* See Community Map
The Town of Irondequoit Consolidated Plan presents a strategic vision for housing and community development in an older, fully developed suburban community. It includes a One-Year Action Plan for spending $1,140,000 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, which will be spent primarily for housing rehabilitation and public infrastructure improvements.
The Town of Irondequoit prepared a joint Consolidated Plan with two other
entitlement jurisdictions in Monroe County: the County of Monroe and the Town
of Irondequoit, and participated in a citizen participation process with those
jurisdictions. In addition, the Town of Irondequoit held a public hearing for
its own citizens, which provided residents with the opportunity to comment upon
the activities comprising the Town's One-Year Action Plan.
Irondequoit, which is a predominately residential suburban community, grew rapidly over the twenty- year period between 1950 and 1970. In 1970, Irondequoit's population peaked at 63,675 persons. Subsequent to 1970, the town's population declined, and by 1990 had reached 53,657 persons. Several factors account for Irondequoit's loss of population, including: an ongoing decrease in average household size, lack of developeable land (about 95 percent of Irondequoit is developed), and the aging of the town's residents. Irondequoit is unique among Monroe County jurisdictions for the high percentage of its population which is elderly. In 1980, 21 percent of the population was 62 years of age or older and this grew to 27 percent in 1990. Minorities comprised 2.6 percent of Irondequoit's total population in 1990. (See Minority Concentration Map)
Irondequoit's lower income households tend to be concentrated in the older
residential neighborhoods of the town, which are scattered throughout the
community. These neighborhoods are characterized by lower priced homes, which
are generally well maintained. (See low/mod concentration map)
The lack of developeable land and the aging of Irondequoit's housing stock has resulted in a decrease in the local tax base, which has negatively impacted the Town's ability to maintain and update its older infrastructure systems. Delayed maintenance has, in turn, exacerbated the deterioration of such public facilities as: streets, sidewalks, and sewers. At the same time, the preservation of Irondequoit's older residential neighborhoods will require additional public expenditures and services.
The Town of Irondequoit, as a participant in a joint Consolidated Plan with Monroe County and the Town of Greece, has identified the following housing needs as priorities:
Irondequoit's housing stock is relatively older than the rest of suburban Monroe County. In 1990, 45 percent was over 39 years of age as compared to suburban Monroe County's 23 percent. In 1992, the median price of a single-family house was $91,128, or 87 percent of the median for suburban Monroe County, indicating a more affordable homeownership market. Currently (December 1995), large numbers of homes are for sale in Irondequoit, due in part to the fact that many elderly homeowners have decided to sell their houses. Such houses tend to be older and more affordable, thus providing opportunities for first time home buyers. Very little new construction of single-family homes is now occurring in the town.
The 1990 rental market rate in Irondequoit was very tight, with a 1 percent vacancy rate and relatively high demand, particularly among elderly households. Since that time, more rental vacancies have occurred, although Irondequoit's rental market rate remains low and rents appear to be reasonable relative to the rest of suburban Monroe County.
Irondequoit's primary affordable housing need remains the provision of additional affordable rental units for the elderly. This continues to be the case in spite of the fact that, in recent years, two enriched rental developments for the elderly have been built in the town. Even with these new developments, the demand far exceeds the supply, reflecting both the size of Irondequoit's elderly population and the fact that, in 1990, 75 percent of the town's elderly renters were low income households. Because Irondequoit's elderly population is not only increasing but is also growing older, there is now more of a need to provide various types of support services to the residents of elderly rental housing.
Also in short supply in Irondequoit is affordable rental housing for lower income families, many of whom consist of children living with a single adult. The need for this type of housing is greatest for families at or below 65 percent of the area median family income.
In Monroe County, most homeless people are found in the City of Rochester, although some, especially homeless youths, originate from suburban Monroe County. The County and the City of Rochester support a variety of services and emergency and transitional housing for people who are homeless. To better determine the scope and characteristics of the area's homeless problems, as well as to identify service gaps that may need to be addressed, both governments commissioned an update of the 1988 Homeless Study. When completed (late 1995), the study will provide the information necessary to develop a Homeless Continuum of Care Plan for preventing and reducing homelessness.
