Mikie Sherrill - as all gubernatorial candidates are wont to do - spent a lot of time last fall talking to people around the state.

One thing she said she constantly heard was that:

"I don't know how I can afford to stay here."

Nothing unique about that view.

Some estimates are that home prices have increased by 60 percent over the last five years.

On Monday, the governor issued an executive order to do something about it - build more housing.

Her order presented three deadlines - ranging from 45 to 60 to 150 days - to put housing construction into action.

She envisioned mixed housing price range-wise on the theory that increasing supply would reduce costs.

Key to the plan appears to be the use of vacant state-owned land, which could accelerate construction.

This would include land owned by NJ-Transit. In many cases, that would allow housing construction near train stations, which would be an attractive lure to buyers and renters.

Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, whose district is in South Jersey, said using state land would particularly help build homes in such urban areas as Atlantic City. Camden and Trenton.

Here is how the order issued today breaks down, according to the governor's office.

Within 45 days (by June 11), the order convenes the Housing Governing Council.

Within  60 days (by June 27), the order directs agencies to conduct a process, budgetary, regulatory, and land review. All agencies and authorities are required to submit a written housing affordability report that will highlight immediate actions that state government could take to accelerate housing production, cut red tape, build on state owned land, increase coordination among agencies, remove unnecessary regulatory barriers, and increase transparency for state processes. The reports will also highlight existing innovative initiatives dedicated to accelerating production of affordable and workforce housing units, increasing access to affordable units, lowering costs, and increasing access to housing opportunities.

Within 150 days (by September 24), the order requires the Housing Governing Council to issue recommendations on five key issues:

Defining housing goals.

Tracking and accelerating housing production

Developing unutilized and surplus state property into housing

Coordinating funding and financing processes for housing development

Inventorying and increasing access to affordable housing opportunities

Sherrill said she thinks this is the "most aggressive" housing plan in the nation.