You can absolutely talk about a housing shortage, but you can’t look at supply in isolation—demand is the other half of the equation.
Since 2020, New Jersey has seen significant population growth driven largely by international immigration—estimated at over 300,000 additional residents in that period. Regardless of how or why people arrive, they all need housing, which increases demand in an already tight market.
When demand rises faster than supply can keep up, prices go up—it’s basic economics. That pressure doesn’t just affect housing—it can also ripple into costs like food, healthcare, education, and energy.
So yes, supply constraints are real, but increased demand—especially over a short period of time—is also a major factor that needs to be part of the conversation.
We don’t want more housing. It’s too crowded already. It’s a very small state. We need less people less cars and less traffic. Not more building. No more building. Enough is enough.
I would recommend that New Jersey's cities should capitalize on this opportunity by lifting many of their strict zoning and building rules. There could be a population resurgence in cities like:
Camden, peaked in 1950, now 42% fewer reside.
Atlantic City, peaked in 1930, now 42% fewer reside.
Trenton, peaked in 1950, now 29% fewer reside.
East Orange, peaked in 1950, now 35% fewer reside.
Newark, peaked in 1930, now 30% fewer reside.
Bayonne, peaked in 1930, now 20% fewer reside.
They have the infrastructure and the history, it's time they took the lead again.
You can absolutely talk about a housing shortage, but you can’t look at supply in isolation—demand is the other half of the equation.
Since 2020, New Jersey has seen significant population growth driven largely by international immigration—estimated at over 300,000 additional residents in that period. Regardless of how or why people arrive, they all need housing, which increases demand in an already tight market.
When demand rises faster than supply can keep up, prices go up—it’s basic economics. That pressure doesn’t just affect housing—it can also ripple into costs like food, healthcare, education, and energy.
So yes, supply constraints are real, but increased demand—especially over a short period of time—is also a major factor that needs to be part of the conversation.
We don’t want more housing. It’s too crowded already. It’s a very small state. We need less people less cars and less traffic. Not more building. No more building. Enough is enough.
I would recommend that New Jersey's cities should capitalize on this opportunity by lifting many of their strict zoning and building rules. There could be a population resurgence in cities like:
Camden, peaked in 1950, now 42% fewer reside.
Atlantic City, peaked in 1930, now 42% fewer reside.
Trenton, peaked in 1950, now 29% fewer reside.
East Orange, peaked in 1950, now 35% fewer reside.
Newark, peaked in 1930, now 30% fewer reside.
Bayonne, peaked in 1930, now 20% fewer reside.
They have the infrastructure and the history, it's time they took the lead again.