April 21, 2016
By Arnold Cohen

The April 8 editorial “A costly failure on affordable housing” perpetuated the “us versus them” mentality stemming from New Jersey’s lengthy battle over affordable homes. In reality, our housing market is out of balance, leaving too many residents struggling to make ends meet. This negatively affects our economy and, in turn, every single resident.

To afford a modest two-bedroom rental in this state, a worker must earn $25.17 an hour, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s “Out of Reach” report. This is tough for single mothers, recent college graduates and seniors living on fixed incomes. Also, many workers in the service industry and in minimum wage positions don’t earn enough for this to be affordable.

New Jersey is just too expensive is a sentiment many Press readers can relate to. Our ranking as the U.S. leader in foreclosures is proof. The editorial said that communities are burdened “because most affordable housing obligations are met only as smaller portions of much larger projects.” It’s only fair that when new homes are built, a portion is affordable to people at a variety of incomes. If a community doesn’t want larger projects, there are still a number of ways to offer more affordable choices.

New Jerseyans want and need homes they can afford, from apartments to starter homes. Our housing market lacks variety. People struggling to pay their rent or mortgage aren’t spending on activities that boost our economy. Creating more affordable homes is essential to getting our sputtering economy booming.

Arnold Cohen

Senior Policy Coordinator

Housing & Community Development Network of NJ

Trenton