Housing
Governor Murphy signs bill allowing private construction inspections
Bipartisan bill hailed as a much-needed step amid a shortage of affordable housing and New Jersey's persistently tight housing market.
Voters embraced affordable housing initiatives. Advocates say Congress should do the same.
Higher building costs, a shrinking supply of low-cost rental units and more people opting to rent are driving the increase in higher-priced rentals and corresponding decline in low-cost units, one expert says.
Storm relief, climate progress still elusive decade after Hurricane Sandy, lawmakers told
Advocates and storm survivors say much remains to be done to make New Jersey more resilient from storms like Hurricane Sandy.
Annual count finds N.J. homelessness inching up, with racial disparities persisting
In the annual Point in Time count of N.J.'s homeless population, advocates counted 8,754 unhoused people, with Black people overrepresented.
Housing advocates urge lawmakers to make more landlord-tenant actions confidential
Housing advocates told the N.J. Senate Committee on Communities and Urban Affairs to continue sealing eviction records to protect tenants.
Governor Murphy returns foreclosure bill to legislators for tweaks
Gov. Phil Murphy has conditionally vetoed a foreclosure bill that would have made it easier for families and nonprofits to buy homes at sheriff’s sales, a measure intended to preserve affordable housing and protect low-income neighborhoods from corporate buyers. Murphy’s veto says he objects to “the legality, practicality, and unintended consequences” of several provisions in the […]
Advocates ask for action on bill that would keep foreclosed homes in local hands
Advocates want the governor to sign legislation intended to help people facing foreclosure hang on to their homes and build community wealth.
Bill would require structural inspections of multi-family dwellings to prevent collapses
New legislation would require structural inspections of new multi-family buildings in N.J. and reserve funds to pay for structural repairs.
Judge tosses defamation claim filed by former Cape May official
A Cape May official said an affordable housing advocate defamed him in a newspaper story about questionable city spending. A judge disagreed.
More tenant protections for senior citizens, people with disabilities under new bill
Lawmakers want to extend the time senior citizens and people with disabilities have certain tenancy protections under state law.
Rents in New Jersey remain unaffordable despite pandemic aid, report finds
New Jersey remains among the least affordable states in the nation for renters, with a minimum-wage worker having to work 96 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom apartment, according to a new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Temporary housing aid put in place during the pandemic — emergency rental assistance and eviction moratoriums […]
Bill advances that would bar discrimination in home appraisals
A Senate panel advanced a bill Thursday that would bar real estate appraisers from lowering a home’s appraised value because of the race of the owner or buyer, and create steep penalties for those who run afoul of the safeguards. Supporters say the bill, sponsored by Sen. Nellie Pou (D-Passaic), is a bid to bridge […]