If you can do it in Bergen?

From the Record:

Bergen towns can build affordable housing

Bergen County is recognized as one of the wealthiest counties in the country. Municipalities in the county helped secure this status by implementing exclusionary zoning practices that drove hard working families out of these towns – and by doing so, they helped create an affordable housing crisis. But we are on the precipice of change as more and more Bergen County towns are now taking proactive steps to expand fair housing opportunities.

The actions taken by these 14 towns will reverse decades’ worth of illegal zoning practices. These communities reached settlement agreements with advocates that will make affordable housing attainable for individuals and families that have previously been priced out. These agreements will result in the construction of hundreds of new homes for working families, seniors and people with disabilities.

They are joining more than 145 towns across the state who have signed fair-housing agreements to transition into an inclusive style of planning and zoning. Settlement talks with additional Bergen County municipalities are ongoing and should be announced in the coming months.

For example, Cresskill and Hillsdale are demonstrating how a municipality can partner with a nonprofit to build new affordable homes while leverage money from its local affordable housing trust fund and state and local sources to provide financing for new supportive housing options for people with disabilities.

Many of these municipalities – including Midland Park, Rochelle Park, Hillsdale, Cresskill and Ho-Ho-Kus – are working towards a significant amount of downtown redevelopment. These municipalities want to accomplish this through amending their zoning to allow residences over retail shops in downtown areas and encouraging redevelopment. These changes will help revitalize the community while expanding fair housing options for working families and people with disabilities.

An existing, developed site can be transitioned into housing without affecting a community’s green spaces. Areas such as former warehouses, office buildings and business sites are filled with opportunity. The properties can be brought back onto the tax rolls while functional properties replace vacant ones. These redevelopment projects are beneficial for the entire community.

This entry was posted in Demographics, Economics, New Development, New Jersey Real Estate. Bookmark the permalink.

40 Responses to If you can do it in Bergen?

  1. Phoenix says:

    Affordable and NJ are two words that have a visceral hate for each other.

  2. grim says:

    Bergen towns that have some semblance of a Main Street downtown will have a much easier time adapting and building out affordable housing than those without. It’s much easier to build affordably if you are able to create higher street-facing density. Think 2-3 story low-rise with bottom floor sidewalk retail. The unit density is maximized compared to something more like a typical garden-apartment complex, and the retail can strongly offset the lower rental incomes, especially if you can build good critical mass in a downtown.

    Not to mention this approach is generally much more acceptable by existing residents, as it doesn’t involve large scale property redevelopment, elimination of open space, etc. People like walkable downtowns, it attracts new businesses, etc etc.

  3. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Why is affordable housing always directed at nice towns with money? Why isn’t affordable housing directed out urban blight areas? Why not take the run down neighborhoods and redevelop them for low income housing?

  4. Grab them by the puzzy says:

    cause everybody wants to live in them. even the poor

    would you prefer hightaxes NJ or lowtaxes Oklahoma

    The Great Pumpkin says:
    October 23, 2017 at 7:51 am

    Why is affordable housing always directed at nice towns with money?

  5. Ottoman says:

    It’s not. Plenty of low income housing is being built in poorer towns. In fact, for years rich towns were allowed to build half their low income housing obligations in poor towns, thus further segregating this already highly segregated state and creating an even higher burden for poor people who work in rich towns.

    Ignorant racist trash such as yourself only pay attention to this issue when the supremacy of the wealthy as saviors of our very way of life is threatened with the prospect of having to share a Saturday morning sidewalk stroll to the local gourmet donut shop with the help.

    “Why is affordable housing always directed at nice towns with money?”

  6. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Racism? Okay, if you say so. I just find it wrong that some families have to pay market rate to get into a town, while others are given a “special” below market rate. How the hell is this fair? Esp, when the poor areas are in major need of investment, it’s criminal to go and pick winners of the lottery on which low income family gets to live in the desirable town everyone wishes they lived in. Go fix the poor areas if there is such a need for low income housing. Of course, no one wants to do that. Just fight to get “low income” housing in some “rich” town because that makes so much sense based on market fundamentals.

    “Ignorant racist trash such as yourself only pay attention to this issue when the supremacy of the wealthy as saviors of our very way of life is threatened with the prospect of having to share a Saturday morning sidewalk stroll to the local gourmet donut shop with the help.”

