Democratic Gubernatorial Hopefuls Tackle Housing and Justice Reform in NJ

Montclair — At Congregation Bnai Keshet, three out of six Democratic contenders for the gubernatorial nomination participated in a panel discussion before an overflow crowd on Sunday afternoon. These aspiring politicians addressed questions from moderators regarding their positions on several key topics chosen by NJ Together’s steering committee, which represents a nonpartisan coalition with ties across different faith communities.

The panel included Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. All contenders from both parties’ primary elections were extended an invitation for a private discussion with NJ Together’s board members; however, out of the six Democratic candidates, only five chose to attend, while no Republican participants showed up, as stated by Jessica Brater, who leads the organization’s Essex County branch.

In his introductory comments, Brater informed the audience that Sean Spiller, the town’s previous mayor, was “the sole Democratic contender who decided against meeting with us.”

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NJ Together decided to extend an invitation to the five individuals who had previously addressed its board, allowing them to participate in the open forum held at Bnai Keshet. Each participant was granted a restricted period during which they could present their views on providing affordable housing options for low-income residents and people with disabilities, along with proposed changes to the criminal justice system aimed at breaking the pattern of reincarcerating former inmates because of minor probation infractions.

Housing

The moderators from NJ Together, along with all the board members, posed questions to the candidates about potential policies aimed at tackling two major obstacles for New Jersey’s housing market: finding new locations for construction projects and providing subsidies for building more affordable homes.

All three candidates agreed new housing cannot be constructed where it is not permitted.

"The first thing is you need to confront 'home rule,'" Fulop said, referring to the autonomy of municipal leaders to self-govern their local zoning. "If you're going to be a strong governor, you can't have every single mayor dictating NIMBY-ism," a derogatory initialism that describes residents who vociferously fight off new development based on the phrase "Not In My Back Yard."

Earlier, Sherrill mentioned the same term during her discussion about her initiative to create additional communal living spaces for people with disabilities and senior citizens. This included plans like those for accommodations intended for individuals with developmental disorders in Morristown, where they encountered what she described as significant 'not-in-my-backyard' type concerns, as stated by the Congresswoman.

She stated that it requires a collective effort from the community to resist those attempting to rezone areas, thereby preventing the establishment of such group homes.

Utilizing state money to match private funds for new housing, such as the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations' Housing Investment Trust would effect lower costs for both mortgages and rentals, according to Sherrill.

A comparable proposal from Baraka would set up a fund financed through individual investments. This would be achieved initially by depositing public funds into an account, which would minimize the risks for private donors. These investors would then receive returns on their security prior to any involvement of the state.

Justice reform

Specifically, the NJ Together initiative asked each candidate about their views on preventing parolees from returning to correctional institutions long-term through measures such as ending the practice of reincarcerating ex-prisoners for minor infractions like traffic offenses, missing appointments with parole officers, and failing to pay court-imposed fees.

"People have to take the bus for their parole hearings. However, since the bus is delayed, they end up going back to jail as New Jersey Transit isn’t functioning properly," stated Baraka.

The Newark mayor also pointed out the problem of "excessive fines" imposed on parolees, even though they struggle to find employment due to their criminal history. Additionally, he mentioned the challenge posed by "overly stringent or complicated" halfway homes that hinder parolees from effectively searching for jobs.

Sherrill agreed that too many inmates run afoul of the correctional system after their release due to a lack of gainful employment.

"In too many cases, a sentence in prison is a lifetime sentence, because it is difficult to re-enter communities," Sherrill said. "One difficulty is ensuring people get real employment, not minimum wage but a career."

For Fulop, one proposed change involves setting limits on probation periods. He points out that numerous prisoners become eligible for parole once they've completed 80 percent of their sentence. However, these individuals often find themselves under supervision for much longer than the time they would have spent incarcerated.

"Parolees' balances should always remain at or below the remaining 20%," Fulop stated.

The article initially appeared on NorthJersey.com. Democratic contenders for New Jersey's gubernatorial race tackle topics of housing and justice system overhauls.