Issue Position: Urban Communities

Issue Position

For years, New Jersey's urban areas have been a source of great strength for our state. But today, too many of our urban communities are suffering due to high unemployment, increasing violence, and vanishing opportunity. As governor, Barbara will work to lift up New Jersey's urban centers, ensuring their residents can live in strong, safe, and affordable communities for years to come. Highlights of Barbara's vision for New Jersey's urban communities include:

Lifting families out of poverty by increasing the minimum wage and restoring the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-wage earners.
Ensuring equal economic opportunity for all by giving formerly incarcerated people a fair chance to reenter the workforce and enacting tuition equality so that undocumented students can obtain the skills they need for better jobs.
Expanding worker training programs by investing in community colleges and vocational schools.
Reviving local economies by targeting incentives to small businesses, particularly those that are women- and minority-owned.
Closing the education achievement gap by expanding early childhood education, restoring before- and after-school programs, and repairing our crumbling schools.
Reducing pervasive gun violence by passing commonsense gun reforms, including universal background checks.
Lifting up communities plagued by foreclosures by promoting options that enable underwater homeowners to stay in their homes and converting foreclosed properties into affordable homes.
Helping workers and their families stay healthy by promoting the benefits of the Affordable Care Act and ensuring workers have access to earned sick days.

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