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Headlines for September 28, 2026

Jersey City tenants declare a rent strike at 5 separate buildings on the city’s west side

Newark bars landlords from passing along brokerage fees to renters

Here’s What You Need to Know About the Massive Canal Crossing Project

Members Can Read Today's Media Watch Here
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<table style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" border="0">  <tbody>    <tr>      <td style="overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word;padding:10px;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="left">          <div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 100%; text-align: left; word-wrap: break-word;">    <p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 100%; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;"><em><strong><span style="color: #ffffff; line-height: 16px; font-size: 16px;">September 28, 2026</span></strong></em></span></p>  </div>
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<div class="u-row-container" style="padding: 0px;background-color: transparent;">  <div class="u-row" style="margin: 0 auto;min-width: 320px;max-width: 900px;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-wrap: break-word;word-break: break-word;background-color: transparent;">    <div style="border-collapse: collapse;display: table;width: 100%;height: 100%;background-color: transparent;">      <!--[if (mso)|(IE)]><table role="presentation" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td style="padding: 0px;background-color: transparent;"><table role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%"><tr style="background-color: transparent;"><![endif]-->      <!--[if (mso)|(IE)]><td align="center" width="892" style="background-color: #ffffff;width: 892px;border-top: 4px solid #6a0c0d;border-left: 4px solid #6a0c0d;border-right: 4px solid #6a0c0d;border-bottom: 4px solid #6a0c0d;" valign="top"><table role="presentation" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td class="v-col-padding" style="padding: 15px;"><![endif]--><div class="u-col u-col-100" style="max-width: 320px;min-width: 900px;display: table-cell;vertical-align: top;">  <div style="background-color: #ffffff;height: 100%;width: 100% !important;">  <!--[if (!mso)&(!IE)]><!--><div class="v-col-padding" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 100%; padding: 15px;border-top: 4px solid #6a0c0d;border-left: 4px solid #6a0c0d;border-right: 4px solid #6a0c0d;border-bottom: 4px solid #6a0c0d;"><!--<![endif]-->  <table style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" border="0">  <tbody>    <tr>      <td style="overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word;padding:15px;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="left">          <!--[if mso]><table role="presentation" width="100%"><tr><td><![endif]-->    <h3 style="margin: 0px; color: #6a0c0d; line-height: 100%; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word; font-family: helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: 400;"><span><strong>Member Mentions<br></strong></span></h3>  <!--[if mso]></td></tr></table><![endif]-->
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<table style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" border="0">  <tbody>    <tr>      <td style="overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word;padding:10px;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="left">          <div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 140%; text-align: left; word-wrap: break-word;">    <p style="line-height: 140%;"><a href="https://jcitytimes.com/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-massive-canal-crossing-project/">Here&rsquo;s What You Need to Know About the Massive Canal Crossing Project</a></p><p style="line-height: 140%;">Jersey City Times</p><p style="line-height: 140%;"><strong>Elizabeth Development Company (EDC)</strong>, which O&rsquo;Dea leads as its executive director, is the required &ldquo;co-applicant&rdquo; for the ASPIRE tax credits.</p><p style="line-height: 140%;"><a href="https://jcitytimes.com/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-massive-canal-crossing-project/">https://jcitytimes.com/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-massive-canal-crossing-project/</a></p>  </div>
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<table style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" border="0">  <tbody>    <tr>      <td style="overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word;padding:10px;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="left">          <table role="presentation" aria-label="divider" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse: collapse;table-layout: fixed;border-spacing: 0;mso-table-lspace: 0pt;mso-table-rspace: 0pt;vertical-align: top;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%">    <tbody>      <tr style="vertical-align: top">        <td style="word-break: break-word;border-collapse: collapse !important;vertical-align: top;border-top: 1px solid #BBBBBB;font-size: 0px;line-height: 0px;mso-line-height-rule: exactly;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%">          <!--[if gte mso 15]>&nbsp;<![endif]-->        </td>      </tr>    </tbody>  </table>
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<table style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" border="0">  <tbody>    <tr>      <td style="overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word;padding:15px;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="left">          <!--[if mso]><table role="presentation" width="100%"><tr><td><![endif]-->    <h3 style="margin: 0px; color: #6a0c0d; line-height: 100%; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word; font-family: helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: 400;"><span><strong>Issues<br></strong></span></h3>  <!--[if mso]></td></tr></table><![endif]-->
