Greene County Housing Action Plan

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• Greene County Housing Action Plan
• June 16, 2008 Government Operations Committee

Funding for the Greene County Housing Action
Plan was provided by the Greene County
Legislature with assistance through a 2006 New
York State Office for Small Cities Technical
Assistance grant.
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• Advisory Committee Members
• Karen Deyo Greene County Legislature Government
  Operations Committee Chairperson
• Keith W. Valentine Greene County Legislature
  Majority Leader
• Larry Gardner Greene County Legislature
  Minority Leader
• Larry Krajeski Executive Director, Catskill
  Mountain Housing Development Corporation
• Charlene Holdridge Executive Director, Hunter
  Foundation
• Trisha Lamb VP Mortgage Officer The Bank of
  Greene County
• Mark Hyer Chairman, Town of Hunter Planning
  Board
• Charlie Maggio Housing Developer
• Thomas Yandeau Director, Greene County
  Department of the Aging

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• Components of the Housing Action Plan
• An examination of housing needs in Greene County.
  
• Examine the potential tenant and homebuyer demand
  for various housing options.
• Explaining the components of a healthy housing
  mix.
• Providing the County and local decision makers
  with implementation steps to address housing
  needs in Greene County.
• Providing assistance and examples to local
  municipalities on the creation of appropriate
  land use regulations.
• Provide local municipalities with tools to make
  effective decisions regarding housing
  developments.

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Why a Balanced Housing Market
is Good for Greene County

• Builds Strong Communities A balanced housing
  market promotes healthy and livable communities
  and preserves property values by encouraging
  responsible land use and the development of a
  variety of housing types.
• Attracts and Retains Jobs Housing choices allows
  workers, such as firefighters, policeman,
  correction officers, teachers, and nurses to
  live in the communities they serve. A variety of
  housing options are important to meet the needs
  of workers in high, moderate and low wage jobs. A
  variety of housing options also helps businesses
  hire and retain employees. The availability of a
  range of quality and affordable housing is also a
  critical factor in successfully attracting new
  businesses to Greene County.

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Why a Balanced Housing Market
is Good for Greene County
(contd)

• Lets Working Families and Seniors Stay in the
  Towns they Call Home.
• - Younger Residents Younger residents need
  affordable housing to remain in the County
  supporting our workforce labor needs. They also
  bring an energetic vibrancy that helps
  revitalization efforts.
• - Senior Residents Seniors contribute to the
  sense of history of the community and are
  important sources of volunteer service and labor.
  Affordable housing allows senior residents to age
  in place, keeping grandparents living near their
  children and grandchildren.

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Key Reasons Why Greene County Created a Plan

• The County has experienced housing prices that
  have increased higher than median incomes since
  2000.
• The Countys current housing prices are more than
  three times the Countys median family income,
  with most units not being affordable to current
  residents according to generally accepted
  standards of affordability. In 1999, the median
  housing price in Greene County was less than
  twice the median family income.
• Unaffordable housing makes it more difficult for
  the County to attract and maintain the workforce
  it needs to continue to develop and grow.

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• Why a Housing Action Plan for Greene County
• Greene Countys Housing Action Plan addresses all
  phases of a familys life cycle for our
  residents

• Young couples buying a starter house. Retaining
  young people in the County is critical to
  maintaining our workforce.
• Move-Up purchases to houses large enough for a
  family.
• Workforce housing that provides housing for
  working residents in the County.
• Housing that provides a variety of post-children
  and retirement options.
• Renters that need housing, but either do not have
  the income or interest in purchasing housing.

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Greene Countys Dramatic Increase in Housing
Prices

• Median selling price of homes in Greene County
  have increased 122.8 (78,313 to 174,500) from
  2000 to 2006. (Source Economic Report of the
  Hudson Valley Annual 2006 by Marist College)
• Median family income increased only 31.5 during
  the same period from 42,200 in 2000 to 55,500
  in 2007. (Source U.S Department of Housing and
  Urban Development)
• Between 2002 and 2006, Greene County experienced
  the highest percentage change in average housing
  values among the nine counties located in the
  Hudson Valley. (Source Pattern for Progress
  December 10, 2007 Report)

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• Greene County Median Housing Prices by Sub-Region
• Average 2007 asking price for Greene County homes
  by sub-region (Columbia-Greene Board of Realtors)
• Historic River Towns is 195,223
• Valley Towns is 170,927
• Mountaintop Towns is 300,113
• Median price of homes sold in 2007 (Greene County
  Real Property Tax Services)
• Historic River Towns is 167,408
• Valley Towns is 160,000
• Mountaintop Towns is 222,500

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• Greene County Income Distribution
• 46 of residents are below 80 of Greene County
  median income. (Below 44,400 for a family of
  four in 2008)
• 21 of residents are between 80 to 120 of
  Greene County median income.
• 33 of residents are above 120 of Greene County
  Median Income.
• The fastest-growing sector of the population
  in the County is below 80 of median income.

