This week marks 50 years since the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Mount Laurel decision, a landmark ruling that established the state’s commitment to affordable housing. The March 1975 decision declared that municipalities could not use zoning laws to exclude lower-income residents, setting a precedent for housing policy nationwide.
The ruling led to decades of legal battles, policy reforms, and the eventual creation of the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) in 1985 to oversee compliance. While COAH was later dismantled, the Fair Share Housing Act and subsequent court rulings continue to enforce municipalities’ obligations to provide affordable housing.
For more on New Jersey’s affordable housing policies, visit the Department of Community Affairs website.
