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May 21, 2025
Dear Friends,
May is a month of meaningful observances that powerfully intersect with our mission at New Jersey Future.
As we recognize both Affordable Housing Month and Older Americans Month, we're reminded of a fundamental truth: creating affordable, age-friendly, and inclusive communities is essential for ensuring all New Jerseyans—regardless of age or income—can live with dignity, security, and opportunity. Access to stable housing, especially for older adults, isn't merely about shelter; it's the foundation for health, independence, and community connection.
We're excited to share several key initiatives in this month's newsletter:
Our inaugural New Jersey Future Day at the State House, where we connected with legislators and leaders to discuss building equitable, resilient, and thriving communities
Our newly released snapshot report on housing and aging
Our Gubernatorial Candidates Forum recap and recording—Walk, Bike, Ride NJ
A special sneak peek at a digital state policy roadmap for this important election year launching in June
A reminder to register for the upcoming Planning & Redevelopment Conference (PRC)—where changemakers shaping our communities' future will gather
May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, so we encourage you to embrace spring by taking time for yourself. Whether you enjoy a stroll on a local trail, a bike ride along the shore, or a train ride to discover a new corner of our beautiful state. Connecting with the outdoors can renew your mind, body, and spirit, and hopefully set you on a path to a healthy future.
At New Jersey Future, we remain committed to our mission of advancing smart growth, advocating for great homes and neighborhoods, transportation options that don’t involve driving, and age-friendly communities. Thank you for being an essential part of this great work.
Together, we can build a New Jersey that works for everyone—at every stage of life.
Why is it so difficult to find an affordable place to live? The simple truth is that there aren’t enough homes that match people’s budgets and needs. In New Jersey, a system of “home rule” gives each town wide control over zoning, which often results in restrictive local rules that block the kinds of housing people actually need. But what if one solution is hiding right in our backyards? Read More.
The Mismatch Between an Aging Population and the Homes and Neighborhoods They Need
New Jersey—along with many other parts of the country—is experiencing a housing shortage, driving up rents and home prices and prompting many households to leave the state in search of cheaper housing elsewhere. The state is also aging, with more residents aged 65 and older than ever before. They are more likely than younger adults to face burdensome housing costs, especially as renters, and they are more than twice as likely as younger residents to be killed as pedestrians, highlighting the importance of walkable neighborhoods.
The 2025 NJ Planning & Redevelopment Conference, convening virtually on June 11–12 and in person at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick on June 13, will bring together hundreds of visionary New Jersey professionals, elected officials, and community activists who share a passion and commitment to the Garden State.
Registration includes a full-access pass to all conference programming, including 37 sessions, a virtual and in-person exhibit floor, and networking with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors. An on-demand video library, in addition to session files and resources, will be available to all conference attendees for three months following the conference. Visit the Conference website to view the schedule, sessions, and sponsors and register today!
The next governor’s transportation agenda could shape not just how people get around, but how New Jersey combats climate change, promotes equity, and drives economic growth. With just over a month to go before voters head to the polls for the primary, New Jersey Future and partners hosted a gubernatorial candidates forum highlighting how candidates will tackle urgent challenges to achieve safe, accessible infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders.
All gubernatorial candidates were invited to participate in this forum. Steve Sweeney, Steve Fulop, and Sean Spiller joined the online forum and discussed their positions on critical mobility issues related to accessibility, connectivity, and safety in the Garden State. Check out the full recording of the forum, then stay tuned for future opportunities to take action and amplify the call for safer streets and better transit statewide.
Redeveloping New Jersey, Planning for Prosperity
As we approach a crucial juncture in New Jersey’s political landscape, our focus is on advocating for redevelopment and infrastructure investments that foster strong, healthy, and resilient communities. We recognize the significant challenges ahead for our next leaders, including aging infrastructure, the increasing impacts of climate change, a housing crisis, and the high cost of living faced by many in New Jersey. While these issues are not new, they now require more than ever bold leadership, innovative approaches, and a strong dedication to creating a future that benefits all residents.
