NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Reframing the language used to describe affordable housing projects can enable community members to think differently about the need for such projects, and help move development plans through the approval process, say panelists who discussed the topic at the New Jersey Future Redevelopment Conference last week here.
Achieving better results in community engagement will be even more essential in the wake of last week's court decision reaffirming affordable housing targets in Princeton and West Windsor, says Staci Berger, president and chief executive officer, Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey.
“Everybody lives in a home that's affordable to them,” Berger says. “So when we say 'affordable housing,' we mean one thing, we mean a home that somebody built that was subsidized, but that's not what most people mean when they say 'affordable housing.' Most people hear very negative connotations. Everybody deserves a safe, decent place that they can call home.”
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Steve Lubetkin
Steve Lubetkin is the New Jersey and Philadelphia editor for GlobeSt.com. He is currently filling in covering Chicago and Midwest markets until a new permanent editor is named. He previously filled in covering Atlanta. Steve’s journalism background includes print and broadcast reporting for NJ news organizations. His audio and video work for GlobeSt.com has been honored by the Garden State Journalists Association, and he has also been recognized for video by the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He has produced audio podcasts on CRE topics for the NAR Commercial Division and the CCIM Institute. Steve has also served (from August 2017 to March 2018) as national broadcast news correspondent for CEOReport.com, a news website focused on practical advice for senior executives in small- and medium-sized companies. Steve also reports on-camera and covers conferences for NJSpotlight.com, a public policy news coverage website focused on New Jersey government and industry; and for clients of StateBroadcastNews.com, a division of The Lubetkin Media Companies LLC. Steve has been the computer columnist for the Jewish Community Voice of Southern New Jersey, since 1996. Steve is co-author, with Toronto-based podcasting pioneer Donna Papacosta, of the book, The Business of Podcasting: How to Take Your Podcasting Passion from the Personal to the Professional. You can email Steve at [email protected].
