NJ Supreme Court Hears Affordable Housing Arguments

The New Jersey Supreme Court is once again reviewing affordable housing.

At a hearing Wednesday, the question revolved around how well the policy that sprung from some of its landmark rulings in the 1970s and 80s has held up.

The state government and towns asked the court to find that it is constitutional to ask towns to require developers to provide subsidized housing based on how much market-rate housing and commercial development goes up.

But advocates for the poor and homebuilders say that approach would not create enough housing for low- and moderate-income people. They want the state to return to its old method of assigning each town an affordable housing obligation.

It usually takes the courts until months after arguments to rule.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)