Source 2000 Census and HUD Income Limits.
Compilation of Household income statistics was
prepared by River Street Planning Development,
LLC.
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• Greene County Continues to Grow in Population
• Since 2000, Greene County has grown 2.2 in
  population from 48,195 to 49,246. Greene County
  anticipates further growth in population in the
  2010 Census.
• Greene County continues to witness an influx of
  new residents each year, particularly from the
  New York City metropolitan area and lower Hudson
  Valley.
• The Countys median age is 39, and rising as the
  population ages both in New York State and
  nationally.

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• Greene County Continues to Attract Newcomers

Source IRS Complied by Bureau of Business and
Economic Research, Marist (Pattern for Progress,
12-10-07)
14

• Greene County Migrants Earn More

Source IRS Complied by Bureau of Business and
Economic Research, Marist (Pattern for Progress,
12-10-07)
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• Greene County is a Magnet for Downstaters

• Between the 2000-2001 and 2005-2006 tax years, a
  total of 2,739 Hudson Valley and New York City
  residents moved to Greene County based on IRS
  data compiled by Marist College, representing 40
  of all new residents moving to the County.
• Former Hudson Valley and NYC residents have
  higher median incomes in comparison to Greene
  County residents and are able to spend more on
  housing costs. In Greene County, housing is
  more affordable in comparison to the Lower Hudson
  Valley and points south.
• The people who move into Greene County are also
  allowing the county population to grow. Greene
  County has more deaths than births, and without
  the migration from other areas Greene County
  would decrease in population.

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• River Towns Average Family Case Study
• A corrections officer living in one of the River
  Towns with a household income of 43,220 would be
  able to afford to buy a house in the
  110,000-120,000 range, based on typical lending
  standards of 30 of income to mortgage, 20 down
  and having a monthly payment of about 1,300.
• The average asking price for a home in the River
  Towns was 195,223 in 2007. The mortgage on a
  house in this price range would be about 1,900.
  The 600 per month gap is 7,200 in annual
  income.

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• River Town Community Case Study Slides

Source Greene County Multiple Listing Service
Asking Price 112,900 Asking Price 119,000
Asking Price 120,000
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• Valley Town Typical Family Case Study
• A two-income household living in a Valley Town
  (teacher and local government employee) with a
  combined household income of 57,036 would be
  able to afford to buy a house in the 150,000 to
  160,000 range, with a monthly payment of about
  1,425.
• The average asking price for a home in the Valley
  Towns was 170,927 in 2007, so the average
  monthly payment would be about 1,600.
• The Valley Towns are the fastest-growing
  sub-region in the County.

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• Valley Town Community Case Study Slides

Asking Price 155,000 Asking Price 159,500
Asking Price 159,900
Source Greene County Multiple Listing Service
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• Mountaintop Affordability Case Study
• A two-person household living in one of the
  Mountaintop Towns (insurance and retail employee)
  with an average household income of 60,702 would
  be able to afford to buy a house in the 160,000
  to 170,000 range, with a monthly payment of
  about 1,550.
• The average asking price for a home in the
  Mountaintop Towns was 300,113 in 2007, with a
  monthly payment of about 2,500 with 20 down.
  The gap in payment is about 12,000 in annual
  income.
• The Mountaintop region has approximately 75
  homeownership from out-of-County residents.

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• Mountaintop Community Case Study Slides

Asking Price 160,000 Asking Price 164,000
Asking Price 169,000
Source Greene County Multiple Listing Service
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• Key Findings of Case Study Analysis
• Housing prices rose rapidly throughout the County
  during the decade of the 2000s, both due to the
  internal market and external demand.
• Housing prices have risen much more rapidly than
  wages, turning Greene County from a very
  affordable housing community to one struggling
  with affordability issues for its residents.
• People earning the median income in Greene County
  can afford modest homes in the current market.
  People earning less are likely locked out of the
  housing market without subsidies.

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• Why Communities Need Rental Housing
• Communities are diverse and people living here
  have different needs at any given time. Not all
  households can afford to purchase a home, while
  others may not want to undertake the burden of
  homeownership or may want to try the community
  before buying in the community. Quality
  affordable rental housing provides families with
  another option to meet their housing needs.
• Approximately 28 of occupied housing in the
  County is renter-occupied, according to the 2000
  Census.
• The median gross rent for Greene County in 2000
  was 508 for all bedroom sizes. The current
  median rent is almost 800.

