{
  "id": 2021160,
  "title": "JCRA votes to proceed with anti-displacement study, Morris Canal remediation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/jcra-votes-to-proceed-with-anti-displacement-study-morris-canal",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-19T00:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Discovered",
    "slug": "discovered",
    "url": "http://hudsoncountyview.com/jcra-votes-to-proceed-with-anti-displacement-study-morris-canal-remediation"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At last night's meeting, the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA) decided to move forward with an anti-displacement study and the environmental cleaning of the Morris Canal redevelopment area. This vote came after a long executive session, which was longer than the open session. During public comment, several speakers expressed their concerns.\n\nOmer Calakos-Mano argued against the redevelopment/affordable housing study, stating that zoning ordinances almost always fail and rents continue to rise without much affordable housing being built. Akshay Verma also opposed the study, claiming that even if adopted, it wouldn't stop rents from rising. Stephanie Startz, who runs the Prevailing Sentiment Instagram page, suggested focusing on building more housing to bring down prices, as opposed to the inclusionary zoning ordinance (IZO). The Morris Canal Community Development Corporation (CDC) Executive Director, June Jones, was unhappy with the environment services contract, alleging that Mayor James Solomon promised they would get the project back. She accused the JCRA of being bamboozled and leaving the community out. The JCRA Counsel Joe Baumann explained that the study was paid for by grant funds and designed to do a fact-finding mission. The JCRA Chair Denise Ridley confirmed that the remediation of the Morris Canal project was ongoing and recommended by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}