HomeMy WebLinkAboutHousing Needs Assessment - 06/2005 Town of Southold
Housing
Needs Assessment
June 2005
Table of Contents:
Cover ........................................................................ 1
Table of Contents .......................................................... 2
Background ................................................................. 3
Definitions .................................................................. 4
Approach .................................................................... 5
Introduction ................................................................. 7
Historical Background ................................................... 10
Findings .................................................................... 12
Recent and Current Initiatives .......................................... 14
Documentation of Affordable Housing Inventory ................... 16
Documentation of Current Need ....................................... 18
Documentation of Affordable Housing Inventory Created ......... 22
Housing Needs for Seniors .............................................. 23
Other Housing Assistance ................................................ 27
Conclusion ................................................................. 28
Sources ..................................................................... 29
Appendix ................................................................... 30
2
Back~round:
Due to rising concerns about the inability of local residents to obtain
affordable housing in a resort economy, the Town of Southold has assumed
responsibility for maintaining current information regarding its citizens'
housing needs. The Special Projects Coordinator was assigned the task of
compiling a housing needs assessment for the Town.
The primary focus of this report pertains to the specific housing needs of
households whose incomes are considered ~moderate" (see definition
below). This particular cohort has been significantly marginalized by the
dramatic increase of real estate sales prices in the region.
Affordable housing must also include promoting rental opportunities that are
safe and legal as well as reasonably priced. An adequate inventory of
affordable rentals will provide an avenue for households to save money
towards realizing home ownership. Long Island has traditionally offered a
limited selection of rental stock (less than 20% of its total housing) and the
Town of Southold has mirrored these findings (24% according to the 2000
Census data). Without the expansion of moderate rental opportunities, fewer
households will be financially able to avail themselves of permanent housing
in the future.
Affordable housing for households with moderate incomes cannot be the
sole focus of a housing needs assessment, as the Town must also address the
housing needs of citizens living at the poverty level. The Town has
partnered with the North Fork Housing Alliance (NFHA) to assist low-
income residents in acquiring appropriate housing. The NFHA procures
most of its funding through federal and state governments. In addition, the
Town also provides Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds
to the organization for the purpose of rehabilitating existing housing stock.
In addition, the village of CJreenport's Housing Authority provides
subsidized housing for some of its poorer residents.
Def'mitions are provided below to clarify certain terms mentioned in this
document.
· A[[ordable housing generally provides housing opportunities for
those households with ~moderate" incomes. This terminology has
also assumed a variety of descriptors to offset potential NIMBYISM,
such as ~workforce housing, next generation housing and starter
housing". With the creation of the Housing Fund in May 2004, the
Town Board legislated that households qualifying for affordable
housing must have total household incomes that fall below 120% of
area statistical median income. Some affordable housing programs
(particularly those funded through the federal government) require
that total household income fall below 80% of area statistical median
income. Home ownership opportunities are frequently offered to
households with moderate incomes.
· Povert~ level provides housing opportunities to households whose
incomes are below 30% of the area median income. For households
living at the poverty level, rental opportunities are frequently the only
realistic option. Section 8 housing assistance is a federal government
benefit distributed to local housing authorities to income eligible
households. Housing authorities provide direct payment to private
landlords who are allowed to charge fair market rent. In turn tenants
pay 30% of their gross household income towards rent to the local
housing authority. In the Town of Southold, the Village of CJreenport
and the North Fork Housing Alliance serve as local housing
authorities offering Section 8 assistance.
· Senior housing provides housing opportunities that restrict tenancy
based on age. This type of housing may be rental or home ownership
such as condominiums. Most senior housing that is federally funded
requires occupants to be 62 years of age or older. However, market
rate housing can be provided to tenants as young as 55 years of age.
· Median income/median sales price not the average but the midpoint
where one-half is more and one-half is less.
4
The following methodology was utilized to develop Southold's housing
needs assessment.
Approach: A basic housing needs assessment framework contains the
following components:
· Documentation and interpretation of need through existing data.
The U.S. decennial census provides a wealth of data and demographic
information at the local level such as median household income, median
sales price of housing, poverty levels, housing stock, etc. Analysis of this
information can provide an inventory of housing stock, a demographic
and socioeconomic profile of the community, which can provide a
snapshot of the community's housing needs. This data can also be used
to determine trends and make projections when applicable (i.e. Town's
high concentration of aging population. What are the implications for
housing these seniors in the future as well as recognizing a pattern that
already exists of clustered housing for the elderly e.g. Peconic Landing,
Founders Village, Colonial Village, etc.)
· Documentation of backlog of existing need.
