New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has signed an executive order launching a multi-agency effort to accelerate the production of affordable and workforce housing across New Jersey, including development on state-owned land and near transit hubs.
Executive Order 17, signed within the governor’s first 100 days, directs agencies to coordinate on cutting regulatory barriers and speeding up approvals for housing aimed at low- and moderate-income residents, as well as workforce housing for middle-income earners.
“We can’t make New Jersey more affordable without making housing more affordable,” Sherrill said in a press release. “With this executive order, we are aligning every tool at our disposal to accelerate housing production and make it easier for families to put down roots.”
‘Who is Jamie Ding’?
Jamie Ding, a multifamily and tax credit program administrator at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, was there for the signing. The Lawrenceville, New Jersey resident is Jeopardy-famous after winning a historic 31 consecutive games.
He lost on Monday, April 27, to Philadelphia chess master Greg Shahade. But Ding walked away with further notoriety and lots of cash: he is ranked fifth in the show’s all-time standings for consecutive wins (host Ken Jennings is still No. 1 with 74). He is also No. 5 for the highest regular-season winnings of $882,605. Ding is expected to return for the Tournament of Champions at the end of the season.
About Executive Order 17, Ding, who is also a part-time student at Seton Hall Law School, said it could remove obstacles that have slowed development.
“I am pleased that this executive order clears obstacles and makes it easier to build the housing we need,” Ding said. “When we remove unnecessary barriers, we create more opportunities for families to find places to call home.”
Multi-agency Housing Council
At the center of the plan is a new Housing Governing Council that will bring together key state agencies involved in housing, economic development, and transportation.
The council will be chaired by the governor’s chief operating officer and co-chaired by the Department of Community Affairs, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and NJ Transit. Additional agencies are expected to participate.
The administration is taking what it describes as a “whole-of-government” approach, requiring agencies to coordinate funding, land use, and regulatory decisions tied to housing production.
Deadlines and deliverables
The order sets a series of deadlines:
- Within 45 days, the Housing Governing Council must be convened.
- Within 60 days, agencies must submit reports identifying ways to accelerate housing construction, including reducing red tape, using surplus state land and expanding access to affordable units.
- Within 150 days, the council must issue recommendations for a statewide housing plan.
Those recommendations will focus on increasing supply, coordinating financing, tracking production, and expanding access to affordable housing.
Focus on State Land, Transit, and Supply
State leaders said the plan will prioritize building on underutilized government-owned land and encouraging development near public transportation to lower costs and improve access.
Senate and Assembly leaders said the state must address a widening gap between housing supply and demand that has driven up rents and home prices.
“Our housing supply has simply not kept pace with demand, and the crisis is being felt in every community,” Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald said. He added that developing state land and focusing growth near transit could help workers live closer to their jobs and allow businesses to attract talent.
Sen. Benjie Wimberly said the effort is especially important for working families, seniors, and veterans struggling to afford housing.
“We can build using state land to create opportunity and make sure folks can get into affordable housing,” he said.
Broad Support, Urgent Need
Housing advocates and nonprofit leaders said the order reflects the scale of the state’s affordability challenges, pointing to rising rents and a shortage of homes affordable to low- and moderate-income residents.
Adam Gordon of the Fair Share Housing Center said the state must increase supply and make it easier to build near transit.
Peter Kasabach of New Jersey Future said boosting housing supply is essential to addressing affordability statewide.
Liz DeCoursey of Greater Middlesex & Morris Habitat for Humanity said faster approvals and fewer barriers could help turn policy into actual housing units for families in need.
What Comes Next
The administration plans to release a broader housing strategy later this year, based on recommendations from the council.
The goal: increase the supply of affordable and workforce housing, streamline government processes, and improve access for residents priced out of the state’s housing market.
As Sherrill put it, “When we build more housing, we open the door to opportunity for everyone.”