Members of the Journal Square Community Association are lambasting changes to an affordable housing plan that will go before the city council tomorrow.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“We have a real chance to make a meaningful impact for a community lacking affordable housing,” JSQCA President Tom Zuppa said in a statement.
“It is an understatement to say we are disheartened that after two years of hard work and dedication from our Affordable Housing Task Force we end up with an amendment that was gutted and will have a lessened impact, all at the first sign of influence from special interests.”
The first ordinance related to the Journal Square Redevelopment Area, up for first reading, would limit applicability of the new requirements to the Central Core of the Journal Square Area (Districts 1 and 3).
The other proposed ordinance, which would be in in its second and final reading, would apply these requirements to a much larger area, including Bergen Square, India Square/Little Bombay and the many older residential areas still remaining in Journal Square.
The second version of the 10 percent affordable housing plan has been recommended by the Jersey City planning staff and was subsequently approved by the planning board.
“We will keep advocating for expansion of mandatory affordable housing in Journal Square and fight for our residents who continuously get left behind. We urge the council to reject this 11h-hour proposal in favor of our more inclusive plan, which would directly alleviate unaffordability where it matters,” Zuppa added.
Adam Gordon, executive director of the Fair Share Housing Center, said also came out against the amendments.
“This initiative recognizes the imperative to harness market-rate development to create as much affordable housing as possible. We support the effort for full coverage of the JSQ 2060 Redevelopment Area.”
Furthermore, Chris Lamm, the JSQCA’s vice president and chairman of its Construction and Planning Committee, said there is a preliminary proposal for the redevelopment of the former Muller Pasta factory along Baldwin Avenue.
This proposed development would create more than 2,400 new units.
“This property would be exempt if the City Council adopts the narrow version of the proposal. That represents a potential loss of 250 to 300 affordable housing units,” said Lamm, a resident of the Hilltop area.
He also noted that there are other similar large development sites within District 4 that would City also escape the requirements if this area remains exempted from the new law.
Michael Ehrmann, chairman of the JSQCA Affordable Housing Task Force, and Katie Brennan, a member of the Task Force and a veteran housing expert, said that failure to adopt the wider proposal would represent a significant lost opportunity for the city.
Boggiano and Zuppa are no strangers to political conflicts: Zuppa unsuccessfully challenged him for the Ward C council seat in 2021 and he is widely expected to run again in 2025.
As for the incumbent, he has said he will seek re-election, but has also noted that the situation is fluid.
The Jersey City Council convenes tomorrow at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 280 Grove St., and the public session will stream live on Microsoft Teams.