This information was collected from the now defunct office of
Community Development and the North Fork Housing Alliance. These
households will be contacted to complete an application to be certified
for the Town's newly created housing registry that provides accurate data
of those currently in need. Obviously not all households who are in need
will apply for assistance.
· Documentation of newly arising and current needs.
This data will be collected from the newly released housing applications
that are being compiled into the Town's housing registry. Over 250
households recently attended the Town's Housing Summit to learn about
affordable housing initiatives. Unlike the abstract information analyzed
from the Census data, this will provide concrete data of need throughout
the Town. Some of the names of these households may be on record
from the documentation of backlog of existing need.
· Documentation of existing supply (or lack thereof) of affordable
dwellings.
This information will be collected through review of real estate section of
local papers, interviews with local realtors and review of real estate
transfers at the Tax Assessor's Office.
· Documentation of housing inventor~ created.
Affordable housing units that will be created as a result of affordable
housing projects, new accessory apartments and inclusionary zoning
programs will need to be maintained within an accurate and timely
manner.
· Other documentation.
Utilization of existing data from any other regional providers (i.e. Long
Island Housing Partnership, Peconic Community Council, etc.) as needed
to supplement the Town's efforts.
A needs assessment must also reflect any historical information that may
help to explain or identify the current condition. The Town has a
meaningful history in attempting to promote affordable housing. What
lessons have we learned in our current quest to address the lack of affordable
housing (e.g. the concept of mandating perpetual affbrdability, etc.) This
document attempts to provide an accurate picture of the Town's current
housing needs.
6
Introduction:
The Town of Southold has struggled for decades to create affordable
housing opportunities for many of its year-round residents whose incomes
are recognized as ~moderate". The cost of housing on the East End and
Southold in particular has increased substantially over the past 10 years.
While the housing market is unique within eastern Long Island, the nation is
also experiencing a steep rise in real estate prices. In May 2005, the New
York Times reported that nationwide, the median sales price for existing
homes increased over 15% in the last year. The robust housing market is
attributed to record low mortgage rates and creative financing that has also
spawned an increase in second/vacation homes. Due to the limited gains in
the stock market, investors are finding real estate a viable option to secure
financial rewards.
In January 2005, the Long Island Builders Institute reported that a national
study of housing affordability revealed that Nassau/Suffolk counties were
the least affordable regions in the Northeast. While housing prices have
soared, average earnings for year-round residents have not kept pace.
Also in January 2005, the Rauch Foundation polled 805 Long Islanders and
found that seventy percent of those polled indicated concerns that high
housing costs will drive family members away. Similarly, 74% stated that
the lack of affordable housing was an ~extremely" or ~very" serious
problem. Such fear of escalating housing prices was further affirmed in
February 2005 when the New York State Association of Realtors reported
that the state's home prices increased 37% between 2002 and 2004.
Suffolk Research Service, Inc. analyzed real estate transfers for the East End
of Long Island over a five-year period from 2000-2004. Reporting on
median prices in the five towns of single-family home sales, Southold had
the largest growth over this period, 129.8%. Their findings cited the median
price of housing in Southold as $191,500 for the year 2000 compared with
$440,000 for 2004.
The most troubling aspect of this trend is that the substantial increase in
home prices is far outstripping the increase in median income for our area.
The U.S. Census reported the household median income for Southold
residents as $49,898 in the year 2000. Utilizing industry standards to
calculate mortgage capability (2.5-3 % multiplied by a household's gross
income), residents earning the median income could procure a mortgage for
7
housing in the range of $125,000 to 150,000. The Long Island Index cited
that Long Island wages lagged beneath national wages over the last 15 years,
8% versus 12% respectively.
The lack of affordable housing is having many adverse effects within the
Town. Employers struggle to hire and retain local employees at prevailing
wages due to the limited availability of affordable housing. Recruiting and
retaining essential personnel (police officers, teachers, nurses, etc.) has
become increasingly a challenge due to the lack of affordable housing.
Earnings from these mid-income jobs are insufficient to foster the ability to
buy a home and residents who perform this essential line of work are
squeezed out of the housing market. Wages on the East End are
significantly lower than Western Long Island and this minimizes the ability
of local employers to attract commuters from the West End.
Volunteer emergency services are also impacted by the lack of affordable
housing, prompting the possible necessity of replacing volunteer services
with paid employees who would be faced with the same need to find
housing. In December 2004, the Independent newspaper featured a report
that East End Fire Departments face a serious problem recruiting and
retaining volunteer firefighters due to the lack of affordable housing within
the region.
