Jersey City renters push to ban application fees for affordable apartments

Angelique Flores, 55, has been a Jersey City resident all her life. Three years ago, her husband died. Then her kids moved out of the family's apartment, and all of sudden, Flores found herself living alone and looking to downsize.

She began applying for affordable housing in Jersey City and was thrilled to find several new developments with amenities she’d never had before, like laundry and a gym. But to her shock, each application came with an additional fee.

”I was paying $30, $50, $100 … at one point, in like three months time, I must have spent at least $500 just trying to get an apartment,” Flores said.

With sometimes hundreds of people applying for just a few units in a building, Flores has been unable to secure a new apartment. Discouraged by the process, particularly the application fees, she’s instead decided to stay in her old apartment for the time being.

“ I feel like if you get the apartment, OK, keep the money, but if you don't get the apartment, it should be refunded,” she said.

Now, Flores and other Jersey City residents are raising the issue of application fees with their municipal leaders and starting to get some traction, as candidates in the city’s hotly contested mayoral race express an interest in changing the process.

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