Hoboken / Manhattan Real Estate Blog

The big political battle in Secaucus may pit the newly installed Joe Doria, who is now commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs, against Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell over prospects for affordable housing.

Under state mandates, any new development must include on affordable housing unit for every eight-market rate residential units constructed.

In Secaucus and the entire Meadowlands region, where numerous new developments are under construction, there are debates over where affordable housing can go, and how much. But state law is very specific about how much has to be constructed as a result of each approved projects.

Affordable housing means different things to different people.

Some residents mistakenly equate affordable with subsidized or poverty housing, thus making the assumption that affordable units will turn their neighborhoods into housing projects.

In truth, some “affordable” housing is designed to keep the units that are sold within a community affordable to residents who already live and work in the region, so that the children of a local tradesman can find housing that’s not priced solely for Wall Street stockbrokers.

Since many of the new units being developed in Hudson County are luxury housing, developers hate the idea of providing affordable housing since it lessens the potential profits.

While public officials in Secaucus gear up for a fight to keep down the number of affordable housing units, they may soon also find that they are forcing out many of the same residents they seek to protect. They may soon find the children of older residents leaving Secaucus simply because they can’t afford to purchase homes there.

For example…

Hoboken Mayor Dave Roberts might well testify to the impact of luxury development in his community. He recently went on the offensive against the police for supposedly not cracking down on homeless people in his city, after a report came out about rising crime in the city. But how did they become homeless?

Hoboken suffered two major shifts in housing during its transformation from a working class community to a bedroom community for Manhattan professionals. The closing of single room occupancy hotels in the late 1980s put many marginal people out onto the streets.

More recently, federally subsidies for housing began to expire, putting once-affordable units back at market rates.

Rumors galore in Jersey City

Reports of Jersey City’s Eliu Rivera’s impending retirement as a freeholder are grossly exaggerated. He said he will, in fact, be running in the next June’s Democratic primary.

This may be a sore disappointment to others who wanted to move him out of his office early.

Also in the wishful thinking category are rumors that Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy will not seek re-election in 2009.

With a $1 million war chest towards his re-election, Healy will most likely run, especially when the field of candidates is likely to fracture any coalition designed to oppose him.

Opponents, however, do have some serious issues to use against him, including increasing taxes, his own conviction on charges raised in his Bradley Beach brawl, his refusal to curb problems with construction by increasing the number of inspectors, and his tendency to be disconnected from local issues such as a recent brouhaha concerning bus transportation in the Heights section.

Of course, Healy does have some good points - including his singing ability and frequent songfests at the local tavern.

Meanwhile, Jersey City Council President Mariano Vega is already on the campaign trail in an expected primary challenge next June against incumbent Rep. Albio Sires. Vega recently raised $35,000 to pad his own war chest.

Race for mayor already started in Bayonne

In Bayonne, where Council President Vincent Lo Re just took over as interim mayor after Doria took on his new post with the state, the campaign for the November, 2008 mayoral election has already begun.

The City Council still needs to vote on who will serve as acting mayor - Lo Re sits as mayor until they vote. And the first of candidates for the election are emerging. Mary Jane Desmond, a former councilperson, has not yet declared her intention to run. But she did open a civic association headquarters in the Bergen Point section, and got a good crowd for her opening event.

Probably-soon-to-be state Senator/Union City Mayor Brian Stack could not attend the grand opening, but he sent his loyal aide, Libero Marotta - who is a close friend of Bayonne’s own Leonard Kantor (another possible candidate for mayor).

Sires also sent a representative. A few spies from the opposing Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) also appear to have been in the crowd, scoping out possible levels of support.

Neck and neck in Hoboken’s 4th Ward

The bitter re-done campaign for 4th Ward council seat has gone into high gear with less than a month left before Nov. 6. Voters will decide between Dawn Zimmer and Chris Campos. This will be the third election these two candidates have undergone this year.

Proponents for both sides express confidence in their candidate’s chances to win the seat.

Zimmer’s election hopes rest on two significant factors. First, she did better in the June runoff election than she did in the May municipal election, suggesting that her camp knows how to get the vote out when needed.

Zimmer is also closely aligned with the open space referendum being held on that date, so she could benefit from a positive referendum vote.

The Campos camp appears to be bolstered by the fact that Campos managed to get a special election at all after losing to Zimmer in June. His legal challenge of absentee ballots prompted Zimmer to agree to the re-do election. In addition, Campos’s people claim the referendum will backfire on Zimmer, since it is an additional tax. While this would be for open space, the referendum is being touted by the Campos team as just one more tax people must pay.

Interestingly, the full council originally voted for a version of this tax, but it is now only Zimmer’s allies who are being struck with the cries of “tax increase” from her opponents.

And by the way…

In a somewhat related matter, Matty Amato, a columnist for the Hudson Reporter, says he has been besieged by people asking if he is related to former 4th Ward Councilman Andrew Amato.

“There is no relationship,” Matty said.