If you’ve tried finding a home in New Jersey recently, you already know: the rent is too high, buying a home feels impossible, and competition is fierce. Rentals disappear overnight and homebuyers face bidding wars that drive prices out of reach. Why is it so difficult to find an affordable place to live?
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More Home Choices for New Jersey: How Accessory Dwelling Units Can Help Solve Our Housing Shortage
Thursday, May 15th, 2025Stubborn Seeds and Strong Foundations: What Armenian Resilience Teaches Us About Building Forward
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025April marks Armenian History Month, a time to honor the deep roots, resilience, and culture of the Armenian people. For many of us in the diaspora, especially here in New Jersey, this month reminds us to reflect on our ancestors’ strength and survival. It’s an opportunity to celebrate our contributions to this country and recommit to building a better future — one shaped by remembrance and justice.
Breaking the Barrier to Water Infrastructure Funding
Friday, March 14th, 2025The New Jersey Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRF) are critical financial resources that can provide a variety of funding and financing options, including principal forgiveness and low-interest loans, to support water infrastructure improvements across the state.
Debt is Not a Bad Word: Funding New Jersey’s Infrastructure through Smart Financing
Tuesday, February 18th, 2025Municipalities face a tricky balancing act when it comes to infrastructure improvements: they need to address large, costly projects but have limited resources to fund them. Historically, issuing debt has been the primary means that municipalities are left with to finance critical improvements. However, municipal leaders are reluctant to be the ones responsible for issuing debt, while utilities and public systems are often hesitant to raise rates to cover project costs.
Sustainable and Cost-Efficient: Implementing a Dig-Once Policy in Trenton
Friday, August 30th, 2024Funding, funding, funding–the chorus frequently heard at the inception of almost every community improvement project. Financing remains one of the largest obstacles to infrastructure improvements.
Stormwater Pays No Mind to Municipal Borders—Why Should You?
Tuesday, July 30th, 2024“Stormwater follows watershed boundaries, not political boundaries,” said Dr. Dan Van Abs, Professor at Rutgers University, during the 2024 New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment Conference (PRC). Many of New Jersey’s 564 municipalities grapple with flooding issues. For some, it is not uncommon for as little as three inches of rainfall to grind daily life to a halt.
Transit-Oriented Development Is Popular, but Won’t Happen by Itself
Friday, March 15th, 2024New Jersey’s transit towns are experiencing something of a revival in the last decade and a half. This is an important positive development, since transit-oriented development (TOD) advances multiple societal goals.
Sustainable Water Management: Program Rundown of Municipal Options
Monday, December 18th, 2023The future of New Jersey’s water relies on commitment to equitable decision-making to solve legacy water infrastructure issues like lead service line replacement, combined sewer overflows, coastal and riverine flooding, and upgrading water infrastructure. By working together to address the growing needs of our water systems, we can properly mitigate the stress they will face with growing and more frequent storms fueled by climate change, and ensure that natural and tap waters are free from contaminants to support healthy and resilient communities across the state.
The Future of Housing in New Jersey
Thursday, November 30th, 2023Housing shapes communities while communities shape the quality of life and access to opportunities for each of us. Local officials are on the front lines 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.
Five Community Planning Initiatives To Solve Problems and Save Money
Tuesday, June 6th, 2023Local officials face a rapidly changing world due to forces beyond their control. Impacts from the pandemic, climate change, and the racial reckoning cannot be ignored, nor can new state government requirements, ranging from housing to flood resilience. But by investing in community planning initiatives, municipal and county leaders can solve problems, save money, and strengthen their communities.
