Better Blocks New Jersey

Mandating affordable housing seems like an easy way to fix the housing affordability crisis; unfortunately, the opposite happens when left unfunded. We look at Boston, Cambridge, New Haven, and San Francisco to show how an unfunded IZO ordinance could backfire in Jersey City.

Jersey City's existing 15% mandatory IZO downtown has been in place since 2021. Affordable units built under it without a PILOT? Zero. The new mayor ran on the promise to expand this IZO mandate to 20% and make it citywide. What are the different types of IZOs?

By preserving mass transit we mean an expansion of the Hudson Berger Light Rail west to Secaucus and on to the Meadowlands.

Judge Casts Doubt on City’s Argument that Christ Hospital Closed Illegally betterblocksnj.org/2026/03/19/jud…

The housing voucher program is the most effective tool we have to help low-income families access housing but Jersey City's "Section 8" waitlist is a decade long and completely out of the city's control. What is income-restricted affordable housing? And who qualifies for it?

Jersey City saw the largest increase in moderate-income households of any surrounding municipality from 2018–2023 — during a decade of rapid development. Yet many still think new housing, including urban infill on empty lots, causes displacement. Why?

Tax abatements, exemptions, and PILOT agreements are some of the most misunderstood tools in municipal finance. In our latest article, we explain the history and use of these agreements debunk three of the most common myths circulated on social media around tax abatements. 1/

@Peter1987Fallow Most of this is funded. Trenton could fund the rest. Public goods deserve public support. It's one of the key roles of government. dep.nj.gov/parksandforest…

@BetterBlocksNJ You've been blocking private sector investment for decades in favor of state aid that never shows up.

Liberty State Park needs both a protection bill and a companion funding bill to pay for the improvements necessary to make it a world-class landscape park.

@jmaxmann Makes sense as it is the main way to make the finances work.

@BetterBlocksNJ PILOTs are the main funder/subsidizer of IZO in suburban NJ.

This is one of the best papers on PILOTs in New Jersey I have read, and I will be distributing it to my class. I would STRONGLY urge everyone with an interest in New Jersey real estate to read this.

Read the full article below: betterblocksnj.org/2026/03/17/thr… /8

In Jersey City, many people associate the loss of school aid with tax exemptions and PILOT agreements rather than with the city’s improved financial position. In reality, projects with exemptions pay full taxes within 5 years and PILOT agreements offset costs to schools. 7/

Jersey City successfully used such agreements to transform its downtown and waterfront from rail yards and warehouses to office buildings, apartments, and retail districts. As the skyline changed, criticism and misconceptions about PILOTs and abatements grew. 3/

New Jersey authorized the use of PILOTs and tax abatements to fight blight following the de-industrialization that hollowed out the state’s cities and economic base. 2/