Celebrating a Housing Victory in Jersey City: Breaking Ground on Bayfront

JCT/NJT Leader Uche Akpa at the Bayfront groundbreaking

May 14th, 2025 marked a major milestone in the fight for housing justice in Jersey City. Together, we celebrated the beginning of a long-awaited housing victory—one rooted in decades of organizing and persistence.

It all began when the predecessor to Jersey City Together—the  Interfaith Community Organization—fought to clean up a chromium-contaminated site on the west side owned by Honeywell. After securing a $400 million legal settlement, ICO and JCT  clergy and community leaders pushed the city to purchase the land for $100 million with a commitment to build deeply affordable housing. Now, with the first phase of construction complete, 35% of these new homes are being set aside as affordable.

This is just the beginning. More phases are coming, and Jersey City Together is committed to seeing this vision through. Our work continues—not just here at Bayfront, but in neighborhoods across Jersey City where families are still waiting for the chance to live affordably and with dignity.

Please see a video of the groundbreaking here and the following press coverage:

Decades After Churches Sued to Clean Up Toxic Land, Bayfront Construction Gets Underway, by Andy Milone, Aaron Morrill and Ron Leir, Jersey City Times, May 15th

Jersey City officials break ground on Phase I of Bayfront with 35% affordable units, by Daniel Ulloa, Hudson County View, May 14, 2025 

First Phase of Jersey City’s Bayfront Breaks Ground with Record-Breaking Affordable Housing, By Chris Fry , Jersey Digs, May 14, 2025

Bayfront Groundbreaking Marks Historic Day for Jersey City Redevelopment by Al Sullivan, Tapinto.net May 15, 2025

Jersey City Together/New Jersey Together Housing Team at Bayfront groundbreaking