Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop joined city officials from Division of Affordable Housing to tout the launch of a free, consolidated affordable housing portal for residents.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
Since Fulop took office, he explained that new policies such as the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance (IZO) and the Affordable Housing Overlay Zone have resulted in more approved units of affordable housing.
“Today is a natural next step in the progression of making affordable housing more accessible to residents,” Fulop asserted, explaining that the portal will list available units and help residents locate them.
The 24/7 portal will serve as a centralized hub, enabling residents to search and apply for affordable housing units in one convenient location online.
Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey was happy that the portal would allow residents to track units and see where they were in the process.
“We get many calls all the time about how can people find access to affordable housing. We have to be with them every step of the way. This will get them some agency,” she explained.
Prinz-Arey noted that it is a long-term project that has come to fruition.
Housing, Economic Development & Commerce Department Director Annisia Cialone noted the division was created in 2019 to provide guidance on policy and ensure the compliance of the affordable housing created.
Since their inception, the division has created agreements and is managing 1,500 units of affordable housing (one-third are occupied), with more coming online. There are 100 properties in their portfolio and 26 units are currently available in the system.
“This a big deal,” Cialone stated.
She noted before the process was more complicated and decentralized. Now, people can sort units by number of bedrooms, geography, and amenities.
When a new building becomes ready, a lottery for availability will be run and then waiting lists get exhausted.
“This portal will serve as a model throughout the state for increasing transparency, accountability, and access to affordable housing,” Cialone declared.
Affordable Housing Division Director Gia Gazon explained they specialize in handling units in the portal from buildings approved by the planning board. She also noted the Jersey City Housing Authority is different than the Division and manages other units.
She added there are a total of eight people working in the division.
“We got a lot of feedback. We wanted to get it right for the residents of Jersey City who are already stressed out enough looking for affordable housing,” Gazon said.
She said the process of looking for available units was much more difficult in the past in terms of finding who was accepting applications.
“There are no longer going to be any barriers, at least to understanding those opportunities exist,” Gazon explained.
“Everything is right in here for you as an applicant. So many who have walked through these doors have been mystified by the process.”
Gazon explained the portal will send notifications to those who have made profiles in the system when new units become available. They can monitor compliance through the portal.
Overall, officials said the portal will provide centralized listings, a user-friendly interface, real-time updates, as well as support and resources.
Additionally, to ensure all low- and moderate-income households can take full advantage of the new portal, the city will host a series of free workshops and training sessions on how to use the platform.
These public assistance sessions will cover topics such as creating an account, searching for housing, and completing applications.
The following sessions are scheduled at the City Hall Annex, located at 4 Jackson Square:
July 3rd – 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
July 8th – 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
July 23rd – 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Affordable housing, and housing are two separate topic. Affordable housing you have a job. Housing is what your income display will be your rent. And it needs to be emphasize, exactly what is the difference.