The Township of Edison is situated in Middlesex County and is approximately 31 Square miles in area. Major highways such as the New Jersey Turnpike, U.S. Route 1 and Interstate 287 provide access to regional and national markets. Due to its locational advantages and work force, the Township is home to such major employers as Revlon, Ford Motor Company and Frigidaire.
The Township of Edison Consolidated Plan presents a strategic vision for housing and community development needs based on an analysis of local circumstances and conditions. It includes a One-Year Action Plan for spending approximately $668,000 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds in 1995. These funds will primarily be spent on housing, public facilities and public service activities.
The Township of Edison conducted "focus group" interviews with relevant organizations throughout the Township. The original plan was to convene a minimum of two meetings with focus groups consisting of interested citizens, established non-profit organizations, and interested groups which provide services to Township residents. Based on the limited attendance of residents at the first public hearing and the fact that no citizen in attendance offered any comments on the Consolidated Plan, it was decided that the focus group should include only housing providers or human service organizations. The Township particularly encouraged the Edison Housing and Redevelopment Authority (EHRA) to become a participant in the Consolidated Plan process. Two public hearing were held after being publicized in three local newspapers. Before the second hearing, and for a 30 day period, copies of a draft Consolidated Plan were available for public review and comment. The Plan was approved and adopted by the Township Council's on July 13, 1995.
The Township experienced significant growth between 1980 and 1990. Total population increased by 26% from 70,193 persons in 1980 to 88,680 persons in 1990. The number of new housing units during the same ten-year period increased from 24,313 units to 32,832 units. Edison is now the seventh largest municipality in the State of New Jersey.
Edison Township is a relatively affluent community. Family median income in 1990 was $55,837, which was slightly higher than the region's median income of $55,147. According to the 1990 Census, 75% of the population is white. Minority concentrations, as a percentage of total population, are as follows: 10.3% Asian/Pacific Islander, 4.5% Black, and 4% Hispanic. 1.8% of white families were below the poverty level. The percentage of Black and Asian/Pacific Islander families with incomes below the poverty level were 3.0% and 2.4%, respectively. The percentage of Hispanic families below the poverty level was the lowest rate for all racial/ethnic groups at 1.3%. There are eleven census tracts where Asian\Pacific Islanders and three census tracts where Blacks exceed 10% of the population. No census tracts have concentrations of Hispanics which approach 10% of total population. Approximately 9% of the total population is over 65 years of age.
Governments and a variety of service industries dominate the local economy. The 1994 Census reported the unemployment level in Edison Township was six percent.
The Consolidated Plan set forth three basic goals which are closely related to HUD's major commitments and priorities. First, the programs are to provide decent housing. Included within this broad goal are the following: assist homeless persons to obtain affordable housing; retain the affordable housing stock, and increase the availability of permanent housing that is affordable to low-income persons.
The Township's Plan emphasizes housing assistance and resources to extremely low- income, severely cost-burdened renters (small and large families) ; extremely low-income, severely cost burdened elderly homeowners; and low-income, severely cost burdened renters (small and large families).
Minorities make up a higher portion of the population of very low income persons than the community as a whole. The data also demonstrates that 100% of all Black and Hispanic small families who own their homes have some housing problem.
The Township experienced significant growth between the 1980 and 1990 Censuses. Total population increased by 25% from 70,193 persons in 1980 to 88,680 persons in 1990. The number of new housing units built during the ten-year period increased from 24,313 units to 32,832.
Of the 32,832 year-round housing units, 67% (21,254 units) were owner occupied while 33% (10,571 units) were renter occupied. Over 32% of the housing stock is 30 years or older. According to Middlesex County Board of Realtors, the average sale price of a single- family home in 1994 was $185,655. The average monthly housing payment with mortgages was $1,204 per month. For homeowners without mortgages, the average monthly housing cost was $394. Over 6% of all homeowners paid more than 30% of income on housing costs. In 1990, the median contract rent was $700 and 8.3% of all renters paid over 30% of income on housing.