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<table style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" border="0">  <tbody>    <tr>      <td style="overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word;padding:10px;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="left">          <div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 140%; text-align: left; word-wrap: break-word;">    <p style="line-height: 140%;"><a href="https://hudsoncountyview.com/jersey-city-tenants-declare-a-rent-strike-at-5-separate-buildings-on-the-citys-west-side/">Jersey City tenants declare a rent strike at 5 separate buildings on the city&rsquo;s west side</a></p><p style="line-height: 140%;">Hudson County View</p><p style="line-height: 140%;">Jersey City tenants declared a rent strike at five separate buildings on the city&rsquo;s west side, alleging issues ranging from neglect, pests, and no on site building superintendent.</p><p style="line-height: 140%;"><a href="https://hudsoncountyview.com/jersey-city-tenants-declare-a-rent-strike-at-5-separate-buildings-on-the-citys-west-side/">https://hudsoncountyview.com/jersey-city-tenants-declare-a-rent-strike-at-5-separate-buildings-on-the-citys-west-side/</a></p><p style="line-height: 140%;">&nbsp;</p><p style="line-height: 140%;"><a href="https://www.nj.com/essex/2026/09/newark-bars-landlords-from-passing-along-brokerage-fees-to-renters.html">Newark bars landlords from passing along brokerage fees to renters</a></p><p style="line-height: 140%;">NJ.com</p><p style="line-height: 140%;">&ldquo;When people rent an apartment in Newark, they too often must pay a large brokers fee or commission in addition to the security deposit of one or two months&rsquo; rent and the high expense of moving,&rdquo; Mayor Ras J. Baraka said in an announcement of the new local law.</p><p style="line-height: 140%;"><a href="https://www.nj.com/essex/2026/09/newark-bars-landlords-from-passing-along-brokerage-fees-to-renters.html">https://www.nj.com/essex/2026/09/newark-bars-landlords-from-passing-along-brokerage-fees-to-renters.html</a></p><p style="line-height: 140%;">&nbsp;</p><p style="line-height: 140%;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5983303/encampment-protest-madrid-housing-crisis">Eviction of 87-year-old sparks protests in Madrid over housing crisis</a></p><p style="line-height: 140%;">NPR</p><p style="line-height: 140%;">Tens of thousands marched through Madrid on Saturday to protest the eviction of Mar&iacute;a del Carmen Abascal from the apartment in the upscale Retiro neighborhood where she had lived for more than seven decades.</p><p style="line-height: 140%;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5983303/encampment-protest-madrid-housing-crisis">https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5983303/encampment-protest-madrid-housing-crisis</a></p>  </div>
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<div class="u-row-container" style="padding: 0px;background-color: transparent;">  <div class="u-row" style="margin: 0 auto;min-width: 320px;max-width: 900px;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-wrap: break-word;word-break: break-word;background-color: #c2e0f4;">    <div style="border-collapse: collapse;display: table;width: 100%;height: 100%;background-color: transparent;">      <!--[if (mso)|(IE)]><table role="presentation" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td style="padding: 0px;background-color: transparent;"><table role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#c2e0f4"><tr style="background-color: #c2e0f4;"><![endif]-->      <!--[if (mso)|(IE)]><td align="center" width="900" style="background-color: #6a0c0d;width: 900px;border-top: 0px solid transparent;border-left: 0px solid transparent;border-right: 0px solid transparent;border-bottom: 0px solid transparent;" valign="top"><table role="presentation" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td class="v-col-padding" style="padding: 15px;"><![endif]--><div id="u_column_4" class="u-col u-col-100" style="max-width: 320px;min-width: 900px;display: table-cell;vertical-align: top;">  <div style="background-color: #6a0c0d;height: 100%;width: 100% !important;">  <!--[if (!mso)&(!IE)]><!--><div class="v-col-padding" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 100%; padding: 15px;border-top: 0px solid transparent;border-left: 0px solid transparent;border-right: 0px solid transparent;border-bottom: 0px solid transparent;"><!--<![endif]-->  <table style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" border="0">  <tbody>    <tr>      <td style="overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word;padding:15px;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="left">          <div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 120%; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;">    <p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 120%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 24px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #ffffff;"><strong><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 20px;">Connect with Us:</span></strong></span></p><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 120%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16.8px; color: #ffffff;">Housing and Community Development Network of NJ</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16.8px; color: #ffffff;"><br>145 W Hanover Street, Trenton, NJ 08618</span></p><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 120%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16.8px; color: #ffffff;">609-393-3752</span></p><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 120%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16.8px; color: #ffffff;">[email protected]</span></p>  </div>
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  <!--[if (!mso)&(!IE)]><!--></div><!--<![endif]-->  </div></div><!--[if (mso)|(IE)]></td></tr></table></td><![endif]-->      <!--[if (mso)|(IE)]></tr></table></td></tr></table><![endif]-->    </div>  </div></div>