  7. No One says:

    Now I’ll put in some different economic goods into Pumkin’s sentence to show him what a hypocrite he is:
    I just find it wrong that some families have to pay market rate [for healthcare, education, food], while others are given a “special” below market rate.

  8. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Fair enough.

    So basically screw capitalism. It doesn’t work, won’t ever work, because it’s never going to be based on the market fundamentals. I’m fine with this, but let’s stop calling it capitalism, and call it what it really is.

  9. Walking bye says:

    Question as I’m not up to speed on below market rate housing. Is there a minimum amount of time one would need to live in such house before selling? What would stop someone from getting a home below market rate and turning around and selling or renting out said apartment / home?

  10. D-FENS says:

    It’s closer to Communism than Racism.

  11. Phoenix says:

    Where exactly do lobbyists fit in the capitalist model?

  12. xolepa says:

    Couple comments:

    The state Supremes forced this down our throat. How does one assume all the poor people to receive assistance – transportation e.g. here in Hunterdon county? It’s really a money play for the builders.

    And how come Upper Bucks County in Pa. seems to be fine with exclusionary zoning while in NJ it’s a no-no. Anyone look at housing costs in New Hope and north lately?

    Again, it all boils down to state Judicial makeup and the political flavor of the day.

  13. xolepa says:

    Walking…

    All low-income properties that are sold have deed restrictions.

    But in the more affluent communities, poor people usually don’t land these units. The sales are mostly inside jobs. It’s straightforward practice on how these units get secured. Supremes don’t care about that. All they are concerned is that their edicts get exercised on paper.

  14. Juice Box says:

    A quick search shows deed restrictions can and do expire on these low/moderate income condos usually 30 years etc, so some of these places are now market price.

    Not to say it is or isn’t a windfall to the children who inherit after 30 years.

    Example.

    https://www.zillow.com/homes/society-hill-piscataway-township-nj_rb/

  15. Juice Box says:

    comment in Mod Grim…………

  16. Juice Box says:

    Interesting – low/moderate income condos can have their deed restriction removed after 30 years so they no longer count towards the towns low/moderate income housing totals.

    That means the towns will have to continue to allow for new low/moderate income developments as the older units roll off the tally.

    http://www.njlmef.org/policy-papers/FoLG_v5_3.pdf

  17. Phoenix says:

    So,

    Communists provide low priced units using taxpayer money. Connected capitalists use connection to profit from Communist provided taxpayer money. Taxpayer loses.

    “The sales are mostly inside jobs. It’s straightforward practice on how these units get secured.”

  18. STEAMturd questioning the gender of Hillary's Cankle fluid. says:

    “But in the more affluent communities, poor people usually don’t land these units.”

    Yup. Lot’s of recently divorced, recent college graduate (mayor’s daughter) end up qualifying for these beautiful below market rental unites. They get hundreds of applicants for each unit, and I always can recognize the name of the winner. Hmmmm.

  19. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Bingo!!

    Phoenix says:
    October 23, 2017 at 11:03 am
    Where exactly do lobbyists fit in the capitalist model?

  20. leftwing says:

    “Yup. Lot’s of recently divorced, recent college graduate (mayor’s daughter) end up qualifying for these beautiful below market rental unites. They get hundreds of applicants for each unit, and I always can recognize the name of the winner. Hmmmm.”

    When you jam something down peoples’ throats they fundamentally don’t want that’s what happens. Find whatever loophole you can to get where you want to be.

    Liberal agenda.

    Hope that Record article was on the editorial page. If not, they should be ashamed.

  21. Grab them by the puzzy says:

    @ezraklein

    Trump’s comms team: Mr. President, we thought this week we could focus our message on tax reform and the economy.

    Trump: Nah, I’m going to escalate with the Gold Star widow instead.

  22. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Bingo! Two time winner over here.

    Phoenix says:
    October 23, 2017 at 11:46 am
    So,

    Communists provide low priced units using taxpayer money. Connected capitalists use connection to profit from Communist provided taxpayer money. Taxpayer loses.

    “The sales are mostly inside jobs. It’s straightforward practice on how these units get secured.”

  23. The Great Pumpkin says:

    The individuals pushing this ignore the fact that it never helps the people they claim it does.

