COURT HOUSE – The Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC), a non-profit designated by the New Jersey courts as an interested party in municipal affordable housing plans, initiated litigation June 1 to strip Middle Township of its 2019 court judgment and prevent the municipality from having immunity protection from affordable housing developer lawsuits.
The essence of the complaint by the FSHC is that more than two years after being granted temporary immunity, Middle has not produced a fair share plan that creates opportunities for affordable housing development, in accordance with the municipality’s share of such housing.
The municipality pushed back, saying it has been working on a plan, which, earlier this summer, it said was nearly complete. The municipality accused the FSHC of needlessly jumping the gun with the litigation filing.
The municipality July 7 introduced a set-aside ordinance, requiring housing developments of five or more units in the town center zone to set aside 20% of those units for affordable housing.
The ordinance was scheduled for a public hearing and possible adoption Aug. 16. Instead, the municipality tabled the ordinance, citing ongoing negotiations with the FSHC.
There was no response from the FSHC to a request for comment on the municipality’s action.
