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Now that those efforts are beginning to pay off, the city faces another growing challenge: gentrification. Rents in at least some parts of the city, which had been rising steadily for years, have now begun to soar out of range for many longtime residents.
The administration of Mayor Ras Baraka has formed an 11-member commission of experts and stakeholders to “ensure that development policies and projects in Newark incorporate the principle of equitable growth,” the city said in a statement.
“We created this commission to ensure that the benefits of Newark’s surge in new development and investment are shared by all Newarkers. We have brought together a group of housing, neighborhood development, academic and community activists all dedicated to the equitable growth of our city. The commission is committed to developing strategies to guarantee that residents of limited economic means are not displaced by gentrification,” said Baraka
The commission’s members and their group affiliations are:
Al-Tariq Shabazz (Manager, Office of Affordable Housing); Aisha Glover (Newark Alliance); Joseph Della Fave (Ironbound Community Corp); Richard Cammarieri (NCC); Raymond Ocasio (La Casa De Don Pedro); David Troutt (Rutgers-CLiME Center); Judith Thompson-Morris (LISC); Ommeed Sathe (Prudential); Kevin Lyons (Rutgers-Business School); Bradley Gonmiah (Student Member); and Carolyn B. Thompson-Wallace (IYO).
The commission is just one facet of a multi-part strategy to preserve affordable housing in the state’s largest city, officials said. Rent control laws have also been strengthened, free legal representation is being provided for people facing eviction and code enforcement has been enhanced, the city said.
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