Opinion ID: 2365726
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 27

Heading: Order the Municipal Government to Establish a Local Housing Authority

Text: In Mt. Laurel, I stressed that municipalities have a clear obligation to encourage and solicit federal and state housing assistance and, in some instances, may even have a duty to provide low income housing itself through local public and semipublic programs. Id., 67 N.J. at 211 (Pashman, J., concurring). Establishment of a local housing authority will undoubtedly help the municipality to undertake these tasks. Community Development and Housing Act of 1974, 42 U.S.C.A. §§ 1401 et seq.; Local Housing Authority Law, N.J.S.A. 55:14A-1 et seq. Therefore, in the event that preliminary remedial programs prove to be unsuccessful in meeting the municipality's fair share of regional housing needs, the trial court should consider ordering the defendant to establish a local housing authority. Initially, this body would be charged with actively seeking federal and state assistance. Affirmative solicitation is quite important in the context of low income housing because under most housing subsidy programs the initiative rests with local authorities and private sponsors. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which administers most federal programs, must often rely on the submission of applications to it before it may authorize funding for local projects. Inaction or lack of cooperation by local officials will effectively defeat such programs. See generally Kleven, supra, 21 U.C.L.A.L. Rev. at 1433 n. 1 & 1437 n. 10; Rubinowitz, supra note 8, 6 Mich. J.L. Reform at 627-630; Note, supra note 4, 6 Rutgers-Camden L.J. at 733 nn. 42-44; Hills v. Gautreaux, supra, 425 U.S. at 303, 96 S.Ct. at 1549, 47 L.Ed. 2d at 806-807 & n. 19. Where even these efforts prove inadequate, and the circumstances so justify, the court should then order the municipal housing authority to undertake the construction of local, low income housing projects. See, e.g., N.J.S.A. 55:14A-7(b). Several federal courts have already resorted to this remedy. Garrett v. City of Hamtramck, 335 F. Supp. 16 (E.D. Mich. 1971), supplemented 357 F. Supp. 925, 927-928 (E.D. Mich. 1973), rev'd on other grounds 503 F. 2d 1236 (6 Cir.1974), on remand 394 F. Supp. 1151 (E.D. Mich. 1975) (court ordered the construction of at least 430 units of low and moderate income housing to accommodate black residents whom the city failed to relocate after they were displaced through highway programs and urban renewal). Cf. Gautreaux v. Chicago Housing Authority, supra, 342 F. Supp. at 830-831; Southern Alameda Spanish Speaking Organization ( SASSO ) v. Union City, supra, 357 F. Supp. at 1199; Crow v. Brown, supra , 332 F. Supp. at 395-396. As one commentary stated: `Courts do not build housing,' but if other remedies do not succeed, courts could order governmental agencies to do so. [Mytelka & Mytelka, supra, 7 Seton Hall L. Rev. at 31-32; citations omitted.]