That’s why NJF is launching our policy roadmap for New Jersey’s future. These challenges give way to opportunities for transformative change. We are prepared to partner with the incoming administration and legislature to build a New Jersey where everyone can live, work, and flourish. Stay tuned for this exciting roadmap to a thriving Garden State for every New Jerseyan, coming this June!
New Jersey Future Day at the State House
NJF hosted its first-ever New Jersey Future Day at the State House, engaging lawmakers and visitors in conversations about the organization's mission and its impact on communities across the Garden State. This special day was all about offering expertise, building relationships, and showcasing key initiatives in areas such as infrastructure investments, housing options, eliminating lead, accessible transportation, and more.
The event offered a unique opportunity for policymakers, State House workers, and visitors alike to connect directly with the team, learn more about New Jersey Future’s work, and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Legislative Updates
In March, Governor Murphy’s 2026 budget proposal slashed funding in half for critical bicycle and pedestrian safety improvement programs. Pedestrian fatalities are up 30% in NJ since 2023, among the highest in the country. Now is the time to fund active transportation infrastructure—not cut it. Please take a moment tosend a lettertelling your legislators: “Don’t Cut Active Transportation Funding!”
New Jersey needs an estimated $30 billion for water infrastructure over the next 20 years. Governor Murphy’s 2026 budget again proposes cuts to critical water infrastructure funding by reducing water infrastructure funds from $60 million in State Fiscal Year (SFY)24 and $54.6 million in SFY25 to $48 million in SFY26. This funding is needed to match federal water infrastructure funding administered by the New Jersey Water Bank and to provide planning and design grants and principal forgiveness for capital improvement projects for disadvantaged communities in the NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s technical assistance program.Ask you legislatorsto oppose SRF budget cuts!
The NJ Civic Information Consortium (NJCIC) is a first-in-the-nation nonprofit created in 2018 by the Governor and Legislature to strengthen local news and civic information access in New Jersey. Without access to local news, many New Jerseyans are left in the dark about what’s happening in their own communities. The proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget eliminates $3 million in state funding for the NJCIC, a potentially devastating blow to local media and civic information access across the state. Without this funding, NJCIC’s critical work could cease. Learn more and take action to help protect the NJCIC!
NJF commended the Board of Public Utilities for its commitment to update the 2019 Energy Master Plan, which has the potential to lead us to a brighter future for all New Jerseyans, but also respectfully urged the Board to diversify its transportation sector strategies by adding provisions to reduce the amount of driving overall, as measured by Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). Read thesubmitted commentsto learn why adding VMT reduction serves as a “no regret” climate action.
Coming Up
May 22: Two New Jersey Future leaders, Sabrina Rodriguez-Vicenty and Ben Dziobek, will lead a Trenton Walks! to the other side of Route 29, enabling participants to stand next to the river and imagine what a new highway configuration might mean for those who want to bike, walk, fish, or recreate in some other way in a new park next to the Delaware River. Find more information on joining the walk here.
June 17: Outdoors on Purpose, New Jersey Future, and Reconnecting Trenton’s Riverfront will be celebrating Juneteenth together outside! Join us from 12:00-1:30 p.m. starting at Mill Hill Park. The event is free, but stay tuned for registration.
June 17: Don’t miss the second installment of the Debt Isn’t a Bad Word webinar series hosted by NJF’s Funding Navigator program. Let’s dive deep into the major updates in the State Fiscal Year 2026 Clean Water and Drinking Water Intended Use Plans (IUP).Register today!
October 9: Save the date! The 2025 New Jersey Future Smart Growth Awards will be hosted at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination! Stay tuned for an announcement of the award winners and registration details.
