Today, Fair Share Housing Center released its 2026 Policy Agenda, outlining eight near-term priorities to address New Jersey’s housing affordability crisis and build on the momentum of the state’s landmark 2024 affordable housing law (A4/S50).
More than 400 municipalities are now moving forward to create affordable homes under A4/S50 — many more than ever before. But unprecedented federal budget cuts and persistent housing instability threaten that progress, making state action more urgent than ever.
“The stakes for New Jersey families could not be higher. Lawmakers must act now to expand affordable housing opportunities and to prevent a surge in evictions and homelessness,” said Al-Tariq Witcher, managing director of external affairs at Fair Share Housing Center. “It’s essential to modernize zoning laws, protect tenants from displacement, and expand housing funding so that families across the state can afford to stay in their communities.”
Modernizing Zoning to Expand Housing Supply:
- Facilitating conversions of vacant office parks and retail centers into mixed-use developments with at least 20% affordable housing — revitalizing struggling commercial sites while accelerating home construction. (S1766/A3535)
- Empowering religious and nonprofit institutions to develop affordable housing on their property, unlocking new pathways to housing production. (S1836)
Strengthening Tenant Protections and Housing Access:
- Codifying protections against “unconscionable” rent increases and protecting tenants from blacklisting based on dismissed eviction filings. (A5307/S726)
- Increasing eviction filing fees to deter frivolous filings and create a dedicated Homelessness Prevention Fund. (S391/A3481)
- Strengthening tenant screening confidentiality and transparency by limiting use of eviction records that did not result in displacement and requiring disclosure of screening criteria. (S402/A1744)
- Limiting large institutional investors in the single-family housing market to level the playing field for individual homebuyers and curb speculative bulk purchases. (S3097/A4524)
Restoring and Expanding Housing Funding:
- Fully restoring and expanding the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to support affordable housing production, preservation — one way this can be accomplished is by modifying the state’s “mansion tax” to dedicate at least half of revenues from on home sales over $2 million to create a reliable funding stream for affordable housing production and preservation. (S3103/A1737)
- Preserving and expanding the First-Generation Homebuyer Program through the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, which has proven especially effective in helping Black and Latino families achieve homeownership and begin closing the racial wealth gap.
“We cannot allow private equity speculation, outdated zoning laws, and underfunded housing programs to undermine the recent progress New Jersey has made,” added Witcher. “This agenda is about protecting working families from displacement, leveling the playing field for first-time homebuyers, and ensuring every community does its fair share.”
Read Executive Director Adam Gordon’s new NJ.com op-ed: Under Sherrill, N.J. has momentum to become national leader on affordable housing
