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Public backlash grows after council introduces rent-control overhaul; president says draft will be reworked
Summary
Council President Waterman introduced ordinance 25-107, a proposed change to Jersey City's rent-control regime. Tenants, housing advocates and tenant-rights lawyers testified at length against the measure during public comment, and the council president said a revised, enforceable draft will replace the proposal.
Jersey City Municipal Council members moved forward with the first reading of ordinance 25-107, a proposed overhaul of the city's rent-control rules, drawing hours of public comment that described the measure as a threat to existing tenant protections.
The ordinance, introduced at first reading, includes a hardship formula tied to an owner’s net operating income (NOI) and other mechanisms advocates said would let landlords pass fines and compliance costs onto tenants. In response to speakers and council questions, Council President Joyce Waterman told the chamber the current draft will be withdrawn and replaced with a revised, enforceable ordinance.
Why it matters: Tenants and housing groups said the draft would weaken rent-control protections at a moment when many Jersey City residents are already struggling with unsafe housing conditions,…
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