At one time in its history, the City of New Bedford, located on the southeastern Massachusetts shoreline, had the highest per capita income in all of America. The whaling industry, nearly 200 years ago, had put the city on the map as the most economically productive port in the nation.
After the turn of the century, textile manufacturing and commercial fishing carried the city well into the 1960s, but since then, these industries, like whaling, have proven to be economically unsustainable as well as environmentally harmful. Today, New Bedford is a city faced with the enormous challenge of creating an economically sound and sustainable course for its long-term future in the midst of major decline.
The goal for the 1995 New Bedford Consolidated Plan is to be a vital aspect of the overarching course New Bedford must design for itself to revitalize and expand its economic base. In this Plan, major objectives include: elimination of slums and blight; elimination of conditions that are detrimental to health, safety and public welfare; conservation and expansion of the City's housing stock; expansion and improvement of the quantity and quality of community services; better utilization of land and other natural resources; reduction of the isolation of income groups within communities and geographical areas; restoration and preservation of properties of special values; and, implementation of local economic initiatives which create jobs and foster urban renewal.
The New Bedford Consolidated Plan includes an action plan which represents a single application for federal funding under three HUD formula programs (and projected revenues) for a total of just over $5.4 million. The three HUD programs are the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG), and the HOME Investment Partnership. These funds will support the proposed projects for the 1995 program year.
The development of the Consolidated Plan involved citizen participation,
with an emphasis on the identification of needs and high priority gaps in
housing and community development services via an Interdepartmental/Agency Team
comprising local government, economic development and public service
representatives. Copies of the first draft of the Consolidated Plan were
published in March 1995 and made available for public review at branches of the
public library, City Hall, and the Hillman Street government complex. A public
hearing to summarize the Plan and accept written and oral comments was conducted
in early April 1995.
New Bedford is the fourth largest city in Massachusetts with a population of 99,920. With its long dependence on industries which are now in major decline--fishing and textiles-- the city suffers with the loss of over 11,000 manufacturing jobs, which has driven its unemployment rate to over 15%.
In 1990, 38% of New Bedford households had incomes below 50% of the citywide median income. These households were and still remain concentrated in certain areas of New Bedford. There are 14 census tracts in New Bedford which have a concentration of more than 51% low and moderate income households
The majority of the New Bedford population is white, non-Hispanic in race (86%); however, within the white, non-Hispanic category are Portuguese, Cape Verdean and other ethnic representation, which, until the next national census in 2000, are not distinguished by these sub-categories. According to the 1990 census, there are 8% Hispanic and 4% Black, non-Hispanic, and 8% defined as "Other." It is estimated that there are approximately 6,000 Cape Verdean households in New Bedford, again, not counted separately but scattered instead among the other ethnic and race categories in the 1990 census.
The City has the second highest school dropout rate in the Commonwealth.
Over 62% of the over-25 in age population did not complete high school;
two-thirds of this cohort did not complete 9th grade. Broken down by race, high
school non-completion is highest among Hispanic, at 62%, followed by whites at
38%. Other pertinent demographics include: 73.2% of female householders with
children under age 5 live below the poverty level; 33% of the school system's
population live in families receiving public assistance.
Intense residential construction activity around the turn of the century and into the 1920s provided housing for the large numbers of immigrants drawn to work in the textile industry. Those 3-6 family structures, still predominant in the city's neighborhoods, are emblematic of New Bedford's aging housing stock--more than 65% of the city's housing units were constructed prior to 1940.
Population groups particularly affected by the housing conditions and market in New Bedford are the elderly, immigrants, first-time homebuyers, and persons with developmental disabilities.
In 1990, 17.5% of the population was elderly; over the next decade, at least a 10% increase is expected.
Several critical housing needs are identified in the Plan: increasing the affordability of housing; rehabilitating the existing housing stock; and providing permanent housing to individuals and families who are homeless or are at risk for being homeless. To address affordable housing needs, rental assistance is needed to reduce cost burdens. To address housing quality/substandard conditions, funds are needed to help low-income individuals and families repair, delead, and maintain their homes. To address the permanent housing needs of the homeless/near homeless population, existing housing units need to be rehabbed and converted to assisted housing units.
The City of New Bedford had 41,760 housing units in 1990, 92% of which were occupied. Of the occupied units, 44% were owner occupied and 56% were rental units. Approximately 11,000 units (27% of the housing stock) had rehabilitation needs.
The 1995 median family income for the City of New Bedford is $36,600. Based on prevailing market mortgage rates, this income would qualify for a $90,352 mortgage. The average selling price of a home in the City is currently $115,000. The homeownership affordability gap is $24,648.
In 1990, a total of 43% low to moderate income households resided in housing units considered inadequate relative to cost, size, or habitability.
According to statistics collected for calendar year 1994, there were 1,619 homeless individuals and families in New Bedford. The City's current emergency, transitional and supportive housing capacity is 414 beds, leaving an unmet need for some type of shelter for 1,205 individuals and families in 1994.
The need for a continuum of housing options, including permanent housing with supportive services, is particularly pronounced among the 300 persons currently living with HIV/AIDS in New Bedford. It is estimated that approximately 100 persons with HIV/AIDS are currently homeless.
