Fighting Against Disingenuous Builders’ Association Affordable Housing Challeng

As your Mayor, it is my job to fight for what’s right in the best interests of the taxpayers I serve – a responsibility I take very seriously. So, I get angry when disingenuous developers attempt to abuse state legislation beyond its intent for their own benefit.

Recently, we were notified that the New Jersey Builders Association, a trade organization representing housing developers, filed a lawsuit against Monroe and 158 other municipalities in the state seeking to double the number of affordable units required in the next round of affordable housing. The suit raises questions concerning the municipalities’ responses to the State of New Jersey’s calculation of the number of affordable housing units to be constructed between 2025 and 2035.

The lawsuit is driven by sheer greed, and I intend to fight this outrageous lawsuit to the fullest extent of my position as Mayor.

As explained in depth at the January 29th Township Council meeting, recent legislation (A4/S50) allowed municipalities throughout New Jersey to establish their next round affordable housing obligation for the next decade based on methodologies from previous court decisions. I encourage you to watch the hearing which is available on the Monroe Township YouTube channel.

Considering this legislation, Monroe Township’s highly skilled and knowledgeable planners and other professionals carefully followed the legislation and adopted what we believed to be a reasonable and constitutional obligation.

On February 27th, however, the New Jersey Builders Association filed an official challenge to our adopted obligation, seeking to double the number of affordable units required in the next round.

Let me be crystal clear. We take our obligation to allow for affordable housing very seriously and we don’t need for-profit housing developers inflating that obligation for their own financial benefit.

The builders’ action here is disingenuous at best. They are not challenging towns because of their deep commitment to affordable housing. This is purely about making more money by building even more housing – whether its needed or not.

After the builders leave, with money in their pocket, it will be up to our taxpayers to fund schools, infrastructure and all the other costs associated with having more homes in Monroe. That is unacceptable.

Every town should have adequate affordable housing. But we have gotten to the point where the developers, themselves, are now fueling the affordable housing agenda and are abusing it at every turn. This is no longer about the public good.

Keep in mind that Monroe’s affordable housing commitment could have been higher, but our ongoing commitment to preserving land has kept large swaths away from developers, such as recent open space acquisitions on School House Road and Spotswood Englishtown Road. Land preservation will continue to be a top priority here in Monroe Township.

I also will continue to call on the Legislature to allow for impact fees to be charged to developers. Those funds could and should be used to ease the burden of this development, such as funding schools, road upgrades, sewer systems and other costs that developers are quick to pass on to you, the taxpayers.