Candidates press divergent fixes for Newark’s housing crunch

Affordable housing dominated the Newark mayoral forum, with all three candidates calling it a top priority but offering differing strategies.

Mayor Michael Hannon pointed to recent local efforts and state funding used to convert an underused hotel and obtain housing vouchers, saying the city has mandates tied to roughly 1,800 units and urging that state requirements come with funding. “We have a well over 1,800 units that we are mandated by the state to build,” he said, and argued the state should not impose unit mandates without accompanying funds.

Alyssa Martinez said Newark should be strategic about which populations it serves and pursue partnerships with institutions and developers. “Can we partner with the district? Ohlone Community College just did that, with a developer to build some rentals,” she said, and urged clearer, targeted use of in‑lieu fees.

Jason Miguel argued rezoning for higher‑density, mixed‑use buildings would create the walkable, mixed housing that younger residents want and would increase the number of affordable units. “Mixed use to ensure that even business owners, they can live right on top of their business,” he said, adding that higher inclusion percentages or more units per parcel yield more affordable units than modest, low‑rise projects.

Candidates also discussed middle‑income housing and in‑lieu fee policies; Miguel said the city should increase the in‑lieu fee percentage when developers choose fees over building affordable units, while Martinez questioned whether the city has maximized the benefit of collected fees.

None of the candidates proposed an explicit, fully detailed financing plan at the forum; several figures (unit targets and voucher counts) were offered by speakers and should be verified against city planning documents for precise accounting. No formal action was taken at the forum.