Hudson County has the unique fortune of being located directly across the Hudson River from New York City, and is the smallest of New Jersey's counties. The County also possesses a diverse cultural, racial and economic base. Hudson Urban County is designated a HOME Consortium with the Entitlement Cities of Bayonne and Union City as members and the County as the Lead Agency. The nine municipalities in the Hudson Urban County are East Newark, Guttenburg, Harrison, Hoboken, Kearny, North Bergen, Secaucus, Weehawken, and West New York.
The Hudson County Consolidated Plan presents a strategic vision for housing and community development in this unique urban area. It includes a One-Year Action Plan for spending approximately $18.513 million of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership Program, program income, and Emergency Shelter Grant funds in 1995. These funds will primarily be spent on housing and neighborhood livability activities.
The Hudson County Department of Engineering and Planning, Division of Housing and Community Development is responsible for the preparation, submission, and implementation of the Hudson County 1995 Consolidated Plan. The Consolidated Plan Citizen Participation process consulted with other public and private agencies that provide assisted housing, health services, and social services during the preparation of the Consolidated Plan. As part of the process, an informational notice was given prior to public hearings, two public hearings were held, and the Consolidated Plan was made public. The Division of Housing and Community Development held consultational meetings with the following entities: the Newark Field Office, Hudson County Housing Authorities, Jersey City (regarding the homeless), private and not-for profit housing developers, the Division of Social Services, and local Health Agencies. The Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders adopted the Consolidated Plan on May 11, 1995, and was approved by HUD on June 28, 1995.
The Hudson Urban County and the Entitlement Cities of Bayonne and Union City comprise the Hudson County HOME Consortium. The Consortium's population in 1990 was 324,562. The square mile area coverage of the County is 46 square miles, of which 5.8 square miles are used for residential space within the Consortium. The density, therefore, is 55,959 persons per square mile. The Consortium's population is ethnically and racially diverse. The largest racial groups in the Consortium are Whites (68%), Blacks (14%), and Hispanics (13%). While the White population has steadily decreased since 1970, the total population numbers have remained steady due to an increase in the Black population and an increase in the Asian and Hispanic populations.
In 1990 median family income (MFI) was $35,250, but by 1995 it had risen to $47,900. Forty-nine percent of all households in the Consortium were low- and moderate-income (with incomes below 80 percent of MFI) in 1990. Areas of minority concentrations are defined as any concentration of minorities that exceeds 25% of the population: Hudson Urban County (48.13%); Bayonne (42.69%); and Union City (66.07%). These areas of minority concentrations are predominately located in the northern portion of the County and to a lesser degree in the western portion.
Hudson County's economy underwent redistribution of employment and income among different industries. The overwhelming majority of Hudson's growth took place in the Service and Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate sectors. Manufacturing, however saw a decline. The civilian labor force increased, as did the female work force because of the increased participation of women in the labor market. Hudson County has the highest unemployment rate (12.2%) of all counties in the State. Implications for projected future employment and income are associated to levels of education. Current residents have achieved relatively low levels of education in comparison to the other counties in the State.
Currently, there are 138,959 housing units within the Hudson County Consortium, representing a 4% increase from 1980. As of 1990, owner occupied units represent 31% of the County's housing, while 60% occupied rental units. The Hudson County Consortium's housing market has experienced significant changes in the past 10 years, creating a shift from a renter to an owner population. The Consortium has experienced a 11% decline in renter occupied housing units, while owner occupied units increased 11%.
The Consortium has identified a need to preserve and rehabilitation owner occupied housing. The Consortium has further identified the need to assist the elderly and small families who are cost burdened in rental units. Following this group are the housing needs of the elderly with high cost burdens, and large families which are experiencing a high level of physical defects and overcrowding in their housing units.
The typical housing structure in Hudson County was the attached multi-family structure. Eighty-one percent of the housing stock was constructed prior to 1939, therefore, the housing is at a minimum 55 years old. The aging housing stock and the minimum addition of new units because of limited available land and sewer moratoriums has caused severe burdens and accelerated the deterioration of the existing housing stock and infrastructure. The conversion of multi-family to single-family structures, coupled with the conversion of rental units to owner units has significantly reduced the rental unit market. The make-up of the County's housing unit composition is nearly equal with 34% of the units 0-1 bedroom, 36% with two bedrooms, and 30% with three bedrooms. The vacancy rate in the County is 6% for available rental or sale units and 3% for unavailable units.
