A bill moving through the New Jersey Legislature's lame-duck session might be good news for nonprofits and religious groups looking to unload property in a seller's market. Housing developers , too, could get a boost.

But other parties, ranging from municipal leaders to at least one environmental group, say the legislation would allow largely unfettered building, with little regard to local zoning laws or smart-planning goals.

The goal of the bill, introduced by state Sen. Troy Singleton, is to encourage the construction of more affordable housing in New Jersey by freeing nonprofit groups from red tape.

"What we're trying to do, in the simplest terms, is to remove or reduce the regulatory and zoning barriers to housing development," Singleton, a Burlington County Democrat, said in a

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