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• Greene County Fair Market Rents
• A recent survey of rental listing found that the
  current average rents are higher than the Fair
  Market Rents, which is a gross rent estimate
  (shelter rent plus the cost of all tenant-paid
  utilities, except telephones, cable or satellite
  television service, and internet service)
  calculated annually by the U.S. Department of
  Housing Urban Development (HUD) based on the
  40th percentile of the market. (Source The Daily
  Mail. August 27, 2007.)
• Greene County Fair Market Rents by Bedroom Size,
  2008

Zero Bedroom One Bedroom Two Bedroom Three Bedroom Four Bedroom
582 629 766 996 1085
Source U.S. Department of Housing Urban
Development
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• Fair Market Rent Changes and Analysis
• Greene County received an increase in its Fair
  Market Rent of over 100 per unit from HUD in
  2008 to better reflect costs in the marketplace.
  Even with that increase, Fair Market Rents for
  many apartments in the County are below the
  market rents, as shown below

One Bedroom Two Bedroom Three Bedroom Four Bedroom
Difference between FMR and Average Rent 40 -91 0 -90
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• Rental Market Case Studies
• In order to afford the average one-bedroom rent
  of 584, a person would need to make at least
  11.23 per hour, or 23,360 per year, based on
  the generally accepted 30 of your income going
  to rent and working 40 hours a week.
• If you earn minimum wage (7.15 an hour in New
  York State), then a person will have to work 63
  hours per week to have an income high enough to
  afford the Greene County median one-bedroom
  apartment rent.
• Greene Countys median wage is just over 15 per
  hour for all jobs, and many sectors average less
  than that.

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• Market Analysis Rental Market
• In order to afford the average two-bedroom rent
  of 857, a person would need to make at least
  16.48 per hour, or 34,280 per year, based on
  the generally accepted 30 of your income on rent
  (the generally accepted standard of
  affordability).
• If a person earns minimum wage (7.15 an hour in
  New York State), then you will have to work 93
  hours per week to have an income high enough the
  rent.
• Greene Countys median wage is just over 32,000
  per year.

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• Focus Group Meeting
• A focus group meeting with Greene County
  stakeholders was held in September 2007 to
  discuss housing issues facing County residents.
• Invited stakeholders represented not-for-profit
  agencies and housing organizations, County
  Agencies, and Businesses and Developers.
• Comments received from stakeholders were used in
  the preparation of the Greene County Housing
  Action Plan.

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• Focus Group Meeting Notes
• Most service providers agreed that the County has
  a lack of affordable housing units.
• The County does not have shelters or apartments
  for persons who become homeless. Homeless people
  are being sheltered in hotels/motels and are
  having longer stays, increasing Social Services
  costs.
• Street rents have been higher than the HUD Fair
  Market Rent for some time. Apartments that are
  found to be affordable are often below HUD
  Housing Quality Standards and cannot be
  subsidized.
• There is an influx of new residents that are
  wealthier and are buying high end homes, renting
  luxury apartments, and spending money in the
  communities. Participants were aware of
  multi-family homes that were bought by newcomers
  and converted back to single-family, reducing the
  supply of housing while demand rises.

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• Focus Group Meeting Notes
• Most participants stated the need for a mix of
  housing in the County that serves all income
  levels.
• In the development of new housing, adequate
  infrastructure is critical. Potential affordable
  housing sites need to have water, sewer, natural
  gas and electric services available to reduce
  cost.
• Current costs of building residential units does
  not lend itself to providing low-income
  affordable rents (even with deep subsidies),
  especially when high-end rents are being paid by
  existing tenants.
• Reliable transportation to employment and needed
  services is becoming a huge obstacle for Greene
  Countys workforce population, especially as fuel
  costs continue to rise.
• Exclusionary zoning regulations are also an issue
  in finding sites to develop affordable housing.

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• Senior Housing in Greene County
• The Greene County Department for the Aging
  formed a short-term housing committee to examine
  senior housing needs and report back to the
  County Legislature. Key findings include
• There is strong demand for affordable housing for
  seniors, with waiting lists for senior apartments
  being one to two years.
• Seniors want to remain in their community, which
  is difficult in some cases as only six of the 14
  Greene County towns have some form of subsidized
  senior housing.
• Seniors want independent living facilities, where
  service programs are needed, such as home
  delivered meals, personal care and housekeeping,
  in order to maintain as many seniors as possible
  in their homes.

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• Senior Housing in Greene County
• Proposed assisted living facilities will meet
  some of the housing needs of seniors.
• Bristol Manor in New Baltimore has been approved
  for a loan by Greene County will provide market
  rate assisted living housing. (Needs to be
  approved by Greene County DSS for beds).
• Fairground Estates and Autumn Grove (below) shows
  typical senior housing in the County.

