INCLUSIONARY ZONING: THE EVOLUTION OF PRESENT-DAY MOUNT LAUREL

Kelsey Hotchkiss, University of Miami School of Law

Abstract

This essay analyzes the present-day effect of the prominent New Jersey Supreme Court Mount Laurel I and II cases on inclusionary zoning. The Mount Laurel decisions, which initiated the provision of affordable housing to low-income New Jersey residents, remain influential in current local legislation. Today, the Mount Laurel Doctrine continues to encourage the development of affordable housing through legislative initiatives designed to satisfy both the constitutional rights of developers as well as the needs of local, low-income families.