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Montvale Mayor Warns NJ Bill S1836 Is a Loophole for 80% Luxury Overdevelopment

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‘YIGBY’ or Overdevelopment? Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali Warns Against NJ “Affordable Housing” Bill S1836

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Montvale NJ, New Jersey’s ongoing debate over affordable housing is heating up, and Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali is sounding the alarm on a piece of state legislation that he warns could radically change local neighborhoods.

The legislation in question is NJ Bill S1836, inspired by the national “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) movement. While the movement traditionally aims to help religious and faith-based organizations convert underutilized land into housing for low-income families, Mayor Ghassali warns that New Jersey’s version opens a dangerous backdoor for high-density, for-profit overdevelopment.

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Is New Jersey’s “Affordable” Policy Actually Working?

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Luxury vs. Reality: The Shocking Truth Behind New Jersey’s Apartment Boom

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Montvale NJ, In a recent deep-dive analysis of New Jersey’s real estate landscape, Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali raised a question that has every resident from Bergen County to Cape May talking: Who is Trenton really building for?

Data from 2020 to 2024 reveals a staggering disparity between the national housing trend and what is actually happening on the ground in the Garden State. While the rest of the country is finding ways to balance growth, New Jersey seems to be stuck in a “Luxury-Only” loop.

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NJ Housing War: 36 Towns Fight to Stop “Broken” High-Density Mandates in Federal Court

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NJ Housing Rebellion: 36 Towns Head to Federal Court to Block “High-Density” Mandates

pictured Mayor Mike Ghassali With Montvale councilmen Doug Arendacs and Dieter Koelling

photo courtesy of Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

In a major showdown over the future of the Garden State’s suburbs, Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali and a coalition of 36 New Jersey municipalities have taken their fight against state-mandated housing to federal court.

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New Milford Takes a Stand Joins Coalition to Fight Aggressive High-Density Housing

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36 Towns Unite! North Jersey Coalition Rejects High-Density Housing as New Milford Joins Fight Against Overdevelopment

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

NEW MILFORD, NJ – The grassroots movement against mandated high-density housing and aggressive developer demands achieved another major victory last night, as the New Milford Mayor and Council officially approved a resolution to join the multi-county coalition.

With the addition of New Milford, the coalition now proudly represents 36 municipalities across nine counties, amplifying the voice of over 500,000 residents determined to find a smarter solution to New Jersey’s housing crisis.

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