By Joshua Burd
New Jersey’s two gubernatorial hopefuls hit on familiar but critical issues last week as they spoke directly to more than 300 professionals involved in building and selling homes in the state.
Two organizations, the New Jersey Realtors and New Jersey Builders Association, welcomed Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill for an event that included presentations and question-and-answer sessions by both candidates, according to a news release. That gave both memberships the chance to hear each nominee’s positions on housing, development and economic policy and their plan to address New Jersey’s affordability crisis.
According to recaps provided by the associations, Ciattarelli emphasized his commitment to reducing the tax and regulatory burden on New Jersey families and businesses.
“From day one this campaign has been talking about how New Jersey needs to be more affordable,” said Ciattarelli, a former state Assemblyman from Somerset County. “The American dream of homeownership is becoming increasingly more difficult in our overtaxed state, and I look forward to my administration rolling back the dangerous tax policy you’ve seen for the last eight years and removing burdensome regulations that prevent us from addressing the affordability crisis facing our disappearing middle class.”
SLIDESHOW: Ciatarelli, Sherrill address NJ Realtors, NJBA
Sherrill, the U.S. representative for New Jersey’s 11th congressional district, underscored the critical role of housing affordability in the state’s economy and expanding access to homeownership.
“We can’t make New Jersey more affordable without making housing more affordable,” she said. “But right now, housing costs are up over 50 percent in just the past five years — making homeownership inaccessible for so many families.
“That will change when I’m governor. I’ll expand first-time homebuyer assistance to increase access to homeownership and generational wealth, end diversions from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund so these funds actually go toward expanding housing options families can afford and work collaboratively with municipalities to redevelop underutilized properties like office parks and strip malls. I’m committed to working with New Jersey Realtors and New Jersey Builders to make housing more affordable and accessible for all families and to creating good-paying jobs in this sector.”
Neither NJBA nor NJ Realtors endorses candidates in the gubernatorial election.
“We were proud to provide an opportunity for our members to be face to face with the candidates and hear from them directly on the issues that matter most to our industry and to the future of our state,” New Jersey Realtors CEO Doug Tomson said.
Jeff Kolakowski, NJBA’s CEO, added: “We greatly appreciate the candidates took the time to address our respective memberships. While housing supply and affordability are always top of mind for our members, it’s become a crucial issue for New Jerseyans in this election and the candidates each acknowledged the issue and offered specific plans to address the lack of housing supply in our state.”
