Nearly 90% of registered New Jersey voters polled say the cost of renting or buying a home in the state is a problem, and 87% believe legislators should take action to address the state’s supply and affordability issues, according to a survey commissioned by the Great Homes and Neighborhoods for All collaborative, a pro-housing initiative.
A statewide survey of more than 1,000 registered voters addressed respondents’ concerns, views on the housing market, and level of support for policy solutions. The responses uncovered significant support for a comprehensive set of housing reforms among voters across key demographics, geography, and partisanship.
“Residents across New Jersey believe housing availability and affordability are the biggest challenges we currently face and agree that our elected officials need to do more at the state level,” said Helen Kioukis, policy manager at New Jersey Future and backbone staff of the Great Homes and Neighborhoods for All initiative.
“Across the country, we have seen a record number of pro-housing bills become law — 124 bills passed just in the last year. The survey reveals that New Jerseyans are overwhelmingly supportive of the types of policies that would streamline processes and allow more homes of all shapes and sizes to be built across the state.”
Additional findings include:
- 43% of voters say the cost and availability of housing is the most important issue in New Jersey, ahead of other concerns, like taxes and inflation. For respondents between the ages of 18-49, 52% identify housing as the top issue.
- 75% of voters agree that there are not enough homes people can afford to rent or buy.
- 60% of voters believe the New Jersey Legislature should prioritize building more homes and bringing down housing costs over preserving the power that cities, towns, and boroughs have over what types of homes can be built and where. This support is especially strong among voters of color: 84% of black voters and 69% of Hispanic voters agree with this priority.
- 62% of voters think it is more important to ensure that a range of housing types exist for people at different life stages and for middle- and lower-income earners than it is to keep the look and feel of the community consistent with those who already live there.
“These poll results show that more work is needed to make housing affordable in New Jersey. Workers need affordable homes near jobs, seniors need an affordable place to downsize, and younger residents and new families need an affordable start on their housing journey,” said Sen. Troy Singleton, chairman of the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee, and author of New Jersey’s landmark affordable housing law passed last year.
“That is why I continue to work on key zoning reform efforts — such as ADUs, converting vacant commercial properties into housing, and transit-oriented developments — which seek to not only increase the inventory of new homes, but do it in a smart, sustainable way that promotes economic growth.”
The survey of 1,083 New Jersey voters was conducted from Aug. 22 to Sept. 2, 2025. There is a margin of error of ±3.4%.
