{"id":3499,"date":"2025-07-10T09:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T09:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/?post_type=press-release&p=3499"},"modified":"2025-08-29T14:27:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T14:27:15","slug":"record-424-municipalities-adopt-fair-housing-plans","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/press-release\/record-424-municipalities-adopt-fair-housing-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Record 423 Municipalities Adopt Fair Housing Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Far More Municipalities Participating in Affordable Housing Process Than Any Time in 50-Year History of Mount Laurel Doctrine<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to an analysis by Fair Share Housing Center, 423 New Jersey municipalities have adopted and filed Housing Element and Fair Share Plans (HEFSPs) \u2014 which detail how they will meet their legally-mandated affordable housing responsibilities \u2014 following the state\u2019s June 30 deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under a new, streamlined procedure established by landmark legislation <\/a>(A4\/S50) last year, 452 towns adopted resolutions to participate in the state\u2019s \u201cFourth Round\u201d affordable housing planning process \u2014 representing approximately a 25% increase in municipalities participating in the process compared to the Third Round that began in 2015. Ninety-four percent of those municipalities have now adopted fair share plans on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s encouraging to see so many towns stepping up to build the affordable homes New Jersey urgently needs,\u201d said Adam Gordon, Executive Director of Fair Share Housing Center.<\/strong> \u201cThis shows the new law is working \u2014 cutting red tape, lowering costs, and getting more towns involved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signed by Gov. Murphy in March 2024, A4\/S50 was sponsored by Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, State Senator Troy Singleton, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, and State Assemblymembers Yvonne Lopez, Benjie Wimberly, and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I signed A4\/S50, I did so to honor the promise of the Mount Laurel Doctrine and ensure that more hardworking families have access to a quality, affordable place to call home,\u201d said Governor Phil Murphy<\/strong>. \u201cIt is promising to see that 94 percent of the 452 municipalities that committed to this legislation have adopted fair share plans on time. I am grateful to the Fair Share Housing Center for their continued analysis and advocacy, helping to keep New Jersey on track to meet our affordable housing goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe belief that everyone deserves a place to call home has been a guiding principle in our efforts to expand affordable housing, and I am proud to see the results of that commitment taking shape across the state,\u201d said Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin. <\/strong>\u201cWhen we enacted landmark legislation, A4, we set in motion a statewide push to address one of the most pressing affordability challenges facing New Jersey families by laying the groundwork for more housing, more opportunity, and more stability. We have more work ahead, but this moment shows what\u2019s possible when we work together toward a common goal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis demonstrates real progress in our efforts to make housing more affordable and more accessible in New Jersey,\u201d said Senate President Nick Scutari.<\/strong> \u201cThe law is working. It has cut red tape, streamlined the process and lowered costs as it gives towns more freedom to create affordable housing that meets their own needs. I want to thank the many local officials who have worked so effectively to take advantage of the opportunities the law provides to make housing more affordable in their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe strong response from municipalities across New Jersey shows that communities are truly committed to building more inclusive and accessible housing \u2014 and it\u2019s clear that the law we passed is doing exactly what it was designed to do,\u00bb said Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz.<\/strong> \u201cTowns up and down the state are stepping up, with 94% submitting their plans on time. This proves that when we pass strong, clear laws, communities respond. We will continue to work with local officials to ensure they have the resources needed to build stronger, more affordable communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we crafted this law, our goal was simple: to empower more municipalities to be active partners in solving New Jersey\u2019s affordable housing crisis,\u201d said Senator Troy Singleton<\/strong>. \u201cThe fact that a record number of towns have stepped up to meet their obligations shows that the law is working as designed. This is a major milestone in delivering a more affordable New Jersey.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMunicipalities are critical partners in the construction of affordable housing and I am encouraged to see that our new affordable housing law has put towns in the driving seat to meet their fair share,\u00bb said Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez.