The Borough of Sayreville is located in Middlesex County, New Jersey and is 30 miles south of Manhattan and approximately 60 miles northeast of Philadelphia. The Borough is located on the Raritan Bay and is within easy access of the eastern seaboard via highways, airports, railways, and seaports. At one time, Sayreville was the center for the brick industry and home to other large national industrial tenants. As the manufacturing sector decreased, Sayreville's once strong industrial base declined. Vacant industrial land has been reclassified to accommodate a balance mix of residential, commercial and industrial uses.
The Borough of Sayreville Consolidated Plan recommends both a five year strategic plan and a one year action plan in addressing the municipalities community development and housing needs over these respective time periods. The one year action plan allocates a total of $210,00 for four major projects and activities including (1) the Main Street Improvement Project; (2) Handicap Accessible Parks Program; (3) Housing Rehabilitation Program; and (4) Program Administration.
In order to provide for and encourage citizen participation, with particular emphasis on participation by persons of low and moderate income who are residents of areas in which funds are proposed to be used, the Borough has created the "Sayreville Community Development Block Citizens Committee" with members appointed by the Borough Governing Body and consisting of at least one member residing from one of the four CDBG eligible sections of the Borough: Tangletown, Melrose, Morgan and Old Bridge neighborhoods.
Public outreach will consist of a number of strategies including the
announcement of the Consolidated Plan. Several methods of gaining citizen
participation in the CP process include (1) newspaper publicity; (2) newspaper
advertisements; (3) radio announcements; (4) Cable TV telecasts; (5)
fliers/brochures; (6) property tax mailings; and, (7) presentations at various
public institutions.
Sayreville Borough is a suburban municipality located in central Middlesex County. The Borough can still be characterized as a bedroom community of single-family homes in defined neighborhoods. However, an increasing number of multi-family units built in the last two decades has resulted in smaller household sizes.
Since 1980, the Sayreville population has increased by almost 17 percent. The 1990 population for Sayreville was 34,986 compared to 29,986 in 1980 . There has been a significant shift in the age distribution between 1980 and 1990. The population aged 65 over increased by 68 percent between 1980 and 1990, an increase of 1,775 persons.
The number of minorities in Sayreville has increased between 1980 and 1990 by an additional 1,928 persons. The majority of the increase has been in the number of black residents along with significant increases in the Asian population. The Census data indicates that there are no concentrations of racial/ethnic minorities in the municipality.
The median household size in Sayreville decreased significantly from 3.16
person per household in 1980 to 2.72 persons per household in 1990. In 1989,
Sayreville Borough had a median household income of $46,057; higher than that of
Middlesex County and the State. This represents an 87 percent increase over the
1979 median household income of $24,683.
Housing affordability in the Borough has been influenced by a variety of local, regional and national trends. The major factors affecting housing affordability in the Borough include the recession, unemployment and the cost of housing construction. The recession of 1989-1992 resulted in reduced employment in the Middlesex County area, particularly in higher paying manufacturing industries. The decline in employment opportunities in Middlesex County led to a decline in area wages, which contributed to the housing affordability problems in the Borough.
Three critical housing needs are identified in the Consolidated Plan: alleviating the housing cost burden of low-income small family households and very low- and low-income elderly households, and rehabilitating the existing housing stock. To address affordable housing needs, rental assistance is needed to reduce cost burdens. The need for affordable housing for very low- and low-income households remains acute. To address owner-occupied households with physical defects, funds are needed to help very low- and low-income persons maintain and repair their homes. Another high priority need is outreach assessment, emergency shelters, transitional shelters, and permanent housing for homeless families and individuals, and other special need groups such as the disabled, elderly, and frail elderly.
The majority of the housing stock in Sayreville is single-family detached housing. In 1990, there were 13,347 housing units in Sayreville, of which 7,800 were single-family detached homes. The remaining units were primarily single-family attached homes or buildings containing two or more housing units. Approximately 3,689 new residential units were built between 1980 and 1990, a 38 percent increase over the existing housing stock. In 1990, rental units comprised 30 percent of the Borough's housing stock, compared to 20 percent in 1980. Of the 12,749 occupied units in 1990, 9,093 or 71.3 percent were homeowners and 3,656 or 28.7 percent were renters. Of the 13,347 housing units, 2,240 were zero and one bedroom, 3,670 were two bedroom and 7,437 were three or more bedrooms.
