To: Mayor Ravi Bhalla

From: HFHA

Date: April 24, 2018

Place: Meeting with the Mayor at City Hall this date

The Hoboken Fair Housing Association (HFHA) believes that the City needs to prioritize people
over real estate values. Racial, economic, and demographic diversity is the lifeblood of any
healthy community.

 A recent American Survey showed that 67% of Hoboken’s residents rent their homes
 In the 2010 U.S. Census, 50% of the residents had not lived in Hoboken five years
previous
 HFHA should have a seat at the table for the Master Plan Re-examination to ensure that
displacement and affordability are addressed
 Suggested Ways to Address the Affordable Housing Crisis in Hoboken
TOP PRIORITY
Do full inventory
# of rc units; # unoccupied units
in Housing Authority, Church
Towers, Marine View, etc.
Understand displacement
population – enforce anti-
warehousing laws
Create a Community Housing
Trust (CHT/CLT) or small site
program (San Francisco)
http://www.cityinspired.com/sf-
buys-buildings-as-the-quickest-
fix-to-their-affordable-housing-
crisis/ City purchases eligible
properties at a set price per
unit. After the acquisition, the
building gets managed by a
developer contracted by the
Mayor’s office and the average
rent is required to remain
affordable.
Pass ordinance adding a
construction permit
requirement to relocate tenants
to comparable housing for
tenants being displaced due to
demolition or extensive
renovation
Implement Right of First Return
policy in connection with tear
downs and gut rehabs for
people that were displaced or
lived in the vicinity and were
displaced – create a monitored
list.
IMMEDIATE MEDIUM TERM LONG TERM
Fully include Allow for non- Institute an affordable
information on traditional rentals to be housing tax for
accessing affordable rented at an affordable affordable housing
options in Hoboken and price point (back needs: CLT, rental
make available on the artists’ studios, subsidies, etc. (Seattle,
city website dormant commercial Vancouver, Denver,
spaces.) The city could etc.)
allow for the rentals if,
a) there is proper
egress and b) only if
the base rent is set at
an affordable rate
Seek out government Adopt longtime owner Enforce a hotel tax 6%
grants for affordable occupant program on all buildings doing
housing options as a (LOOP) Real Estate Tax hotel rentals – add
priority discount program for Airbnb legislation
homeowners who have w/fines that can be
lived in their homes for used in affordable
10 years+ experienced housing trust fund or
a significant increase in for a CLT
their property
assessment from one
year to the next and
meet income and other
eligibility requirements.
(Philadelphia)
Examine processes and To preserve diversity,
administration in the allocate monies in
rent control office (legal budget every year for
rent calculation vs legal inclusion into our
rent update, fines, affordable housing
enforcement) trust and create a work
plan to start using the
funds for items that will
reduce ongoing
displacement
(Pittsburgh)
As we promote
becoming a tech hub
induce tech firms to
invest in the city’s CHT
or contribute
substantial amounts to
our affordable housing
trust (San Francisco)
 EXPLORATORY
ZONING/DEVELOPMENT
Re-examine the 10% inclusionary laws and address any
loopholes, consider increasing the percentage and
allowing for comparable payments to the trust fund
Explore possibility of allowing creation of affordable
micro-units. Identify city properties that can be used for
affordable housing and release an RFP for developers to
build
Create oversight on reviews for illegal apartments so that
no individual staff member can suggest housing eviction
Any green/sustainable attributes the city wants should be
zoning requirements, so they do not compete with
affordable housing as give backs
Expand on recent flood ordinance change and/or other
zoning rules that preserve existing rentals
BENCHMARKING
Adopt a “2+ you” rule in renting or a “1+ you”
(This is a rule adopted in cities whereby no more
than 3 unrelated people can rent a unit with 2-
bedrooms or no more than 2 unrelated people can
rent a 1-bedroom/studio (Denver)
Explore whether an anti-speculation tax can be
implemented on flippers of residential real estate
that own a property for less than 5 years (on San
Francisco ballot in 2014)
Create a citizen taskforce similar to Rebuild By
Design with benchmarks (Austin)
Benchmark with Vienna