<div class="u-row-container" style="padding: 0px;background-color: transparent;">  <div class="u-row" style="margin: 0 auto;min-width: 320px;max-width: 900px;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-wrap: break-word;word-break: break-word;background-color: transparent;">    <div style="border-collapse: collapse;display: table;width: 100%;height: 100%;background-color: transparent;">      <!--[if (mso)|(IE)]><table role="presentation" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td style="padding: 0px;background-color: transparent;"><table role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%"><tr style="background-color: transparent;"><![endif]-->      <!--[if (mso)|(IE)]><td align="center" width="300" style="background-color: #6a0c0d;width: 300px;border-top: 0px solid transparent;border-left: 0px solid transparent;border-right: 0px solid transparent;border-bottom: 0px solid transparent;" valign="top"><table role="presentation" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td class="v-col-padding" style="padding: 0px;"><![endif]--><div class="u-col u-col-33p33" style="max-width: 320px;min-width: 300px;display: table-cell;vertical-align: top;">  <div style="background-color: #6a0c0d;height: 100%;width: 100% !important;">  <!--[if (!mso)&(!IE)]><!--><div class="v-col-padding" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 100%; padding: 0px;border-top: 0px solid transparent;border-left: 0px solid transparent;border-right: 0px solid transparent;border-bottom: 0px solid transparent;"><!--<![endif]-->  <table style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" border="0">  <tbody>    <tr>      <td style="overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word;padding:15px 15px 0px;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="left">          <!--[if mso]><style>.v-button {background: transparent !important;}</style><![endif]--><div align="center">  <!--[if mso]><v:roundrect xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" href="https://www.facebook.com/hcdnnj" style="height:91px; v-text-anchor:middle; width:840px;" arcsize="4.5%"  stroke="f" fillcolor="#1da1f2"><w:anchorlock/><center style="color:#FFFFFF;"><![endif]-->    <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hcdnnj" target="_blank" class="v-button" style="box-sizing: border-box;display: inline-block;text-decoration: none;-webkit-text-size-adjust: none;text-align: center;color: #FFFFFF; background-color: #1da1f2; border-radius: 4px;-webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; width:auto; max-width:100%; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word; word-wrap:break-word; mso-border-alt: none;font-size: 14px;">      <span style="display:block;padding:10px 20px;line-height:120%;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16.8px;">Facebook</span></span>    </a>    <!--[if mso]></center></v:roundrect><![endif]--></div>
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  <!--[if (!mso)&(!IE)]><!--></div><!--<![endif]-->  </div></div><!--[if (mso)|(IE)]></td></tr></table></td><![endif]--><!--[if (mso)|(IE)]><td align="center" width="300" style="background-color: #6a0c0d;width: 300px;border-top: 0px solid transparent;border-left: 0px solid transparent;border-right: 0px solid transparent;border-bottom: 0px solid transparent;" valign="top"><table role="presentation" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td class="v-col-padding" style="padding: 0px;"><![endif]--><div class="u-col u-col-33p33" style="max-width: 320px;min-width: 300px;display: table-cell;vertical-align: top;">  <div style="background-color: #6a0c0d;height: 100%;width: 100% !important;">  <!--[if (!mso)&(!IE)]><!--><div class="v-col-padding" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 100%; padding: 0px;border-top: 0px solid transparent;border-left: 0px solid transparent;border-right: 0px solid transparent;border-bottom: 0px solid transparent;"><!--<![endif]-->  <table style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" border="0">  <tbody>    <tr>      <td style="overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word;padding:15px 15px 0px;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="left">          <!