The Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) flows from the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Mt. Laurel decisions that created a previously non-existent constitutional right to an affordable house.  The result has been an artificial increase in housing costs resulting in the need for an even higher COAH tax.  This tax is set by individual town in a development plan and adds a tax to construction.  The tax is supposed to add over 100,000 “affordable” housing units to be distributed in every town in NJ.  Towns are also forced to develop costly COAH plans in the midst of ever-changing regulation.  This planning costs borne by municipalities across New Jersey rarely shows up in any budget.

The Lonegan plan is to cut COAH spending while a question is placed on that ballot.  If passed, the question will change the NJ Constitution obliterating the NJ Supreme Court Decisions.