32 cities in New Jersey must build housing that is as affordable as possible

🏡 New affordable housing requirements issued by the state

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🏡 New Jersey mayors push back against mandates

New Jersey is forcing its cities to build hundreds of thousands of new affordable housing units, and defiant mayors say the plan overcharges communities.

The state Department of Community Affairs has released its first affordable housing requirements since a recent law to standardize each community’s constitutional obligation.

When he signed the bill in March, Gov. Phil Murphy said it would establish new processes for cities to meet their obligations under the Mount Laurel Doctrine.

Now every municipality knows exactly how many affordable housing units it has to build by 2035.

What is the Mount Laurel Doctrine?

In short, the Mount Laurel Doctrine requires every community in New Jersey to provide its fair share of affordable housing through zoning. It was the result of a 1975 New Jersey Supreme Court decision and was first codified into state law in 1985 with the Fair Housing Act.

Cities don’t have to build the units themselves, but rather allow developers to build new housing.

Keep scrolling to find out how some mayors are fighting back.

New Jersey mayors push back against affordable housing

DCA says Montvale, a city of just 3,000 households, must allow developers to build 348 affordable housing units by 2035.

Montvale Mayor Michael Ghassali says the state’s requirements go too far. He is leading a group of New Jersey mayors in the fight against the mandates.

“It was expected that the numbers would be distressing, but the reality is even worse. “The state has given us housing requirements that contradict reality and will force local governments to stretch their resources to the limit while diverting attention from other important community needs,” Ghassali said.

Ghassali and a growing number of mayors have taken legal action to overturn the law. Attorney Michael Collins, who filed a lawsuit on their behalf in Mercer County Superior Court, said 26 mayors are on board.

Wall Township recently joined the list. The community of 10,000 homes is expected to enable the construction of more than 700 new affordable housing units within the next decade.

However, others say the current requirements are not enough. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka says the state needs to double its current rate of affordable housing construction.

Read more: New Jersey’s mayor faces criticism over “crazy” affordable housing plan

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