Press Releases
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March 8th 2012
Appellate Court Invalidates Abolition of Council on Affordable Housing as Illegal Seizure of Power (PDF)
Appellate Court Invalidates Abolition of Council on Affordable Housing as Illegal Seizure of Power
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October 21st 2011
Court Blocks Governor Christie’s Housing Rules (PDF)
October 20, 2011 – Trenton, New Jersey - Late yesterday, a state appellate court ordered the state to halt the enforcement of “interim procedures” that would implement Governor Christie’s takeover of the Council on Affordable Housing. The Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court issued the order in a case filed by Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC). The stayed procedures, if implemented, would have given the Christie Administration the power to control municipal compliance with the New Jersey Fair Housing Act and to oversee the expenditure of over $250 million in funds through a discretionary process with no standards. The Appellate Division also accelerated a full hearing on FSHC’s challenges to both the procedures and the overall plan to abolish the Council on Affordable Housing, ordering all briefing and argument to be completed over the next four months.
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August 23rd 2011
Court Hold League of Muncipalities Must Comply with Open Public Records Act (PDF)
August 23, 2011 - Trenton- The New Jersey Supreme Court today issued a decision that requires the New Jersey League of Municipalities to comply with the state’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA). The decision was issued in response to an appeal filed by the Fair Share Housing Center.
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July 19th 2011
Complaint filed against Hoboken Zoning Board and Developer (PDF)
Hoboken Municipal Code require complexes with more than 10 apartments to include low and moderate income units
July 19, 2011 – Hoboken, New Jersey –Fair Share Housing Center has filed a complaint against the Zoning Board of the City of Hoboken and Advance at Hoboken LLC, the developer of a planned 140-unit housing development at 1300 Willow Street. The lawsuit challenges site plan approvals received by the developer that require compliance with Hoboken’s ordinance on housing for lower-income households, but do not state the number and type of homes that will be included.
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June 30th 2011
Christie Abolishes COAH to Allow Wealthiest Municipalities to Exclude Working Families (PDF)
June 30, 2011 - Trenton, NJ - Earlier this evening, Governor Christie filed a reorganization plan that would eliminate the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH). Governor Christie has made clear that his goal is to allow municipalities to exclude working families and other lower-income New Jerseyans, stating in his press release that he has “always believed that municipalities should be able to make their own decisions on affordable housing.” Municipalities that want to build walls that exclude everyone but the wealthy thus have the support of Governor Christie.
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June 27th 2011
Legislature Rushing Bill Through to Subsidize Luxury Condos in Jersey City, Hoboken (PDF)
June 27, 2011 - Trenton, NJ - With four days left before the Legislature breaks for the summer, one of the most controversial and costly bills up for debate - first considered just last Thursday - would provide up to $150 million in state subsidies for luxury condominiums. The subsidies would be allowed in just nine municipalities in the state, including the Gold Coast’s Hoboken and Jersey City.
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May 23rd 2011
Court Rules Municipal Zoning Cannot Exclude Familes (PDF)
Decision Requires Christie Administration to Cease Approving Municipal Policies that Discriminate Against Families
May 23, 2011 – Trenton, NJ - The Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court today invalidated a state agency decision that allowed municipalities to pass zoning ordinances excluding up to one-third of all families in the state. As a result of the decision, families of New Jersey’s hardworking waitresses, school bus drivers, and nursing home aides will have greater opportunities to live in municipalities that previously adopted policies that barred them from living in the towns where they work.
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March 31st 2011
New Jersey Supreme Court Decides to Hear Housing Appeals (PDF)
Trenton, New Jersey - March 31, 2011 - The New Jersey Supreme Court has decided to review the October 8, 2010 Appellate Division decision that invalidated the Council on Affordable Housing’s (COAH) flawed Third Round regulations. The Court’s decision is in response to requests filed by thirteen municipalities and the New Jersey League of Municipalities that want the Court to relieve them of the obligation to provide zoning for starter homes for New Jersey’s working families. The municipalities have the support of the Christie Administration, which has called for allowing wealthy municipalities to build walls that exclude working New Jerseyans, seniors, and people with special needs.
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February 7th 2011
Court Again Rejects Attempt by Galloway to Exclude Working Families (PDF)
In a decision released today, the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court rejected for the second time a Regional Contribution Agreement (RCA) in which Galloway Township and K. Hovnanian attempted to pay Bridgeton $2.1 million dollars instead of building 61 low- and moderate-income homes as part of the 3100-unit Smithville development. The Court found that the Legislature had clearly intended to prohibit all RCAs going forward in passing landmark legislation, Assembly Bill A500, in June 2008.
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January 24th 2011
GOV. CHRISTIE’S CONDITIONAL VETO GIVES TOWNS LICENSE TO EXCLUDE (PDF)
January 24, 2011 – New Jersey - This afternoon, Governor Christie conditionally vetoed the housing legislation that was passed by the Legislature earlier this month. In doing so, he called on the Legislature to adopt revised legislation that would allow municipalities to completely exclude lower-income households. His proposed amendments would allow municipalities to determine their housing obligations and would reimpose growth share, a failed system that has been rejected twice by the courts as unconstitutional because it allowed municipalities to avoid their regional low- and moderate-income housing obligations.
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