Great Neighborhoods for All
Affordable, Healthy, Connected
Why: Everyone in New Jersey deserves an affordable place to live – in a safe, vibrant community.
- Where schools, groceries, and jobs are conveniently within reach, with less driving
- With peace of mind from knowing rising costs or climate change won’t force a move
- With parks, plazas, and green spaces easily accessible and free of pollution and extreme heat
- Where schools, neighborhoods, and activities are high-quality, safe, and inclusive
Unfortunately, the reality is that New Jersey’s growing housing crisis threatens our state and its residents. Too many people cannot find an affordable, stable home in a neighborhood that meets their needs, and their numbers are growing.
The Great Neighborhoods for All initiative is a diverse group tackling the problem by:
What: Drafting recommendations for four separate but related initiatives:
- Build a statewide movement of local campaigns that build support for inclusive, well-planned housing in great neighborhoods
- Empower local governments to plan and implement new housing with neighborhood amenities
- Reduce the accelerating displacement of residents through state and local programs
- Change state policy through new laws, spending, and programs
When: Seeking solutions that can be adopted quickly, by December 2026
Action from local governments, the Legislature, the Murphy Administration, and the new governor during their first year.
How: Engaging diverse groups of people with varied perspectives
- This initiative centers the needs of those who struggle to find a safe, affordable place to live.
- A 12-member Steering Committee guides the effort; it first met in November 2023 and identified guiding principles, solution areas, and messaging approaches.
- The Steering Committee and a large group of advisors met in February 2024 to share personal priorities, discuss solutions, and provide additional advice on scope and process (see photos below). Small working groups met throughout Summer 2024 to craft solutions.
- New Jersey Future is the organizing partner. SPIA in NJ at Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs supports the initiative is the hosting partner. Both organizations are represented on the Steering Committee.
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Upcoming news and events
Recent events
Pictured from left to right: Staci Berger, Elizabeth McManus, Chris Sturm, Baye Adofo-Wilson
Sept 17: Governor’s Conference on Housing and Economic Development
GNA leaders spoke on the panel “A Statewide Action Agenda for Equitable Sustainable Housing,” covered by Next City.
Panelist Chris Sturm, policy director at New Jersey Future, explained that while New Jersey has grown more diverse in demographics, the state remains highly segregated at the municipal level due to the legacy of redlining, predatory lending and exclusion of Black veterans from the GI Bill.
Read More
- The Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook, from the American Planning Association (APA) and the National League of Cities (NLC)
- NJF Blogs:
- Rent Control in New Jersey? Where is it? What Is It? How Does it Work?, Ralph W. Voorhees Center for Civic Engagement, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, 2024
- Eliminating Zoning Barriers to Affordable Housing Guidebook, HUD Community Compass Program, 2024
