NJ Towns on the Hook for 'Fair Share' of Affordable Housing After Judge Rejects Challenge

January 2, 2025 | northjersey.com

New Jersey's affordable housing mandate will proceed in 2025 — at least for now — after a judge rejected a bid to halt a new state law. 

Ruling in Mercer County on Thursday, state Superior Court Judge Robert Lougy denied a request by more than two dozen municipalities to pause implementation of the legislation enacted in March. The law is designed to speed enforcement of the Mount Laurel Doctrine, a landmark set of court rulings that require New Jersey towns to provide their "fair share" of low- and moderate-income housing.

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NJ SEED: The 26 municipalities seeking relief from the affordable housing mandate assert that it represents an “extraordinary authority” granted by the courts "to review every municipality’s housing plan”. Implementation of the mandate will likely mean a surge in construction of an estimated 85,000 more housing units over the next decade requiring many jobs in the construction industry.