The state Senate has begun to create a bill that would change the way affordable housing is handled in New Jersey, per the The Star-Ledger. According to the story – titled “N.J. Senate panel considers plan to transfer affordable housing control to towns” by Lisa Fleisher – the draft “would disband the controversial Council on Affordable Housing and turn its powers over to the State Planning Commission, ending 25 years of state power over municipal planning,” (www.nj.com).
Could this bill, if it passes, impact affordable housing and Jersey City condominiums? The affect, of course, remains to be seen. Currently, the Jersey City Housing Authority oversees housing for lower income families in the city.
The Star-Ledger story stated that New Jersey’s treatment of affordable housing can be traced to the state Supreme Court’s 1975 and 1983 Mount Laurel decisions, which said every resident is entitled to access to affordable housing. The paper also pointed out that “critics of the policy say the models for determining the need for housing are outdated and saddle cities and towns with unnecessary extra housing and residents – and the accompanying cost of providing services to them,” (www.nj.com).
Jersey City condominiums and apartments are common choices among the 240,000 people living in New Jersey’s second-largest city. In fact, 82 percent of Jersey City’s 243,000 housing structures feature multiple units (www.cityofjerseycity.com).
Furthermore, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that nearly two-thirds of Jersey City residents rent their homes as opposed to own them (http://factfinder.census.gov).
The new bill would give builders the ability to challenge towns on whether they provide enough affordable housing, essentially giving developers the right to construct units, according to The Star-Ledger. The author of the article suggested that opponents of the bill “say it is a giveaway to developers, would allow municipalities to shirk their responsibilities and could endanger housing for the disabled,” (www.nj.com).
While owners of Jersey City condominiums and apartments may not be directly impacted by the bill – should it eventually pass – the way in which affordable housing is administered locally will undoubtedly change.
The Star-Ledger article also noted that the bill would “temporarily bring back agreements between municipalities that allow towns, in essence, to sell off their affordable-housing requirements to other cities or towns,” (www.nj.com).
If anything, the proposed bill will certainly spark interesting debate over how New Jersey controls affordable housing relative to the state’s hundreds of municipalities, and where tax dollars are spent. Whether the current policy changes – and how proposed changes might impact Jersey City condominiums – will eventually be determined.
