The Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey’s recent “Cities in Transition” report identified 30 New Jersey cities as showing multiple signs of fiscal and socioeconomic distress. Between 1990 and 1999, these largely built-out cities accounted for only 5.9 percent of residential building permits issued in the state.
Between 2000 […]
Author Archive
Redevelopment on the Rise
Tuesday, February 20th, 2007RCA’s: More Harm Than Good?
Wednesday, January 31st, 2007Since 1988, more than 10,000 units of affordable housing obligations have been transferred from “sending” municipalities to “receiving” municipalities under the Regional Contribution Agreements (RCAs) allowed by Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) regulations.
RCAs allow the sending municipality to pay the receiving municipality to satisfy part of the sender’s affordable housing […]
Tax Relief without Reform?
Friday, January 12th, 2007New Jersey’s local governments shoulder a larger share of public education costs than most other states. Currently, 53.3 percent of revenues for public schools are raised locally in New Jersey, compared to a national average of only 43.9 percent.
New Jersey is heavily reliant on property taxes to pay for local services, […]
Can Property Tax Relief Help Slow Sprawl?
Monday, December 18th, 2006New Jersey’s overdependence on property taxes to pay for local services, especially schools, is perhaps the most significant factor behind the state’s sprawling growth patterns, which have hurt families, businesses, the environment, and the economy.
The average cost of educating one child in NJ is $12,981, while the median property tax bill […]
Fewer Kids Living in Transit Villages and Town Homes
Sunday, November 26th, 2006A new analysis of 2000 U.S. Census data from Rutgers University finds that higher-density, multiunit development near train stations does not bring in nearly the number of schoolchildren as previously believed—and often actually produces fewer children than larger, single-family homes.
Previous studies, based on 25-year-old demographics, and upon which currently held […]
Nowhere to Live
Friday, September 29th, 2006New Jersey has the fifth-least affordable housing in the nation, according to the U.S. Census. One in four New Jersey households is saddled with a housing burden, meaning they spend at least 35 percent of their gross income on housing costs.
The lack of more affordable options in housing, including townhomes and apartments, puts New Jersey […]
Seeking a Prosperous Garden State
Thursday, September 14th, 2006Governor Corzine’s Economic Growth Strategy, unveiled last week, outlines steps the state will take to spark economic growth and innovation in the Garden State.
New Jersey’s economy faces a number of challenges. While New Jersey stands out on a host of traditional economic income indicators such as income level, educational attainment, homeownership, and employment, recent […]
The Property Tax Problem
Friday, July 28th, 2006New Jersey’s legislators should work to change the way taxes are collected and distributed in order to create meaningful and lasting reforms.
Thinking “Outside of the Curbs”
Wednesday, June 21st, 2006Some 70 percent of New Jerseyans live within five miles of a train station. Some 30 percent live within walking distance.
Gas Prices and Smart Growth
Tuesday, May 16th, 2006With gasoline prices breaking $3 a gallon this month, many New Jerseyans have renewed reason to mourn the steady disappearance of jobs from transit-accessible communities.
A study of New Jersey’s competitiveness released May 2 by the Brookings Institution shows that New Jersey counties boasting some of the nation’s most extensive […]
