By The Waterfront Project, Inc.
Hudson County is booming—but who is this boom really for?
From Journal Square to the waterfront, Jersey City is exploding with new development. Sleek high-rises promise rooftop pools, concierge services, and rent prices that could fund a mortgage—anywhere but here. As cranes stretch across the skyline, low-income families, seniors, and essential workers are being squeezed out of the neighborhoods they’ve long called home.
This isn’t unique to our region. A recent article from The Davis Vanguard titled “Americans Demand Housing Abundance—But Not the Luxury Kind” struck a deep chord with us at The Waterfront Project. It describes a familiar paradox: cities are building more housing than ever, yet somehow, affordability is still out of reach for the people who need it most. That’s because what we’re building isn’t housing for people—it’s investments for profit.
Hudson County: A Case Study in Displacement
Hudson County has one of the highest housing cost burdens in the state. Over half of all renters are paying more than 30% of their income toward rent. And when rents rise and wages don’t, families are forced into impossible choices—cutting back on food, medicine, or childcare just to keep a roof over their heads. Or worse, they lose that roof altogether.
At The Waterfront Project, we serve the very people being left behind by this luxury housing boom. Our clients are overwhelmingly women-led households, many of whom live on incomes far below the Area Median Income (AMI). They’re not looking for amenities—they’re looking for dignity. They’re looking for a safe, stable, and affordable home where their kids can do homework and their elders can age in place.
Building Abundance Means Building Equity
It’s not that we oppose new development—we oppose exclusive development. Real housing abundance means housing at every price point, especially the lower ones. It means funding and fast-tracking affordable units, not just giving lip service to inclusionary zoning while waiving requirements for developers. It means public-private partnerships that prioritize community needs over corporate profits.
And it means protecting the people who already live here.
What We’re Fighting For
The Waterfront Project is not just reacting to the crisis—we’re working to solve it. We provide free legal representation to tenants facing eviction. We help families navigate housing counseling and resource referrals. And we advocate at every level of government to push for systemic change: stronger tenant protections, more deeply affordable units, and a right to counsel in eviction court.
We believe housing is a human right. Not a luxury. Not a lottery. Not a dream deferred.
What You Can Do
- Stay informed. Read and share articles like the one from The Davis Vanguard that cut through the noise and expose the real dynamics of the housing market.
- Support local organizations. Donate to or volunteer with groups like The Waterfront Project that are on the front lines of this crisis.
- Demand action. Urge local leaders to invest in deeply affordable housing, not just “affordable” units pegged to inflated AMIs.
Together, we can turn the tide—from displacement to dignity, from exclusion to equity.