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Editor, Asbury Park Sun,

I am a member of the committee in support of the short-term rental petition, municipal ballot question #3.

In a recent article, the City Council continued its singular narrative that short-term rentals are the cause of higher rents and of a reduction in affordable housing in this city. The Council, however, has never provided a scintilla of data to support their contentions. Moreover, nearly a year after their ordinance has been in effect, they offer no evidence that their new ordinance is driving down rents or making affordable housing more available.

I would implore you to instead consider an alternative narrative that includes the following three facts, among many others:

First, Renaissance Village is nearing completion. As so clearly stated by Councilwoman Clayton: “These will be the first new apartment buildings to receive applications since 1970.” Thus, the city has otherwise failed for five decades to provide for any new affordable housing buildings within its limits. Likewise, despite entering their sixth year on the Council, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor have failed to establish an affirmative plan for the city’s affordable housing going forward.

Second, I would ask that you consider our zoning map. Also known as ‘exclusionary zoning,’ the paradigm that single-family homes are king destroys the opportunity for affordable housing in a city. And, now look to the reexamination of the Master Plan signed off by Council members which proposes to eliminate even more multi-unit housing zones. The ultimate result? Easily more than 50 percent of our city now being zoned single-family. By making single-family homes our favored paradigm, we ensure that the market has not provided, and will never provide, housing units that could be considered ‘affordable.’

Third, in 2012 our average home was assessed at $180,000 and we paid $2,088 in city property taxes. For 2018, that number is now over a whopping $297,000 with a city property tax bill of $3,153. That is an increase of more than fifty percent in six years. And this Council’s spending continues unabated, with millions in new notes and bonds in the passed three years and annual budget increases which exceed the state percentage cap. Increased property taxes force less wealthy homeowners to flee the city and force landlords to pass along these additional costs to their tenants.

So, fellow residents, please consider just these three facts and ask yourself, “Why would rents be rising in Asbury Park” or “Why might there be an affordable housing crisis in this city?” If you believe, like me, the answers are more likely the result of higher property taxes, exclusionary zoning policies, and a lack of city planning for more than half a century, then vote yes on the short-term rental Municipal Ballot Question #3.

Let us stop making short-term rentals the scapegoat of our city.  And, let us allow ALL of our residents to participate in our city’s growing economy, not just those select few hand-picked by our Council.

Tim Horman

Seventh Avenue

Asbury Park

[This letter represents the opinion of its writer and is not representative of any opinion of the Asbury Park Sun staff. All readers are welcome to submit Letters to the Editor to news@asburyparksun.com for our consideration. For guidelines on letter-writing and submission, click here.]

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