“Affluent, suburban towns opposing affordable housing mandates is nothing new – same story, different day. What is incredibly offensive, beyond using taxpayer dollars to fund this politically-driven, superfluous lawsuit, is the attempt to use the legal process to intentionally delay our affordable housing laws – not by weeks or months, but years.

“The hardworking residents and families of this state cannot wait years for affordable housing to become available. They simply don’t have that luxury.

“Every single day, my office receives calls from people – parents, recent grads, veterans, seniors, disabled – who are struggling to find a place to live, to pay their rent, or to stay in their current home. This is not anecdotal, and it is the unfortunate reality in every corner of this state.

“We are in a housing crisis and the numbers don’t lie. Home prices and rents are at an all-time high in New Jersey, and there isn’t nearly enough inventory to meet demand.

“Further, to say that our urban communities have been omitted from affordable housing obligations is not true, and not at all accurate. Many of these communities have already historically produced more affordable housing stock than their suburban counterparts, so instead, they must now work to rehabilitate those units.

“Playing politics with people’s housing – a basic, human necessity – is simply shameful. Rather than waste time and taxpayer dollars on needless lawsuits, I would encourage these mayors to use our new law as a tool that can help them meet – not dodge – their long overdue affordable housing obligations.”