The socio-economic implications are potentially far-reaching because
Southold's economy is primarily seasonal representing agriculture, marine
industries and tourism. The Town must struggle to meet the demand of its
services from approximately one-third of its population that does not live in
the Town on a year-round basis. During the summer months, the population
swells by approximately half, mostly from second homeowners and tourists.
Because housing costs significantly outpace household incomes, residents
who live and work in the Town on a year-round basis cannot compete with
second homeowners to purchase the limited housing that is available.
Without a workforce, a region cannot sustain itself. Sociologists and
economists attribute that rising real estate prices frequently contribute to the
erosion of the middle class if affordable housing is not built. Town residents
are becoming more alienated and frustrated because they cannot continue to
live in their own community where they were educated and where they have
established bonds of family, friendships and church.
8
The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) reported in February 2005 that
gentrification in rural areas frequently means the loss of affordable housing.
HAC attributes that when wealthier households move to rural areas,
developers focus on meeting the housing needs of the higher end market
while ignoring the needs of the lower end.
Home ownership is a cornerstone of the American dream. For the affluent
this frequently means ownership of several homes, in particular for city
dwellers a home in the ~country". Local residents who have purchased
homes before the surge in real estate prices frequently lament that ~they
could not afford to buy their homes". However, for those local residents
who did not buy real estate, their opportunity is lost. Without assistance,
these households will never become homeowners and many will move to
areas outside of Town and the region that can offer affordable housing.
9
Historical Background:
The chronology below provides a brief historical context of public and
private efforts to create affordable housing for the Town of Southold from
1985-2003.
· 1985-The Town Board created a Housing Advisory Committee to
implement actions to create affordable housing. The Town added an
Affordable Housing Zoning District (AHD) to its Zoning Code ~to
provide opportunities for the development of high-density housing
within certain areas of the town for families of moderate income".
This was also known as ~density incentives".
· 1986-Zoning Board of Appeals provided an allowance for single-
family residences to create accessory apartments. A very limited
number of apartments were created due to this allowance (11). This is
attributed to the financial costs incurred to create ~legal" apartments
when in fact an abundant inventory of ~illegal" apartments exists. To
mandate that these units comply with Building Code standards could
leave hundreds homeless.
· 1986-1987- The North Fork Housing Alliance obtained grants from
the State of New York's Affordable Housing Corporation that
provided fourteen units of housing. They continue to serve the
Town's poorest residents and currently have an active inventory of 53
property units.
· 1990-The Walsh Park project in Fishers Island was the first private
initiative to be developed exclusively for affordable housing through
the provision of 12 modular homes on a 24-acre parcel.
· 1991-Occupancy of the Cedarfields subdivision in CJreenport began
with 37 units offered under the Town's AHD guidelines. This project
was also a private venture.
· 1992-The Town and the North Fork Housing Alliance partnered with
Habitat for Humanity whereby 2 homes were built.
· 1993- The Southold Town Planning and Zoning Committee provided
the Town Board with a ~Statistical Profile of Southold Town: 1990"
and a ~Description and Evaluation of Southold Town's Affordable
Housing Policies and Programs 1980-1992".
· 1994- Southold Villas provided 33 units of affordable housing and
received financial support from the New York State Affordable
Housing Corporation. The average sales price was $92,661 and this
was the second affordable housing development in the Town to
receive AHD zoning.
· 1998-The Elijah Lane Estates complex was completed offering 20
single-family homes to moderate-income families ($44,600 was the
10
average family income). Each unit received a $30,000 subsidy from
the Suffolk County Community Development program.
· 2000-Census indicated that there were 13,769 dwelling units, a net
gain of 790 dwelling units within ten years. Of this gain, only 84
were attributed to affordable housing initiatives. The 2000 census
recorded the Town's population as 20,599, a net gain of 663 residents
since 1990. In addition, the census reported that $49,898 represented
the median household income and few household incomes are poor
(below $10,000) or wealthy (above $200,000). The largest income
cohort would be deemed ~moderate" ($50,000-$74,999).
· 2002- (1). The Town Board adopted a moratorium on residential
subdivision and site plan approval. (2). It also convened a working
group/moratorium team to analyze and make recommendations
regarding development of land use for the Town. (3). This led to the
commissioning of a two-volume report, Draft Generic Environmental
Impact Statement (DGEIS) issued in May 2003. (4). In addition, the
Supervisor formed the ~Southold Town Housing Committee" to
analyze the urgent need for affordable housing. This Committee held
bi-weekly meetings since its formation and made formal observations
and recommendations in its December 06, 2002 report. The report
highlighted several components necessary in developing permanent
affordable housing: high density, affordable perpetuity, reuse of
existing housing stock and developing private/public/non-profit
partnerships.
