On March 18, 2026, Judge Lina Corriston, designated Mt. Laurel Judge for Bergen wrote a 9-page order that defined May 29 as the date by which Teaneck must have amended its Housing Element & Fair Share Plan (HEFSP) and put other elements of 4th Round compliance with its obligations under the amended Fair Housing Act.

It is not yet clear just how much freedom this new directive gives Teaneck now to change the way in which it will meet the required number of new affordable housing units and their credits.  Voices believes our readers and all Teaneck residents deserve to be kept promptly aware of how and when its affordable housing obligations are to be met. 

Here are key sentences from that 3/18 Corriston decision/order

• That, in accordance with N.J.S.A . 52:27D-304.1(1)(2)©, Petitioner Municipality is hereby to adopt and file an Amended HEFSP that contains the terms of the Settlement and all of Settlement Agreements, as well as to proceed, without further delay, to notice and adopt the implementing ordinances and resolutions proposed within the Amended HEFSP to ensure implementation of its 4^th Round HEFSP, incorporating therein any changes from the Program and this Court’s Order, and on or before MAY 29, 2026; and
  5. Failure to meet the May 29, 2026 deadline shall preclude the Court’s issuance of a Certification of Compliance and Repose as required by the FHA and Directive #14-24 (as amended) and will thereby result in the Municipality losing immunity from builder’s remedy and/or exclusionary zoning litigation.

In this Voices post, we also provide our readers 1) first, with easy, clickable access to Judge Corriston’s latest (3/18) 9-page decision; 2) second, easy access to the two-page 3/16 email sent by Teaneck Attorney Ash the Court requesting a very different extension; and 3) the earlier, 3/4, decision/order to the Township by Judge Corriston that specified 3/16 as the due date for FHA compliance. 

For the 3/18 – the latest Corriston decisions
Click Here: Corriston – Revised as of 3-18

For the 3/16, two-page Attorney Ash request to Corriston for extension
Click Here: Attorney Ash 3-16 request for 9 day extension

For the 3/4 decision by Corriston specifying 3/16 as compliance deadline
Click Here: Corriston on 3-4 said no immunity after 3-16