New Jersey Towns Call for Suspension of Affordable Housing Act

A group of New Jersey municipalities is asking the court to suspend state government affordable housing act According to Gothamist’s Mike Hayes, until the lawsuit they filed against the state is concluded. A common complaint from cities in New Jersey and other states with similar legislation in place is that “Towns claim that the law unfairly requires them to build more and more housing without taking into account how much development they can actually support.” California.

The towns also claim the law is unconstitutional because it exempts certain urban centers designated as “urban assistance municipalities.” These are cities with certain characteristics, such as high unemployment rates, below-average incomes, or high population density. “Many of these towns are also already home to public housing projects and income-constrained units.” These urban communities still need to create more than 40,000 new homes by rehabilitating existing units.