Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver released the following statement Wednesday in response to the New Jersey Supreme Court’s decision to bar Gov. Christie from dismantling the state’s Council on Affordable Housing (COAH):
“Today’s decision reinforces the axiom that it is far more fruitful to work together than to pick a fight.
“We presented Gov. Christie with a responsible bill more than two years ago that recognized the inefficacies of COAH and created a reasonable blue print to ensure that affordable housing remained a priority for struggling, aspiring homeowners in New Jersey.
“Instead the Governor vetoed it, choosing to waste two years and countless dollars fighting the matter in court. While today’s ruling represents a long-term win for struggling low and middle income residents, it’s unfortunate that it had to come with this price tag.
“Now it’s clear that we need to work together to resolve this issue once and for all in a manner that benefits all of the constituents we were elected to serve,” said Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic).