When the legislature reconvenes next week, lawmakers will take a crack at the key priorities of Governor Mikie Sherrill, including more affordable housing in New Jersey. State Senator Troy Singleton (D-7) is the senate's leading housing expert and today acknowledged the Governor's willingness to look at issues like inventory - in context - and reaffirmed his commitment to working with her administration.

"We are going to start next week," Singleton told InsiderNJ. "You're going to see us begin that work on first time homebuyers savings accounts" and examining ways in which to give individual homebuyers a leg up over dominating institutional homebuyers.

"The goal," said the senator, "is greater affordability, accessibility, and greater inventory. It is all tied together and linked in my mind.

"The Governor's emphasis on affordability is first and foremost most important," added Singleton, who noted Sherrill's understanding of the delicate balance when it comes to housing in New Jersey, a highly populous and environmentally sensitive state.

"She recognizes the affordability, energy, housing, and taxes context and convergence," he said of the Governor. "She's talked about it in that sphere, and if we grow the inventory, we have to factor in every stratification."

Singleton said he is encouraged too by President Donald Trump's seeming understanding of the same pertinent issues on the national front and sees possible ways to effectively interface.

But it's especially Sherrill - who last year committed to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka to prioritize affordable housing - whom Singleton sees as very well positioned here on the issue with a willing legislature.

"Her construct is very specific and gives me a lot of hope frankly," Singleton. "The fact that she won by 14 - almost 15 - points - she has a mandate to deliver."

Many of the issues Singleton anticipates publicly re-examining starting next week come right out of his unfinished "HOME Initiative to Combat Housing Crisis," dropped late last year.

“The HOME Initiative reflects a simple truth – housing is the foundation of opportunity. Access to a safe and affordable home is the basis from which families can grow, children can learn and play, young people can build upon their careers, and seniors can age with dignity,” Singleton said then.

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