Camden County, New Jersey, is part of the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is an established urban county with strong economic and social ties to Philadelphia.
Camden County, an urban county entitlement (consisting of 29 municipalities), joined with two other entitlement communities, Gloucester and Essex Townships, to form a HOME Consortium. In 1995 the county will implement its Consolidated Plan using $3 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program funds, $983,000 in HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) program funds, $105,000 in Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) program funds, and $200,000 in program income.
A public hearing was held at the beginning of the Consolidated Planning Process, and the county also solicited input from local social service agencies that provide housing or other assistance to low- and moderate-income persons. The county then developed its Consolidated Plan based on this input.
Camden County has 152,286 households. Between 1980 and 1990, the number of persons aged 65 and older increased from 10 percent of the population to 12 percent. During that same period, the number of people aged 21 to 44 also increased. Of the county's households, 33 percent are considered to be low- or moderate-income, earning less than 80 percent of the median family income (MFI). Minorities account for about 13 percent of the overall population.
Of the 12,241 extremely low-income (0-30 percent of MFI) households in the county, 75 percent of renters and 86 percent of owners have housing problems. Of the low-income (31-50 percent of MFI) households, 81 percent of renters and 62 percent of owners have housing problems, while of the moderate-income (51-80 percent of MFI) households, 48 percent of renters and 38 percent of owners also have housing problems. There are 12,561 low-income persons and almost 25,000 moderate-income persons.
Since 1980, Camden County's housing stock has increased by 9 percent, rising to a total of 190,145 in 1990. The greatest increases in housing over the past decade have occurred in more affluent areas. Of all units, 75 percent are owner-occupied. The median value of owner-occupied housing units in 1990 ranged from $28,300 in Audubon Park to $290,100 in Haddonfield Borough. In 1990 only Audubon Park and one other municipality had homes equal to or less than $52,358. The median monthly rent in 1990 was $439, ranging from a low of $239 in Lawnside Borough to a high of $1,000 in Cherry Hill.
Nearly 75 percent of the extremely low-income renter households and 85 percent of the owner households are cost burdened, spending at least 30 percent of their income on housing expenses. Among this income group, 61 percent of the renter households and 59 percent of the owner households have cost burdens of at least 50 percent.
Nearly 80 percent of the low-income renter households and 61 percent of the owner households have a cost burden of at least 30 percent. Another 34 percent of the low-income renter households and 23 percent of the owner households have a cost burden of at least 50 percent.
Approximately 47 percent of the moderate-income renter households and 37 percent of owner households have a cost burden of at least 30 percent. Another 2 percent of the renter households and 8 percent of the owner households have a cost burden of at least 50 percent.
Of the 1,370 units that are for sale, only 4 percent are affordable to extremely low-income households, and most of these units have two or fewer bedrooms. About 12 percent of the total units for sale are affordable to households earning 50 percent of MFI or less, while 54 percent of the units for sale are affordable to households earning less than 80 percent of MFI. Very few homes are available to households earning less than 80 percent of MFI, restricting the homeownership opportunities for low-income households.
Compared to owner-occupied units, vacant rental units that households with incomes below 80 percent of MFI can afford are greater in number. Of the vacant units for rent, 56 percent are affordable to households earning less than 30 percent of MFI, while 22 percent are affordable to households earning less than 50 percent of MFI.
Through a survey conducted on June 24, 1993, the county found 334 sheltered and 53 unsheltered homeless persons. Of the total homeless population, 65 percent were single adults, and 31 percent were part of homeless families. Children, most of them under the age of 5, and two-parent families made up 23 percent of the sheltered population. African Americans were the largest racial group, accounting for 74 percent of the total population. Special needs subpopulations included: the severely mentally ill (7 percent), substance abusers (19 percent), victims of domestic violence (8 percent), homeless youth under age 17 (17 percent), and persons with HIV/AIDS (1 percent).
To serve those who are threatened with homelessness (persons paying 50 percent or more of their income on housing), the county has an extensive service system. The five core services include the following:
The need for job training is one major service gap not included in Camden County's five core services. However, homeless people need training that will lead to jobs which will reverse their situation. There is also a growing need for drug and alcohol treatment, as well as mental health treatment.
Although New Jersey allows individual communities to create their own public housing authorities, Camden County does not have a countywide (PHA). However, each of the PHAs were contacted for input into the Consolidated Plan.
