In a major win for working families, renters, and building service workers, the Jersey City Council passed two landmark ordinances championed by Councilmember James Solomon in partnership with 32BJ SEIU. The legislation directly targets corporate landlords and developers who inflate rents through algorithms or benefit from public subsidies while underpaying workers.
The first ordinance bans the use of rent-setting algorithms like RealPage—software currently under federal and state investigation for artificially driving up housing costs. The second mandates fair wages and benefits for service workers in tax-abated buildings, many of whom have not seen a standardized raise in over a decade.
“Tonight, Jersey City took a stand against illegal collusion from corporate landlords driving displacement and inequality,” said Councilmember James Solomon. “We passed first-in-the-state legislation to ban algorithmic rent collusion and guaranteed long-overdue wage increases for building service workers. If you’re a landlord using tech to jack up rents, or a developer benefiting from tax breaks while underpaying workers, we are putting you on notice: Jersey City is on the side of fairness, dignity, and affordability.”
The legislation was passed after weeks of organizing from labor advocates, tenant leaders, and community allies. 32BJ SEIU played a key role in building support:
“32BJ represents 1,500 hardworking building service workers that live here in Jersey City, along with 15,000 essential workers statewide and another 90,000 across the river in New York,” said Ana Maria Hill, 32BJ SEIU Vice President and New Jersey State Director. “Our members are the backbone of the luxury apartment buildings that define Jersey City’s upswing. But they’re the ones who have to bear the brunt of the runaway unaffordability here. I want to thank Councilman Solomon for his leadership in taking this issue head-on. Because of this legislation, luxury landlords won’t collude with their competition through algorithms to inflate already massive rents, and workers in tax-abated buildings are finally getting a raise to their standard wages for the first time in 13 years.”
This marks a significant local response to national trends: rent-setting algorithms like RealPage are under growing legal scrutiny for alleged price-fixing, and housing affordability continues to be a major concern in cities like Jersey City. By taking legislative action, Solomon and his allies have positioned Jersey City as a national leader in pushing back against algorithmic rent inflation and prioritizing worker justice.
“We’ve sent a message,” Solomon concluded. “This city belongs to the people who live and work here, not to landlords gaming the system or developers cutting corners on worker pay. Jersey City is fighting back—and winning.”
