Southern Burlington County NAACP v. Township of Mount Laurel (Mt. Laurel I)
New Jersey Supreme Court
336 A.2d 713 (1975)
- Written by Angela Patrick, JD
Facts
The Township of Mount Laurel (defendant) enacted zoning regulations intended to benefit the township’s economic condition. To accomplish this, the regulations were openly designed to allow only residents with high incomes and few children. For instance, the regulations limited almost all residences to single-family detached homes on large lots. The few permitted apartments were expensive and either prohibited children entirely or limited the number of children per apartment. Mount Laurel’s stated intent was to reduce the amount of public resources it would need to provide, especially schools, in order to keep the tax rate lower for its high-income residents. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People of Southern Burlington County (NAACP) (plaintiff) sued, arguing that the regulations were invalid because they prevented low- and moderate-income families from living in the township. The trial court declared the regulations invalid and ordered Mount Laurel to create a plan to meet the housing needs of interested low- and moderate-income people. Mount Laurel appealed. The NAACP cross-appealed, contending that the mandated plan did not go far enough. The New Jersey Supreme Court agreed to review the matter.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Hall, J.)
Concurrence (Pashman, J.)
Concurrence (Mountain, J.)
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