FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 28, 2025
CONTACT: Karina Diaz, Hudson County Executive’s Office
PHONE: 201-795-6200
JERSEY CITY, NJ — Today, Hudson County’s first-ever Affordable Housing Task Force affirmed County Executive Craig Guy’s agenda to address the affordable housing crisis through a letter advising the use of county-owned land to construct affordable housing for residents.
“As County Executive, I am happy to receive this letter of commonsense recommendations to address the enduring affordable housing shortage in Hudson County. Redeveloping underused County property to build affordable housing units for our residents is a sound idea consistent with my Administration’s goals,” said County Executive Craig Guy. “Measures to address tough issues is one of the main reasons Hudson County developed the Affordable Housing Task Force, and I thank Chairman Bill Matsikoudis and all members of the group for their dedicated work to address the affordable housing crisis impacting Hudson County.”
“The Task Force was designed to bring together people from disparate backgrounds – affordable housing advocates, social service providers, builders, government officials and representatives of the Labor Movement – to get all relevant perspectives on the table,” said Bill Matsikoudis, Chairman of the Hudson County Affordable Housing Task Force in his letter to County Executive Guy. (T)he one thing we all strongly agree upon is that Hudson County should act without haste to utilize county owned land for residential development with inclusionary affordable housing wherever possible.”
As an example, the letter makes the case that Hudson County Plaza on Cornelison Avenue in Jersey should be considered as a potential affordable housing site, which is possible to do while still maintaining parking for county employees. The Task Force further suggested that all current parking spaces spread across the County Plaza site could be accommodated under vertical buildings, recommended that the County take the necessary steps to consolidate land used for surface parking and redevelop the freed-up land for housing.
County Executive Guy announced the formation of the County’s first-ever Affordable Housing Task Force in November, 2024. The Task Force was given the responsibility to provide policy recommendations that will assist the County and municipalities in expanding affordable housing opportunities.
“In creating the Affordable Housing Task Force, I thought it was very important that everyone have a seat at the table, because this is not a problem that can be solved by government alone, County Executive Craig Guy stated. “It is only when we work together that we can find solutions to our most pressing problems.”
The letter to County Executive Guy from the Hudson County Affordable Housing Task Force, as received, is attached to this press release.
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