Nassau County, New York encompasses a 298 acre area on Long Island, bounded on the west by the New York City borough of Queens, on the north by the Long Island Sound, on the east by Suffolk County, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. Nassau has evolved during the last 50 years, initially into a bedroom community with strong economic ties to New York City, then to a densely developed suburban and urban county with a strong economic base of its own. The county has been participating in the Federal Community Development Block Grant Program since its inception in 1975. The urban county consortium, one of the largest in the nation, currently includes 30 separate municipalities encompassing over 90% of Nassau's population.
The Nassau County Consolidated Plan presents a five year strategy for addressing housing and community revitalization needs within the 30 member urban county consortium. It includes a One Year Action Plan for spending approximately $23.5 million in Community Development Block Grant, HOME, Emergency Shelter Grant and program income funds. These funds will primarily be spent on housing and community development activities.
In preparation of the Consolidated Plan, the Nassau County Office of Housing
& Intergovernmental Affairs (OHIA) consulted and coordinated with over 70
agencies serving the county, including consortium communities, public housing
agencies, and numerous county agencies and not-for-profit organizations that
were interested in providing input on housing and community development needs
and strategies. Two public hearings were held after being publicized in a
county-wide newspaper. Prior to the second hearing, a draft of the Consolidated
Plan was available for public review for a 30 day period. Citizen comments
received at each hearing, and in writing, were responded to in the Plan prior to
its submission to HUD. The Plan was approved by HUD on August 25, 1995.
Nassau's 30 member consortium includes 3 large towns, 2 cities and 22 small villages, providing a broad cross section of urban and suburban problems, such as a shortage of affordable, decent housing and job opportunities, a growing homeless population, aging infrastructure, and a growing need for support services to meet the demands of a changing population. According to the 1990 census, the population of Nassau County was 1,287,348, down 3% from 1980. In keeping with national trends, senior citizens represented the fastest growing segment of the population. The majority of Nassau's population was white (86%); 7% were black; 4% were Hispanic; and 3% were other minorities.
The 1990 median family income for Nassau County was $56,725. Twenty three
percent of all families in Nassau were low to moderate income, defined as those
with incomes below 80% of median income. Hispanics were disproportionately
represented in the low and very low income categories. Twenty communities in the
consortium contained concentrations of racial/ethnic minorities.
Economic development activities for new retail/commercial uses are being planned for Nassau's Hub -- its central business area -- after a lull in the industry in the early 1990's. This will translate into needed job opportunities for low skilled positions, anticipated to benefit the County's low income population.
The housing supply in Nassau County is largely owner-occupied, typical of suburban counties in the New York metropolitan area. The vacancy rates are low, suggesting a tight housing market, even though both the county's population and number of households has declined. The demand for housing is exacerbated by the high cost of housing and available land. The median cost of owner occupied housing in Nassau almost quadrupled during the 1980's, to a 1990 median of $209,500. In terms of demographics, the county's aging population and trend toward smaller households will continue to translate into a greater need for smaller dwelling units.
Overall, an estimated 23% of Nassau's households are considered by HUD to be low and moderate income, earning less than 80% of the median income. Of these households, 35% are renters and 65% are homeowners. Among renters, elderly and small family households predominate; among the owners, elderly households exceed non-elderly households in the lowest income categories, but this ratio reverses as incomes rise.
The existence of housing problems, including such factors as cost burden and overcrowding, generally declines as incomes increase. While historically the elderly appeared to have a greater degree of housing problems, particularly in the lowest income categories, 1990 data indicate that problems are increasing for small (2 - 4 person) and large (5+ person) families, as well as "other" households -- non-elderly single persons.
Based on the 1990 Census, the Nassau County Consortium has 434,127 total year round housing units, of which 96% are occupied. Of these, 80% are owner occupied and 20% are renter occupied. The vacancy rates are low -- 4.08% for rental housing and 1.08% for owner housing.
An examination of factors including age of housing and housing overcrowding provides an estimate of 18,000 units which can be considered as substandard in the Nassau County Consortium. An estimated 90% of the substandard units are suitable for rehabilitation.
Like other areas throughout the New York metropolitan region, Nassau County has experienced a spiraling of housing costs over the last decade. The upward pressure on housing costs can be attributed to a number of factors including a shortage of developable land with available infrastructure and reasonable zoning controls, and a "boom" economy throughout most of the 1980's which resulted in escalating land prices and expensive housing targeted to the most lucrative segments of the market.
Low and moderate income households need rental assistance and affordable housing options, and owners need rehabilitation assistance. Low income first time homebuyers need assistance with down payments and closing costs.
Several sources of data have been used by Nassau County to quantify homeless needs, each varying significantly in terms of the number of homeless persons cited. The Nassau County Department of Social Services, which has primary responsibility for assisting the county's homeless, reported 1,855 homeless persons served in 1993, the most recent year that data was available. This figure reflects only persons who sought assistance from DSS. It does not take into consideration persons who obtained emergency housing with relatives or friends, or who sought shelter in cars, abandoned buildings, or on the street, numbers which would be difficult to quantify, but would presumably exceed DSS figures.
