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

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

People board a bus in Seattle.

Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion

Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.

15 minutes ago - KOMO News

Elon Musk in front of a sign for Grok 3

Post election, Texas is no longer Musk’s 'AI oasis'

Elon Musk dolled out $446 million on the 2026 midterms, the most ever spent by a non-canidate.

1 hour ago - Politico

People vote in Chicago behind blue privacy screens

Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners

Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents

November 5 - Block Club Chicago