While there is no public housing located within Irondequoit, the town does contain several units which receive some type of Federal assistance. Such assistance includes the 174 rental certificates and vouchers made available through Irondequoit's Section 8 Rental program. Of the 174 rental certificates and vouchers, 132 (76 percent) were for 1-bedroom units occupied primarily by the elderly. In addition, 33 Section 8 certificates have been made available by HUD in the form of a project set-aside for an elderly rental development. The Irondequoit Section 8 Rental program has had long waiting lists for several years, indicating the continuing need for this type of housing assistance.
Long waiting lists also characterize the two recently constructed Section 202 elderly projects located in Irondequoit. This indicates both a continuing need for assisted rental housing for the elderly in the town and the importance of providing support services and assistance with daily living needs to the residents of this type of housing.
Insufficient resources at both the state and Federal levels and the lack of developeable land constitute the primary barriers to affordable housing in Irondequoit. As noted above, with only 5 percent of its land undeveloped, new construction in Irondequoit is very limited. What land does remain for development usually commands a high price. Town development policies and practices, on the other hand, do not seem to have had a significant impact on the provision of affordable housing in Irondequoit.
The Town of Irondequoit, along with the County of Monroe, the City of Rochester, and the Town of Greece, is currently engaged in the preparation of a Fair Housing Impediments Analysis for the metropolitan area, which will identify obstacles to fair housing in Irondequoit and the other entitlement communities participating in the study. Based on this information, Irondequoit and the other communities will prepare Action Plans providing strategies for addressing the fair housing impediments which have been identified in their jurisdictions. Past actions taken by Irondequoit to further fair housing have included the appointment by the Town Board of a Fair Housing Enforcement Officer , the observance of Fair Housing Month, and the dissemination of fair housing information to the public.
The majority of lead poisoning cases in Monroe County (probably 99 percent) are located within the City of Rochester. The reason for this are twofold. First, many suburban children are not screened, so there is no database from which to compare. Second, the City of Rochester has the oldest housing stock in the county.
Irondequoit, in its capacity as a Community Development Entitlement Community, is responsible for implementing federally mandated procedures for notifying residents of HUD-funded projects of the hazards of lead-based paint, especially for young children. Irondequoit and other area entitlement jurisdictions, under the guidance and direction of the Monroe County Health Department, are also providing training in lead- based paint hazards to their building inspectors. Through its CD-funded Home Improvement Program, Irondequoit provides grants to low income homeowners for the remediation of lead-based paint hazards.
Because Irondequoit is an older, developed community with limited local resources, the Town's primary community development needs will continue to be the preservation of its residential neighborhoods and the maintenance and improvement of its public facilities and infrastructure systems. In particular, ongoing efforts to maintain Irondequoit's aging housing stock will need to be increased. Greater emphasis will also need to be placed on addressing the problems of commercial vacancies and obsolescence, which are found in Irondequoit's older business districts.
In recognition of the need for a common metropolitan approach to many of
their community development and housing needs , the Town of Irondequoit, the
Town of Greece, and the Monroe County Community Development Consortium have
prepared a joint Consolidated Plan to coordinate their future actions and to
ensure the maximum degree of cooperation among the jurisdictions. Irondequoit
is also a member of the Monroe County HOME Consortium , and as such is able to
help develop and participate in the affordable housing activities funded by this
Federal program.
The overall goal of the strategies for meeting the housing and community development needs of the jurisdictions participating in the joint Consolidated Plan is to achieve, principally for low, very low, and extremely low income residents, decent and affordable housing; a suitable living environment by increasing access to quality facilities/services and revitalizing deteriorated neighborhoods; expanded economic opportunities by creating jobs and empowering residents in federally assisted and public housing to achieve self-sufficiency.
