Old Bridge Township, New Jersey is a suburb of the Newark-New York City area in the southeastern section of Middlesex County. It is one of 25 municipalities in the county, and touches Raritan Bay at its northern border. The area was settled in the late 17th century, but residential development didn't boom until after World War II.
Old Bridge will spend $392,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and $40,000 of program income in 1995 to improve its infrastructure, housing and social services for its needy citizens.
Public meetings were held on the Consolidated Plan at several local
government sites in January and February of 1995. In addition, the Community
Development Block Grant office, the lead agency for the plan, consulted with the
Old Bridge Housing Authority, various township and Middlesex County agencies,
private social service agencies, and the New Jersey Department of Community
Affairs. Finally, a public hearing on the plan was held on March 2, 1995,
following notices in two local newspapers and on local cable television. A memo
on the plan also went to the localities bordering Old Bridge.
The population of Old Bridge doubled between 1940 and 1950; by 1970 the population of 48,715 was more than 10 times that of 1940. Slower but steady growth continued through the next two decades, bringing the 1990 population to 56,475.
The 1990 median family income (MFI) of Old Bridge was $52,927, slightly higher than the county MFI. Within Old Bridge, the MFI in specific census tracts varied from as low as $34,643, slightly below the national MFI, to a high of $67,469. About one-third of households have incomes at or below 80 percent of the MFI and are considered by HUD to have moderate to low incomes.
Of the 20,048 households in Old Bridge, 87 percent are white and non-Hispanic and Asian and Pacific Islanders are the largest minority, comprising 5 percent of households. Three census tracts have concentrations of minorities over 20 percent. Two out of those three tracts and one other tract have concentrations of low-income persons.
The elderly population increased by 50.8 percent since the 1980 census. It
is estimated that 490 persons in the township are frail elderly persons with a
mobility limitation or a self-care limitation. An estimated 728 persons are
developmentally disabled and 669 are physically disabled. Using national
figures, the township assumes that 1,288 persons in the township have substance
abuse problems. According to Middlesex County, there are less than 50
HIV-positive persons.
Eighty-five percent of extremely low-income households (0-30 percent MFI), 75 percent of very low-income households (31-50 percent MFI), 58 percent of low-income households (51-80 percent MFI), and 41 percent of moderate-income households (81-95 percent MFI) have one or more housing problems. Housing problems are defined as a lack of affordability (paying more than 30 percent of income on housing), physical inadequacy (lack of complete cooking or plumbing facilities), and overcrowding.
Elderly rental households and large family renters (five or more persons) had by far the most housing problems, 62 percent and 63 percent, respectively. Overall, 38 percent of renters and 32 percent of homeowners experienced housing problems. Overcrowding was a rare housing problem in Old Bridge, affecting only 4 percent of all renter households. However, large family households are overcrowded in 39 percent of cases. Only 1 percent of all homeowner households experience overcrowding.
The housing stock in Old Bridge is fairly new; only 8 percent of residential buildings were built before 1950 and more than one-third were built after 1969.
Two-thirds of all households are homeowners. Of rental households, 17 percent are elderly households, while 53 percent consist of related families. The other 30 percent of renter households are of unrelated persons or individuals.
Less than 2 percent of all housing units in Old Bridge are considered to be substandard; almost all of these are considered in good enough condition to be suitable for rehabilitation.
About one-third of all renter households in Old Bridge, including 61 percent of elderly renter households, pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing costs, and are considered cost burdened by HUD. About one-third of all homeowners are cost burdened.
Extremely low-income households that rent in Old Bridge are generally severely cost burdened. Of the 985 households at this income level, 83 percent paid more than 30 percent of their income for housing; 69 percent paid more than half of their income for housing costs. Households at higher income levels had less severe cost burdens.
Of all the renter-occupied units in Old Bridge, only 5 percent had rents low enough to be affordable to extremely low-income households without any cost burden. There were only 52 three bedroom units in the township affordable to such households. Only 0.21 percent of all owner-occupied units were affordable to this income group.
The 1990 census identified no homeless people in Old Bridge in 1990. However, homeless people in Old Bridge are referred to the Office of Local Assistance, which provides temporary housing and food assistance. During 1994, four homeless males and one homeless couple were assisted in this manner. Families with children are referred to the Middlesex County Board of Social Services.
Among Middlesex County agencies serving the homeless are a transitional housing facility serving 27 women-headed households receiving Aid for Dependent Children, and three emergency shelters with a total of 154 beds. In addition, most houses of worship in the county provide shelter in some way. There are also State-funded homeless prevention programs in the county, but they have not been funded on a regular basis this year.
There are no public housing units in Old Bridge. However, low-income persons can receive assistance through the tenant-based Federal Section 8 program. Under this program, tenants must locate a landlord who will participate in the program and accept the federally designated Fair Market Rent. Section 8 serves 183 households, 53 percent of which are related families; 31 percent are elderly; and the rest are persons with disabilities. Fourteen households in Old Bridge are also assisted by Section 8 through a State-administered program. There are currently 160 persons on the waiting list for Section 8 assistance.
Old Bridge has identified State building codes as necessary, but admits that it has been slow to accept innovation that might promote creation of affordable housing. Development standards increase housing costs. Costs of infrastructure are also passed on to new homeowners and renters. High State property taxes also contribute to housing costs. The New Jersey Builders Association estimates that half of the projects that complete the permit process take more than 3 years to do so.
It is estimated that there are 4,390 rental units and 522 owner-occupied units in Old Bridge that may have lead-based paint contamination.
Old Bridge has identified the following as high-priority community
development needs: senior centers; parks/recreational facilities; street
improvements; services for the elderly, youth, and handicapped; fair housing
activities; tenant-landlord counseling; child care services; health services;
improving handicapped accessibility; infrastructure for commercial and
industrial interests.
This Consolidated Plan seeks to provide decent housing, provide a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities for the citizens of Old Bridge.
The housing priorities in the plan are to do as follows:
The township will also provide notification of lead paint hazards and inspect for such hazards in properties which it rehabilitates.
The non-housing community development priorities of the plan are to do as follows:
There are a number of programs in the county and in the township which are aimed at reducing poverty or alleviating the impact of poverty. The municipal agencies involved include the Office on Aging, the Office of Local Assistance, the Family Self-Sufficiency Program of the Old Bridge Housing Authority, the Housing Coalition of Middlesex County, and Family Day Care. In addition, there are private nonprofit groups that are working against poverty, and the township will try to improve coordination with them.
Old Bridge will use a variety of funding sources to implement its Consolidated Plan. Most funding will come from Federal programs and from the New Jersey Housing Mortgage Finance Agency. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the Old Bridge Affordable Housing Trust Fund will be a source of funding for housing activities.
Private resources that are used for housing in Old Bridge include the "Helping Hand Fund" of Amboy National Bank and an affordable housing loan established by the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York.
The Department of Community Development coordinates all housing and community development activities for the township. Coordination can be improved in Old Bridge by strengthening coordination between the Department and the Housing Authority, improving the township's housing supply efforts, increasing the use of available housing resources, and providing assistance to local organizations that can address housing needs.
Other agencies active on housing issues include the Rent Stabilization
Board, the Fair Rent Committee, the Health Department, the Old Bridge Rotary
Club, which constructed the Senior Citizen Complex, and the Housing Coalition of
Central Jersey, which provides housing counseling.
The following list is a sample of key projects funded in the Old Bridge Consolidated Plan for 1995:
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 project(s) from a street level vantage point.
