New neighbors: 32 NJ towns must build the most affordable housing

🏡 New affordable housing requirements released by the state

🏡 See how many new neighbors your town will get 👇

🏡 NJ mayors fighting back against mandates

New Jersey is forcing its towns to build hundreds of thousands of new affordable housing units and defiant mayors say the plan pushes communities too far.

The state Department of Community Affairs has released its first affordable housing requirements since a recent law to standardize each municipality's constitutional obligation.

When he signed the law in March, Gov. Phil Murphy said it would establish new processes for towns to meet their Mount Laurel Doctrine obligations.

Now each municipality knows exactly how many units of affordable housing it must build by 2035.

What is the Mount Laurel Doctrine?

In short, the Mount Laurel Doctrine requires each New Jersey municipality, through zoning, to allow its fair share of affordable housing. It was the result of a New Jersey Supreme Court decision in 1975 and was first codified into state law in 1985 with the Fair Housing Act.

The towns don't have to build the units themselves but must allow developers to build new apartments.

Keep scrolling to find out how some mayors are fighting back.

NJ towns that need to build the most affordable housing

These 33 municipalities have the greatest number of affordable housing units that should be built, according to calculations by the Department of Community Affairs.

The "present need" refers to existing but deficient housing occupied by low- and moderate-income households. "Prospective need" refers to the housing that would have to be built in the next 10 years to accommodate the estimated growth of low- and moderate-income households. The state used a formula that considers a municipality's income and land capacity.

The current housing and population counts are from the 2020 Census.

Gallery Credit: New Jersey 101.5

NJ mayors fight back against affordable housing

Montvale, a town of just 3,000 households, must allow developers to build 348 units of affordable housing by 2035, according to the DCA.

Montvale Mayor Michael Ghassali says the state's requirements go too far. He's leading a group of New Jersey mayors in the fight against the mandates.

"The numbers were expected to be burdensome, but the reality is even worse. The State handed us housing requirements that defy reality and will force local governments to stretch their resources to the breaking point, all while diverting attention from other critical community needs," Ghassali said.

The Dover Chase apartments in Toms River. (Google Maps)

Ghassali and a growing collection of mayors have taken legal action to void the law. Attorney Michael Collins, who filed a lawsuit on their behalf in Superior Court in Mercer County, said 26 mayors were on board.

Wall Township recently joined the list. The community of 10,000 households is expected to allow more than 700 new affordable units to go up within the next decade.

However, others say the current requirements aren't enough. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka says the state needs to double its current rate of building affordable housing.