· 2003- (1). The Town Board charged the Human Services Director and
the Director of Community Development to analyze the Town's
ability and capacity to promote affordable housing. This effort
rekindled a community-wide appeal for action to solve the growing
dilemma of the lack of affordable housing. They recommended the
hire of a full-time staff position to work exclusively on affordable
housing. (2). A grassroots movement resulted in the creation of a
Steering Committee for the Community Land Trust (CLT) of
Southold. The CLT model is affordable, as the CLT owns the land
and housing is leased to lessees. After meeting monthly for two years,
the CLT formally adopted a Board of Directors in April 2005. It is
currently exploring opportunities with the Town of Southold, County
of Suffolk and the Long Island Housing Partnership to develop rental
and home ownership units within the hamlet of CJreenport West.
· 2004-The position of Special Projects Coordinator is created and
filled to work with the Town Board to maximize affordable housing
opportunities.
11
Findings:
Despite the previous attempts to develop affordable housing, the problem
persists and has worsened increasingly over the last five years. Simply
stated, the affordable housing crisis is predicated on supply and demand.
The Rauch Foundation reported that the scarcity of vacant land on Long
Island has limited opportunities for development, specifically affordable
housing. The Town's vigilant efforts to preserve land and open space has
functioned to further limit the amount of raw land available to develop new
housing.
Development is further curtailed by the lack of sewage treatment (outside of
the Village of CJreenport) and the ability to access public water. Currently,
the Suffolk County Health Department restricts that single-family housing
can be built on no less than one-half acre to fulfill its sanitation requirements
provided it has access to public water. Because of the high cost of land,
achieving density is the key component to promote affordable housing.
Acknowledging this critical issue prompted the Town Board in March 2005
to legislate the creation of a ~bank" for sanitary flow credits.
Realtors have witnessed an upsurge in demand for housing in the Town of
Southold, primarily amongst second homeowners. Within the last decade,
the Town witnessed a significant increase of second home ownership and
seasonal rentals. The census data for 2000 indicated that second
homeowners comprised 34.1% of the Town's population.
The popularity of the Town of Southold continues to escalate yearly as
visitors ~discover" the region's unique charm of rural and agricultural
landscape coupled with the abundance of beaches and local vineyards.
Once deemed desirable for many second-homeowners, the South Fork has
recently lost its appeal to those seeking a more rustic and pastoral scenery.
In addition, housing costs on the South Fork have soared to new heights
making Southold real estate appear ;~reasonable" comparatively. Suffolk
Research Service reported that the price of residential vacant land in the
Towns of East Hampton and Southampton increased 35% from 2003-2004.
This has fueled considerable interest in the North Fork as a viable alternative
to the South Fork. The Hamptons and North Fork Realtors Association
(HANFRA) affirmed that the influx of South Fork realtors to the North Fork
reflects the increased popularity of the North Fork. Reported in the New
York Times on June 9, 2005, the National Association of Realtors revealed
;~vacation-home buying increased 19.8% in 2004, from 2003."
12
The Town's proximity to metropolitan New York City is a major factor in
the housing crisis for local residents. In May 2005, New York Magazine
featured a story about the city's concentration of wealth. It reported that
according to the New York Private Bank and Trust, approximately 3,000
households possess a net worth over $30,000,000 and that not that long ago
$1 million in assets was considered wealthy but currently ;~it means you
own an average co-op in Manhattan outright". The New York Times
affirmed these findings when it reported in June 05, 2005 ;~after adjusting for
inflation, there are five times as many households as there were two decades
ago with a net worth of more than $10 million."
Many metropolitan area residents desire second homes in the region and
they possess extraordinarily higher incomes than local residents. Due to
increased demand and limited supply, local residents with their median
household income of $50,000 are priced-out of the housing market.
Historically low interest rates for mortgages coupled with the facility of
which high income households can access money (i.e. debt) has further
promoted the ability of non-year round residents to dominate the local real
estate market. Jim Jubak, senior market editor for MSN Money, reported on
June 15, 2005 ;~lower average interest rates have given a home buyer a boost
of about 8.7% in buying power over the last year." Simply translated, a
qualified household can currently borrow $500,000, unlike $460,000 last
year.
As evidenced above, the Town did attempt to address the lack of affordable
housing. However, it never anticipated that housing prices would soar
exceedingly beyond inflation. Therefore its previous efforts did not foresee
the necessity of creating housing that would remain affbrdable in perpetuity.
Housing developed as ;~affordable" in the 1980s and 1990s that sold for
$85,000-100,000 are currently priced in excess of $350,000 because after
seven years of their creation, owners were allowed to sell at market prices.
