Leading Locally

The future of housing in New Jersey

Local officials are on the frontlines of housing development, shaping what kind of housing gets built, where it can be constructed, and the local roads and sidewalks residents use to get from their homes to everywhere else. Municipalities have the authority to adopt land use plans, set zoning codes, and create redevelopment areas and parking maximums that facilitate high quality places. Municipalities and counties have the transportation teams to design, pave, and maintain the streets and sidewalks that create the character of a community and determine if it is welcoming and safe for all users.

But the external challenges facing local leaders have become more complicated and more intense. The COVID-19 pandemic and climate change have particularly exacerbated the pressing issues of escalating housing costs, pedestrian safety, displacement of lower-income people, empty office space, and flooding, to name a few. First demand and inflation drove up housing prices, and now high interest rates have made mortgage financing increasingly difficult.

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