Colleen O’Dea of NJ Spotlight does a great job laying out both the present significance and background story behind a State Appeals Court’s Monday July 12 ruling that relieves municipalities of the need to provide affordable housing for at least 50,000 New Jersey tenants who are seeking affordable housing today.
The logic that underpins the ruling is so convoluted as to appear arbitrary. The Appeals Court judge’s curious logic works this way: less tenants qualify for affordable housing assistance today than actually exist in the state of New Jersey because their need for affordable housing developed during a period that affordable housing was not legally mandated in the state (during the years 2000-2015).
Wow.
The Fair Share Housing Center is fighting this case on behalf of New Jersey tenants. Director Kevin Walsh points out that today, 200,000 affordable housing units are needed although the court ruling will provide for only 150,000 to be built. And to provide for future needs, a total of 350,000 units should be provided for.