RPA’s report finds that multifamily housing permits more than doubled following court-enforced reforms, with New Jersey far outpacing neighboring regions
NEW YORK, NY (March 25, 2026) — Today, Regional Plan Association (RPA) released a new report analyzing the impacts of New Jersey’s Mount Laurel Doctrine and fair share housing framework from 2015-2025, a critical timeframe that shifted the doctrine’s enforcement to the judicial system. The report, “Mapping New Jersey’s Growth Part II,” finds that the shift of enforcement from the administrative Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) to the state judicial system significantly accelerated multifamily housing development across the state while supporting broader planning goals related to smart growth and land conservation. This report follows RPA’s “Mapping New Jersey’s Growth” analysis, which focused on development trends driven by the 2001 State Plan.
The report finds that housing production increased dramatically following the resumption of court-enforced housing obligations. From 2015 to 2022, municipalities permitted 169,400 multifamily units, nearly double the amount from 2007 to 2014 when municipalities permitted roughly 80,200 statewide. One key reason for this growth was the introduction of new methods to assess housing needs and the “builder’s remedy” system. This encouraged towns to ease strict zoning regulations, allowing growth to occur equally in areas that previously faced barriers and those that did not.
“Our previous analysis of residential growth showed how New Jersey’s housing production slowed dramatically in the decades after the 2001 State Development and Redevelopment Plan, contributing to today’s housing shortage,” said Marcel Negret, Director of Land Use at Regional Plan Association. “This latest report builds on that work by examining what happened when fair share housing enforcement resumed. The findings show how aligning housing obligations with the State Plan’s planning areas can help translate statewide land use goals into actual housing development.”
“The Mount Laurel doctrine has shaped New Jersey’s housing landscape for more than 50 years, and this analysis highlights how important it remains for the state today,” said Zoe Baldwin, Vice President of State Programs at Regional Plan Association. “As New Jersey confronts rising housing costs and limited supply, the fair share system continues to play a critical role in ensuring communities across the state contribute to meeting housing needs while expanding access to opportunity. Strengthening this framework and improving how it aligns with state planning priorities will be essential to ensuring that the next round of housing obligations supports both affordability and sustainable growth.”
RPA’s latest research, supported by the F.M. Kirby Foundation, offers insights into how New Jersey’s fair share housing framework helped moderate housing cost pressures compared to similar regions without parallel policies. While housing costs have risen across the region, areas without a fair share system have experienced faster increases and worsening indicators such as overcrowding.
“The data presented avoids simple conclusions,” said Justin Kiczek, President of the F. M. Kirby Foundation. “New Jersey’s fair share framework has unquestionably expanded housing production, yet disparities across municipalities raise important questions about how the next round of planning obligations should be structured. Research like this matters because it pushes the conversation beyond whether a policy is working, toward a more complete understanding of outcomes — and for whom.”
“This report confirms what we’ve seen on the ground for years: New Jersey is leading the region in producing both affordable and market-rate homes because of the Mount Laurel framework,” said Adam Gordon, executive director at Fair Share Housing Center. “Since its reinvigoration in 2015, that framework has driven more affordable housing production than ever before — and with the state’s new law, more towns are now stepping up to create affordable homes than at any point in history. The Mount Laurel framework has opened the door to affordable housing in municipalities that long shut it out — making clear that when exclusionary zoning barriers come down, every community can contribute to addressing the housing crisis. It’s no surprise that states across the country are now looking to New Jersey as a blueprint for reform.”
A key factor in this growth was the updated methods for assessing housing obligations and the “builder’s remedy” mechanism. This prompted towns to voluntarily eliminate restrictive zoning codes to avoid court orders. The zoning changes effectively removed regulatory constraints, allowing growth to proceed at the same rate in areas with historical barriers as in those without:
Participating municipalities drove much of the growth, with 349 municipalities (about 62% of towns) submitting housing plans and accounting for nearly half of all multifamily permits statewide.
Qualified Urban Aid communities produced over 40% of multifamily housing permits despite representing a small share of municipalities.
RPA’s analysis compares housing production across participating municipalities, non-compliant municipalities, and Qualified Urban Aid communities, and evaluates how New Jersey’s housing outcomes compare to nearby regions without a fair share housing framework:
Municipalities operating under the fair share system produced housing at nearly ten times the rate of municipalities on Long Island.
Housing obligations can reinforce smart-growth goals, directing development toward metropolitan areas while limiting pressure on rural and environmentally sensitive regions.
Following the enactment of New Jersey’s landmark 2024 law (A4/S50) streamlining and strengthening the Mount Laurel framework — which has led to a 25 percent increase in participating municipalities — the report emphasizes the need for continued coordination and data transparency to sustain equitable housing production.
“This report confirms that not only is more housing being built, but it is happening in smart growth places largely through redevelopment,” said Peter Kasabach, executive director of New Jersey Future. “We strongly encourage towns engaged in the Mount Laurel Fourth Round to use the updated State Development and Redevelopment for continued guidance, prioritize redevelopment sites, and remove zoning barriers that prevent a better variety of housing options and more compact, walkable places.”
“When New Jersey commits to strong housing policy that prevents exclusionary zoning, we see real results that improve people’s lives and make our state more affordable. The Mount Laurel framework and fair share system delivers proven results, as shown in this report, and New Jersey can do even more to meet the scale of our housing needs. To build on this momentum, our budget must invest in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to ensure communities across the state can create and preserve safe, healthy, and affordable homes for all Garden State residents,” said Staci Berger, president and chief executive officer of the Housing and Community Development Network of NJ.
