What are the Staff at FFNJ Reading and Watching?

• Rethinking the Garden State: Why This Massive City Is Hiding In New Jersey (Geography by Geoff) 

• Preserving Human Connection: Pope Leo warns of ‘overly affectionate’ AI chatbots (The Hill) 

• Forced to Fill the Gap: How far can philanthropy go to fill government gaps? (The Indicator from Planet Money)  

• Understanding Local Finances: Navigating New Jersey Municipal Budgets (NJ 21ST) 

• Growing the Garden: N.J. is one of fastest-growing states in America, Census shows (as if we weren’t crowded enough) (NJ.com) 

Grantee News

Policy Updates

• Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC): In January, a Federal Judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by roughly 27 New Jersey municipalities seeking to block the implementation of the state’s 2024 Affordable Housing Law, which requires each municipality to plan for its fair share of affordable housing. This ruling marks another legal victory for FSHC, a housing advocacy organization that has successfully defended the law against similar lawsuits brought by municipalities in New Jersey state courts. Read more here…
• New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA): The New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, unanimously rejected an appeal filed by industrial groups challenging rules adopted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in 2023. The rules require businesses seeking environmental permits for new or existing facilities to assess the environmental impacts on nearby communities when applying to expand a facility, construct a new one, or renew permit authorizations. Ironbound Community Corporation, South Ward Environmental Alliance, and the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance appeared as friends of the court, represented by Earthjustice. Read more here…   
• New Jersey Alliance for Immigration Justice (NJAIJ): Immigration advocacy groups in New Jersey, including Make the Road NJ, CASA Freehold, NJAIJ and Resistencia en Acción expressed disappointment over former Governor Phil Murphy’s decision to not sign two immigration bills. The proposed legislation would have limited cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities and restricted local government agencies, including hospitals, from sharing residents’ sensitive personal information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Read more here…
• Salvation and Social Justice: Following a series of statewide hearings hosted by Salvation and Social Justice that called for greater accountability in policing, former Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation codifying the “Use of Force Directive” into law. The statute establishes clearer standards for law enforcement conduct, including restricting the use of deadly force to a last resort, limiting the use of chokeholds, and requiring officers to provide medical assistance after any use of force. Read more here…
• The Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (HCDNNJ): On his final day in office, former Governor Phil Murphy signed the Code Red legislation into law, creating a statewide framework to coordinate emergency responses during extreme weather, especially, for the unhoused. This comes after more than five years of effort made by HCDNNJ to advance stronger protections for vulnerable people during extreme weather conditions. Read more here…
• Pinelands Alliance: Environmental organizations across the state, including the Pinelands Alliance, applauded New Jersey lawmakers’ adoption of the Protection Against Climate Threat Resilient Environments and Landscapes (NJPACT REAL) rules. The regulations make New Jersey the first state to implement land use regulations designed to address the impact of climate change. NJPACT REAL raises elevation requirements in flood prone areas, expands flood mapping, strengthens wetland protections and stormwater management standards, and places new limits on development in flood-prone areas. Read more here…

Grantee Reports

• Education Law Center (ELC): ELC collaborated with two education researchers to produce a report analyzing federal support for English Learners (EL) under Title lll. The findings showed that states lack the resources to properly train teachers for the demands of educating a growing population of English learners. The report emphasized the need for a statewide evaluation of EL implementation and increased Title III funding to support the unmet needs of the growing EL population. Read more here…
• New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP): With budget season approaching, NJPP published a report identifying five major fiscal challenges facing the next governor. The report recommends reducing tax credit programs that benefit the wealthy as the state anticipates funding cuts from the federal government, growing state benefit obligations, and an expensive homeowner tax credit for seniors will make it difficult to fund essential programs without new revenue raisers.  Read more here…

Organizational Updates 

• New Jersey Future (NJ Future): The New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association and NJ Future are now accepting proposals for an upcoming three-day conference. The event will bring together innovative thinkers and encourage participants to showcase ideas and solutions that are shaping New Jersey’s future. The deadline for the proposal submissions is February 6th. Read more here…

Events

• February 4 – Newark Funder Affinity Group: Developing Shared Housing Strategies in Newark (Council of New Jersey Grantmakers) 
• February 18 – RMP Stop Work Authority and Worker Rights (NJ Work Environment Council) 
• February 19 – Philanthropy’s Role in Aligning Policy Advocacy and Community Power for Impact (Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation) 
• February 26 – Statewide Meeting for the Black Agenda (Salvation and Social Justice) 
• March 21 – Voter Girl – Paterson (League of Women Voters of New Jersey) 
• April 23 – Healthy Homes and Communities Summit Healthy Homes and Communities Summit (HCDNNJ) 
• June 12 – Call for Sessions: 2026 New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment Conference (NJ Future) 

Job Announcements

• Education Law Center – Staff Attorney Position
• Latino Action Network Foundation – Operations Coordinator
• New Jersey Policy Perspective – Senior Policy Analyst, Health 
• AAPI-NJ – Multiple Positions  
• Fair Share Housing Center – Operations Manager
• American Friends Service Committee – Multiple Positions 
• American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey – Multiple Positions 
• New Labor – Domestic Worker Campaign Organizer 
• NEO Philanthropy – Executive Director, Four Freedoms Fund / Four Freedoms Fund Action Fund