Jersey City Council today approved a new zoning ordinance that
will compel apartment developers to include affordable units in their projects.
The ordinance fills a gap that has allowed luxury developments such as 99 Hudson (pictured top) and Avalon Tower to rise along the Gold Coast without providing for those less fortunate.
“With this ordinance, we are going to take our construction
to the next level by forcing developers to include more affordable housing in
their projects,” said Mayor Steven Fulop.
The new ordinance will require residential development
projects to include 20 percent affording housing units.
“While our administration has prioritized affordable housing
growth for Jersey City, it takes time to construct the new housing, and in many
ways, we are trying to make up for the lack of a policy focus for decades
before our administration,” said Mayor Fulop.
The mandatory affordable housing units will be set aside for households with combined income brackets at 30, 50, and 80 percent of the annual median income (AMI), as defined by Uniform Housing Affordability Controls (U.H.A.C.).
“We took competing ordinances and formed a robust plan that
best addresses affordability for Jersey City residents,” said Council President
Watterman. “Everyone, regardless of
income or age, deserves an affordable and safe place to live, and this
ordinance looks to protect our most vulnerable populations by requiring
developers to incorporate affordable housing going forward.”
The Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance will require residential
developers with projects over 15 residential units that are requesting five or
more additional units or an additional 5,000 s/f of residential floor area
through a redevelopment plan amendment or a variance to follow the new
provisions.
Nearly 40 percent of Jersey City households are
cost-burdened, as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) as paying more than 30 percent of one’s income towards housing.
“What sets our ordinance apart from other affordable housing
efforts is that it seeks to provide the maximum amount of affordable housing
with a workable solution that also takes into account the complexities of the
market conditions in any large city,” said Annisia Cialone, Director of
Housing, Economic Development, and Commerce.
The new ordinance it expected to take effect on January 1, 2021.
