You’re Not Getting the Whole Story

• Legislative Alert: Your opinion matters. Let your voice be heard or quit complaining about New Jersey. After reading the information below take just 5 minutes and let your public officials know how you feel; Click Here.
• YOU’RE NOT GETTING THE WHOLE STORY. Do you ever wonder why the cost of housing in New Jersey is so out of reach for the average working family? Do you ever wonder if the only way you or your children will be able to own a home is if you inherit it from Grandmom or win the lottery? Do you ever wonder when or if things will change?
• In this busy life we all live here in New Jersey it’s hard to grasp a complete understanding of all the issues that impact our ability to afford a decent place to call home. We don’t think the general public is getting the whole story; so we’ll begin to explain it to you. Decisions that are made on how we live and grow here in New Jersey in the future will have a direct impact on every resident, including you.
• Many public officials and environmental groups would easily point the blame for all that ails the state at one industry - construction. That is not possible when policy makers decide how business and industry function in New Jersey. The construction industry is what provides you with all the places you need to live your life, including having a place to call home. You may even know some of the more than 330,000 people who work because of the state’s construction industry.
• Public policy regarding how land is used in New Jersey - whether it’s developed or not - has a direct impact on housing affordability. Take a few minutes to understand how decisions that are made with regard to housing in New Jersey have a direct impact on your being able to keep a roof over your head in the future. Then take a few minutes to see the recommendations for balanced solutions to solving New Jersey’s housing crisis in the Builders League of South Jersey Smart Growth Platform. Read on.
• Why can’t developers build the simple neighborhoods we all grew up in - small homes on little lots - at a cost the average working family can afford? There is an explanation, but, first, understand what it takes to put a roof over your head. Click Here for "Raising the Roof: Understanding why housing costs have skyrocketed in New Jersey."
• FACT: Did you know there are 2.5 million people - about 1 million households - who live in overcrowded or substandard homes in New Jersey? Most pay an unreasonable amount of their income to afford a place to live.
• FACT: New Jersey residents already know we’re a big crowd. The New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan estimates that our population will grow by another million people in the next 15-20 years. That means we’ll have nearly 10 million people living on 4.8 million acres. Making sure we all have enough room will require a balance of planning for people to have places to live, work and play.
• FACT: New Jersey will never look like one giant metropolis, because nearly one third of the state’s land is already preserved, severely restricted from future development or undevelopable.
• GO AWAY; WE DON’T WANT YOU HERE: When current residents want to protect the value of their homes, they will often pressure their elected officials to change the zoning laws in town, thus creating the not-in-my-back-yard (NIMBY) downzoning phenomenon that only allows large homes on large lots to be built. This is the very definition of sprawl. If this doesn’t seem fair to you, take 5 minutes and let your public officials know how you feel; Click Here
• FACT: The population growth in South Jersey will happen because our families are growing. According to U.S. Census data, births exceed deaths in the region by nearly 40,000 each year.
• It is possible to balance New Jersey’s future growth with open space protection and preservation. The key is counterweighing all the advantages, disadvantages and opinions to focus on what people really need.
• We would all like to see our cities revitalized, because strong cities strengthen the surrounding suburbs. Yet, few of us are ready to raise our families in Camden or Atlantic City. Will banning homes in the suburbs make the cities more livable? If this doesn’t seem fair to you then take just 5 minutes and let your public official know how you feel; Click Here
• Why should you care about housing? Because, skyrocketing costs may price you or your family members out of having a place to call home in New Jersey. According to an economic survey conducted by the Builders League of South Jersey, for every $1,000 increase in the cost of housing approximately 7,000 households are priced out of the market in South Jersey alone. You have a say in how you live here; Take just 5 minutes and Click Here
• Having a home of your own matters to us. Finding balanced solutions for everything we need to live here in the future is just smart growth. As New Jersey residents we expect to enjoy ourselves wherever we chose to live, call home a place that’s safe and clean, be a part of strong neighborhoods and send our children to good schools. We also want to feel secure. We want jobs close to home and we can’t stand getting stuck in traffic. Yet, we want to enjoy acres of open space that will be left for the ages. What if that doesn’t happen in New Jersey because the current plan for the future will allow so few new homes and businesses to be built that only upper income residents get to enjoy the American Dream? What if you were out? There is a smarter way to balance New Jersey’s growth. Click Here for "BLSJ Smart Growth Platform."
• Did you know? It’s a myth that new homes in South Jersey cause property taxes to rise. Towns and businesses actually benefit from growth. An economic impact study conducted in the seven South Jersey counties showed that the construction of 3,088 single-family homes generated more than $505.6 million in local income, $75 million in taxes and other revenue for local governments, 12,524 local jobs and a direct and indirect impact from the construction activity and local workers who spend part of their wages within the local community.
• FACT: The economic impact of new housing in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland, Cape May and Atlantic counties is over $1.5 billion annually. When housing is discouraged, jobs are lost. What will people do for a living?
• FACT: There are 330,000 people in New Jersey whose jobs depend on new homes being built. Construction has a wide-ranging ripple effect on the state and local economy, from the construction phase to the effect of added monies being spent by new neighbors in the community to the on-going annual effect of jobs, businesses and taxes being generated. See how many people you may know who work in the housing industry. Click Here for "New Jersey Works When New Homes Are Built."
• FACT: The average cost of a new home in New Jersey is now more than $520,000. The average working family in New Jersey earning approximately $55,000 annually, can afford a home costing about $160,000. Does Grandmom have to pay the rest? If you believe overregulation is pricing you out of having a place to call home, take 5 minutes and let you public officials know how you feel; Click Here
• FACT: The average rent of a two-bedroom apartment is $1,100 a month statewide. To afford that home, a worker must earn at least $19.74 per hour - nearly four times the state’s minimum wage.
• Development in New Jersey is strictly controlled. Each aspect of construction - be it for homes, businesses, or recreation - is subject to regulations and approvals on all levels of government in New Jersey. Companies and individuals can only build what they are allowed to build by law and regulations. The web of approvals and permits needed in the construction process can be daunting. It has often been said that in order to build a single home, a developer must satisfy any number of 150 different permits and approvals on 5 levels of government. That can take between three to five years; sometimes more. To take a look at understanding the approval process, Click Here "Raising the Roof: Understanding the Regulatory Aspects of New Home Construction in New Jersey."
• Wait! We have to check your work. The construction of a single home in New Jersey is subject to strict quality control inspections and approvals. Families cannot move into a new home until all the final inspections are completed. To view the brochure "Moving Sticks and Bricks: New Homes in New Jersey Are Inspected In Every Phase of Construction", Click Here for "Moving Sticks and Bricks: New Homes in New Jersey Are Inspected In Every Phase of Construction"