Central Jersey Regional Equity Coalition
On Thursday, October 28, 2004 at McCorristin Catholic High School in Hamilton, New Jersey, the First Public Assembly for Fair Taxes and Affordable Housing was held. Over six hundred concerned citizens were in attendance including local mayors, legislators and at least forty churches from the central New Jersey region. The Rev. Darrell L. Armstrong presided over this excellent meeting. The following paragraphs highlight some of the key issues that the coalition and our State face.
Here are a few of the facts:
According to current guidelines, known as the Mount Laurel Agreement, a loophole in the Fair Housing Act (Regional Contribution Agreements or RCAs) allows wealthy communities to pay poor communities to take their affordable housing quota. Simply stated, here is the problem. Affordable housing units should be built in our area, so that those who work in low paying jobs here can afford to live near where they work. However, our communities are able to pay poorer communities, like Trenton, to undertake our legally mandated affordable housing quota. This means that, though we have our share of low-income people, we have nowhere near enough affordable housing for them.
The Central Jersey Regional Equity Coalition (CJREC) is calling for RCAs to be abolished. The problem is that the poorer communities have come to count on the money they raise through such agreements. In response, CJREC wants to replace this revenue with a form of regional tax sharing and other housing dollars currently available from the State. Furthermore, the Mount Laurel Agreement requires that 20% of new housing be affordable, and that one affordable housing unit be build for every five new jobs created in a community. These stipulations have not been enforced, but need to be.
Additionally, our educational system is far too reliant on local property taxes. CJREC is calling for greater involvement of the State to reduce property taxes and tax rate inequities. Studies show that 67% of NJ residents would benefit from a plan to share all new growth throughout a region, which would discourage wasteful competition, increase the sharing of resources and reduce tax disparities that lead to great disparities in educational opportunity from community to community.
New Jersey Regional Coalition
Call to Action and Results
Tax Reform, School Funding, In-State Tuition and Fair Housing That’s Fair
Thursday, March 15, 2007
State House Steps in Trenton
11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
It’s been nearly four months since we gathered 1500 strong in Atlantic City to hear our state leaders promise to take concrete action on New Jersey’s most pressing problems. Some action has been taken but there has been little in the way of concrete results.
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Instead of tax reform we have another year of tax relief. Our homeowners need relief but they have been asking for real and lasting reform that lowers their taxes. This still needs to happen.·
School funding reform must still be acted on. This is the biggest driver of increased taxes and harmful disparities will not be addressed by spending caps.·
In-state Tuition has also not been realized. It has not even been released for a vote in Senate.·
Great progress has been made on housing. Bills have been introduced to abolish RCAs – however no hearings have yet been scheduled.While we have made great advances in bringing our issues to the forefront in New Jersey and among our state leaders, we need to go further in sending a clear message to our public officials that talk is just not enough.
We need action and we need results - this year not next!
Sign up to join with leaders from around the state to send that message on March 15, where we will meet on the State House steps on State Street in Trenton.
For more information and to confirm your attendance contact your pastor and/or your congregation or organization’s New Jersey Regional Coalition delegates.
New Jersey Regional Coalition (856) 663-5380 njrc@njregionalequity.org