Market forces which affect the supply of affordable housing are land values, lending policies, interest costs, and the return on investment of alternative types of development or risk ventures. The development or preservation of affordable housing for extremely low and low-income families tends to be a high-risk venture with limited return on investment. Also, private capital is not readily available for such development. Affordable housing is more likely to be developed through some form of government action (e.g., COAH "set aside") or direct subsidies (e.g., Section 8 Certificates or public housing.
Households with income at or below 50% of the Median Family Income (MFI) have the greatest housing cost burden. Data indicates 87.6% of all small-related households, 86.3% of large- related households and 61.4% of elderly households receiving less than 51% of Median Family Income (MFI) had housing problems. They need rental assistance and affordable housing options, and owners need rehabilitation assistance.
In order to estimate the current and short-term needs of the Township's homeless population, two shelter operators which are based in the Township were interviewed. Catholic Charities is a traditional emergency and short-term shelter operator which provides temporary housing and many services to single women, single heads of households with children, two-parent families, and couples. In 1994, Catholic Charities assisted 730 families consisting of 1,033 individuals. Over 60% of the persons assisted were minorities, all had incomes below 30% of MFI. Middlesex Interfaith Partners with the Homeless (MIPH) operates a transitional housing facility called "Amandla Crossing". Over the past four years, MIPH has assisted over 100 homeless families. Since the program was opened in 1991, over 600 families have applied, but due to space limitations, only 20% of the applicants can be admitted. In regard to the ratio of adult to child population, there is generally one adult to every two children served.
A critical need exists for permanent supportive housing environments for homeless and non- homeless with special needs, such as the frail elderly, persons with disabilities, and persons with HIV/AIDS.
The Township of Edison has 732 housing units with some type of Federal assistance. Of those units, 160 are public housing and approximately 332 are Section 8 rental units. The remaining 240 units receive assistance from other Federal programs. The overall condition of the public housing stock is good. Five of the 160 units are vacant and are to be renovated during the next CIAP grant round. None of these units are expected to be lost or demolished during the Consolidated Plan period.
At the present time there are 470 families on the public housing waiting list. As of July 21, 1994, the intake of new applications was suspended. There are 678 families on the Section 8 waiting list, as of June 20, 1994, the intake of new applications for the Section 8 program has also been suspended. No Section 8 units are expected to be lost from the assisted housing inventory.
The Township does not operate any programs which directly assist non-homeless persons with supportive housing needs (e.g., frail elderly, persons with substance abuse problems, persons with HIV/AIDS) or the developmentally disabled. Providing supportive housing to the developmentally- disabled is addressed by the State Division of Development Disabilities, which contracts with private organizations.`
The lack of affordable housing is one of the most critical housing problems in the Township. The Township has acted in a proactive manner in encouraging the development of affordable housing and, particularly, in preventing the loss of affordable housing in the community. The Township has amended its zoning and development ordinances to require developers of multi- family housing to set aside a minimum of 10% of the proposed units for low-income families. The Township has also zoned land for the development of multi-family housing. A staff person has been assigned to refer prospective low-income renters and buyers to developers of affordable housing. There do not appear to be any local government barriers to the preservation and development of affordable housing. The primary barriers to the development of affordable housing are pending HUD budget cuts, disincentives in the Federal tax codes, and lack of private financing or disinterested lenders.
Middlesex County Housing Coalition provides fair housing counseling and other housing services to low-income residents. Data on the demographic profiles of buyers and renters (in terms of protected classes) was not provided. The Plan did not reflect any current court orders, consent decrees, or HUD-imposed sanctions that affect the provision of fair housing remedies.