With the exception of the Walsh Park Development in Fishers Island, the
Town did not develop housing that is affbrdable in perpetuity. Therefore it
no longer has an inventory of affordable housing and its previous efforts
(while well-intentioned) are for naught in offering solutions to the current
affordable housing crisis.
13
Recent and Current Initiatives:
Cognizant of previous efforts to create affordable housing within the Town
of Southold, the Town Board advanced numerous legislative initiatives to
promote affordable housing in the years 2004 into 2005. While some
municipalities have elected to finance bonds to stimulate the creation of
housing, the Town Board promulgated directives to establish the necessary
framework to create affordable housing opportunities. They are as follows:
· Hired a full-time staff position, Special Projects Coordinator, to assist
the Town Board with the development of affordable housing.
· Created the Town of Southold Housing Fund that will be utilized to
support affordable housing initiatives.
· Modified amendments to the Town's Affordable Housing District
(AHD) to promote accessory apartments and to mandate perpetual
affordability.
· Ratified an inclusionary zoning provision within the Subdivision Code
that requires the creation of affordable housing for every new standard
residential subdivision of five (5) or more lots. This mandates that no
less than 10% and up to 25% of newly developed housing units be
affordable.
· Established the following guidelines for participation in the Town's
affordable housing initiatives:
At least one-half of households will make 80% or less of the HUD
median income for Suffolk County and the remainder ccm have
incomes that are between 80% and 120% or less of the HUD median
income and identified the priority population as follows (in order of
priority):
(1). Income eligible individuals/families who live c~nd work in the
Town of Southold;
(2). Income eligible individuals/families who live in the Town of
Southold;
(3). Income eligible individuals/families who work in the Town of
Southold;
(4). Income eligible individuals/families who used to live in the Town
of Southold crud wish to return, crud
(5). All other income eligible individuals/families.
· Institutionalized the concept of perpetual affordability within all
housing legislation. This requires that homes sold after purchase will
realize profits that are the equivalent percentage of the Consumer
Price Index as compiled by the United States Department of Labor.
· Initiated a hamlet planning task force that represents a broad
representation of community stakeholders who have made
recommendations for the delineation of hamlet center boundaries. In
14
addition, stakeholders have identified those areas that they deem
appropriate to accommodate residential development, specifically
affordable housing within their respective hamlets.
In addition, the Special Projects Coordinator facilitated the following
initiatives with the cooperation of the Town Board.
· Developed a housing application form and database for the Town of
Southold's housing registry. This will serve as the clearinghouse for
the Town to certify eligibility of registrants as well as maintain an
accurate and timely waiting list.
· Hosted a Housing Summit in which over 250 community residents
convened to hear about the Town's affordable housing objectives and
learn about home ownership opportunities from regional housing
agencies and financial products from local lending institutions.
· Conducted housing needs assessment to assess the housing needs of
the Town.
15
Documentation of Affordable Housing Inventory:
There is no known inventory of affordable housing that is af~brdable due to
covenants and restrictions.
Real estate listings from local newspapers reveal that Southold's housing is
prohibitively expensive. To measure the gravity of change of home sales in
the Town of Southold, the Special Projects Coordinator conducted a point in
time survey of sales listings advertised in the Suffolk Times for the second
week of June for years 2000 and 2004.
Only homes listed as definitively in the Town of Southold were included.
Noteworthy is that June 08, 2000 listed 45 homes for sale and June 10, 2004
listed 88 homes. As real estate prices have skyrocketed over the last four
years, additional realtors from outside the area (notably from Manhattan and
the South Fork) have developed a presence in Town and in many cases they
have merged or acquired existing firms.
Home Prices for Sale
>$3,000,000
$2,000,000-$2,999,999
$1,500,000-$1,999,999
$1,000,000-$1,499,999
$900,000-$999,999
$800,000-$899,999
$700,000-$799,999
$600,000-$699,999
$500,000-$599,999
$400,000-$499,999
$300,000-$399,999
$200,000-$299,999
$100,000-$199,999
June 2004 June 2000
4 0
2 0
8 0
4 0
5 0
4 1
6 5
13 4
18 2
16 5
8 7
0 13
0 8
Total 88 45
Of the information listed above, the average home price for sale in 2000 was
$380,284 whereas in 2004 the average home price for sale is $797,828. The
highest sales price was $875,000 in June 2000 and $3,600,000 in June 2004.
