Hoboken Council 'Out Of Touch' On Affordable Housing Tower, Says Candidate

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken's City Council voted last week in favor of a 25-story tower that will contain affordable and workforce housing.

Some have criticized the project, saying it's out of scale for the neighborhood. But supporters say that the building will fill a longstanding need for housing that's affordable as Hoboken rents continue to rise to among the highest in the nation.

Dini Ajmani, the former deputy assistant secretary of the U.S Treasury, is running for mayor of Hoboken. She's one of five candidates seeking the spot.

She submitted the below letter about the project.

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A Council Out of Touch: Hoboken's Garage B Decision

On Wednesday last week, the city council voted 5-3 in favor of building a 25-story residential building to replace Garage B on Hudson Street. The proposal passed despite strong opposition from many Hoboken residents who spoke passionately against the plan during the public portion of the meeting. Once again, highlighting how out of touch the City Council is from the residents of Hoboken.

Instead of listening, the members of the Council took the opportunity to lecture and grandstand the residents during the meeting. Frankly the Council demonstrated little understanding of the cost of the project, and the tax implications for our residents.

Building affordable housing is not the same as keeping housing affordable. Our residents want to continue to live in Hoboken, and this misguided decision will ultimately make housing less affordable in a time where families are still feeling the pinch of inflation.

Additionally, the tax breaks granted for a project like this inevitably result in higher taxes for the rest of us. These incentives have become so routine that every year, our schools lose close to $25 million in revenue due to the Council’s generous tax giveaways to developers. A tax break for one is a tax increase for everyone else. The Garage B plan will unquestionably drive up our property taxes. Our already strained infrastructure will buckle under pressure, and we’ll be left to foot the bill for repairs.

If the council truly wants to make housing affordable, it should focus on lowering taxes, which helps keep rents low and ensure Hoboken remains affordable for everyone.

Rather than focusing on the issues raised by residents who spoke in opposition, the Council accused us of lacking compassion and values. My values are clear. I love this community. I want to see Hoboken grow, but in a manner that values the affordability of our residents today and tomorrow. I feel deeply for my neighbors and friends, especially if our Council is tipping the scales against the ability for everyone to remain in Hoboken.

We don’t need sermons. We deserve action and leadership that understands how every decision affects our community now and the future. We may disagree but all of us carry in our hearts a love for the city and compassion for our neighbors.

Dini Ajmani

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