Jersey City Ward E Councilman James Solomon, a candidate for mayor, stood with tenants and 32BJ SEIU members today ahead of two council votes on RealPage and laborer reforms he sponsored.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“We have to say no to rent gouging: Jersey City must be a city for all and elected officials in Jersey City have to do everything in their power to lower rents and to keep people in this city so that all this development and growth benefits all the residents of Jersey City, not just the developers and the well connected,” Solomon said in front of City Hall.
At the beginning of the month, the downtown councilman announced he would be sponsoring two ordinances: one to ban rent-setting algorithms such as RealPage and another to raise benefits for local laborers.
The city council approved both pieces of local legislation unanimously at their May 7th meeting, as HCV first reported.
Solomon also asserted that the first algorithm ban was particularly important in light of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office suing RealPage and 10 major landlords, including a few in Jersey City, for allegedly operating an illegal rent raising scheme.
A couple of tenants, along with a couple of 32BJ union members, spoke in favor of the measures being approved on final reading at tomorrow’s 6 p.m. council meeting.
“We’ve gone from people with names to numbers in an algorithm, disposal. That’s when we heard rumors about RealPage and the rent manipulations. But you say they’re able to fill the units in the buildings, it can’t all be bad,” said city renter Noelle Brower.
“Yes, they’re able to fill the buildings with new tenants because they allow for overcrowding, they encourage it. We now have multi-generations of families living in one-bedroom apartments. Multiple college units in the same, small apartment. The landlords build dividers and our allow leases allow for multiple payers, something that didn’t exist before.”
Lonzell Battle, a concierge for the KRE Group, called it “absurd” that he can’t live where he works, noting that he’s been a Jersey City resident for 18 years, getting married and raising two children here and emphasizing the great food and culture.
However, he is going to have to leave unless his wages go up and/or the rent goes down.
Joe Tarrazi, 32BJ member and a concierge and porter at Horizon House, noted that the second ordinance would set the minimum wage compensation at $24 an hour, with 12 paid holidays a year, and two paid weeks of vacation after one year of service.
During a brief question and answer session with the media, this reporter asked Solomon what he thought of the mindset that it was not algorithms like RealPage that were hurting local renters, but rather a shortage of housing stock.
“When folks bring up that argument, I always sort of chuckle to myself … How is it the argument that we should build more housing means we should accept illegal collusion and allowing the largest landlords and developers to raise rents illegally,” he began.
“So, of course we have to do more. We have to build more housing. We have to build more affordable housing. Those are two crucial aspects to make sure Jersey City works for everyone, but nothing about that means we shouldn’t directly target and stop illegal collusion among landlords.”
He further stated that the argument was “disingenuous” since landlords were using it to “distract from illegal conduct.”
Upon further questioning, Solomon said he was confident both ordinances were enforceable and was unclear as to why the bill in the state legislature stalled out, but said he would still like to see it pass.
Jersey City Apartment Owners Association Executive Director Wendy Paul continued to declare that the ordinance targeting RealPage would not actually help city renters.
“JCAOA members want to work with Councilman Solomon to meet the moment and address rising costs that affect all of us. However, a broadly written ordinance that appears to ban math is not the answer,” she said in a statement.
“We urge him to use his voice to advocate against rising energy costs, rising insurance premiums, and implementing efficiencies that will increase the supply of housing in Jersey City and bring down rents. Remember, you don’t need an algorithm when it comes to supply and demand economics. It’s simple math.”
