|
Promoted by Jason Springer: A thought provoking, well written post on the politics of Affordable Housing. Democrats must be prepared to transform the statewide mandate of the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) or else ready for Republican criticism that may diminish our support among suburban voters.
On Friday, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan traveled to Freehold to stump for votes in his campaign for the Republican nomination for Governor. Lobbing rhetorical grenades is the conservative gadfly´s specialty. He likened his campaign to the American Revolution and compared Governor Corzine and the Democratic majorities in the Legislature to the tyrants of Europe and Asia. The twenty-first century Washington continued with a blistering attack on COAH and promised that when the general election is through, the self-financed Corzine will be living in one of the program´s 40,000 units.
Next November´s election will not only determine who occupies the front office in the State Capitol. It will test New Jersey Republicans´ability to make inroads into the Democrats´legislative majority. As New Jerseyans sweat under the burden of economic recession, unless Democrats present a compelling narrative for affordable housing, COAH and its cumbersome regulations have the potential to unite the feuding factions of the GOP and erase our party´s gains in suburban battlegrounds.
From a policy perspective, the need for affordable housing remains as clear today as it was when the Supreme Court ordered state action on the issue in 1984. According to the U.S. Census, New Jerseyans pay 30 percent or more of their income for housing, the fourth highest percentage in the nation. However, members of both parties recognize that in its current form COAH often results in continued overdevelopment and an increase in property taxes as municipalities struggle to fund essential services and public schools.
Democrats in the Legislature have already indicated their willingness to take on the challenge. In his capacity as Chair of the Economic Growth Committee, State Senator Ray Lesniak (D-Union) introduced legislation (S2485) that directs the State Housing Commission to take into consideration the impact of its assessments on local property taxes. Lesniak also wants COAH to provide housing not only to low income individuals, but to those in the middle class who do not qualify for the program but nonetheless struggle with New Jersey´s high cost of living. Called work force housing, the change will allow individuals such as secretaries, firefighters, and recent college graduates to qualify for assistance while remaining in and contributing to the economies of their hometowns.
In his recent State of the State address, Governor Corzine indicated his willingness to "allow for maximum flexibility and ample time for collaborative review" of affordable housing plans. In the coming months, the Governor and Democrats will face the challenge of articulating the need for COAH regulations to a public that is leery of continued development.
Affordable housing may be an issue that Republicans can use to their advantage, but thus far they have offered no policy alternative other than S2292, a bill re-establishing the regional contribution agreements that circumvented the intent of affordable housing in the first place. Their advocacy of a return to the failed status quo does nothing to address the real problem. On the other hand, Lesniak´s call for work force housing demonstrates the Democratic Party´s understanding that suburban housing is not only out of reach for the working poor, but for many sons and daughters of middle class suburbanites.
New Jersey is a blue state and New Jersey Republicans are a party rife with ideological divisions. Criticism of COAH presents them with an issue that they can rally around. However, they will need more than bombastic rhetoric and stale policy solutions to convince voters of their ability to solve the problem. Democrats have demonstrated our willingness to ease the burden on municipalities without abandoning our commitment to providing affordable housing to those who are struggling under our state´s high cost of living. The remaining challenge for lawmakers is to deliver on the promise of reform and communicate the results of that work to the residents of our state. |
