Letter: Make Them Build Affordable Housing

There has not been any affordable housing built in large scale projects in Jersey City in half a decade. The last large scale project that was approved or built was in 2017, when I was on the city council.

I approved the last project on the West Side that has affordable housing in it, and that was March 2017.

At the next council meeting, Wednesday, April 13th, 6:00pm, Jersey City wants the city council to approve Fields Construction/Katerra to dedicate to the city, the property where the 440 Farmers Market stood so that it could use to widen Route 440. The city estimated the value of the property at about $1,000,000.00.

Jersey City will transfer to Fields/Katerra, (the same company that reneged on paying the payroll tax in 2019, 2020, hope they paid it since then), 93,000 Sq ft of buildable and profitable floor area to the developer.

What does that equate to? Fields/Katerra is the developer for The Agnes. A 1,300 Sq ft, 3 bedroom unit at The Agnes, is priced at$3,500.00. With the increase square floor area, is it realistic to think that 70 to 80 more units of housing could be built?

The developer already plans to build 600 units for the site between Yale and Claremont Avenue and these units are not affordable. The developer could go up to 12 stories with the amendments approved at the planning board.

Wouldn’t it be great if the developer, who will receive more height and density, utilized some of that extra floor area and height to build units of affordable housing. This should be the perfect time to apply the new IZO Ordinance to this situation.

With Jersey City in desperate need of affordable housing this would be the perfect time to demand more affordable housing. If we can’t get more affordable housing, then the city council should vote no on ordinance 22-035. Call 201-915-5150 or click the link to sign up to speak in person.