The defendants' alleged harms are outweighed by the benefit the law could create for the public writ large, the judge said.

Judge Robert Lougy wrote that the public interest in developing more affordable housing in the Garden State “overwhelmingly” outweighed the towns’ arguments.

Led by Montvale, several municipalities filed a lawsuit in the fall to challenge the legislative overhaul of New Jersey's fourth round obligations under the Mount Laurel Doctrine.