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Saddle River Agrees to create nearly 150 new affordable homes in Court Forced Over-development Deal With Fair Share Housing Center

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Saddle River NJ,Resolving a lawsuit that alleged that one of the nation’s most exclusive towns had for decades enforced exclusionary zoning policies that excluded working families and people of color, the Borough of Saddle River agreed this week to create nearly 150 new affordable homes in a settlement with Fair Share Housing Center.

A 5-acre Bergen County estate formerly owned by legendary actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, and two adjoining lots, will be converted into a new inclusionary development with eight homes affordable to working families as part of a landmark fair housing agreement approved by local officials Feb. 10.

Continue reading Saddle River Agrees to create nearly 150 new affordable homes in Court Forced Over-development Deal With Fair Share Housing Center

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Just Beating the Deadline, Paramus Agrees to affordable-housing

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ, the Borough of Paramus has approved an affordable-housing agreement with Fair Share Housing Center that calls for 259 units in the borough.The Borough Council on Monday night approved the settlement agreement, which identifies 259 units of realistic development potential. Councilman Chris DiPiazza, saying he wanted to get a second opinion from another attorney, cast the lone dissenting vote.

Mayor Richard LaBarbiera said this week was the borough’s deadline, as its immunity against builder’s remedy lawsuits was about to end. Such lawsuits can result in high-density development being forced on a municipality.

Continue reading Just Beating the Deadline, Paramus Agrees to affordable-housing

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Reader says , “It is our state courts from decades of liberal judges that have been forcing these stupid developments”

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“Don’t any of you realize the state of New Jersey. An and would force us to permit this type of construction or worse? Like them or hate them it is quite irrelevant who is in the town politics. It is our state courts from decades of liberal judges that have been forcing these stupid developments. The reason they are building giant apartments on top of train track is because the state has set tax incentives to do so : see Waldwick station and Allendale etc. The state of NJ thinks this will fight global warming (seriously). Also the developments are being forced on us ever since the mount olive decision in the 80s. See this as an example:

Continue reading Reader says , “It is our state courts from decades of liberal judges that have been forcing these stupid developments”

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Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi Trashes Governor’s Comptroller Appointment

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Westwood NJ, Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi released the following statement after Gov. Phil Murphy’s announcement to appoint Kevin Walsh, the Executive Director of Fair Share Housing Center, as Comptroller for the State of New Jersey:

“While successful at fighting to litter the state with high density housing, his bullying and name calling against mayors, lawmakers, local officials and even me cause grave concern regarding his ability to be impartial, fair and just in this role.

Continue reading Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi Trashes Governor’s Comptroller Appointment

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Gov. Phil Murphy plans to nominate Fair Share Housing Center Executive Director Kevin Walsh as the State’s next Comptroller

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Gov. Phil Murphy plans to nominate Fair Share Housing Center Executive Director Kevin Walsh , one of New Jersey’s leading affordable housing advocates, as the state’s next comptroller — a move that could rejuvenate efforts to force high density housing on taxpayers under the guise of affordable housing.

Continue reading Gov. Phil Murphy plans to nominate Fair Share Housing Center Executive Director Kevin Walsh as the State’s next Comptroller

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Englewood Cliffs Forced to allow Hundreds of Affordable Homes after Violating Fair Housing Laws for Decades

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the staff of the Ridgewooed blog

Englewood Cliffs NJ, Englewood Cliffs is required to build hundreds of new homes affordable to working families and people with disabilities – after violating the state’s fair housing laws for decades, a Superior Court judge has ruled.

The decision by Bergen County Superior Court Judge Christine A. Farrington requires borough officials to provide a plan within 90 days to build 347 homes to satisfy the town’s fair housing obligations under the Mount Laurel doctrine – or be stripped of all zoning powers.

Continue reading Englewood Cliffs Forced to allow Hundreds of Affordable Homes after Violating Fair Housing Laws for Decades

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Glen Rock Candidates Night Focuses on State Affordable Housing Mandate

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Glen Rock NJ,  The state affordable housing mandate was the center of contention Thursday night at a borough council candidate forum, reflecting community divisions in a debate where most party politics and policy disagreements were tame. Glen Rock mayoral and council candidate forum was held on Thursday, October 17. The forum Thursday drew around 100 residents to the borough hall, where they submitted questions for the two mayoral candidates and five council candidates to address. The topics on residents’ minds such as affordable housing, municipal spending, senior services, Faber Field, downtown development and borough leaders’ social media practices.

Continue reading Glen Rock Candidates Night Focuses on State Affordable Housing Mandate
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Reader says Court Ordered Over development is part of the continuing efforts to punish the “rich’ suburbs and provide another method of transferring money from hard working folks to those who in many cases chose not to contribute

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At the base level, this is not just about housing. This is part of the continuing efforts to punish the “rich’ suburbs and provide another method of transferring money from hard working folks to those who in many cases chose not to contribute. Take a look at why the tolls are so high on the bridges or your NJ Transit ticket so high. There are large percentages of those funds that support the city infrastructures, subways, etc. Money transfer?
There a volumes of books written about these schemes to ‘change’ the neighborhoods through exaction of money, influx of people who could not afford to live there, and try to force people to accept those who they would prefer not to. I don’t care what the politics, race, or lifestyle is of my neighbor as long as they can pay for the house, taxes, and upkeep.
Wake up folks, keep voting for liberals and watch the things you want to protect continue to eroded underneath you. Ridgewood is directly in the sights of the Governor and others. Anyone who thinks we wont have 1000+ units at the Valley site and other locations is just not fully aware of how these things work.

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NJ Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee Hosts Forced Developement Lobby

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July 25,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ,  Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee Chair Benjie Wimberly will convene a Wednesday hearing to discuss the issue of affordable housing. The committee will receive testimony from invited speakers and the public.

