Township of Union Affordable Housing Obligations

Since the 1975 New Jersey Supreme Court decision known as “Mount Laurel I”, New Jersey municipalities have had a constitutional obligation to provide opportunities for creation of low and moderate housing units. This 1975 decision led to a body of case law, legislative changes and rule-making by a state agency that, collectively, is now referred to as the “Mount Laurel doctrine”. Through these actions, New Jersey municipalities have been assigned a specific number of affordable housing units that must be created or planned for creation in order to have “satisfied” their constitutional obligation, commonly referred to as their affordable housing obligation. Union Township has met its affordable housing obligation through adoption of a housing element and fair share plan and related changes to zoning and development approvals.