In a letter to the editor, Jersey City Ward C council candidate Kevin Bing says that while the city’s new inclusionary zoning ordinance is a step in the right direction, there’s still a lot of work to do be done for affordable housing.
Dear Editor,
I’ve always said that this campaign isn’t about election day, but when we actually make progress on issues facing Ward C.
I want to thank the voters for the opportunity to participate in a runoff election and I look forward to working hard to bring change to Ward C.
The current inclusionary zoning ordinance, that is a result of a settlement supported by Fair Share Housing Center, is a step towards the important issues we’ve been talking about during this campaign.
If I was serving on the city council today, this is a resolution I would support and I encourage all of the sitting council members to support it as well.
That said, this ordinance is not the finish line for the goal of building an affordable Jersey City that so many advocates have spoken out for in words more eloquent than mine.
I commit that if this IZO is passed, that when I start my term on January 1st, I will see this as a building block for an affordable Jersey City, not the end.
We haven’t reached the point in Jersey City where single family home prices don’t double every ten years, rent-controlled tenants don’t fear displacement, and residents have a right to counsel for eviction.
Jersey City should be a place where new immigrants, born-and-raised residents, and those just looking for a better life can all afford to live side by side.
Kevin Bing
Jersey City Ward C council candidate