Smart Growth for Everyone
Smart Growth is equitable growth. It is also restorative, as smart growth and redevelopment can help correct systemic racial and economic disparities. As New Jersey Future drives land use decision-making toward more equitable outcomes, we will be sharing useful resources and lessons in this monthly spotlight. Please give us your feedback and share with us any particularly insightful articles, talks, events, or videos that you come across.
A Tale of Two Upbringings and a Shared Vision For a Healthy Environment by Jyoti Venketraman, NJF director of collaborations and organizational equity and Andrea Sapal, NJF program manager
Our formative years and lived experiences are vastly different. One of us is a first-generation immigrant, and the other is a second-generation immigrant, both of whom call this state their home. We both bring distinctly different cultural lenses and identities, yet we have shared passions and values for creating a healthy environment for everyone in NJ.
Jyoti: My formative memories of water took shape in India, rooted in a few distinct experiences. One, the first monsoon rain, and the sense of joy it brought after the scorching summer heat. Two, the flooding from heavy monsoon rains, and how difficult it would be to get to anywhere. Lastly, being aware of an inconsistent water supply, which required a workaround of storage tanks on the roof of buildings or underground, so that water is collected and stored for later use. These past events inform and shape my work today on issues of affordable and reliable water supply, and ensuring there are solutions to prevent flooding in communities across NJ.
Andrea: “Did you hear? The land is no good. It’s polluted.” Growing up, I heard various versions of that statement from the adults around me concerning a plot of land in Jersey City across from my neighborhood, but I thought nothing of it. Later, I learned the site was formerly home to a chromium manufacturing facility, which dumped chromate waste into the river, contaminating the soil and drinking water. Recently, during a conference, I found myself looking at photos of the area I knew so well. The presenter, Captain Bill Sheehan of Hackensack Riverkeeper, launched the lawsuit to hold the polluters accountable for contamination of the river. His activism will positively impact kids like me, who grew up near contaminated water sites. My lived experiences shape how important I view my work today, being part of the solution that will benefit future generations of New Jerseyans.
We both believe that a healthy environment should not be the privilege of a few but a right for everyone! Our unique cultural lens enriches our collective work through the Sewage Free Streets and Rivers Campaign, which is focused on NJ’s combined sewer overflow towns.
Guide to Local Climate Change Adaptation Planning Working with the NJDEP, Sustainable Jersey, and statewide partners, NJF led development of the Guide to Local Climate Change Adaptation Planning, providing a model Climate Change-Related Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (CCRHVA) and planning process for New Jersey Municipalities that satisfies the requirements of the 2021 MLUL amendment.
New Jersey Future is a member of The Circuit Trails Coalition and collaborated on the new report, Moving the Circuit Forward. This is a plan to get us where we need to go—making it safer and easier for people to move in their communities at a human speed. Connecting with each other. Connecting with nature. And connecting to the places they need to go.
NJF partnered with Princeton Hydro to create a New Jersey Stormwater Retrofit Best Management Practices Guide. This guide provides municipalities, counties, nonprofit organizations, developers, and property owners the tools to identify opportunities to retrofit existing stormwater BMPs and install new stormwater BMPs in built-out environments.
New Jersey Developers Green Infrastructure Guide 2.0 The Developers Green Infrastructure Guide 2.0 breaks down New Jersey’s Stormwater Rule amendments and helps developers and decision-makers more clearly understand green infrastructure options and advantages, compare alternatives, and evaluate costs and benefits.
Founded in 1987, New Jersey Future is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes sensible and equitable growth, redevelopment, and infrastructure investments to foster healthy, strong, resilient communities; protect natural lands and waterways; increase transportation choices beyond cars; provide access to safe, affordable, and aging-friendly neighborhoods; and fuel a strong economy for everyone. New Jersey Future does this through original research, innovative policy development, coalition-building, advocacy, and hands-on strategic assistance. Embracing differences and advancing fairness is central to New Jersey Future’s mission and operations. New Jersey Future is firmly committed to pursuing greater justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion through its programs, internal operations, and external communications.
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