative marketing plan to adverstise afforable units throughout New Jersey.

The plan, required by the state, is part of the overall Fanwood Home Improvement Plan adopted by the township, and is part of $150,000 of state funding meant for affordable housing measures. 

Fanwood needs to use $50,000 of the funds before July 17 otherwise the township might lose it - hence the special meeting held Monday night in front of three members of the public. 

The unanimous vote came after 12 minutes of discussion, where the board mentioned some of the participants of the marketing plan, including several newspapers and radio stations in the area. 

The point is to market affordable housing in Fanwood to different socio-economic and diverse people outside the local bubble, said Mayor Colleen Mahr.

She said the messages will be more like "public service announcements" rather than commericals promoting Fanwood. 

Statewide, there is more than $200 million allocated for afforable housing, she said, with Fanwood receiving a small portion of that budget. In order to comply with state regulations, the township needed to submit the marketing plan, which will be sent down to Trenton since it was approved by the board. 

Mahr admitted the policy has been in place for three years "with vague guidelines at best," noting that the township would have complied with the requirements before the deadline if the instructions handed down from the state were clearer. 

After approval from the state, the marketing plan will be cleared for use in news outlets across the state, including 101.5 F.M. and The Star Ledger.