Of the 32,832 housing units in the Township of Edison, approximately 82% were constructed before 1980, when lead-based paint was still in use. The Township estimates 13% of the units built prior to 1940 are occupied by persons receiving less than 30% of MFI. Lead-based paint abatement has been a part of public housing modernization since 1986. In May, 1995, 3 cases of lead poisoning were reported in Edison Township. None of these cases are in the school-age population. Two individuals moved into Edison with this problem; a third contracted lead-poisoning at work.
The Township of Edison has identified the critical need for affordable housing, homeless assistance and prevention and the development of a viable economic development program. Recently, the Edison Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) was formed to promote job opportunities and to attract new businesses to the community. The Township conducted a business retention survey, the results of the survey will be useful in adopting Township policies and programs to sustain job opportunities for low-income persons. There are now three proposals under review which would enable the Township to utilize funds which would implement the following: develop a revolving micro-loan program to enhance small business entrepreneurs and job opportunities for low-income persons; develop a Career Preparation Center to train and obtain jobs for disadvantaged youth and adults, and to conduct formal studies of areas and sites that have been difficult to develop and are under utilized.
The plan emphasizes housing assistance and resources to extremely low-income, severely cost-burdened renters and elderly homeowners. Other needs include the removal of architectural barriers, providing job opportunities for low-income residents, affordable child care, and financial support to human service agencies.
The Township of Edison has developed a listing of strategies, priority needs and objectives as a mechanism to best address the housing, homeless and non-housing community development needs. The strategies and objectives have been designed in a manner to best utilize the limited housing and community development resources. Housing objectives focus on the supply of affordable housing. Community development objectives are to revitalize residential and neighborhood commercial areas, provide economic development opportunities for low- and moderate-income citizens, provide adult education and vocational training programs, emergency assistance for at-risk families and individuals, and infrastructure improvements.
Priorities for affordable housing include increasing the supply of affordable housing and reducing housing cost burdens for low-income households, improving the living environments of lower income residents, assisting public housing residents to become more self-sufficient, addressing the needs of large families, the elderly and persons with disabilities, educational and vocational training programs, accessible transportation and infrastructure improvements.
Priorities for affordable housing include increasing the supply of affordable housing for extremely-low and low income renters, small and large families. There is also a need to assist the extremely-low and low-income homeowners.
The non-housing community development priorities includes educational and training programs for adults and youth, child care services, infrastructure improvements (street, sidewalk and sewer), and public facilities improvements (parks, recreation, and youth centers and health facilities).
The Township is considering a number of options in an attempt to directly or indirectly reduce the number of persons in the Township whose income is below the poverty level (i.e., provide tax incentives to companies which hire and retain Township residents below the poverty level, create a job training program).
The primary Federal resources include CDBG, Section 8, public housing and CIAP funding. Private programs include local lending institutions and a wide range of nonprofit initiatives.
The Township of Edison Community Development Office is responsible for the Consolidated Plan activities, but a variety of public and private organizations are involved in the process. Currently, the Township works with Catholic Charities, MIPH, and the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Middlesex Countyto address the housing needs of the homeless and the developmentally disabled. The Township has also joined the Middlesex County CEAS Committee in order to be a part of the continuum of care process for the Township's homeless population.
The Township of Edison One-Year Action Plan outlines the proposed use of approximately $668,000 in CDBG funds.
With the exception of CIAP renovations to public housing and infrastructure improvements in specific low-income block groups, all other improvements and programs will be conducted on a township-wide basis.
For the purpose of coordination and reporting, the Township of Edison shall be the lead agency for the Consolidated Plan Process.
The Township's housing goals for the first year include increasing the supply of affordable housing for 10 - 15 households through rehabilitation, providing financial support for the operation of transitional units for the homeless, providing funding for new construction of 32 transitional housing units, and preventing homelessness among 1,091 at-risk households.
MAP 1 depicts points of interest in the jurisdiction.
MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.
MAP 3 depicts low-moderate income areas and minority concentration levels.
MAP 4 depicts low-moderate income areas and unemployment levels.
MAP 5 depicts low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