The housing priorities of Irondequoit and the other participating jurisdictions in the joint Consolidated Plan are: the development of rental housing for low and very low income elderly households; the continuation of programs to assist low and very low income elderly homeowners to maintain their houses; the development of rental units for low and very low income families, particularly units affordable to families at or below 65 percent of the median family income for the metropolitan area; the continuation of programs to assist low and very low income families who live in their own houses to maintain them; a first time home buyer program, including acquisition, acquisition/rehab, new construction and special needs components; efforts to assist homeless persons to secure permanent housing and to become self-sufficient, and assistance to allow persons with special needs increased choices for affordable housing.
Irondequoit's non-housing community development priorities include:
The Monroe County Consortium Anti-poverty Strategy is defined through specific goals, programs and policies coordinated with the Town of Irondequoit, the Town of Greece, the City of Rochester, nonprofit organizations, community housing development organizations (CHDO's), and the public- and private-sectors to reduce the number of households with incomes below the poverty line. (See Unemployment Concentration Map)
Trondequoit's primary community development resource is the annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) which it receives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) because of the Town's status as a CDBG Entitlement Community. For the 1995 program year, Irondequoit received a $1,140,000 CD Block Grant.
Due to its status as a member of the Monroe County HOME Consortium, Irondequoit also participates in this federally-funded housing program, which was designed to expand the supply of housing affordable to low and very low income persons. HOME funds are used primarily in Irondequoit to supplement the Town's CD- funded Home Improvement Program, which provides rehabilitation grants to low income homeowners for correction of code violations and other essential home repairs. The County HOME Consortium receives approximately $1,000,000 a year from the Federal government.
Membership in the County HOME Consortium also enables Irondequoit residents to participate in other affordable housing activities funded through various Federal and state programs, which supplement the Consortium's initiatives. These include New York State's Affordable Home Ownership Development Program and Low Income Housing Trust Fund Program.
Irondequoit, through its Housing Agent, the Rochester Housing Authority, administers its own Section 8 Rental Assistance Program, which is funded by HUD. Currently (December 1995), 174 certificates and vouchers are held by participants in the Irondequoit program, which is designed to assist low income tenants to make up the difference between HUD approved rents for privately owned apartments and the occupant household's required contribution towards the rent. An additional 33 certificates were made available in the form of a project set-aside for an elderly rental development located in Irondequoit.
Non-governmental programs which benefit Irondequoit residents include local lending institutions' affordable housing programs and a wide range of nonprofit housing initiatives.
As noted in the Coordination section, Irondequoit has cooperated with the
Town of Greece and the Monroe County Community Development Consortium to prepare
a joint Consolidated Plan covering all of Monroe County outside of the City of
Rochester. By doing so, the participating jurisdictions have developed a
mechanism for coordinating their housing and community development activities
and those of their subrecipients. Also, the provision of common strategies on a
metropolitan level helps to ensure that services furnished by government
agencies, nonprofits, and private-sector organizations will not overlap.
(See Project Map)
The Town of Irondequoit One-Year Action Plan outlines the proposed use of $1,140,000 in CDBG funds. These funds will be spent on housing, public services, and public infrastructure improvements, which include:
Participation in the housing and public service activities included in Irondequoit's One-Year Action Plan is based on income or type of beneficiary rather than location, while the Plan's public improvements are limited to those town neighborhoods which contain the highest percentages of low income persons. These neighborhoods have been designated by the Town as Community Development target areas, and tend to be located in Irondequoit's older sections.
Irondequoit's first year housing goal for its CDBG-funded Home Improvement Program is the provision of a minimum of 160 rehabilitation grants to low income homeowners and the reduction of the waiting list which now exists for these grants. The Town also intends to supplement its own improvement grants with Weatherization program grants available to county residents and rehabilitation assistance from Monroe County's HOME Program.
Assuming their future availability, it is also the Town's intention to apply for additional one- and two- bedroom Section 8 certificates and vouchers to help meet the large unmet need, particularly for low income elderly households.
Irondequoit also intends to continue working with private-sector and nonprofit developers interested in building additional affordable housing in the town. The highest priority will be given to the construction of new rental housing for the low income elderly, and to that end town staff will help expedite the development process through the provision of technical and other forms of assistance.
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.
TABLE (without associated map) provides information about the project(s).
Mr.Ronald Sassone
716-723-2343