The lowest sales price was $125,000 (3 bedroom needing TLC) in 2000 and
$355,000 (for sale by owner) in 2004. This information clearly indicates that
affordable housing (relative to average income among year-round residents)
has disappeared in the last four years. The greatest percentages of homes for
16
sale in 2000 are below $399,999 (62%). However, in 2004, only 9% of
homes are below $399,999 and greater than 20% of homes for sale are in
excess of $1,000,000.
If homes were listed and selling at the above-mentioned prices, a central
question at hand was to determine who was purchasing these homes. How
could it be that $390,493 was the average sale price for 2001-2002 when the
2000 census reported that the median income for year-round residents of the
Town was $49,898? From 2003-first quarter of 2004, the average sales
price increased to $498,584, an increase of greater than 27% from 2001 to
2002. Incomes of local residents were not accelerating at this pace so who
was purchasing this real estate?
To ascertain who was actually buying homes from sellers in the Town of
Southold, the Special Projects Coordinator utilized the data from the Tax
Assessor's office that recorded housing sales from the year 2003 into the
first quarter of 2004. There were 473 sales, the minimum sales price was $1
and the highest sales price was $4,600,000. Utilizing the computer printout,
a statistical sampling of 50% of sales listed, utilizing tax map numbers to
determine the addresses of buyers for 236 properties sold during this period.
The findings are listed below:
Buyer's Address
Number
Percentage
Southold 56 24%
Other Long Island 92 39%
New York City 60 25%
Other Regions 28 12%
Within this period of 15 months, fewer than 25% of purchasers of local real
estate were from the Town of Southold. Included within this group are
second-homeowners in the Town purchasing additional homes, investors
with local addresses and properties that were bequeathed by estates.
To further complement this data, on April 5, 2005 the Special Projects
Coordinator mailed a questionnaire to a sampling of local realtors
(approximately 15) to ascertain their sales inventory as well as the residency
and income status of prospective buyers of residential homes in the Town of
Southold. Data from local real estate agencies may provide supplemental
information to complete findings within housing needs assessment. To date,
no responses have been received. This questionnaire appears in the
appendices.
17
Documentation of Current Need:
The office of Community Development that had previously administered the
Town's affordable housing program did not keep records of households
requesting affordable housing. With an absence of a waiting list, it became
apparent that the Town would need to collect information of those
households seeking housing assistance through the development of a
housing application that would be managed within a database.
In November 2004, the Town convened a Housing Summit to provide
information and education to households seeking affordable housing
opportunities that would promote their housing ~readiness". Potential
housing applicants learned about assuming a mortgage, savings programs
towards housing for First Time Homebuyers, low cost financing, improving
credit histories, etc. Housing applications were also available to enroll in the
Town' s Housing Registry.
The Office of the Special Projects Coordinator has pre-screened over 100
applications that were received for housing assistance. This information is
compiled in a database and functions as the Town's Housing Registry (i.e.
waiting list). The number of applications received is anticipated to
dramatically increase as housing opportunities arise within the Town.
As of April 30, 2005 114 applications have been received and pre-screened
as meeting qualifications. The Town Board established priority populations
to receive housing assistance from the Town and the breakdown is as
follows of the total 114 households:
· Priority 1 - 84 applications received from households that live and
work in the Town of Southold.
· Priority 2- 8 applications received from households that have lived in
Southold for a period of one year prior to application submission.
· Priority 3 - 9 applications received for households that have worked
in Southold for a period of one year prior to application submission.
· Priority 4 - 3 applications received for households that previously
lived in Southold for a minimum of one year and wish to return.
· Priority 5 - 10 applications received for households that do not meet
the aforementioned criteria (i.e. other income eligible applicants).
The charts appearing below provide further details of the characteristics of
households seeking assistance (total applications received and priority 1
applications received.)
