NJ judge dismisses lawsuit to overturn affordable housing law. Towns vow appeal.

Mayor Mike Ghassali of Montvale, New Jersey has vowed to appeal a state judge’s decision that would curb an attempt to overturn the state's new affordable housing law.

In an 81-page ruling this week, Mercer County Judge Robert Lougy dismissed the lawsuit brought by officials representing 27 municipalities, including Ghassali. They argued the state’s affordable housing development mandates overburdened their towns.

In 2024, Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law the framework for the latest round of requirements for low- and middle-income housing. The law stemmed from the state’s 50-year-old Mount Laurel doctrine, a series of state Supreme Court decisions that have repeatedly determined that — under the state constitution — every municipality in the Garden State must contribute its “fair share”