New Tools for Affordability in New Jersey

The Regional Plan Association announced its support for a pair of efforts to create funding and development requirements for affordable housing.

1 minute read

July 5, 2017, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Passaic River

Christopher Boswell / Shutterstock

Mark Lohbauer writes about efforts in the state of New Jersey to mitigate the housing affordability challenges in the New York region.

According to Lohbauer, the city  of Newark is in the process of approving an inclusionary zoning ordinance that mandates "20% of new residential development as affordable, available to families earning 50% or less of the city’s median income."

"For the first time in years, Newark is experiencing substantial commercial and residential growth—including luxury residences that are driving up overall values—and the inclusionary zoning ordinance could not be timelier," according to Lohbauer.

Lohbauer is writing on behalf of the Regional Plan Association (RPA), which supported the initiative after its original advocacy by the Ironbound Community Corporation. The Housing and Community Development of New Jersey (HCDNNJ) also supports the inclusionary zoning initiative.

As noted by Lohbauer, HCDNNJ is also advocating for its "Build a Thriving New Jersey" program, which "proposes that the State dedicate an allotment of $600 million/year in order to subsidize the construction of affordable homes, and it identifies existing revenue sources that the State could tap in order to raise that money." 

Wednesday, June 28, 2017 in RPA Lab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

April 18 - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

April 18 - Smart Cities Dive