Op-Ed: Christie Administration Hobbles Affordable Housing

The Mount Laurel doctrine, as its known, has been a constant sticking point for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's administration. The New York Times editorial board suggests that the court must take control of affordable housing.

1 minute read

December 28, 2014, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"Over the last several years, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey has shown utter contempt for the State Supreme Court’s three-decades-old ruling in the Mount Laurel housing case, which bars wealthy towns from excluding affordable housing and requires them to write zoning laws that permit a reasonable amount of such housing to be built," according to an op-ed by the New York Times editorial board.

The most recent issue arose in November, "when [the Christie Administration] failed to obey a court order requiring it to ratify long-overdue rules for determining how much affordable housing will be built and where."

The editorial board estimates that the 1960s ruling is responsible for the creation of " 60,000 homes for low- and moderate-income families" in New Jersey. 

Friday, December 26, 2014 in New York Times

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