<\/strong> \u201cThe numbers speak for themselves and I have full confidence that in these next months the new law will continue delivering the foundation for the housing we so desperately need in New Jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the next two months, Fair Share Housing Center and any other interested party has the opportunity to review municipalities’ fair share plans to ensure they are in compliance with New Jersey’s new affordable housing law, ahead of the state\u2019s August 31 deadline for interested parties to file challenges. Municipalities then have until December 31 to address any challenge to its plan through the Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program, and until March 15, 2026 to adopt a revised fair share plan and change their zoning accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In New Jersey, the constitutional obligation for each municipality to allow its fair share of affordable homes, known as the Mount Laurel Doctrine<\/a>, is recalculated every 10 years in cycles known as Rounds. Each municipality\u2019s obligations are calculated by looking at factors in various regions of the state \u2014 such as job growth, existing affordability, and the growth of low- and moderate-income households \u2014 which determines an individualized requirement for affordable housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of the Fourth Round \u2014 which officially began on July 1 \u2014 NJ’s new affordable housing law<\/a> streamlined the affordable housing development process and codified the methodology used to determine each municipality\u2019s obligations over the next decade. The updated framework safeguards towns\u2019 discretion in deciding how they want to fulfill their affordable housing needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Third Round process began in 2015, things looked very different \u2014 towns argued that 253 municipalities didn\u2019t have to build any affordable housing for the next 10 years. That led to dozens of lawsuits \u2014 and instead of being resolved quickly, like we are seeing now under the new law, it took the courts many years to sort it all out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, Princeton\u2019s Third Round affordable housing number was not determined until 2018, following a 41-day trial, and their actual plan to meet that obligation was not adopted until 2020. Princeton\u2019s Fourth Round plan, on the other hand, was filed in a timely manner \u2014 and is a model for how towns can meet their affordable housing needs while promoting smart, sustainable growth. By reusing vacant office buildings and focusing development near jobs, schools, and transit, the plan reduces sprawl, limits environmental impact, and supports walkable, connected neighborhoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPrinceton\u2019s plan is about more than meeting a legal mandate: it reaffirms our commitment to enhancing racial and socioeconomic diversity through inclusive development, while strengthening the fabric of our community,\u201d said Princeton Council President Mia Sacks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Jersey\u2019s law gives towns a wide variety of tools to create affordable housing in the way they prefer. Municipalities can choose from a range of options <\/a>\u2014 such as 100% affordable housing, mixed-income housing, supportive housing for seniors or people with disabilities, or repurposing abandoned malls or offices. The recently-enacted law and associated bills give towns additional tools like new bonuses, financing options, and credits to meet their affordable housing responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new law also requires more transparent information to be shared with the public at each stage of the process, from adoption of initial plans to what is built and what trust funds are available to non-profit developers to create and rehabilitate affordable housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the inception of the Mount Laurel Doctrine 50 years ago, it has led to the creation of more than 75,000 affordable homes \u2014 including over 25,000 new affordable homes since 2015 alone \u2014 and over 130,000 middle-class homes. Today, more than 400,000 New Jerseyans live in homes created through the Mount Laurel Doctrine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To view each municipality\u2019s fair share housing plan, visit New Jersey Courts\u2019 Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program <\/a>and click through the counties on the left column. This site itself is an outcome of the new law \u2014 which for the first time requires all towns\u2019 plans to be publicly available online upon filing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLegislative leaders, legislators from both parties, and Governor Murphy came together to pass our affordable housing law because they understand that thriving communities start with housing people can afford,\u201d said Gordon<\/strong>. \u201cWhen local leaders support affordable homes, they are prioritizing stronger neighborhoods and more resilient local economies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Far More Municipalities Participating in Affordable Housing Process Than Any Time in 50-Year History of Mount Laurel Doctrine According to an analysis by Fair Share Housing Center, 423 New Jersey municipalities have adopted and filed Housing Element and Fair Share Plans (HEFSPs) \u2014 which detail how they will meet their legally-mandated affordable housing responsibilities \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3499","press-release","type-press-release","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-releases"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/3499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-release"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3499"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/3499\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairsharehousing.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}