Replacement of rental housing units specially developed for the low and moderate income family has proven to be cost prohibitive in Hudson County because of the amount of financing required for new construction. Conversion of rental units into condominiums has eroded the rental market and caused dislocation, homelessness and overcrowding. The present housing market condition has most seriously impacted the extremely low and low income households who are unable to afford the average requested rents for vacant rental units.
Households with incomes at or below 50 percent of MFI have the greatest housing cost burden. They need rental assistance and affordable housing options, and owners need rehabilitation assistance. A high number of low-income first time homebuyers need downpayment assistance, credit counseling, and home maintenance training.
There are ten emergency shelters in the County, including St. Lucy's Shelter in Jersey City, which is the largest shelter in the State. The providers have approximately 325 emergency overnight accommodations for homeless individuals and families. There were approximately 1,080 homeless individuals in the County (772 sheltered and 300 unsheltered). There are thirteen transitional shelters in the County which provide 77 transitional housing units. The AIDS epidemic continues to grow in Hudson County at the rate of 78% annually, with 2,238 documented AIDS cases and 6,100 HIV-carriers. Twenty-five percent of the homeless are mentally ill. The frail elderly population represents 5.6 percent of the County, while 29% of the County is aged 60 and older.
There is a need to increase financial support for programs and their operations to promote housing services, employment procurement services and income maintenance services. The County ranks highest in the State for utilization by low income families on public assistance, unemployment and Social Security, and second highest for the number of families living below the poverty line. It is especially important to increase the supply of transitional housing, especially for the special needs population. There is a need for rental assistance programs to prevent homelessness.
The Hudson County Consortium has 5,76 public housing units. The majority of those units are small bedroom size units: 2,170 (38%) are one-bedroom units, 1,629 (28%) are two- bedroom; and 1,264 (22%) are studios. The number of vacant units is 117 units or 2%. Each housing authority reported that its housing units were in generally in good condition and that the rehabilitation needs were normal replacements and improvements of systems. The number of units restored or upgraded is 1,455, with an additional need of completing 36 units. Each housing authority is in the process of modifying existing units to accommodate handicapped persons. A total of 406 units will be handicap accessible, with an additional need of making 95 units handicap accessible. Tenants' associations have been formed to provide residents with input into the management of the authorities.
There are 2,389 units of Section 8 assisted housing. Of these, 1,023 are elderly tenant based and 1,366 are family based certificates. The total number on the waiting list consists of 11,575 applicants. An assessment by the reporting authorities indicates that no units are expected to be lost from the assisted housing inventory for any reason within the foreseeable future.
Hudson County provides all eight emergency congregate shelters, thus there is a need to increase shelter beds, particularly during the winter months. Further progress has been made to upgrade the physical space and the shelter system with professional management in some of the shelters. The County's goals regarding transitional housing are to cooperate, coordinate and collaborate as often as possible with transitional housing programs which support the principle of self-sufficiency. As more transitional housing populations mature, the need for more affordable housing becomes paramount.
With a substantial number of extremely low and low income residents, the County attempts to encourage as much affordable housing given the limited resources available to address the critical housing needs of its residents. The County does not put limits on its growth. It attempts to minimize those barriers that may impede development. It reviews and analyzes zoning ordinances, subdivision controls, permit systems, housing codes and standards, restrictions and rent control. Duplicative permit requirements, environmental problems, lack of developable land and an aging infrastructure are elements to barriers.
There is a lack of public information on fair housing complaints in the Consortium. Data on the demographic profiles of buyers and renters (in terms of protected classes) was lacking. The Consortium was unable to obtain a total number of housing discrimination cases within borders. There are no current court orders, consent decrees, or HUD-imposed sanctions that affect the provision of fair housing remedies.
Of the 139,959 housing units in Hudson County, 68 percent were constructed before 1960, when lead-based paint was still in use. As an older highly urbanized county, the housing stock of the County appears to have an extremely severe lead-based paint hazard. Units built from 1960 to 1979 have a 62% chance of having lead-based paint hazards; units built from 1940 to 1959 have a 80% chance of having lead-based paint hazards; and units built prior to 1940 have a 90% chance of having lead-based paint hazards. In 1994, 33 cases of childhood lead poisoning were reported in Hudson County.
The following are non-housing community development needs which have been identified to be addressed through the Consolidated Plan: Economic Development programs to provide jobs to Consortium residents; new and rehabilitated Public Improvements and Public Facilities; affordable and accessible Health Services; expanded and improved Youth Activities; affordable Day Care Services; housing and services for Handicapped Persons and Senior Citizens.