18
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS
Report as of: 4~30~05
FAMILY BREAKDOWN OF HOUSING STATS FOR ALL APPLICATIONS
RECEIVED:
Home Ownership
# of Households:
One Adult
Two Adults
Three Adults
1 Adult/1 child
1 Adult/2 children
1 Adult/3 children
2 Adult/1 child
2 Adults/2 children
2 Adults/3 children
2 Adults/5 children
Totals:
1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 or More Bedrooms
7 26 45
7 11 10
7 15
1
4 7
1 6
2
2 2
10
8
7 26 61 94
Apartment Rental
1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 or More Bedrooms
# of Households: 11 15 6
One Adult
Two Adults
Three Adults
1 Adult/1 child
1 Adult/2 children
1 Adult/3 children
2 Adult/1 child
2 Adults/2 children
2 Adults/3 children
2 Adults/5 children
Totals:
11 4 1
5
1
3 3
1 1
1 1
11 15 6 32
Subtotal:
Households recorded in BOTH categories:
Households Not recorded in either category:
Total responses as of 4/30/05:
126
(17)
5
114
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS
Report as of: 4~30~05
FAMILY BREAKDOWN OF HOUSING STATS FOR PRIORITY 1 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED:
Home Ownership
# of Households:
One Adult
Two Adults
Three Adults
1 Adult/1 child
1 Adult/2 children
1 Adult/3 children
1 Adult/4 children
2 Adult/1 child
2 Adults/2 children
2 Adults/3 children
2 Adults/5 children
Totals:
1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 or More Bedrooms
I 3 I 47 I 49
3 7 10
6 11
2 3
1 4
2
1
1 2
8
7
3 17 49 69
Apartment Rental
# of Households:
One Adult
Two Adults
Three Adults
1 Adult/1 child
1 Adult/2 children
1 Adult/3 children
2 Adult/1 child
2 Adults/2 children
2 Adults/3 children
2 Adults/5 children
Totals:
1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 or More Bedrooms
I 5 I 6 I 0
5 2
2
1
1
5 6 0 11
Subtotal:
Households recorded in BOTH categories:
Households Not recorded in either category:
Total responses as of 4/30/05:
2O
In addition to data collected by the Special Projects Coordinator within the
housing registry, data from the North Fork Housing Alliance and Village of
CJreenport appear below. Most of these households receiving assistance
have incomes at the poverty level.
Other Data:
The North Fork Housing Alliance, Inc. serves the entire North Fork of the
eastern end of Long Island (the Towns of Southold and Riverhead). The
Alliance provides housing throughout the Town but is largely concentrated
in the Village of Greenport. The purpose of the NFHA is to assist low-
income households acquire affordable housing through reducing shelter
costs (housing subsidies) and increasing low-cost housing stock.
The NFHA reported the following data to the United States Department of
Housing and Urban Development for its calendar year October 1, 2003 to
September 30, 2004.
Area of Assistance
# Households
Resolving/preventing mortgage delinquency
Conversion of home equity
Rental housing
Shelter due to homelessness
49
36
71
O3
In addition to the aforementioned, the NFHA reported the following data for
2004:
Waiting List for Section 8
Waiting List for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Assistance
83
179
The Village of CJreenport's Housing Authority provides Section 8 vouchers
to 87 households. In addition to meeting Section 8 income guidelines,
households are required to either live and/or work in CJreenport. As of May
2005, 62 households are on the waiting list for rental assistance.
21
Documentation of Housin~ Inventory Created:
The office of the Special Projects Coordinator will be responsible for
documenting affordable housing units that are created. Below find a sample
document that will track inventory created for affordable housing:
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
AFFORDABLE HOUSING INVENTORY
NAME OF
PROJECT
Development A
Development B
Development C
Development D
Total Units
Date:
# and TYPE OF UNITS
32 apartments for senior
18 townhouses
9 accessory apartments
15 condos
3 accessory apts.
77
LOCATION
Mattituck
Greenport West
Cutchogue
Southold
22
Housing Needs for Seniors:
The Town's initial approach in discussing the need for affordable housing
was guised in the language of"workforce housing". The terminology of
"workforce" alienated and provoked some seniors, as they are retired and
not currently working for the most part. Although many seniors are already
homeowners, they have distinct housing needs associated with their aging
that may not be feasible under their current housing condition.
The Town Board requested that the Special Projects Coordinator convene a
"Senior Housing Taskforce" with dedicated seniors to ascertain housing
needs for the elderly in the Town of Southold.
Also noteworthy is the growing senior population living in the Town of
Southold. The New York Times reported that according to the National
Board of Realtors, 51% of all vacation homes sold in 2004 were purchased
by households 55 years of age or older. According to the 2000 Census, the
following demographics were reported indicating that the elderly are highly
represented in the Town:
Age Southold Suffolk Ct~ Long Island NY State
50-59 13.3% 12.0% 12.1% 11.2%
60-64 5.5% 4.0% 4.1% 4.0%
65 plus 23.0% 11.8% 13.3% 12.9%
The Special Projects Coordinator facilitated a series of meetings with the
Town's Human Resource Director, Karen McLaughlin, who is charge of
senior programs for the Town along with Ed Siegmann, Senior Advocate
and "Upper Hall" column writer for Suffolk Life. Mr. Siegmann identified
some other local seniors to be a part of this workgroup (Rita Cohen and
Harry Jaquillard).