In an effort to start a fresh discussion on housing concerns, Wimberly plans to hold similar forums throughout New Jersey.
“It is no secret that the cost of living in New Jersey is among the highest in the nation. And, currently, we are at an all-time high in terms of demand for affordable housing,” Wimberly (D-Bergen/Passaic). “We face a severe shortage of affordable homes in our state. This concerns us as a legislative body and committee.”

Among the invited guests for tomorrow’s hearing: Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey, Fair Share Housing Center, the New Jersey Apartment Association and Community Investment strategies.
Audio of the hearing will be streamed at https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp.

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Bergen County Towns Vote to Reject Forced Overdevelopement thru Affordable-housing

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November 18,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hillsdale NJ, Ballot questions were overwhelmingly approved in four Bergen County towns, Residents in Hillsdale, Park Ridge and River Vale voted this month in support of non-binding questions that called for the towns to stop issuing permits for large-scale housing projects until statewide affordable-housing rules are established. Dumont voters also approved a question that asked if the state Legislature should make appointments to the Council on Affordable Housing board and amend the Fair Housing Act. In each case residents voted against forced overdevelopment, did not want high-density apartments in their towns,  and they particularly reject high-density apartments built because of builder’s remedy lawsuits.

In 2015, the state Supreme Court ruled that municipalities should bypass the non-functioning Council on Affordable Housing and go directly to trial court judges to determine their affordable-housing obligations. Since then, many towns have been involved in costly litigation involving the Fair Share Housing Center, an affordable-housing advocacy group, to determine how many units of low- to moderate-income housing they constitutionally must provide.

Fair Share Housing has been accused of setting affordable-housing numbers that are unrealistic in relation to the ability of the town to absorb such significant housing levels. The fact is with housing comes infrastructure, police, fire, schools, sewage and water . Many politicians have referred to the Fair Housing Act as the “developers full employment act”

Local lawmakers are hoping Trenton is listening . Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, drafted the questions passed in Hillsdale, Park Ridge and River Vale. Schepisi, R-River Vale, has been at the forefront of efforts to come up with a statewide affordable-housing solution. She believes there is a more responsible way to meet obligations to provide low- to moderate-income housing and has been covered on this blog extensively .

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Princeton Council Criticizes ‘Fair Share Housing Center’ As Affordable Housing Trial Continues

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Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi  asks , “How and why does a not for profit entity have so much power over government in the State of New Jersey? Inquiring minds want to know. “

Posted on January 23, 2017 by walkableprinceto

Princeton Council members expressed anger and frustration at their regular meeting Monday night after being presented with a 200-signature petition urging a compromise in their ongoing affordable housing litigation. In front of a packed town hall, several Council members publicly blamed the Cherry Hill, NJ-based housing advocacy group ‘Fair Share Housing Center‘ for the lack of progress in agreeing a figure for how much affordable housing Princeton should build. But Fair Share hit back on Twitter, accusing the Council members of presenting ‘alternative facts‘, and offering a fully-public negotiation session.

Princeton Council Criticizes ‘Fair Share Housing Center’ As Affordable Housing Trial Continues

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WILL AFFORDABLE-HOUSING DECISION BE DERAILED BY JUDGE’S TIES TO DEVELOPER?

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COLLEEN O’DEA | AUGUST 10, 2017

Judge ruled South Brunswick must build 3,000 units of affordable housing, but township wants decision set aside due to ‘appearance of impropriety’

New Jersey’s only municipality to receive its affordable-housing obligation from a judge’s order is continuing to appeal that number, even as construction is underway on the first new developments since the Supreme Court got back in the middle of the Mount Laurel housing controversy. The township is claiming the Superior Court judge was compromised by a relationship with the developer.

It’s been almost two-and-a-half years since the state’s highest court took control of affordable housing matters away from the “moribund” New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing and tossed it back to the courts, which had been the original deciders of low- and moderate-income housing claims following the Supreme Court’s landmark Mount Laurel rulings. In those cases, which date back to 1975, the court ruled that municipalities must zone for their “fair share” of their regional need for affordable housing.

The cases have been slowly winding through the Superior Courts throughout the state. The Fair Share Housing Center, the Cherry Hill-based organization leading the legal efforts to get more homes built, has reached settlements with 120 municipalities to construct more than 36,000 units from Bergen to Camden counties. Construction has even begun on projects in Woodbridge, Cherry Hill, Westfield, and Edison, welcome news to housing advocates after the process had been stalled by lawsuits and lack of action by COAH for about 16 years.

Other municipalities remain in the courts. For instance, a Mercer County judge is expected to rule within the month on the obligations for several communities in Mercer.

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/08/09/will-coah-decision-be-derailed-by-judge-s-ties-to-developer/

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Ho-Ho-Kus reaches agreements in affordable housing suits

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Sarah Nolan , Staff Writer, @sarnolan5:59 p.m. EST December 22, 2016

The borough’s affordable housing obligation would be cut from 278 units to 30 under the proposed agreement.

HO-HO-KUS — The borough will build 13 homes for low- to moderate-income residents and a developer will reduce the number of houses it builds in town as part of proposed settlement agreements announced by borough officials this week.

Borough Administrator William Jones shared overviews of the proposed agreements with the Fair Share Housing Center and Chamberlain Developers at a Borough Council meeting Tuesday “in the hopes of ending what has been a year of speculation and wild rumors that have carried on,” he said.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/ho-ho-kus/2016/12/22/ho-ho-kus-reaches-agreements-affordable-housing-suits/95712098/?utm_campaign=Observer_NJ_Politics&utm_content=New%20Campaign&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=New%20Jersey%20Politics