Housing problems in the Hudson County Consortium are related to high housing costs, low incomes of the residents and an aging housing stock and infrastructure. Housing objectives primarily consider the existing housing stock, future housing opportunities, the needs of its population, and the type of program activity that addresses those needs. Non-housing Community Development objectives intend to provide a suitable living environment for low and moderate income residents of the Consortium by improving the safety and livability of its neighborhoods; to provide quality facilities and services; to revitalize neighborhoods; to restore and preserve natural and physical features of special value; to conserve energy resources; and expand economic opportunities by creating jobs accessible to low and moderate income persons and families.
Priorities for affordable housing include increasing financial rental assistance to extremely low and low income tenants, who are cost burdened; providing funds for the rehabilitation and preservation of existing housing stock to increase the supply of affordable housing for extremely low and low income renters; increasing the supply of rental units for extremely low, low and moderate income families through new construction; providing funds for rehabilitation and preservation of the existing housing stock to increase the supply of affordable housing for low and moderate income homeowners; and increasing housing opportunities for low and moderate income homebuyers.
Priorities for homelessness alleviation include providing expanded support services and facilities for the homeless and at-risk population; increasing emergency shelter and transitional housing programs and comprehensive services for homeless families and at-risk population; increasing the number of permanent housing units with supportive services and permanent housing for the homeless.
The priority for non-homeless persons with special needs is supportive housing or housing linked to supportive services for the elderly, frail elderly, disabled population, persons with HIV/AIDS, other persons with special needs, and public housing residents.
Priorities for economic development activities include reversing economic decline, achieving economic growth, providing job opportunities for its low and moderate income residents, and creating a business climate which will provide for an expanded private sector investment with the Consortium.
Priorities for other community development activities include public facilities improvements (upgrade of parks and recreation centers and improved day care centers), infrastructure improvements (street, sidewalk, and sewer), and public services provisions (including health services, youth activities, day care services, handicapped person services, and senior citizens services).
The unemployment rate in the Consortium was five percent or 13,242 persons. Residents below the poverty level totaled 38,632 (12%). The Consortium has a number of community action program agencies which are oriented towards stimulating and focusing available resources to reduce poverty. The goal is to enable low-income persons and families to obtain the skills, knowledge, and motivation to secure the opportunities needed for them to become fully self-sufficient. The organizations include the North Hudson Community Action Program, Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation, the Jersey City Urban League, the Hudson County Private Industry Council, REACH/JOBS and the Hudson County Network.
There are two major sources of public funding and opportunities for public-private partnerships in the development of housing. These sources are the U.S. Department of HUD and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. Federal resources include CDBG, HOME, Section 8, public housing, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Emergency Shelter Grants, Shelter Plus Care, HOPE, and the Supportive Housing programs. In addition the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs provides funding resources and mechanisms to assist housing. Additionally, Hudson County has established an Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Private programs include local lending institutions' affordable housing programs and a wide range of nonprofit initiatives.
The Consortium has established a relationship with the nine housing authorities in the municipalities that are members of the Consortium. The County will hold meetings with the housing authorities during the year to coordinate housing activities; exchange ideas for better management; identify programs that will enhance living conditions for tenants; and seek funding opportunities. In addition, the County has been involved in the coordination and consultation with other agencies in delivering affordable housing and housing services. Through the Hudson County CEAS committee, it has established a mechanism of coordination and cooperation among private and governmental health, mental health, and service agencies.
The Hudson County One-Year Action Plan outlines the proposed use of approximately $18.513 million in CDBG, HOME, and Emergency Shelter Grants funds, in addition to program income. These funds will be spent mainly on an array of housing activities, including:
Project activities are to be located in deteriorated neighborhoods where a majority of the population is comprised of extremely low, low and moderate income persons. Financial assistance for housing activities will be made throughout the Consortium. It is the policy of the Hudson County Consortium to encourage development of affordable housing and non-housing community development projects in all of its municipalities.
The Hudson County Consortium's housing goals for the first year include increasing the supply of affordable housing for 218 households through acquisition, rehabilitation and new construction; providing rental assistance to 50 households; providing 710 transitional and emergency shelter rooms for homeless individuals.
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.
MAP 6 depicts low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within Southern Hudson County.
MAP 7 depicts low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within Northern Hudson County.
MAP 8 depicts low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within Western Hudson County.