Of the 12,697 households in the Borough of Sayreville, 3,174 or 25 percent have housing problems. Households with housing problems include those that (1) occupy units meeting the definition of "physical defects"; (2) meet the definition of overcrowding; and (3) meet the definition of cost burden over 30 percent.
In 1989 4.5 percent or 598 units were vacant. Almost 60 percent of the Borough's housing stock was built before 1960, and 11 percent of these units were constructed before 1940. The vacancy rate and the age of housing stock are indicators of housing rehabilitation needs.
The Borough of Sayreville has a small but significant population whose housing needs have not been met by the real estate market or current assistance programs. The Sayreville Housing Authority is no longer accepting applications for its Section 8 Program. Applicants seeking relief under the Section 8 Program citing paying more than 50 percent of income for rent as the federal preference in the majority of cases.
Both the median sales price and monthly rent have increased substantially over the last decade; 153 percent and 143 percent, respectively. Between 1980 and 1990 the ratio between median home sale price and median income increased from 2.5 to 3.4, respectively. Simply put, these data indicate that it now costs more than three times a typical household's income to purchase a home in the Borough, compared to two times in 1980. Of the 3,649 renter households cited in the Census, 27,65 percent or approximately 1,009 households spent more than 30 percent of income on rent and utilities.
The Borough averages 17 homeless people per month, with peaks in the winter because of the cold climate. Homeless prevention programs in place include housing counseling for Borough residents provided by the Middlesex County Housing Coalition. A TRY (Temporary Rental Assistance) Program is being offered through the Middlesex Board of Social Services.
There is no public housing in the Borough of Sayreville. Sayreville has several types of housing opportunities through the Section 8 Program. These include a voucher program, a certificate program and new construction. The voucher program has 30 available vouchers, of which 27 are leased up and 3 are kept open for administrative purposes. The certificate program has a total of 120 available certificates, all of which are leased up. The need for affordable housing for low-income and very low-income households remain acute. There is a continuing need for Federal Section 8 certificates and vouchers to accommodate the Borough's growing waiting list.
Lakeview at Sayreville, which provides 300 affordable housing units, was built using Section 8 monies. The development provides 200 one-bedroom senior housing units and 100 family units.
The Borough is unaware of any local land use policies which present barriers to affordable housing. In fact, the Sayreville Council is contemplating many changes in local policy which will enhance new low cost housing opportunities including: (1) Proposed amendments to the Borough's Planned Unit Development/Planned Residential Development zoning ordinance; (2) Proposed ordinance amendments which would require the developer of certain residential housing projects to provide an on-site child care facility; and (3) continuance of the Housing Rehabilitation Program to satisfy the Borough's fair share housing obligation as mandated by the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing.
The Borough's fair share obligation of providing for low and moderate income housing needs is determined by the Council on Affordable Housing. The Council (COAH) granted substantive certification to the Borough in March, 1993 conditioned upon the Borough successfully rehabilitating 49 substandard housing units by September, 1997. The Community Development Office administers the Housing Rehabilitation Program which will satisfy the fair share housing mandate within the prescribed time period.
The Borough contains many housing units which may be contaminated with lead-based paint. Approximately 9,454 units, or 70.1 percent of the Borough's housing stock were built before 1978 and therefore may be contaminated with lead-based paint. The Community Development Office supplies all Housing Rehabilitation Program applicants with a brochure on lead-based paint hazards and attempts to remedy this condition through selected rehabilitation projects.
Based upon the eighteen-year history of the Sayreville Community development
Program and information gathered via local planning activities, the following
general categories of nonhousing community development needs may be stated as
follows: (1) improvements to the recreation facilities within specified low and
moderate income neighborhoods to provide safe, adequate, and comprehensive
recreation facilities; (2) address the passive recreation needs of the elderly
and those with mobility problems with barrier-free park design; (3) improvements
to pedestrian sidewalks and vehicular travel surface within specified low-mod
areas to provide for higher levels of neighborhood safety; (4) provide basic
sanitary sewer facilities to all residents of low-mod neighborhoods; and, (5)
improvements to the physical plant of the Main Street Senior Citizen Center to
directly assist the Borough elderly on fixed incomes.
