Several towns in New Jersey are sounding alarm bells about how they will build more affordable housing just months before the state is expected to announce their next housing obligations.
Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali said he intends to ask for a three-year pause on the construction of affordable housing in his town.
“Let us just breathe and assess before we start building more,” he said, noting that he wants to see how recently and soon-to-be completed projects will affect factors such as school attendance, traffic and water pressure.
Every town in New Jersey is legally required to develop its “fair share” of affordable homes under what’s known as the Mount Laurel Doctrine. The state has tackled this by telling each municipality how many homes it must build in a fixed time period, known as a “round.” New Jersey will enter its fourth round in July 2025, which will run for 10 years.
A pause like the one Ghassali said he plans to request is not a formal option available to towns within New Jersey’s affordable housing process. In fact, delaying the process could open a town up to potential lawsuits from developers and housing advocates.
A new law signed by Gov. Murphy last month aims to streamline the negotiation process between towns and state over affordable housing. And lawmakers and advocates backing it hope that New Jersey can avoid some of the contentious battles over affordable housing that have occurred over the years.
But less than a month after the new law was signed, some town officials are raising issues that suggest New Jersey may not get the smooth affordable housing process that they are hoping for.
Officials from two other towns told Gothamist they also like the idea of a pause to be able to finish ongoing housing projects and assess their impacts on the community. But advocates and state lawmakers said this is a nonstarter for them.
Assemblymember Yvonne Lopez, who was a key sponsor of a new state bill that will set the guidelines for affordable…
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