Jersey City Affordable Housing Resolution Pulled

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Affordable housing has been on the tips of officials tongues in Jersey City for the past week or so, but it won't be mentioned at Wednesday's City Council meeting after a councilor pulled his resolution from the agenda.

Councilman At-Large Rolando Lavarro pulled his resolution which called for a new inclusionary zoning ordinance to be referred to the Planning Board in Jersey City, during Monday night's Council Caucus meeting.

Lavarro told the council that his decision to pull the resolution came after he spoke with Mayor Steven Fulop and Council President Joyce Watterman and agreed to more meetings and discussions centering on the resolution.

The new inclusionary zoning ordinance would designate 20 percent of developers units as affordable housing. The full resolution can be read online.

A Hudson County judge struck down Jersey City's original Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance last week, in a lawsuit filed by Fair Share Housing Center. The ordinance was touted as a means to increase affordable housing, but it offered developers several loopholes to avoid adding affordable housing units to new developments in exchange for community givebacks like parks and pools.

Lavarro vocally opposed the original ordinance, and he and Ward E Councilman James Solomon were the only councilors to vote against the ordinance when it was presented to the council. In a statement about the judge's decision, Lavarro called the ruling "a glimmer of hope."

Jersey City's next City Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.