JERSEY CITY, NJ — County Commissioner and mayoral candidate Bill O’Dea is going after Councilman James Solomon in a pointed new television ad now running on cable and digital platforms. The spot calls out Solomon for obstructing affordable housing development in Downtown Jersey City and doing nothing to curb the wave of illegal rent increases and evictions that have driven longtime residents from their homes in recent years. It also notes that an independent housing advocacy group labeled Solomon’s housing agenda “deeply misguided” while throwing its support behind O’Dea’s plan to make the city more affordable.
The ad can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvFK16hcyS0“
I’m the only candidate who has actually built affordable housing from the ground up, which is exactly why an independent advocacy group endorsed my campaign,” O’Dea said.
“Solomon has sat on the City Council for eight years while rents exploded, families were pushed out, and the city let landlords break the law with illegal hikes. He killed any chance of bringing back rent receivership, handing slumlords a free pass to evict low- and moderate-income tenants. Jersey City needs a mayor who can both add new affordable homes and defend the ones we have—I’m the only one with the track record to do it.”