Hudson County History and How the Homeless Problem Began
At the turn of the Nineteenth Century, Hudson County was a typical, industrialized urban area. The population was of mixed economic classes. There was ample affordable housing and comprehensive public transportation and its proximity to New York City made Hudson County attractive to the immigrant classes. It was a very stable and affordable environment, where one could live, work and raise a family with a reasonable expectation that this stability would benefit generations to come.
These social conditions continued up to the 1960s, but as industry began to relocate to the “sunbelt” and the middle class began to migrate to the suburbs, the general state of Hudson could be described as urban blight -- as was the case with many urban centers in the Northeast. As a response to these conditions, programs, such as abatements, were introduced to attract business. To aid the depressed housing market, programs such as Section 8, Model Cities, and Public Housing were also initiated.
In the 1970s, Hudson County began to become an alternative for the overpriced New York City housing market. Since New York City was just a short ride on the PATH train and the cost of a loft in Jersey City was approximately half of that of a New York City loft space, the first “newcomers” to move to Hudson were members of the “Arts Community.” Business-owners and corporations also began relocating to Hudson due to lower property costs, rents and abatements that did not exist in New York. Many businesses were able to enjoy both incentives offered by New York for them not to relocate as they sent their back office to Hudson with abatements and lower prices per square foot.
On the residential side of the Hudson County market, the 1970’s began a new demand for housing. The lure of the high-ceilinged brownstones and quaint colonial homes ignited the condo boom along with brand new housing and developments. All of this development was marketed to the highest income levels in the country and in the early 1980s, Hudson County waterfront property that lined the Hudson River from North Bergen to Bayonne became known as the “Gold Coast.”
Current Market Conditions
There are many false assertions made concerning the Hudson “Gold Coast.” Many assume that the new businesses bring jobs to the Hudson workforce and that Hudson benefits from the corporate philanthropic culture. This may be true for some corporations like Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Chase and Brown Brothers Harriman, but they are the exception and not the rule.
The same dynamic forces that affect the corporate community exist in the residential real estate market. Most of the residents of the new waterfront developments are highly compensated individuals and thus, the cost of housing and land is one of the highest levels in the world. This has created a situation where many longtime Hudson residents must relocate or find public housing and with the loss of the middle class, the gap between Hudson’s rich and poor continues to expand.
In a study conducted by the Palisades General Hospital Foundation, it was found that 89% of those living on the “Gold Coast” have an annual income in excess of $100,000 and only stay in Hudson for less than 5 years and that indicates that their individual philanthropy will follow the same pattern.
Because of this lack of dedicated, long-term philanthropy, Hudson’s not-for-profit sector struggles to find new resources for support. Many grants are based on the community’s average per capita income and average land costs, neither of which are average in Hudson. The current state of the not-for-profit community is such that the amount of charitable contributions raised in a community with a corporate and residential Gold Coast does not even come close to it’s perceived potential and the grant money that is available is out of reach because of Hudson’s high-income and property value statistics.
Demographics
Most of the negative demographics that exist in the US are evident in Hudson County. The population density ranking of all American cities lists three of Hudson’s twelve cities in the top ten with Guttenberg and Union City ranked as the two most densely populated cities in the country.
Immigration issues place Hudson County in the top ten nationally, ahead of Bronx County, New York and Orange County, California. More than 55 percent of households speak a foreign language at home. Jersey City is the most culturally diverse city in the nation with more than 50% of households run by a single parent.
As one begins to wade through the statistics, it becomes evident that Hudson is in a constant state of emergency where inadequate resources try to meet overwhelming need.
