the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Montvale NJ, a coalition of 25 New Jersey towns, and counting, has united to challenge the state’s affordable housing mandate. Their goal? To halt a court-enforced housing wave that could see the construction of 85,000 new units and the renovation of 65,000 existing residences over the next decade, largely in North Jersey.
The towns will present their case in Mercer County Superior Court on December 20, arguing that the state’s housing requirements are overreaching and could overwhelm small communities with increased development, traffic, and other burdens.
The Case Against High-Density Housing
Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali summarized the sentiment shared by many of the coalition towns:
“We persist in making the case that affordable housing is a necessity, while high-density housing is not viable for our small town given its restricted size and resources.”
The lawsuit targets a state law passed earlier this year that enforces housing obligations stemming from the Mount Laurel doctrine — a series of landmark court decisions requiring municipalities to provide their “fair share” of “affordable housing”.
According to the lawsuit, the new housing mandate:
- Imposes obligations that exceed the original intent of the Mount Laurel doctrine.
- Threatens to prioritize development for its own sake, without regard for local communities’ needs.
Affordable Housing’s Supporters Fight Back
The “Fair Share Housing” Center, a nonprofit overseeing the Mount Laurel mandate, has criticized the lawsuit, describing it as an attempt by affluent towns to shirk their responsibilities.
“Not surprisingly, the small handful of wealthy municipalities that have signed on to this lawsuit are deeply unrepresentative of New Jersey’s diverse population,” said Adam Gordon, the center’s executive director.
New Jersey faces a housing shortage of over 214,000 units affordable to extremely low-income renters, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Advocates argue that the state’s mandate is critical to addressing this crisis.
Challenges of Balancing Development and Community Needs
Local officials acknowledge the need for affordable housing but express concerns about the scale and impact of development.
In Little Falls, Mayor James Damiano noted that meeting the town’s quota of 285 affordable units could require approving 1,900 total units as part of larger housing projects. He pointed to backlash against existing projects as evidence of community resistance to additional high-density developments.
“The solution isn’t adding up to the problem,” said Mount Arlington Mayor Michael Stanzilis.
What’s Next?
The lawsuit raises broader questions about the state’s affordable housing formula, which suburban towns argue unfairly places the burden of development on their communities. Urban areas, while facing significant renovation requirements, are largely exempt from the same level of new construction mandates.
A court hearing is set for December 20, with Judge Robert Lougy overseeing the case. The Fair Share Housing Center has been granted intervenor status, ensuring that all perspectives will be considered.
As New Jersey navigates the balance between addressing a housing crisis and maintaining local autonomy, the outcome of this case could shape the state’s approach to affordable housing for years to come.
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What part of this equation do the municipalities not understand?
We need affordable housing NOW not tomorrow. Towns have been sitting on this for years. It’s OVER. All the boomer NIMBY’s need to move to Boca
Mt laurel has nothing to do with housing its ,pushing over development to give politicians donations and developers retire wealthy in Florida . If you want affordable housing you need to lower taxes and streamline regulation for starts, build it in Paterson, Trenton, Camden . We need fill the skills gap , attract business who offer high paying jobs , and cut the size and scope of government. The state of new jerseys involvement in housing is the problem, not the solution.
Cut the size and scope of government??? That’s not really in the government’s interest, and the government has more guns than you do, so …