The Collingswood Housing Authority operates 95 units of public housing; the Clementon Housing Authority operates 70 units; and the Haddon Township Housing Authority operates 100 units. Camden County has 1,437 Section 8 certificates and vouchers, while Cherry Hill, which administers its own Section 8 program, has 118 Section 8 certificates and vouchers. There are 150 applicants on the waiting list for Cherry Hill's Section 8 program and 1,437 applicants for the remainder of Camden County.
In addition to these units mentioned, the county provides various types of subsidized housing, such as elderly (Section 202) and handicapped (Section 811) housing.
Regulatory impediments to affordable housing are not a problem in the county.
Fair housing counseling and services are available in Camden County through the New Jersey Housing Counseling Agency. The county has agreed to advance fair housing by conducting an analysis of impediments to fair housing choices within the jurisdiction, taking appropriate actions to overcome the effects of any identified impediments, and maintaining records that reflect the analysis and any actions taken.
After consulting with the Lead Poisoning Program (LPP), the county discovered that the incidence of lead-based paint poisoning in communities within Camden County is less than anticipated. Documented cases of lead-based paint poisoning can be closely monitored by annually contacting the LPP.
The county estimates that most lead-based paint hazards exist in older housing units occupied by low- and very low-income households, who often defer maintaining their housing units because of limited resources. The county will continue to fund lead-based paint abatement as part of its housing rehabilitation program. The overall goal of a 5-year strategy will be to reduce or eliminate lead-based paint hazards and prevent childhood lead poisoning. The county will continue to gather information, developing policies and priorities based on data collected.
Current figures on the number of person with HIV/AIDS living in Camden County are not available. However, as of September 30, 1993, the New Jersey State Department of Health reports that 565 confirmed AIDS cases were diagnosed in the county. The National Commission on AIDS estimates that one-third to one-half of all people infected with HIV/AIDS are either homeless or threatened with homelessness.
The institutionalized mentally ill are most in need of supportive housing, especially after their release from institutional settings. The county has five centers or homes for the mentally ill.
Because the county's municipalities are generally older, built-up communities with deteriorating infrastructures and public facilities, the needs of each community are very similar in nature, including: infrastructure improvements, economic development initiatives, and services for the elderly.
The priorities set forth in the Consolidated Plan for the 5 years are based on the needs identified in the plan. These priorities are derived from an analysis of the county's housing stock, such as its condition, cost, size, and distribution. A number of other factors are influential, including: the needs of the county's households, consideration of the populations being served, the capacity to meet housing needs, and the resources which the county realistically anticipates receiving. The county's seven priorities include:
These non-housing development objectives pertain throughout Camden County. The long- and short-term objectives include:
The county has limited resources and opportunities for reducing the number of families with incomes below the poverty line. Because poverty is determined by income, its effect on housing choice is apparent. Paradoxically, without adequate stable housing, poverty is more difficult to alleviate.
Direct efforts to alleviate poverty -- such as combining case management, social service job training, and housing assistance -- have yet to occur. Until the Federal and State agencies responsible for these entitlement programs issue an official directive, the county will encourage local program coordinators to confer on the matter and develop local strategies.
In addition to Federal resources, the county will have access to State programs, such as the New Jersey Home Mortgage Finance Agency, which provides low-interest construction and permanent loans for single-family and multiple-unit dwellings. Another State program is New Jersey Balanced Housing, which provides funds for construction, conversion, and rehabilitation projects. The Neighborhood Preservation program is a 5-year grant program, which improves quality of life through single-family rehabilitation, rehabilitation of commercial properties, and beautification of neighborhoods in targeted areas.
The county also draws from several local programs. One program, operated by Cherry Hill Township, collects fees from developers of residential and nonresidential projects and dedicates the revenues to low- and moderate-income housing. Another program, also operated by Cherry Hill Township, requires all developers of multifamily housing to reserve 20 percent of the units within each project for purchase by low- and moderate-income households.
A number of nonprofit private resources are available throughout the county, generally in the form of major foundations. In Camden County, the only identified resource is the Gannett Communities Fund, which is available through the Courier-Post newspaper, and which supports substance abuse programs, low-income housing and temporary shelters, day care, programs for the elderly, and income job training.
Camden County will act as a clearinghouse and facilitator for many of the programs listed in the Consolidated Plan. Although nonprofit housing developers will play an important role in the implementation of the Consolidated Plan, more public/private partnerships will be needed to increase affordable housing development.
Using about $4.3 million in total funding sources, the county will implement numerous housing and community development activities in the upcoming year, including:
MAP 1 depicts points of interest in the jurisdiction.
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.
MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 6 is a map, sectioned by neighborhood, which depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 7 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within one of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 8 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within another of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 9 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded project(s) from a street level vantage point; in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).