Housing priorities reflect the shortfall of affordable housing, especially for seniors on fixed incomes. The age and condition of the Borough's housing stock is also a matter of concern. Housing priorities are centered on the objective of creating new affordable senior housing units and new family housing units. Housing priorities and strategies attempt to reconcile the difference between the need for housing assistance and available sources of funding.
Community development objectives focus on the need for new and upgraded infrastructure within low-mod residential target areas. Two new programs which attempt to satisfy this objective are the Main Street Improvement Project and the Handicap Accessible Parks Program. Both programs will require CDBG funding over the next several years. The Main Street project will cost approximately $440,000 to design, construct, administer and inspect over the next five years. This project is also designed to encourage economic redevelopment of the Borough's older downtown business district so that it may compete with outlying shopping malls. Pedestrian safety measures are a key component of the program.
Based upon data collected, it is clear that the needs of low income persons in the Borough have not significantly changed but in many cases have intensified. Greater numbers of low income elderly, for example, has reinforced the need for additional affordable senior housing.
The long-term housing priorities are as follows:
The Borough will continue to make efforts to provide quick and efficient services to low and moderate income persons given regulatory and fiscal constraints. The Borough will continue to attempt to identify all possible dollars to use in the provision of the housing needs identified in the Consolidated Plan.
The long-term nonhousing community development priorities are as follows:
The two agencies most directly involved in the provision of anti-poverty services are the Borough Welfare Office and the Middlesex County Board of Social Services. The Borough's Community Development Office will provide funding for anti-poverty programs such as housing counseling services directed at low and moderate income residents.
Federal resources used to carry out Program objectives are: transitional housing loans, Section 8 moderate rehabilitation rent subsidies, Community Development Block Grants, weatherization assistance, Low-income tax credits, HOME investment partnership grants and loans, lead-based paint abatement grants and Section 8 rental assistance.
State programs include: homeless prevention grants and loans, shelter assistance grants, relocation assistance grants, neighborhood preservation grants, balanced housing grants and loans, boarding home life safety improvement grants and loans, safe housing and transportation grants, congregate housing services, Housing Assistance Corporation technical assistance, and various home ownership and mortgage assistance programs.
Local programs which benefit residents include the Middlesex County Board of Social Services and the Municipal Welfare office.
The Community Development Office is the borough agency through which affordable housing strategies are developed. The Sayreville Housing Authority will assist the Community Development Office in implementing its strategies.
The Borough continues to make a substantial effort to ensure coordination
among federal, state and private agencies and institutions toward achieving
affordable and supportive housing goals. The Borough intends to continue these
efforts in achieving its affordable housing goals. The Borough does not have
public housing and therefore does not participate in public initiative and
awareness programs.
The Borough of Sayreville One-Year Action Plan outlines the proposed use of approximately $210,000 in CDBG funds, in addition to $38,640 of program income. These funds will be spent mainly on the following activities, including:
The Housing Rehabilitation Program is a Borough-wide activity for eligible low and moderate income homeowners. The Main Street Improvement Project is a public improvement project located within a low-mod income residential target area; CT 71.02, BG l. The limits of the project area have been identified as the Main Street Corridor between Kupsch Street and Church Street. The Handicap Accessible Parks Program is initially scheduled to be implemented at the Fielek Park and Memorial Park locations. The Plan suggests that passive recreation areas be provided at strategic locations within the Borough's park system.
Housing goals for the first year include the continuance of the Housing Rehabilitation program which has successfully allowed low and moderate income individuals and families to secure safe and decent housing. The Community development Office expects to complete rehabilitation of 49 housing units by September, 1997.
The private sector has successfully ameliorated the Borough's housing need for seniors with the newly completed Gillette Manor which contains 100 affordable housing units. It is anticipated that much of the needed affordable housing for seniors will be accomplished through the efforts of private development and public-private partnerships over the next several years.
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, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 6 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and proposed HUD funded projects.
