To the Editor:
I lived in Princeton for five enjoyable years. The many privileges of being a Princeton resident were never lost on me, but I sensed that things could be even more vibrant with more neighbors from various walks of life around. The unavailability and cost of housing are clear barriers to that possibility. It is a solvable problem, but the solutions require political will.
The good news is that Princeton has made good progress in recent years thanks to forward-thinking and dedicated local leaders and advocates. The sobering news, highlighted by a recent story in The Washington Post, is that we have a ways to go.
It’s important to understand that the paywall to live in Princeton has stark consequences for socioeconomic and racial inequality. During my doctoral training at Princeton University on this very topic, I calculated that, from 2018 to 2022, Princeton’s metro area ranked as the nation’s most economically segregated and one of its top 10 most racially segregated. Not coincidentally, it had the most exclusionary zoning and land use policies in the country over that same period. These are statistics that should compel us into action to undo this reality, not reinforce it.
If you’re suffering from cardiac arrest, you go to the hospital immediately. If you’re in a housing crisis, largely due to a lack of housing, you build housing of many types quickly. Requiring years of litigation and increased costs to build a modest amount of housing helps explain the previously mentioned statistics and demonstrates how not to solve a housing crisis.
One of the many tragedies of these recurring debates is the misconceptions that accompany them. Dismissing market-rate multifamily development as unnecessary “luxury” housing is at odds with the evidence and is a great way to get no housing, market-rate or affordable. Moreover, no one development or even policy for that matter will solve the broader problem. The point is not to let perfect be the enemy of good but instead make progress toward the goal of greater affordability and diversity. Additionally, multifamily development and historic preservation are not at odds. Developments like those at the Princeton Theological Seminary are exactly the kind that enhance, not destroy, neighborhood vitality. Moreover, neighborhoods are not museums — healthy ones are always changing, adapting, and making room for neighbors. Upending that process converts places like Princeton into ones that may be nice to visit, but impossible to call home for most.
We need to realize that this is a housing crisis of our making, that we all lose out from it, and most importantly, that we can solve it if we want to.
For those who want to be a part of that work, join us at Princeton GROWS. We are a coalition of neighbors educating neighbors about the facts behind the housing crisis and advocating for solutions to remedy it. I invite you to visit our website at princetongrows.com or email us at princetongrows@gmail.com to explore how you can be a part of positive change in Princeton.