The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ, the borough of Paramus, New Jersey, has officially accepted the state-mandated requirement to add 1,000 new “affordable housing units” over the next decade—the largest obligation of any town in Bergen County. While town officials acknowledge the necessity of meeting state housing laws, they are also seeking ways to reduce this number to 250 units through a study of available land.
file photo
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Montvale NJ, New Jersey’s affordable housing mandate will move forward in 2025 after a state Superior Court judge denied a motion to pause a new law aimed at enforcing the Mount Laurel Doctrine. The ruling, made on Thursday in Mercer County by Judge Robert Lougy, dismissed a legal challenge brought by over two dozen municipalities seeking to delay the implementation of the legislation enacted earlier this year.
Continue reading New Jersey Judge Upholds “Affordable Housing” Mandate in Big Win For Developers
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Montvale NJ, Montvale Mayor Michael Ghassali has voiced strong opposition to New Jersey’s newly announced affordable housing requirements. Released by the state’s Department of Community Affairs (DCA), the mandates task Montvale with developing 348 affordable housing units over the next decade. When factoring in 20% inclusionary zoning, that number could soar to 1,740 units, a prospect Ghassali describes as “excessive and burdensome.” He argues these figures threaten to overwhelm the borough’s resources and has filed for a legal stay, intending to temporarily halt enforcement while pursuing a lawsuit.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Montvale NJ ,a bipartisan group and growing list 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.
Parsippany-Troy Hills which was named as one of the best places to live in America and the Garden State, has now approved the resolution to join the coalition. This lawsuit was the only way that we could get officials in Trenton to pay attention to the issues and concerns that we and our residents have about this brand-new process that was imposed upon us. This lawsuit is not about delaying or obstructing affordable housing, it is about advocating for a coherent, statewide strategy for building affordable housing that reflects modern development patterns and allows for responsible local planning without the fear of developers leveraging every large parcel in town for high density housing.
Continue reading List of Towns Fighting the Bogus “Affordable Housing” Mandate Continues to Grow
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Montvale NJ, according to Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali, more towns joining our coalition and ACTUALLY fighting for their residents to bring fairness to the “affordable housing” “Program”. Each town committed $20,000 over two years.
Other towns will be listed once they complete the internal approval and signing on process. Towns already committed to join us with resolutions and joint defense agreements:
Continue reading Coalition to Fight New Jersey Bogus “Affordable Housing Program” Continues to Grow
This affordability thing is one of the most perverted things I have come across.. How can an organization such as Fair Share housing have so much leverage in dictating their agenda. How can they play as they wish with the quality of life of so many towns, villages and people who have worked hard to make it where they are living now. Affordable housing can be beneficial to a handful of people but can be devastating to so many more. Yet there is no public outrage when they impose totally unrealistic numbers to nice towns without giving a sh!t in how people in these places feel about this. Local governments feel so powerless even though they represent the will of of local population.There are plenty of affordable places in NJ. Whoever can’t afford Ridgewood, HoHoKus, Montvale etc. can move to Paterson, Clifton etc. This has nothing to do with humanism, this is total abuse.
photo by Dana Glazer
August 31,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
River Vale NJ, In this interview the founder of Fair Share Housing stares that municipalities aren’t being forced to allow builders to build 5 market rate units for an affordable unit and that the narrative is “totally false.” For my friends around the State facing lawsuits from builders and Fair Share, are his claims accurate?
“Municipalities that don’t want to do their fair share claim that they’ll have to do five units for every affordable unit,” said Fair Share Housing Center Founder Peter O’Connor. “So, if their fair share were 200, they’d have to do 1,000 units. If it were 500, they have to do 2,500 units. That is totally false. The Supreme Court has given great deference to municipal decision making. And towns have a laundry list of 10 categories they can choose from to implement fair share. Only one is the development of market rate housing.”
NJ’s affordable housing crisis: how are towns meeting demand?
BY Briana Vannozzi, Correspondent | August 30, 2017, 3PM EST
The State Supreme Court’s Mount Laurel decision on affordable housing has confounded municipalities and complicated urban planning since it was handed down. There is still widespread dispute over the number of homes each municipality is required to provide. In the meantime, towns are finding creative solutions for those still Chasing the Dream. In the final part of our series, Correspondent Briana Vannozzi went to Mount Laurel where it all began.
Fair Share Housing Center’s Rev. Eric Dobson showed NJTV News cameras a newly constructed road to see the latest housing development inside the original Ethel Lawrence neighborhood of Mount Laurel. The affordable units of single family and town homes will be ready within a year.
