Troy Singleton: You Can’t Address Affordable Housing and Workforce Separately
NJ State Sen. Troy Singleton speaks at the Chamber of Commerce State Affairs event at the Ramblewood Country Club in Mount Laurel on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. Photo by AC JosepH Media.
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BY TROY SINGLETON | New Jersey State Senator
Housing affordability and good-paying jobs must go hand in hand.
Today (Oct. 16), I was proud to serve as a panelist at the Pension Power: Affordable and Workforce Housing Conference for an important discussion on how New Jersey can address our housing crisis while creating family-sustaining careers for the workers who build our homes and communities.
I was joined by Zoe Baldwin of the Regional Plan Association, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, Nichole Vecchione of the Laborers’ Eastern Region Organizing Fund, and Evan Weiss of the NJEDA.
New Jersey faces a significant shortage of affordable and workforce housing. And the solution starts with building more homes. We must make better use of underutilized properties, modernize zoning laws, remove unnecessary barriers to development, and expand housing opportunities for families at every income level.
We must also move beyond New Jersey’s outdated zoning structure and recognize that addressing our housing crisis requires collaboration and a willingness to think beyond municipal boundaries. However, building more housing is only part of the equation.
The people who build our communities deserve good-paying jobs, and the opportunity to build a better future for their families. Through thoughtful public policy and collaboration with labor, local leaders, and housing advocates, we can expand our housing supply, strengthen our workforce, and create more opportunities for New Jersey families.
Thank you to the sponsors of today’s event, LIUNA, Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, ACCNJ, NJ FMBA, NABTU, IUPAT, 33BJ SEIU, AFL-CIO and Redevelopment Advocacy Reform & Execution NJ.
NOTE: Sen. This column first appeared on Facebook. Troy Singleton represents District 7, which covers mostly Burlington County in the New Jersey Senate. He is the lone African American senator representing South Jersey in the NJ Legislature.
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