By Josh Bauers Families in New Jersey are currently facing two interconnected challenges: historic levels of income inequality and an unprecedented housing affordability crisis. Soaring housing costs have made it extremely difficult for many hard-working people and vulnerable communities — including seniors, people with disabilities, and caregivers — to keep a roof over their heads. Fortunately, this year New Jersey took a major step toward addressing this issue by enacting a major new law that will significantly increase the supply of affordable housing.
Under the landmark Mount Laurel Doctrine — based on a series of New Jersey Supreme Court decisions rooted in economic justice — every municipality in the state is required to provide its “fair share” of affordable housing. The new state law that passed earlier this year strengthens the Mount Laurel framework by streamlining the affordable housing development process. The updated framework increases transparency and efficiency, while also safeguarding towns’ discretion in deciding how they want to fulfill their fair share obligation.
Since the inception of the Mount Laurel Doctrine, municipalities have claimed that it takes away their ability to choose what is right for their town — but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The system is actually designed to do the opposite. Municipalities have a wide variety of options and significant latitude in deciding how they meet their affordable housing obligation.