An increasing number of shelters and facilities for the homeless and those threatened by homelessness have been developed in Nassau County by various voluntary agencies. These include 14 emergency shelters with 161 beds; 4 transitional facilities with 25 beds; 5 permanent supportive housing facilities including 27 units; and other facilities such as day shelters and soup kitchens. With a growing homeless population, there is a continuing need to provide support to existing facilities, and expand services in appropriate locations.
Nassau County has an estimated 10,000 housing units with some type of federal assistance. Of those, about one half are public housing, and one half are other project based assisted housing developments built under Section 202, Section 8 and Section 236 Programs, as well as tenant based assistance under the Section 8 Certificate and Voucher Programs. There are long waiting lists for all assisted and public housing.
Service providers for special needs populations indicated the following needs, in addition to affordable housing:
Obstacles the county faces in addressing its housing needs include lack of vacant land; high cost of land; limited availability of funds; limited number of Section 8 certificates and vouchers; local opposition; limited non-profit capacity; and high construction costs. Initiatives are being undertaken by several communities in the consortium to overcome some of these conditions. These include: incentive zoning/density bonuses; streamlining regulations to expedite approvals; creative use of public subsidies and tax credits; provision of extensive technical assistance to non-profit housing organizations; and greater involvement by localities in assembling blighted properties for redevelopment utilizing the power of eminent domain.
Of the 434,127 housing units in the Nassau County Consortium, 95% were constructed prior to 1980, when lead based paint was still in use. Of the units built before 1980, 10% are occupied by low income households. In 1995, more than 25,000 children were screened for lead poisoning in Nassau County, of which 9% were found to have excessive lead levels.
Community development needs in Nassau County include a wide range of activities:
Nassau County's strategic plan identifies objectives that have been developed in accordance with goals for providing decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expanding economic opportunities for low and moderate income persons.
Many of the strategies set forth in the Consolidated Plan are directed at reducing the number of households in poverty or providing housing and supportive services to prevent families and individuals from falling below the poverty line. These include the Section 8 Family Self Sufficiency Program, which will match participants with services such as child care, personal and career counseling, adult basic education, job training and placement, and the use of CDBG funds for similar public services for low and moderate income persons.
Nassau County anticipates that funding will be available from federal. state and private sources. Federal resources include the Community Development Block Grant, HOME, Emergency Shelter Grant, Section 8 Existing, Comprehensive Grant, Comprehensive Improvement Assistance Program, and Low Income Tax Credit programs. Resources available from the state are likely to include funds made available through the Affordable Home Ownership Development Program, Housing Trust Fund, and State of New York Mortgage Association. Private resources include financing made available through local banks, and programs made available through the Federal Home Loan Bank.
The Consolidated Plan will be carried out with the assistance of numerous
public and private organizations, with primary responsibility being taken by the
Nassau County Office of Housing & Intergovernmental Affairs, the
administering agent for overseeing the CDBG, HOME, Emergency Shelter Grant and
Section 8 Existing Programs. Section 8 programs are also operated by several
other housing authorities throughout the county, and there are ten housing
authorities which apply directly to HUD for Comprehensive Grant and CIAP funds.
Many non-profit organizations are involved in carrying out homeless and
affordable housing activities, and state agencies and local lenders provide
competitive housing grants. Gaps in the institutional structure include
occasional difficulty in coordinating activities among the county's various
participating agencies and departments, including the public housing authorities
which currently provide limited input to the planning process.
The Nassau County Consortium One Year Action Plan outlines the proposed use of approximately $23,500,000 in CDBG, HOME, and Emergency Shelter Grants funds, in addition to program income. Funds will be spent on a wide range of housing and community development activities including new construction and rehabilitation of housing; commercial and economic improvements; public services for senior, youths and other low income persons; architectural barrier removal in private homes and in public buildings; homeless shelter operations and renovation; acquisition, demolition and relocation activities of blighted properties in targeted redevelopment areas; and infrastructure improvements in low income areas; and other related activities. Activities will be carried out consortium- wide.
Highlights of Nassau's housing goals for the first year include the rehabilitation of approximately 450 units of housing; new construction of approximately 80 units of affordable housing for renters and owners; provision of rental assistance to 3,000 very low income households; and provision of homeless support services, operating and renovation assistance that will benefit an estimated 700 homeless or at-risk individuals.
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 at street level for most of the Village of Hempstead and surrounding areas.
MAP 6 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects at street level for most of the Village of Freeport and the unincorporated area of Roosevelt that is part of the Town of Hempstead.
MAP 7 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects at street level for most of the unincorporated area of Inwood that is part of the Town of Hempstead along with some of the surrounding area.
MAP 8 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects at street level for most of the City of Long Beach and some of the surrounding area.
MAP 9 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects at street level for most of the City of Glen Cove and some of the surrounding area.
TABLE (without associated map) provides information about the project(s).
