New Jersey Zoning Watch

On Friday, March 19, Governor Chris Christie announced that the Housing Opportunity Task Force created by Executive Order 12 had submitted its report to the Governor’s Office and, as a result, he was rescinding the EO through a new EO.  This manuever avoids a showdown over a constitutional challenge to EO 12 – oral argument on the motion filed by the Fair Share Housing Center challenging the EO was scheduled for Monday, March 22 – which was pending before the Appellate Division.

The full text of the Governor’s statement on the status of the Housing Opportunity Task Force created by Executive Order 12 is below:

My administration has received the report of the Housing Opportunity Task Force and will begin immediately reviewing its findings and recommendations.  I want to thank the Chairwoman of the task force, former Senator Marcia Karrow, and the other members for their hard work and service.  It is time for us to chart a new course and implement a sensible planning system that considers economic growth and development along with our affordable housing needs.  I look forward to working with Senators Lesniak and Bateman and Assemblymen Green and Rible in these reform efforts. 

The Task Force was created by Executive Order 12 and was charged with undertaking a review of the affordable housing mission in New Jersey, and examining the regulations and methodologies of COAH, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the State Planning Act in meeting the constitutional obligations of the Mt. Laurel court decisions in a manner that is consistent with sound planning and economic growth for the state.  Since the Task Force has now completed its work, the Governor today signed Executive Order 20 rescinding Executive Order 12.

The Task Force was chaired by Senator Karrow and included four other members:  Rutgers University Professor James Hughes, Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz, Morris Plains Mayor Frank Druetzler, and former Executive Director of the Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency Ira Oskowsky.