NEWARK, NJ — Cash-strapped home renters in Newark scored a victory on Wednesday when the Newark City Council passed an ordinance that will require local real estate developers to set aside 20 percent of their residential units for affordable housing.

The "Inclusionary Zoning for Affordable Housing" ordinance – which demands priority for Newark residents – will apply to projects that have 30 or more "new or substantially rehabilitated units." The law mandates that the units be made affordable to those making 40 to 80 percent of the area's median income, according to a statement from Mayor Ras Baraka.

Baraka previously said that the law will help to prevent "the kind of gentrification that happens in other cities undergoing development."

