N.J. Supreme Court to hear arguments in affordable housing regulations case
December 4, 2014, 5:23 PM Last updated: Thursday, December 4, 2014, 5:23 PM
By MICHAEL PHILLIS
State house bureau |
The Record
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The state Supreme Court announced Thursday that it will hear arguments in a case that will decide who gets to write the rules that govern affordable housing regulations, a long-standing issue that could impact every town in the state.
The state Supreme Court on Thursday announced it would hear oral arguments in a case that could transfer the power of writing affordable housing guidelines from the executive branch to the judiciary.
Oral arguments are scheduled for Jan. 6.
The Council on Affordable Housing, whose members are appointed by the governor, is tasked with which is in charge of writing affordable housing rules., The council missed a state Supreme Court deadline to approve new guidelines, a time limit set by the Supreme Court as part of an ongoing lawsuit. After they missed the deadline, Fair Share Housing Center, an advocacy group focused on affordable housing, asked that the courts judiciary to take over the process.
The council operates within the executive branch. The A change in venue for affordable housing law would be significant because Governor Christie, who has loudly criticized affordable housing mandates, would have a downsized role in the rule making process. Instead, the court system that originally said affordable housing was a right would gain a new role in how it is implemented.