LAND-DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS - ROADBLOCK TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Land development regulations in the state of New Jersey have been used to control development since the mid-1970s. The demand for affordable housing in the state is reaching a critical period since the median p rice of a single-family dwelling in New Jersey currently exceeds $170, 000. Through various court decisions, there has been an attempt in the last few years to force affordable housing upon individual townships. This court remedy and the associated legislative action have been ess entially stalled due to the myriad of independent environmental regula tions that exist throughout the state. At the present time, a land dev elopment project faces independent action from the local and county pl anning boards as well as a long list of individual permits required by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy (NJD EPE). Since all the preceding items are treated as independent and the oretically unrelated review procedures, the time it takes for a develo per to obtain the necessary approvals prior to construction has risen to an average of two years. The paper will discuss these conditions an d the impact upon market-rate units and affordable housing in the stat e of New Jersey.