The City Council of Jersey City is set to consider this evening a proposed inclusionary zoning ordinance, Ordinance No. 20-089.

Fair Share Housing Center Executive Director Adam Gordon has issued the following statement, pointing out serious flaws in the ordinance and calling on Jersey City’s elected leaders to eliminate loopholes that will allow many developers to get out of providing affordable housing:

Although we welcome the stated desire of Jersey City’s elected officials to tackle the growing crisis of displacement and rapid gentrification in New Jersey’s second-largest city, the proposed ordinance set to be considered by the City Council this evening is riddled with developer-friendly loopholes. If adopted without significant amendments, it will produce few, if any, new affordable homes.

The ordinance, as currently drafted, would allow wealthy and politically connected developers to build large numbers of luxury homes while negotiating their way out of affordable housing requirements. By allowing City Council members the ability to waive its requirements entirely whenever it wishes and allowing other buyouts at its discretion, the ordinance will create a political game by which developers lobby Council members to get special treatment for massive developments of creating one set of rules everyone must follow. Not only is such legislation inadequate to address the deep need for affordable housing in Jersey City, but it also violates state law in a number of ways.

We call on Jersey City’s elected officials to close the gaping loopholes in this ordinance and act swiftly to pass an ordinance that actuallyaddresses the affordable housing needs of Jersey City’s working families.
At a time when thousands of New Jerseyans have taken to the streets to call on their elected representatives to dismantle systemic racism and tackle growing inequality, the people of Jersey City deserve real action to ensure that its residents of all races and income levels are able to remain and thrive in the city they have long called home.