Affordable Housing Needs Updated In New Jersey
CHERRY HILL, NJ (CBS) -- New numbers have been released by New Jersey Advocates of Affordable Housing on the real need in the Garden State.
The Fair Share Housing Center was tasked by the state's highest court with determining how many homes should have gone up from 1999 through 2015, when laws on the books were not being enforced.
"More than 146,000 homes need to be provided to meet the need of New Jersey families," spokesman Anthony Campisi told KYW Newsradio.
Put that together with past mandates and the total need goes to 280,000 through 2025.
Campisi concedes those numbers will not be met, "but we do expect tens of thousands of homes to be built to meet the pressing need in one of the most expensive states in the country."
He believes they will serve as a benchmark to work with municipalities across New Jersey to get agreements in place that will lead to real bricks-and-mortar change.
More than 100 towns have done that, but some are still fighting the issue in court.
Then again, this fight has gone on for more than 40 years, since the Mount Laurel decision that deemed towns had to set aside affordable housing for poorer residents.
