ABSTRACT
Housing affordability is a critical issue throughout the United States. While the costs and associated issues vary state by state, it is clear that zoning regulations may either inhibit or enhance the supply of affordable housing units. Zoning schemes should be removed of barriers to the production of affordable housing and, to the extent possible, be crafted to be inclusionary. Americans have long associated the term "affordable housing" with housing for the poor. However, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development suggests that a home is affordable if its occupants pay less than 30 percent of their gross annual income on rents or mortgages, including taxes, insurance and utility costs. The High Court stated its expectation that Mount Laurel permit the development of multi-family housing in sufficient quantities to house local and regional workers. Not in My Back Yard (NIMBY) is to prevail as one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome in the construction of affordable housing.
