With homelessness rising, more affordable housing is critical for NJ. Enforce Mount Laurel

Connie Mercer
·4 min read

Housing is a basic need. Everyone deserves a safe, healthy and affordable place to live, but the growing number of homeless individuals and families in New Jersey underscores a grim reality — housing instability is on the rise at an unprecedented rate.

While more than 10,000 homeless individuals were documented statewide earlier this year, these annual Point In Time surveys are historically known to significantly undercount the population, so the true numbers are likely even more alarming and demand an aggressive course of action.

The best strategy for moving forward is the preservation and development of affordable housing. And unlike other states around the country facing similar challenges, New Jersey is uniquely positioned to expand affordable housing options because of the Mount Laurel Doctrine.

Created by the New Jersey Supreme Court through a series of court decisions beginning in 1975, the Mount Laurel Doctrine requires all municipalities in New Jersey to provide their fair share of affordable housing. The enforcement of this Doctrine, especially in more recent years, created housing for hundreds of thousands of individuals throughout New Jersey.

As banks consolidate and close downtown branches, towns are trying to decide what to do with the prominent, but empty, buildings. Spring Lake agreed to buy this Wells Fargo building on Third Avenue to convert into a restaurant and affordable housing in Spring Lake, NJ Monday, April 10, 2023
As banks consolidate and close downtown branches, towns are trying to decide what to do with the prominent, but empty, buildings. Spring Lake agreed to buy this Wells Fargo building on Third Avenue to convert into a restaurant and affordable housing in Spring Lake, NJ Monday, April 10, 2023

Reviving COAH is not the answer to NJ's problems

However, I am deeply troubled by recent attempts to bring back the old, ineffective Council on Affordable Housing (COAH). Under COAH, the Mount Laurel Doctrine went unenforced for 15 years. This period of non-enforcement is largely responsible for the estimated shortage of more than 220,000 units of affordable housing we face today and has surely impacted our rising homelessness numbers. This is why it is imperative that we keep the critical momentum going and protect the current process.

The current court process for holding towns accountable for affordable housing creation works. I saw this day in and day out in my three decades of advocacy as CEO of HomeFront and still see it now as CEO of the New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness. At HomeFront, the Mount Laurel Doctrine enabled us to work closely with partners and towns to develop over 130 units of safe, dignified affordable housing in Mercer County. Being able to provide permanent supportive housing to the families we served would not have been possible without the current court process for enforcement of the Doctrine.

Why would we go back to a system that did nothing to house people? The numbers speak for themselves. During the COAH years, only 120 towns had their fair share plans finalized while over 200 towns languished in an endless process of review, which did nothing to get housing built. In contrast, the current court process for enforcement has resulted in the creation of more than 21,000 new affordable homes and has helped house more than 50,000 low-income individuals and families.

Why don't we look to Hopewell Twp.'s example?

Hopewell Township provides a pertinent example. In 2011, Capital Health moved its main hospital from Trenton to Hopewell — a much wealthier, less diverse suburb.

Hopewell initially resisted creating mixed-income housing near the hospital — but thanks to the Mount Laurel process, Hopewell eventually rezoned properties surrounding the hospital for over 2,000 homes that will enable many people who work at the hospital to live nearby. Over 400 of those homes are classified as affordable, including 26 units of permanent supportive affordable housing for families experiencing homelessness and at risk of homelessness — who now have access to Hopewell’s top-rated school district, nearby health care, and jobs.

Protect Mount Laurel: Affordable housing can benefit all of us in New Jersey

More perspective: All of New New Jersey can benefit from homes that are affordable. Here's how

Permanent, affordable housing is a critical part of the continuum of care for individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Unless we steadily continue to build affordable housing in areas of opportunity, which the Mount Laurel Doctrine safeguards, we risk eliminating a critical pathway to stability for thousands of New Jersey residents.

As the cost of housing continues to soar, the number of people experiencing housing instability will rise too. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

New Jersey has a critical tool in the Mount Laurel Doctrine to address this problem — but only if it is enforced correctly. In a state with dire housing shortages — twelve applicants for every one unit — slowing down affordable housing production is not an option. It would be devastating for our residents and the state’s overall economy.

We must preserve the Mount Laurel Doctrine. The future of New Jersey depends on it.

Connie Mercer is CEO of the New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ affordable housing: Solutions needed to combat homelessness