Mikie Sherrill wants to convert N.J.’s underused commercial properties to affordable homes

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New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill will begin her four-year term Tuesday as the state faces an affordable housing crisis. She said making the state more affordable does not happen without making housing more affordable.

During her campaign, she called on the state to “work collaboratively with local governments on the conversion of underused office parks, strip malls, and industrial properties into homes, transit-oriented development, and mixed-use projects, which increases housing inventory while minimizing sprawl.”

That strategy has worked well for other states, according to John Boyd Jr., principal of The Boyd Company, a corporate site selection firm.

“It’s going to create new development opportunities,” he said, adding that the company expects to see that trend “continue to occur in the months and years ahead.”

Adam Gordon, executive director of the Fair Share Housing Center, said he is “pretty hopeful” that Sherrill can oversee the conversion of underutilized commercial and industrial properties.

He said a 2024 law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy that required municipalities to update their master plan and zoning provided incentives to reuse office parks and strip malls.

The plans still must be compliant with a series of court decisions that ensures each municipality builds their “fair share” of affordable housing known as the Mt. Laurel Doctrine.

“We’re seeing a lot more compliance with the law a lot quicker,” Gordon said. “I’m very optimistic that we’re going to see a lot of that redevelopment happen under these plans.”

Boyd, however, points out that states like Texas and Idaho are able to build homes faster because they have fewer regulations, unlike New Jersey.

“You have 560 plus municipalities, that’s 560 plus zoning and permitting systems that companies and developers need to navigate and 560 plus tax climates that companies need to navigate through,” he added.

Boyd says streamlining regulations will help New Jersey build homes faster.

Gordon, who was a volunteer on Sherrill’s transition team, hopes that the Legislature takes that up in the new session. He said cutting red tape is a much-needed “bold action” to address the housing crisis.

“I think we have to shake up business as usual and this presumption that we can have endless regulatory processes and sacrosanct home rule,” he said. “A lot of those processes are 50, 100 years old and they’re not responding to the realities of how bad it’s gotten for so many New Jersey families.”