    What’s sad, if it really went to the poorest of the poor, they would destroy it in no time. Ever see what happens to those “habitat for humanity” projects? I helped with some of those projects when I was young and naive, and learned that they don’t appreciate it at all. In two years or less, a brand new dwelling is destroyed. Breaks my heart. That’s why education is the only thing to help these people, giving them stuff does absolutely nothing for them.

    STEAMturd questioning the gender of Hillary’s Cankle fluid. says:
    October 23, 2017 at 11:50 am
    “But in the more affluent communities, poor people usually don’t land these units.”

    Yup. Lot’s of recently divorced, recent college graduate (mayor’s daughter) end up qualifying for these beautiful below market rental unites. They get hundreds of applicants for each unit, and I always can recognize the name of the winner. Hmmmm.

  24. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    In my last district, the town was very wealthy and several teachers in the town lived in the low income housing as long as they made below something like $56k.

  25. Juice Box says:

    “workforce housing” it was generational in Hoboken and still is.

  26. Juice Box says:

    Interesting bid for Amazon’s 2nd HQ.

    Amazon Island? New Rochelle’s Bid For Amazon HQ2 Includes 78-Acre Worker Playground.

    https://www.bisnow.com/new-york/news/economy/amazon-hq2-amazon-island-new-rochelle-80595

  27. grim says:

    Not a bad location in New Rochelle either.

  28. leftwing says:

    Anyone ever purchase a firearm through parties on the online sites?

    Anyone have an FFL dealer that would receive for me and not charge an arm and a leg?

  29. 3b says:

    Anyone know how much a real estate appraiser costs? Not Tammy the local realtor but a real one.

  30. grim says:

    Meltzers in Garfield used to do it, no idea now.

  31. STEAMturd questioning the gender of Hillary's Cankle fluid. says:

    I think we paid $300 for an appraisal but that was 7 years ago.

  32. Fabius Maximus says:

    Was is Clifton today and went to Rutts for the first time. I have to say I am not impressed.
    Their mix needs more rusk to dry it up a bit and they need to cook it longer for more snap.

  33. grim says:

    weller has more snap than a ripper, cremator even more so.

  34. 3b says:

    Thanks Stu. Were you satisfied?

  35. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    Was is Clifton today and went to Rutts for the first time. I have to say I am not impressed.
    Their mix needs more rusk to dry it up a bit and they need to cook it longer for more snap.

    Rookie move. You got a ripper. Weller is well done. Cremator is dark and fried toasty.

    Personally, I go with 2 wellers, with relish and a side of french fries with gravy.

  36. Yo! says:

    Bergen stats not measuring up to Hudson. In Hudson, houses selling 99.1% of asking, only 97.9% in Bergen. And Hudson prices up 7.6% compared 5.0% in Bergen. These figures are 2017 year to date. In old days burbs outperformed but not any more.

  37. Libturd sporting Tiger Wood says:

    Appraisal was great. Needed for tax appeal. Much cheaper than hiring lawyer and he was willing to testify at appeal for extra $125 if needed, but wasn’t as county commissioner (I think that’s what they are called) already knew him so trusted his numbers. Probably saved us $12,000 or so until the next reval. Sadly whoever pays for the appraisal can get the number to be closer to what they want it to be. For a tax appeal, they’ll estimate lower. For a sale, they’ll make sure it reaches the sales price as long as both are within range (fudge factor +/- 20%ish). These are my experiences. YMMV.

  38. Fabius Maximus says:

    BRT

    “Rookie move.” That’s part of my problem. I expected to be wowed out of the box, without the need for the Secret Menu. Maybe it was a quiet Monday and I didn’t get the A game.

    I’ll be back down there next week and may try it again. But maybe its better, just heading back up the parkway to Delores. Ehmers never disappoints.
    http://pascackvalley.dailyvoice.com/business/hot-dog-stand-boosts-family-owned-hillsdale-butcher-shop/585727/

    Even Nathans in Coney Island, was perfect first time I went there, exactly as described and hit all the marks.

  39. chicagofinance says:

    Yeah…… I hate it when older relatives just give away real estate to family members on an inside deal……if you can’t afford the market rate, it isn’t right to let the younger generations sponge off the older ones……

    The Great Pumpkin says:
    October 23, 2017 at 8:48 am
    I just find it wrong that some families have to pay market rate to get into a town, while others are given a “special” below market rate. How the hell is this fair?

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