By JF Grodeska
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS – At its most recent meeting, the borough council reviewed and voted on a new rent control ordinance to help residents struggling with rising housing costs.
During the public comment period of the meeting, members of the community came forward to describe how uncontrolled single-family apartment rents have skyrocketed. Residents described how rents have increased by $300 to $700 in one year due to the absence of regulation.
“There seems to be no end” to the increases, resident Steve Buxbaum told the council, noting that those living in his building were upset. “It has to stop. Something has to be done. It’s a hardship on people,” Buxbaum said.
The borough’s Rent Leveling Committee has worked closely with the municipal government to establish an ordinance that will combat unbridled rent increases. The new ordinance caps annual rent increases at between 1.5% and 3%, based on the Consumer Price Index, plus or minus the tax pass-through.
Before the vote, council member Jon Crowley spoke about a resident who came forward earlier to apprise the council of what he described as rent-gouging.
“I’m not going to mention names because I haven’t talked to this person,” Crowley said, “but there’s somebody that I know who is here tonight that, about a year ago, came to council (office) hours and was incredibly brave, in my opinion, and came to us with the scenario that some of you have been facing.”
Crowley also thanked everyone on the Rent Leveling Committee for being “able to right a wrong.”
The ordinance passed unanimously. After the vote, Mayor Lori Hohenleitner said addressing the rent issue was important to her. “That was a very high priority for me and I’m really grateful that we did that at our first February meeting. That was basically as fast as we could have done it,” she said, thanking the chair of the leveling committee and its members, some of whom were at the meeting.
“Just thanks, everybody,” Hohenleitner said. “This is meaningful, obviously, for people who live in our community and, hopefully, will stay in our community.”
The newly elected mayor and council have established other subcommittees and are pushing hard to quickly accomplish the goals and plans outlined in their campaigns.
The borough council also passed an ordinance recognizing the month of February as Black History Month and ushered in a new program – Local Business of the Month. The first business recognized was woman-owned and operated Salon at 68, located at 68 First Ave. Owned by members of the Fligor family – Cindy, Jenn, and Kallie – the salon has been in business since 2012.
The article originally appeared in the February 15 –21, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