A questionnaire was created to assess senior housing needs that was mailed
and/or distributed in March and April 2005 (see appendices.) This
questionnaire was sent to:
· Seniors receiving meals from the Town's meal delivery program
funded by the County of Suffolk's Office on Aging
· Seniors who eat lunch at the congregate site at the Human Resource
Center in Mattituck
· Persons who belong to Senior clubs at the Town's Recreation Center
in Peconic
23
· Households receiving income tax exemptions (STAR and enhanced
STAR) from the Tax Assessor's Office
· Other senior households as identified by the Taskforce
As of May 05, 2005, 453 questionnaires were received. Respondents did not
necessarily answer all questions; in fact, some households simply returned
the questionnaire stating that they are satisfied with their current housing
arrangements. The following charts provide data and a snapshot profile of
senior housing needs from the returned questionnaires:
16
14
"~ 12
Senior Housing Profile-Renters as of 515105
Financial Hardships
[] Rent
[] Utilities
[] Medical
[] Taxes
[] Repairs
24
Senior Housing Profile-Homeowners as of 5~5~05
250
200
~oo
~= 50
Financial Hardships
[] Real Estate Taxes
[] Repairs
[] Utilities
[] Medical
[] Mortgage
180
160
.~ 140
~ 120
~ 100
"5 80
~ 60
· -, 40
z
Senior Housing-Future Needs Status as of 5/5/05
[] Downsizing Interest
[] Ownership
[] Rent
Senior Housing Future Needs Status as of 5/5/05
140
100
~ 80
~ 40
z 20
0
[]Two Bedroom Unit
[]Condo
[] Townhouse
[]Apartment
[]One Bedroom
[] Efficiency
Type & Size of Dwelling Desired
Senior Housing-Future Needs Status as of 515105
[] Affordability
160
140 []Town Proximity
120 [] Maintenance Inclusion
100
[] Transportation Proximity
80
60 [] On Site Activities
40 [] Mobility Within Housing
20 [] Handicapped
0 Accessibility
Features Desired [] HRC Proximity
26
In addition to the data provided by the senior housing questionnaire, the
North Fork Housing Alliance provided the following data. The NFHA
reported providing housing assistance to households with members over the
age of 55 as of December 2004:
· 54 receive Section 8 subsidies
· 9 receive non-subsidized housing assistance
· 28 seniors (over age 62) are on the waiting list for housing rental
assistance.
Other Housing Assistance:
This housing needs assessment provides housing information for households
with moderate incomes, low income served by other agencies within the
Town and desired housing features for seniors. There are other distinct
housing needs that are not addressed in this document that may be
considered for future reports, such as:
· Seasonal housing to accommodate workers in the tourist industry
· Year-round housing for laborers
27
Conclusion:
This document represents a comprehensive effort to identify the housing
needs for the Town of Southold to further complement the Town's planning
efforts. The accumulated data clearly indicates that year-round residents
who do not already own homes will have limited abilities to do so without
assistance.
A housing needs assessment is not a static document. Housing needs
change frequently due to many factors and the Town's housing needs
assessment will be modified as necessary. The interpretation and
extrapolation of existing real estate data will continue to provide critical
information regarding the Town's housing needs.
In addition, the Town's housing registry will provide concrete data of
households in need of housing assistance. The Special Projects Coordinator
will collect and disseminate data of the Town's current housing needs for
qualified households. As affordable housing initiatives advance forward,
additional names will be collected and these households will be certified to
determine income eligibility and meeting priority population status (i.e. live
and work in the Town of Southold).
The Special Projects Coordinator will provide the Town Board with a
quarterly report of the number of households requesting assistance with
affordable housing within the housing registry. This information will be
utilized to in making decisions on continuing, enhancing and creating
affordable housing opportunities within the Town of Southold.
Respectfully Submitted:
Phillip Beltz, MSW
Special Projects Coordinator
28
Sources Referenced:
1. U.S. Census 2000
2. Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement Southold
Comprehensive Implementation Strategy
3. New York Times
4. North Fork Housing Alliance
5. Village of Greenport Housing Authority
6. Town of Southold Office of Community Development
7. Town of Southold Planning Department
8. Town of Southold Office of Tax Assessors
9. Long Island Builders Institute
10.Rauch Foundation-Long Island Index
11.New York State Association of Realtors
12. Suffolk Research Services, Inc.
13. Independent
14.Housing Assistance Council
15.Hamptons and North Fork Realtors Association
16.New York Magazine
17. Suffolk Times
18. Jubak's Journal: MSN Money
29
Appendix:
1. Household Median Income Chart, County of Suffolk, 2005
2. Housing Characteristics as reported in DGEIS
3. Real Estate Survey and Cover Letter
4. Senior Housing Questionnaire and Cover Letter
30