According to the New Bedford Housing Authority, there are currently 652 persons on a waiting list for Section 8 certificates.
It is estimated that approximately 7%-9% of the New Bedford population is living with a physical disability, yet only 165 units or so of assisted housing with supportive services for special needs persons who have no other living arrangements are subsidized in the City at this time.
There are 406 units of state-aided elderly housing at 5 sites throughout the City; it is estimated that 42% of the elderly population of New Bedford (7,200+) spends more than 50% of their income on housing.
Approximately 80% of the City's housing stock contains lead based paint.
Approximately 7.08%, or 13,196 persons living in the New Bedford area have a diagnosable mental illness.
There is a need for a wide range of neighborhood programs and facilities, including more youth support services, senior activity centers and programs, parks and public facility improvements in all sections of the City, and economic development initiatives.
There is a need to geographically target funding for an Area Revitalization
Strategy project in census tracts 19, 26 and 27 located in the South/South
Central region of New Bedford. This area was designated an NDP under Model
Cities and is also in an Urban Renewal Zone. These three census tracts contain
the City's highest concentration of very-low and low income households and is
seriously blighted and lacking in viable economic opportunities for the majority
of its residents.
The Consolidated Plan speaks to long-term objectives as well as one-year strategies for dealing with the housing and community development needs summarized above. However, the City faces an enormous challenge in marshalling the resources necessary to implement the Consolidated Plan. As indicated in the Plan, it would cost approximately $376 million dollars to ameliorate problems, correct deficiencies and expand resources for all of the Needs categories.
According to an inventory of federal, state and local funds available for local programs and proposed projects for FY'95, approximately $20 million can be identified to date.
Housing and Community Development Objectives and Strategies
Among the five-year objectives in this category are the creation of approximately 30 permanent SRO and multi-bedroom units beds for the disabled homeless; 6 transitional units for mentally disabled homeless persons; 2 Safe Haven units for the homeless frail elderly; 18 SRO units for homeless alcoholic/drug addicted persons; and two buildings with enough units to provide transitional shelter to about 200 women and women with children over the course of a single calendar year.
Among the five-year objectives in this category is 43 new units of public housing for low and very-low income persons, including the elderly and disabled. In addition, the Office of Housing and Neighborhood Development will work with local developers to expand the number of housing units designed for special populations as identified above as well as persons with AIDS.
The five-year objective is to provide 125 families with means for acquiring their first home through loan programs and assistance; to collaborate on the local level with YouthBuild and CDCs to provide newly constructed housing for sale to eligible first time homebuyers; and to preserve existing affordable rental housing for 200 large and small families.
Improve Neighborhood Environment and Facilities Used for Community Services and Activities:
The five-year objective includes creating and sustaining a Neighborhood Facilities Improvement Program, which will serve to provide matching funds to assist neighborhood- based organizations in correcting serious code violations, reducing lead hazards, and removing architectural barriers. Over the next five years, special attention will be directed to upgrading the infrastructure within eligible census tracts, including repairs to streets and water mains, demolition of abandoned buildings, graffiti removal, fire/police station renovations and parks and playground improvements.
Furthermore, the removal of spot blight throughout New Bedford will continue, with emphasis on the board-up and/or demolition of abandoned commercial and residential structures which cannot be rehabilitated and are a threat to public safety.
Increase Economic Development Initiatives:
The five-year objective includes sustaining CELF, a community economic loan fund. The New Bedford Corporation (NBC), a nonprofit business venture program, will administer CELF, as well as assist all types of businesses to create local job opportunities by committing CELF and other loan funds to leverage eligible projects.
In addition, NBC will assist the Office of Community Development in identifying eligible CBDOs to develop Area Revitalization Strategies which are geographically targeted to seriously depressed and blighted neighborhoods. Utilizing CELF and a microenterprise loan fund, NBC will earmark a percentage of available monies to stimulate local economic growth in designated areas.
Improve New Bedford's Community-based Planning and Management:
The five-year objective includes increasing the level and depth of community participation for future Consolidated Plans and related initiatives. This will entail offering more opportunities to community organizations and residents to participate in needs assessment research, planning and project identification meetings and public hearings to solicit comments on draft plans and identified uses of future allocations.
The Plan includes several priority actions to reduce lead-based paint hazards and prevent childhood lead poisoning.
The Plan proposes to promote affirmative marketing and to monitor compliance
with fair housing policies in government-subsidized or operated affordable
housing and to monitor private sector housing.
The Proposed Projects section of the Consolidated Plan (Section VII) identifies proposed uses for the $5.469 million from the three formula grant programs and funds recaptured through "program income." Approximately 40 projects are listed in the Plan, among these:
The Plan contains an action plan for housing in FY'95. The Plan shows the federal and local sources of funds for these housing activities, the categories of housing activities to be undertaken, and the aggregate units of housing affected by this plan.
A significant portion of the $5.469 million in new federal funds for FY'95 in New Bedford is earmarked for housing activities. Table 20--Proposed Project Allocations--identifies the specific funding sources which total more than $1,499,487 or 27% of the total amount.
MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.
MAP 3 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and minority concentration levels.
MAP 4 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and unemployment levels.