Photos were taken by Catskill Mountain Housing
Development Corporation
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• Implementation Recommendations
• Residents below 80 of Median Family Income (MFI)
• Encourage municipalities to develop a rental
  rehabilitation strategy.
• Create developer incentives to encourage
  development of affordable rental housing.
• Residents between 80 to 120 of MFI
• Encourage mixed-income residential projects to
  serve a wide range of people in the community.
• Encourage new housing development that fills
  identified gaps in the County.
• Create developer incentives to encourage new
  market rate rental housing.

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• Housing Action Plan Results
• Development of a Detailed Housing Action Plan
  that
• Assesses barriers to development.
• Identifies gaps in the market.
• Provides detailed Goals, Strategies and Actions.
• Educational materials developed as part of the
  Plan include
• Fact Sheets for Local Officials, Planning Board
  members and the general public.
• PowerPoint Presentation.
• Community Cost of Services Analysis and Fiscal
  Impact Model.

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County and Municipal Roles in Housing Action
Plan Implementation The County has prepared the
Housing Action Plan both to create policy for the
County and its agencies to follow regarding
housing, but also to work with local
municipalities on effective ways to meet their
housing needs. - County staff will also be
providing technical assistance and meeting with
local municipalities to explain and assist them
with housing related issues.
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• Housing Action Plan Goals
• Goal One Provide an ample supply of housing for
  all phases of a familys life cycle - enabling
  young couples to rent or buy a starter home,
  eventually move up into a home large enough for a
  family and housing that provides a variety of
  post-children and retirement options.
• Goal Two Continue to work with the Department
  for the Aging on implementing their
  recommendations from the Senior Housing Study.
• Goal Three Mitigate or eliminate barriers to
  affordable and workforce housing initiatives
  through a program of public education and support
  advocacy.

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Goal Four Encourage Greene County
municipalities to adopt land management tools
that create opportunities for affordable and
workforce housing.Goal Five Continue to expand
or improve infrastructure to facilitate more
adequate housing.

• Housing Action Plan Goals (contd)

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• Goal One and Related Strategies
• Provide an ample supply of housing for all
  phases of a familys life cycle - enabling young
  couples to rent or buy a starter home, eventually
  move up into a home large enough for a family and
  housing that provides a variety of post-children
  and retirement options.
• Strategy 1 Identify and improve residential
  development within the village and town centers.
• Strategy 2 Continue to encourage the
  development of mixed income home purchase and
  rental projects.
• Strategy 3 In partnership with county
  organizations and non-profit housing
  organizations, promote housing rehabilitation and
  homeownership programs.
• Strategy 4 Encourage employer-sponsored worker
  housing initiatives.

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• Goal Two and Related Strategies
• Continue to work with the Department for the
  Aging on implementing their recommendations from
  the Senior Housing Study.
• Strategy 1 Identify specific senior housing
  developments that will assist with the increasing
  senior population in Greene County.
• Strategy 2 Provide opportunities for seniors
  to continue to age in place.

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• Goal Three and Related Strategies
• Mitigate or eliminate barriers to affordable
  and workforce housing initiatives through a
  program of public education and support advocacy.
• Strategy 1 Provide assistance to local
  municipalities to mitigate and eliminate barriers
  for housing.
• Strategy 2 Undertake a public education
  campaign to raise public official and citizen
  awareness about the importance of housing choice
  and representing a complete life-cycle of housing.

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• Goal Four and Related Strategies
• Encourage Greene County municipalities to
  adopt land management tools that create
  opportunities for affordable and workforce
  housing.
• Strategy 1 Encourage municipalities to adopt
  sound development principles.

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• Goal Five and Related Strategies
• Continue to expand or improve infrastructure
  to facilitate more adequate housing.
• Strategy 1 Continue to work with local
  municipalities with public facilities expansions.
  

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• Next Steps for Housing Action Plan
• The Housing Action Plan will be offered to the
  Greene County Legislature for adoption in July of
  2008.
• Greene County Department of Planning and Economic
  Development will
• - Provide local government with technical
  assistance on housing issues.
• - Present the Housing Action Plan to Town
  Boards.
• - Package and disseminate key plan information to
  the Towns, such as the Cost of Community Services
  and Fiscal Impact Analysis.

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• Next Steps for Housing Action Plan
• Greene County Department of Planning and Economic
  Development will encourage the local
  municipalities to
• - Understand affordable housing issues in their
  community.
• - Update or adopt their comprehensive plans.
• - Work with the County to identify developable
  properties for housing.
• - Work with the County and other appropriate
  agencies to develop and improve infrastructure.

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• For Additional Information
• Warren Hart, AICP, Director
• Karl Heck, AICP, Community Development Specialist
• Greene County
• Department of Planning and Economic Development
• [phone]
• www.greeneplanning.com
• The Housing Fact Sheets and Full Housing Action
  Plan Report is available on the website shown
  above.