New Jersey Mayors Take Legal Stand Against Controversial Bogus “Affordable Housing” Law

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Montvale NJ, A bipartisan group of New Jersey mayors, led by Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali, has filed a lawsuit against the recently enacted housing law, P.L. 2024, c. 2. This action, brought by the Local Leaders for Responsible Planning (LLRP) coalition, challenges the new housing mandates and aims to protect local communities’ right to manage their growth responsibly.

“This is about standing up for all New Jersey communities,” said Mayor Ghassali. “We all want safe, welcoming, and vibrant neighborhoods, but the new Fourth Round mandates from Trenton go too far and will place unnecessary strain on our towns without providing any resources to make it work. Our priority is to fight so that local elected officials have the power to ensure our towns grow in a responsible manner, which this law prevents.”

The law imposes extensive “affordable housing” obligations on municipalities, a move that the coalition argues goes beyond what is constitutionally required under the Mount Laurel doctrine. They believe the law disproportionately burdens smaller towns while exempting around 62 urban aid municipalities, shifting the housing responsibilities to communities already struggling with their own obligations.

“This isn’t about politics — it’s about fairness,” Mayor Ghassali emphasized. “Whether Republican or Democrat, we all believe that communities should have a say in how they grow. Our communities lose the ability to plan for their future when they are mandated by Trenton to support the housing needs of other municipalities, often significantly larger in size, on top of our existing obligations.”

The Core Issues in the Lawsuit:

• Unconstitutional Housing Mandates: The mayors argue that the new law imposes housing obligations that exceed what is constitutionally required, making it subject to invalidation.
• Unfunded Local Mandates: The coalition believes the new mandates place an unfair, unfunded burden on municipalities, violating constitutional principles.
• Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program: The lawsuit also takes aim at the newly introduced Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program, which gives unelected “experts” and retired judges power to make housing decisions, removing control from local elected officials. Mayor Ghassali stated, “Local leaders know their communities best. Handing our future over to a panel of unvetted ‘experts’ with no connection to our towns is a disservice to our residents.”

The coalition, which includes municipalities from Bergen, Morris, Essex, Salem, Passaic, and other counties, has grown steadily since its inception. Nine municipalities initially filed the lawsuit, with sixteen others passing resolutions in support and expected to join. As more towns become aware of the implications of the new law, the coalition anticipates further growth in its membership.

“We look forward to welcoming new members as more towns learn about our effort and the importance of this undertaking,” said Mayor Ghassali.

The lawsuit, filed as Borough of Montvale v. State of New Jersey, is now before the Superior Court of New Jersey.

 

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