‘YIGBY’ or Overdevelopment? Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali Warns Against NJ “Affordable Housing” Bill S1836
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Montvale NJ, New Jersey’s ongoing debate over affordable housing is heating up, and Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali is sounding the alarm on a piece of state legislation that he warns could radically change local neighborhoods.
The legislation in question is NJ Bill S1836, inspired by the national “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) movement. While the movement traditionally aims to help religious and faith-based organizations convert underutilized land into housing for low-income families, Mayor Ghassali warns that New Jersey’s version opens a dangerous backdoor for high-density, for-profit overdevelopment.
Here is a closer look at what Bill S1836 proposes, why Montvale leadership is strongly opposing it, and how residents can take action.
What is Bill S1836? The 20% Affordable vs. 80% Luxury Split
At first glance, Bill S1836 is framed as an innovative tool to expand affordable housing by utilizing religious properties. However, Mayor Ghassali points out a massive loophole in the bill’s current framework:
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20% Affordable Housing: The bill mandates that only 20% of the built units be set aside for low- and moderate-income families—which is already the bare minimum standard across the state.
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80% Market-Rate Luxury Housing: The remaining 80% of the units could be developed as high-density, market-rate luxury housing.
According to Ghassali, this structure shifts the bill from a charitable housing initiative into a fast-track loop for commercial, for-profit developers to bypass municipal planning boards.
The Threat to Local Zoning and Infrastructure
The primary concern for municipalities like Montvale is the sweeping loss of local zoning authority. If S1836 passes in its current form, state mandates could force local planning boards to approve:
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High-density complexes of up to 40 units per acre.
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Building heights that tower over existing single-family residential neighborhoods.
“S1836 takes zoning authority away from local municipalities like Montvale,” Mayor Ghassali stated. “It could force our planning board to approve dense developments… regardless of the impact on local roads, schools, emergency services, traffic congestion, parking, or infrastructure.”
Undermining Years of Environmental Protections
Beyond traffic and school overcrowding, the Mayor highlighted a severe lack of meaningful environmental safeguards within the bill.
Montvale has spent years enforcing strict local ordinances to manage stormwater runoff, protect tree canopies, and safeguard environmentally sensitive areas from overdevelopment. Ghassali notes that S1836 offers only “vague guidance” on these crucial issues, severely weakening a town’s legal ability to modify or deny developments that threaten neighborhood ecosystem health and overall quality of life.
A Better Model: True Faith-Based Housing
Mayor Ghassali emphasized that he strongly supports responsible affordable housing, noting that Montvale has consistently worked in good faith to meet its state obligations.
He pointed to successful “YIGBY” legislation in other states—such as California’s Affordable Housing on Faith and Higher Education Lands Act—as the correct blueprint. In those models, zoning flexibility is granted strictly to projects where nearly all units are legally reserved for low- and moderate-income families, ensuring the land serves the public good rather than corporate profits.
How Bergen County Residents Can Take Action
Mayor Ghassali is urging Montvale and North Jersey residents to contact the state bill sponsors to express concern over the erosion of home rule, lack of environmental oversight, and the threat of unchecked density.
Contact the Bill Sponsors:
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Senator Troy Singleton (District 7): Call (856) 234-2790 or Send an Official Message.
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Senator Benjie E. Wimberly (District 35): Call (973) 925-7063 or Send an Official Message.
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