is an expanded population” as the town is characterized by low-density housing. Another resident noted that the location of the development is in a high traffic area near the elementary school, and the new residents will lead to reduced parking and pedestrian safety. Concerns about the changing suburban form come up frequently in "legislator outcry" in connection to concerns that New Jersey suburban communities will begin to look like cities. New Jersey mayors have traditionally opposed affordable housing. The stance of town leadership on fair land use policies is unclear as the public has been excluded from many of these discussions surrounding inclusionary inclusionary zoning via the Open Public Records Act (N.J.S.A 10:4-12 ) are taking place in executive session, rather than the public session. Vacant and abandoned properties Some have argued that the deluge of abandoned and vacant properties in New Jersey should be taken into account before forced building occurs in less crowded areas. They have also suggested that the state step up funding for code enforcement to reduce burdens of urban blight on attractive home development, including enforcement on absentee landlords. The City of Newark is "working with the Urban League to identify vacant or abandoned properties that can be sold to small developers to then sell at cost to residents. About 16 percent of Newark's housing is vacant and the city has a high eviction and foreclosure rate according to a Rutgers report. See also Abbott district, a similarly controversial legal doctrine resulting from a series of New Jersey Supreme Court cases holding that the education of children in poor communities was unconstitutionally inadequate. Frederick Wilson Hall, who wrote the initial decision Latino Action Network v. New Jersey, a lawsuit filed in 2018 to desegregate the public schools. References External links Rutgers School of Law-Newark's Mount Laurel Archive https://web.archive.org/web/20071027212202/http://www.politicsnj.com/mchose-says-fair-housing-bill-misses-mark-doesnt-address-why-housing-unaffordable-new-jersey-9290 https://web.archive.org/web/20061212124727/http://www.huduser.org/publications/fairhsg/lending.html Affordable housing New Jersey law Mount Laurel, New Jersey Zoning in the United States Real property law in the United States Supreme Court of New Jersey Legal doctrines and principles Law articles needing an infobox