ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

The Builders League of South Jersey wants to educate residents on the issues that impact the cost and availability of housing in New Jersey.  The advertising campaign was meant to be eye-opening and almost shocking. It is intended to jolt awareness and create an open discussion on the best ways to provide people with much-needed housing while balancing the needs for open space preservation and the protection of natural resources.

The Builders League is one of the many housing groups in the state that constantly hears the question, “Why can’t builders build the simple neighborhoods we all grew up in – small houses on little lots – at a cost that the average family can afford?”  You may know people who struggle to put a roof over their heads.

The answer to that question is somewhat complex.

There is a desperate need for housing that the state’s working families can afford. New Jersey’s population has been growing by 75,000 new residents a year. In South Jersey we see nearly 40,000 new residents each year. While the population growth has slowed in the last four years, the need for housing remains. Despite the new homes you see in your community, the housing industry has not been able to meet the demand for new homes. As well, there is an equally desperate need to create a balance in growth that would allow builders to provide for people while protecting our natural resources and already-preserved areas with future open space and farmland preservation. The Builders League does not believe that decisions on how land is used should be based on three options: 1. preserve it, 2. prevent it from being built, or 3. see it built. With our population growing there has to be a better way to do both.

Land use decisions that affect the availability of housing in New Jersey will affect the affordability of housing for all the state’s residents, whether or not we are in the market for new housing.

Most of the general public, however, believes that builders are the cause of New Jersey skyrocketing home sale prices. Many truly believe that builders only want to build big-lot luxury housing and active adult communities. Builders only build what they are allowed to build by zoning and regulations. Local and county planning and zoning boards create the master plans that determine the size of homes and neighborhoods that are built within our communities. If an area is zoned for homes on one, two, five or 10 acres than that is what gets built.

Approvals and permits also add to the cost of housing. Currently there are more than 150 different permits and approvals on five levels of government that must be satisfied before a builder can break ground. Some of these are duplicates within government agencies. The approval process often takes 3-5 years and adds $75,000-$100,000 to the sales price of a new home. Add this to the cost of buildable land, labor and materials and you’ll begin to understand why the cost of housing has skyrocketed in New Jersey.

The Builders League campaign wants residents to understand that they are not getting the whole story on why the costs of housing have skyrocketed in New Jersey. You should know that your local elected officials will not address the issue of housing affordability unless they hear from you. Your voice is very powerful. Our state legislators and local leaders will listen.