Affordable Futures: Confronting New Jersey’s Housing Crisis Amid Federal Cuts
Panelists take part in the Affordable Futures for New Jersey Seminar put on by the NAACP of Gloucester County and The Perfecting Church affiliate Loving Our Cities, which was sponored by The NJ Participation Project on May 7. Photo by Monique Howard
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was produced as part of the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University’s South Jersey Information Equity Project fellowship and supported with funding from the Independence Public Media Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the NJ Civic Information Consortium.
BY MONIQUE HOWARD | South Jersey Information Equity Project
SEWELL — For many New Jerseyans navigating an unstable economy, the American Dream of homeownership may seem out of reach.
Like countless other federal programs, those created for affordable housing are gravely impacted by the Trump administration’s aggressive funding cuts. According to NJ Spotlight News, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will receive a 43% funding cut.
There are also possible cuts for rental assistance, self-sufficiency, and other housing-related programs.
On May 7, the NAACP of Gloucester County and The Perfecting Church affiliate Loving Our Cities partnered to present the Affordable Futures For New Jersey discussion panel sponsored by The NJ Participation Project.
Missy Balmer (Thorough Planning)served as the facilitator, and the panelists were Rev. Eric Dobson (Fair Share Housing), Steve Sweeney (former NJ State Senator), and Margo Wilson (senior vice president, American Mortgage).
Angela Brown, The Perfecting Church’s first lady and executive director of Loving Our Cities, assisted in hosting the evening discussion panel.
“We service the community engagement with our neighbors by addressing the issues in the communities where we live, work, serve, and worship and find the root causes of some of those,” Brown stated.
The goal of The NJ Participation Project is to educate voters on significant issues and why their votes matter.
“It’s important that people understand that what they’re experiencing in the grocery stores or with their property tax or just their ability to pay rent is connected to their political participation,” Balmer said.
“It’s important that you are supporting and voting for elected officials who are trying to address these challenges that everyday New Jerseysans are experiencing.”
Although many concerns regarding affordability in New Jersey were discussed, affordable housing remained at the forefront.
“We enforced the Mount Laurel Doctrine, which requires the town to have affordable housing in the zone for affordable housing,” Dobson stated. “We have a shortage of about 200,000 units here in New Jersey. And this new law that we just recently got passed will help put a dent in that number.”
“But there’s still a lot more to do. With federal cuts coming down the line, we’re still waiting to see what they’ll be.”
Dobson acknowledges that minorities and low-income communities will be the most negatively impacted by the federal funding cuts. Not deterred by the uphill battle, he remains committed to his goal to end housing segregation in New Jersey.
“We’re not taking this sitting down. We keep fighting, keep enforcing, and keep working with New Jersey legislators, who have done a great job on this issue of affordable housing over the past 10 years,” Dodson said. “We want to keep the momentum going around the affordable housing law and hopefully get the 200,000 units we need.”
In addition to these efforts, Dobson is working on a segment of legislation to fast-track the process of affordable housing.
With nearly 30 years of experience as a mortgage banker, Wilson lends her expertise to the discussion panel.
“Right now, we’re in an interesting time because with all the things that are happening in the government, it’s having a direct impact on the housing industry, and it’s a lot of challenges,” Wilson explains.
“And I like to be that voice to help educate people through what I’m calling rough waters, and hopefully, we can make it to the other side.”
Steve Sweeney weighed in on the housing crisis in New Jersey.
“We need 200,000 more houses to be built, and you know, we’re still fighting the Mount Laurel decision from 1971, which is ridiculous,” Sweeney said. “The Supreme Court ruled on it. So, I just think we start building and towns that aren’t using their affordable housing money, the government just takes it and starts building.”
He believes the tug-of-war for affordable housing in New Jersey needs to end.
“My first house was a townhouse that you would kind of consider affordable housing, you know what I mean?” Sweeney commented. “And no one had an issue with me moving in there. I was an iron worker by trade, and my wife was a hairdresser. No, no fights over building that.”
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