The estimated average property tax bill in Washington Township increased by 84 percent between 1998 and 2004. This was the 14th-largest increase among all 566 municipalities in the state, and the biggest increase in Mercer County. (East Windsor Township is […]
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Washington Township and Smart Growth
Tuesday, April 17th, 2007South Jersey: A New Smart Growth Frontier?
Saturday, April 7th, 2007The fastest-growing county in New Jersey between 2005 and 2006 was Gloucester, with a 1.8 percent rise in population last year, according to estimates recently released by the Census Bureau. (Gloucester is also the fastest-growing county so far in the […]
COAH Ruling Ignores today’s Affordable Housing Needs
Thursday, March 15th, 2007Affordable housing is disproportionately concentrated in just a few places in New Jersey. According to Department of Community Affairs (DCA) inventory*, more than half of the state’s affordable housing units are located in just 17 municipalities: Newark, Jersey City, Trenton, […]
Redevelopment on the Rise
Tuesday, February 20th, 2007The Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey’s recent “Cities in Transition” report identified 30 New Jersey cities as showing multiple signs of fiscal and socioeconomic distress. Between 1990 and 1999, these largely built-out cities accounted for only 5.9 […]
RCA’s: More Harm Than Good?
Wednesday, January 31st, 2007Since 1988, more than 10,000 units of affordable housing obligations have been transferred from “sending” municipalities to “receiving” municipalities under the Regional Contribution Agreements (RCAs) allowed by Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) regulations.
Tax Relief without Reform?
Friday, January 12th, 2007New Jersey’s local governments shoulder a larger share of public education costs than most other states. Currently, 53.3 percent of revenues for public schools are raised locally in New Jersey, compared to a national average of only 43.9 percent.
Can Property Tax Relief Help Slow Sprawl?
Monday, December 18th, 2006New Jersey’s overdependence on property taxes to pay for local services, especially schools, is perhaps the most significant factor behind the state’s sprawling growth patterns, which have hurt families, businesses, the environment, and the economy.
Fewer Kids Living in Transit Villages and Town Homes
Sunday, November 26th, 2006A new analysis of 2000 U.S. Census data from Rutgers University finds that higher-density, multiunit development near train stations does not bring in nearly the number of schoolchildren as previously believed—and often actually produces fewer children than larger, single-family homes.
Nowhere to Live
Friday, September 29th, 2006New Jersey has the fifth-least affordable housing in the nation, according to the U.S. Census. One in four New Jersey households is saddled with a housing burden, meaning they spend at least 35 percent of their gross income on housing […]
Seeking a Prosperous Garden State
Thursday, September 14th, 2006Governor Corzine’s Economic Growth Strategy, unveiled last week, outlines steps the state will take to spark economic growth and innovation in the Garden State. New Jersey’s economy faces a number of challenges. While New Jersey stands out on a host […]