--[if mso]><style>.v-button {background: transparent !important;}</style><![endif]--><div align="center">  <!--[if mso]><v:roundrect xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" href="https://bsky.app/profile/hcdnnj.bsky.social" style="height:37px; v-text-anchor:middle; width:89px;" arcsize="11%"  stroke="f" fillcolor="#1da1f2"><w:anchorlock/><center style="color:#FFFFFF;"><![endif]-->    <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/hcdnnj.bsky.social" target="_blank" class="v-button" style="box-sizing: border-box;display: inline-block;text-decoration: none;-webkit-text-size-adjust: none;text-align: center;color: #FFFFFF; background-color: #1da1f2; border-radius: 4px;-webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; width:auto; max-width:100%; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word; word-wrap:break-word; mso-border-alt: none;font-size: 14px;">      <span style="display:block;padding:10px 20px;line-height:120%;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16.8px;">Bluesky</span></span>    </a>    <!--[if mso]></center></v:roundrect><![endif]--></div>
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  <!--[if (!mso)&(!IE)]><!--></div><!--<![endif]-->  </div></div><!--[if (mso)|(IE)]></td></tr></table></td><![endif]--><!--[if (mso)|(IE)]><td align="center" width="300" style="background-color: #6a0c0d;width: 300px;border-top: 0px solid transparent;border-left: 0px solid transparent;border-right: 0px solid transparent;border-bottom: 0px solid transparent;" valign="top"><table role="presentation" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td class="v-col-padding" style="padding: 0px;"><![endif]--><div class="u-col u-col-33p33" style="max-width: 320px;min-width: 300px;display: table-cell;vertical-align: top;">  <div style="background-color: #6a0c0d;height: 100%;width: 100% !important;">  <!--[if (!mso)&(!IE)]><!--><div class="v-col-padding" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 100%; padding: 0px;border-top: 0px solid transparent;border-left: 0px solid transparent;border-right: 0px solid transparent;border-bottom: 0px solid transparent;"><!--<![endif]-->  <table style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" border="0">  <tbody>    <tr>      <td style="overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word;padding:15px 15px 0px;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="left">          <!--[if mso]><style>.v-button {background: transparent !important;}</style><![endif]--><div align="center">  <!--[if mso]><v:roundrect xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" href="https://www.youtube.com/hcdnnj" style="height:37px; v-text-anchor:middle; width:95px;" arcsize="11%"  stroke="f" fillcolor="#1da1f2"><w:anchorlock/><center style="color:#FFFFFF;"><![endif]-->    <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hcdnnj" target="_blank" class="v-button" style="box-sizing: border-box;display: inline-block;text-decoration: none;-webkit-text-size-adjust: none;text-align: center;color: #FFFFFF; background-color: #1da1f2; border-radius: 4px;-webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; width:auto; max-width:100%; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word; word-wrap:break-word; mso-border-alt: none;font-size: 14px;">      <span style="display:block;padding:10px 20px;line-height:120%;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16.8px;">YouTube</span></span>    </a>    <!--[if mso]></center></v:roundrect><![endif]--></div>
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Research, Advocacy, and Social Action: A Conversation with Teen Think Tank Project's Jiya Varma
By Shaun Moran - September 4, 2026

Jiya Varma, a junior at Colts Neck High School, a Scout, and member of the Monmouth County Teen Think Tank Project’s Social Action Lab Fellowship, is no stranger to hard work. So when the Teen Think Tank took on dual advocacy roles, as Network member Affordable Housing Alliance hosted them at both the Network’s Legislative Day in Trenton and for an advocacy effort in Washington, D.C., she was ready to roll up her sleeves. 

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