Housing: ​

• The cost of living is up across the board and Jersey City residents are hurting whether it’s groceries, personal care products, school supplies, and housing. 

• How do we define “housing affordability”?

  • Jersey City and private builders working together to ensure the city continues to be an equitable destination for diverse and competitive housing options that appeal to homeowners and renters alike.

  • An understanding that homeowners and renters pay all the same costs, but in different ways: We all pay property taxes, insurance, utilities, and costs to maintain and improve our properties.

  • The other side of housing affordability is what keeps us in a vibrant place like Jersey City:

    • Access to quality education

    • Access to safe and reliable mass transit

    • Access to superior health care and child care services

• What is Fairer NJ’s stake in this issue?

  • We’re promoting policy ideas that give our elected officials and community members the power to help improve the larger affordability crisis by collaborating on ways to keep homeowners and renters in their homes while fueling the continued growth and community investment happening all around us.
     

Transit: 

• Jersey City has taken great strides in the past two decades to increase and improve transportation options for residents, workers, and visitors. 

• Consider that Jersey City is served by light rail, buses, bicycle lanes, and many pedestrian friendly corridors in addition to other travel options.

• Let’s build on existing programs and mobility solutions:

  • Expand existing microtransit such as the VIA program.

  • Work collaboratively with the next governor and federal, state, and county lawmakers to advocate for more reliable and frequent Port Authority PATH train service.

  • Expand bus service and eliminate mass transit deserts throughout the city. 

• What is Fairer NJ’s stake in this issue?

  • Jersey City is an anchor city in the New York Metropolitan Area. For our residents to benefit from educational, professional, and cultural opportunities we need to ensure our transportation infrastructure exceeds the region’s standard. Jersey City will continue to thrive if it has the same connectivity in the region as other localities.
     

Education: 

• Jersey City generates billions of dollars in state tax revenue and it deserves a greater share of state school funding formula assistance.

• The next mayor and council should create liaisons and further relationships with the Jersey City Board of Education to assist with the procurement of additional school funding, grants, and collaborate on city-wide education initiatives like:

  • Petitioning the New Jersey Schools Development Authority for new schools and capital improvements to existing school facilities.

  • Additional enrichment programs, after-school activities, and summer employment opportunities for students of working age.

  • Evidence based wrap-around services to provide resources to children and families.

  • Partnerships with Jersey City government and employers on job training, civic engagement, and internships.

• What is Fairer NJ’s stake in this issue?

  • Education is the definition of upward mobility and the strength of our community.  Jersey City’s forward progress has been defined by innovation and investment. We owe it to all of our residents to give them the best education and capture that talent so future generations can learn, grow, thrive, and remain in our city.
     

Government Innovation And Accountability: 

• Public Safety Improvements:

  • Ensuring Jersey City’s 911 dispatch system has modern technology comparable with other cities and guaranteeing full staffing ratios.

  • Drive down rising crime rates by establishing partnerships between Public Safety, Jersey City schools, and neighborhood associations to provide community programs and safe outlets for children and families.

  • Create a traffic safety and enforcement division in the Jersey City Police Department to improve the safety of all residents especially our most vulnerable community members.

• Infrastructure Improvements:

  • Infrastructure is everything you see and don’t see including the quality of our streets, sewers, water service lines, and other utilities.

  • The next mayor and council should prioritize infrastructure by advocating for more state aid, petitioning the State of New Jersey and the multi-state energy compact for better sources of energy to drive down utility bills, and applying for additional grants to improve basic services.

• Stabilize Taxes:

  • Creating public-private partnerships to deliver services.

  • Establish better relationships with the Jersey City Board of Education to ensure they are getting the state funding they deserve and create partnerships that make use of school facilities for community programming and other opportunities that may generate private revenue.

  • Enact legislation that requires a forensic audit of Jersey City finances and all independent agencies and authorities every five years. In addition to the need for transparency this proposal will assist the City in creating long-term fiscal plans.

  • Ensure state funding parity – Jersey City should receive as much state funding as Newark.

• What is Fairer NJ’s stake in this issue?

  • We are only as strong as our weakest link.  We owe it all community members and our historical embrace of immigrants and newcomers to have the most innovative, accountable, and nimble city government so that current residents and future generations can provide for their families in the city that is known as America’s Golden Door.

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