“Many aren’t aware this affordable housing facility exists. So it seamlessly integrated into the town,” said Dobson.
NJ’s affordable housing crisis: how are towns meeting demand?
Ghetto Building?
Jean Mikle and Russ Zimmer , Asbury Park PressPublished 11:10 a.m. ET Jan. 18, 2017 | Updated 13 hours ago
A housing advocacy group says “tens of thousands” of new units of affordable housing could be built in New Jersey as a result of a state Supreme Court decision Wednesday.
In a unanimous decision, the court ruled that municipalities must meet affordable housing needs that accumulated during the so-called “gap period” between 1999 and 2015, when the state’s Council on Affordable Housing failed to produce housing quotas for towns.
The ruling could have a dramatic impact on Monmouth County, where several affluent towns have fought increased affordable housing obligations. By contrast, most of Ocean County’s most populous towns won’t be affected because they have already agreed to court settlements providing thousands of affordable homes.
file photo by Boyd Loving
March 24,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ,last night It was a very predictable, 3-2 votes on anything meaningful and the majority stating all the reasons they were voting yes except representing the people. The leaving council majority aka the 3 amigos are enacting a “scorched earth policy” as they will be gone. Turn out was lower than expected because so many saw the vote as a for gone conclusion.
Zoning vote 3-2
Garage vote 5-0
All 5 voted for the Village to bond the garage not the county., Susan and Mike had no other choice but to vote that way because the council majority aka the 3 Amigos would have just gone to the BCPA. This way Ridgewood may retain control of the size, commuter parking and rates. Mike said something about researching a surcharge for businesses owner that are close to the garage to defray cost of maintenance.
The traffic study spokesman talked about increased traffic in several locations( 2 on Broad) and that is without the consideration of the garage. He mentioned some additional policing. No one in the garage discussion talked about the need for policing there or the need of an attendant. I believe I could live with the garage if it was one deck shorter, remained completely on the foot print and the street parking spaces would remain on Broad and Hudson Streets. Local business in those locations will take a hit without them.
Residents again questioned how is it that the council majority refuses to listen to the public? Could it be that they truly are in their own heads and are immune to incoming sounds,like the voices of the residents?
One nuclear physicist spoke wondering how they could be so emphatically certain that the were correct and that the developers could see no cause for concern? He said nothing is that certain and his world is one of exactness.
Mike and Susan seemed on there game and nobody clapped for Rurik and Jim when pontificated .
For most residents it is just too much development/ construction at once ,Yes these developments will bring traffic. The Hudson garage will not be enough. and the business owners must be salivating but most central business district businesses will not survive the construction phase.
Lastly Former Mayor Kieth Killion gets the last laugh , so many voted for this trio ,now buyers remorse .
Revised guidelines for N.J. affordable housing ie “Ghetto Building” causes confusion
MAY 8, 2014, 11:14 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014, 11:32 PM
BY REBECCA D. O’BRIEN AND MICHAEL PHILLIS
STAFF WRITERS
THE RECORD
New guidelines designed to determine how much affordable housing will be needed in New Jersey’s 565 towns over the next 20 years are already being criticized by housing experts as insufficient and opaque less than two weeks after they were unveiled to the public.
Some have even said the proposed rules, which estimate that more than 50,000 homes need to be built, could violate the state constitution, because they rely on calculations that have been struck down by the state Supreme Court.
What’s next
The proposed regulations for affordable housing are subject to review by the Office of Administrative Law and will be published next month in the June 2, 2014, New Jersey Register. A public hearing on the proposed rules has been scheduled for July 2. The final rules are supposed to be adopted in October and take effect Nov. 14.
The rules approved by the Council on Affordable Housing on April 30 are New Jersey’s latest effort to meet the state’s constitutional mandate that towns allow for construction of affordable housing. In addition to the new construction, the guidelines also identify more than 62,000 homes currently occupied by low- and moderate-income families that need to be fixed up.
But the mandate has existed only in the abstract in recent years; Governor Christie tried to disband the council in 2011, calling it broken and ineffective. The Christie administration also had its eyes on millions in towns’ affordable housing funds that would have been turned over to the state because they had not been used.
Last summer, the state Supreme Court overturned Christie’s bid to disband the council and in September ordered the council to approve new affordable housing obligations that take into account unfulfilled obligations from decades past, houses in need of rehabilitation and future demand.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/revised-guidelines-for-n-j-affordable-housing-causes-confusion-1.1012597#sthash.JkdIZZGa.dpuf