It’s been 50 years since the Supreme Court’s landmark Mount Laurel decision, effectively ending discriminatory zoning and expanding affordable housing opportunities throughout New Jersey.
As the U.S. faces an unprecedented housing affordability crisis, many New Jersey residents who want to contribute to their communities — seniors, working families and young professionals — are being priced out.
A century before the New Jersey Supreme Court declared Mount Laurel’s zoning laws unconstitutional, Black families had planted roots in the South Jersey township’s sandy soils.
New Jersey faces a severe affordable housing shortage, but its Mount Laurel Doctrine mandates municipalities provide their fair share of affordable homes.
As one of the most expensive real estate markets in the U.S., New Jersey faces a severe shortage of affordable homes — over 200,000 units short, with 14 prospective renters vying for each vacancy. The human impacts of this crisis are profound, especially for Latino families, who experience housing instability at disproportionate rates due to the lingering effects of historical discrimination and residential segregation.
A Superior Court judge declined to pause the implementation of an overhaul of New Jersey’s affordable housing system passed last spring, roundly rejecting a challenge from towns that argued they would face harm if a law they claim is unconstitutional was allowed to take effect.
Evesham Township’s officials write that affordable housing
should be viewed as a way to enhance the local economy,
promote inclusivity, and strengthen community bonds.
The Fair Share Housing Center has released a guideline to help create affordable homes in New Jersey.
The new report details how towns can choose from a range of options, including 100% affordable housing, mixed-income housing, or preservation of existing homes that otherwise would no longer be affordable.
