New Public Housing In Hoboken Could Include Market Rate Buildings

HOBOKEN, NJ — As the city of Hoboken continues soliciting resident input into a plan to redevelop the city's 1,354 low-income subsidized public housing units, they're asking residents if they should add mixed-income or market rate housing if they're allowed to add more units than what presently exists.

The Hoboken Housing Authority is a federally funded agency that oversees the city's 21 brick apartment buildings on 22 acres in the southwest part of town. These include low-income and senior buildings that are federally subsidized. Residents must meet an income requirement to get in, then will pay a rent according to their income. The HHA properties were built between 1940 and 1979.

As is happening across the country, Hoboken is developing a plan to revitalize the aging buildings without displacing current residents.

And as Hoboken's rents rise, the city is also considering adding new units beyond the existing number.

In a survey released this week, the city asks questions about the design and makeup of future buildings.

They ask whether the buildings should be six stories or 10 stories, about the design of potential recreational areas, and what kind of income mix any extra buildings should contain, if the city gets to build additional units beyond the original number.

Choices for income levels for extra units include:

• Only current HHA residents and those on the wait list
• Workforce housing (80-120 percent area median income)
• Market rate units
• Senior-restricted units
• Other (specify)

Right now, even families with higher incomes are finding it hard to remain in town. (See: Tenants Fight Back As Rents Soar)

The city already held a community meeting in the buildings last week to solicit input.

See the city's press release about the survey here.

See prior reporting here.

For more information on the project, go to hobokennj.gov/hharedevelopmentplan.