O’Dea: Solomon’s Focus on Protecting Birds Over Affordable Housing Shows His Priorities Are Out of Order

Mayoral Candidate Doubles Down on “Affordable Housing First” Agenda 

Pledging to focus his campaign on housing affordability above all other concerns, Bill O’Dea is questioning the timing of Councilman James Solomon’s proposed “bird safety” ordinance that would increase housing costs by creating more regulations and red tape on development. Solomon’s plan would require large-scale housing developments to implement specialized design standards and materials to reduce the chance of birds colliding with glass windows. In the process this would potentially increase construction costs for items like specially treated glass by up to 50% according to published reports, at a time when Jersey City desperately needs more affordable housing. 

O’Dea, who runs a nonprofit organization that has built over 750 affordable housing units and who has previously announced a plan to require that all new developments receiving tax incentives set aside at least 20% of units as affordable housing, is doubling down on his commitment to an Affordable Housing First agenda that weighs policy decisions primarily on one question: Does This Make Jersey City More Affordable? 

“Effective government is about identifying the biggest problems and then staying focused on solving them, not getting distracted by every other priority,” said O’Dea. “We can all agree that we would like to protect migratory birds, but in our city’s current housing crisis we need to keep our focus on creating and preserving affordable housing. Ordinances that do not address the issue should not be prioritized. As Mayor, I’ll approach every issue through an Affordable Housing First lens that will guide our administration's decision making, and this proposal by Councilman Solomon does not fit with that agenda.” 

O’Dea has consistently stood up for housing affordability throughout his campaign for Mayor and his career in public service. Recently, he announced that he would ban fees on affordable housing applications, and he has called out the City Council for allowing the Rent Receivership program to be eliminated, taking away a critical tool for maintaining affordable housing.