Start your 7-day free trial — unlock full access instantly.
← Back to Search
Lead Closed
This opportunity is no longer accepting submissions.
AI-Powered Lead Insights
Executive Summary
The City of Bayonne, New Jersey, as an entitlement community under HUD's Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), is required to affirmatively further fair housing. This draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) identifies barriers to fair housing and proposes strategies to address them. It includes an analysis of demographic, income, housing, and employment data, an evaluation of fair housing complaints, and a discussion of impediments in the sale or rental of housing, brokerage services, financing, public policies, and administrative policies. The AI aims to create community change, remove systemic impediments, and improve fair housing choice in Bayonne. The citizen fair housing survey draft was made available to Bayonne's website with hard copies placed in the Bayonne Municipal Building from April 6, 2020 through May 8, 2020.
Web Content
Automated discovery link found on Bayonne website.
Document Text
--- Document: Draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Document ---
1
2020 ANALYSIS OF
IMPEDIMENTS TO FAIR
HOUSING CHOICE-DRAFT
City of Bayonne, NJ
MARCH 1, 2020
PREPARED BY
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
Introduction
Demographics/Background Data
• Population, Race, Ethnicity, and Religion
• Housing Tenure
• Income and Poverty
• Employment
• Education
• Housing Profile
• Disabled Households
Fair Housing Enforcement, Outreach Capacity, and Resources Analysis
• Fair Housing Laws
• Fair Housing Lawsuits and Complaints
Identification of Impediments
• Evaluation of Public and Private Sector Policies
•
Public Sector
•
CDBG Program
•
Public Housing, HUD Assisted Housing, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits
•
Zoning, Land Use, and Development Potential
•
Federal Requirements
•
Taxes
•
Transportation
•
Section 3
•
Public Sector
o Bayonne Land Use Boards
o Building Codes
o Affordable Housing Trust Fund
•
Private Sector
o Real Estate Practices
o Newspaper Advertising
o Mortgage Lending Practices
•
Public and Private Sectors
o Accessibility of Rental Housing
3
o Fair Housing Information and Enforcement
o The Waterfront Project
o The Hudson County Housing Resource Center
•
Summary of Primary Impediments to Fair Housing and Recommended Goals
4
Tables
1. Table 1- Population Change -City of Bayonne
2. Table 2-Population Density in Hudson County
3. Table 3 - Race /Ethnicity in Bayonne
4. Table 4- Race and Hispanic or Latino Population in Hudson County Excluding Bayonne
5. Table 5- Bayonne Dissimilarity Index
6. Table 6- Ethnicity and Ancestry in Bayonne
7. Table 7- LEP Population more than 1,000 in Bayonne 2015
8. Table 8- Age of Population in Bayonne
9. Table 9 Religious Affiliation in Hudson County
10. Table 10- Housing Units in Bayonne by Occupancy Status
11. Table 11 Household Tenure by Size in Bayonne
12. Table 12- Household Tenure by Race and Ethnicity in Bayonne
13. Table 13 Household Type in Bayonne 2017
14. Table 14 Household Income in Bayonne
15. Table 15 Jersey City, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area Section 8 Income Limits for FY 2019
16. Table 16 Low - and Moderate-Income Population in 2019 for the City of Bayonne
17. Table 17-% Families in Poverty in Bayonne
18. Table 18-% Families in Poverty in Hudson County
19. Table 19 Occupations in Bayonne
20. Table 20 Worker Class in Bayonne
21. Table 21 Bayonne Unemployment Rate
22. Table 22 Educational Attainment for Population 25 years old and above
23. Table 23- Housing Units by Structure Type – Bayonne
24. Table 24 Year Structure Built in Bayonne
25. Chart Year Structure Built in Bayonne
26. Table 25 - Housing Stock in Bayonne
27. Table 26 - Units Authorized by Building Permits – New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island,
NY-NJ-PA
28. Table 27 - Building permits in Hudson County 2003-2018
29. Table 28 Mortgage Status and Selected Monthly Owner Costs in Bayonne
30. Table 29 - Selected Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household Income in Bayonne
31. Table 30 Gross Monthly Rent in Bayonne
32. Table 31-Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in Bayonne
33. Table 32 2020 Fair Market Rents (FMRs) by Unit Bedrooms in the Jersey City, NJ HUD Metro
FMR Area
34. Table 33 – Income distribution by % of HUD Area Median Family Income
35. Tables 34- 37 - Cost Overburden
36. Table 38 Housing Problems in Bayonne
37. Table 39 Disabled Persons in Bayonne
38. Table 40- Type of Disability for Population in Bayonne
39. Table 41 Disabled Persons in Hudson County Excluding Bayonne
40. Table 42 Type of Disability for Population in Hudson County Excluding Bayonne
5
41. Table 43 Basis for Housing Complaints (includes multiple basis for single complaint)
42. Table 44 How Complaints Were Closed Bayonne
43. Table 45- HUD Date Filed of Complaints Bayonne
44. Table 46 HUD-FHEO Complaints
45. Table 47- Housing Complaints Nationwide
46. Table 48- Bayonne Housing Authority Developments
47. Table 49- Bayonne LIHTC Projects
48. Table 50 Property Taxes
Maps
•
Map 1- White Population in Bayonne
•
Map 2- Hispanic Population in Bayonne by %
•
Map 3- Bayonne Hispanic Population by Tract
•
Map 4- Foreign Born Population by Tract
•
Map 5- Foreign Born % by Tract
•
Map 6- Egyptian Population by Tract
•
Map 7- Population % Age 65 and Over in Bayonne
•
Map 8- Owner-Occupied Housing Units in Bayonne
•
Map 9-Renter-Occupied Housing Units in Bayonne
•
Map 10 Bayonne Median Household Income by Tract
•
Map 11 Low-/ Mod-
•
Map12 - Public Housing Locations in Bayonne
•
Map 13 - Public Housing Locations and Low/Mod Rates
•
Map 14 - Section 8 Voucher Usage in Bayonne by Census Tract
•
Map 15- LIHTC Properties
•
Map 16 Development Sites
•
Map 17 : Hudson Bergen Light Rail
6
Executive Summary
The City of Bayonne, New Jersey is an entitlement community under the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG). In accordance with
the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, each entitlement community must
“affirmatively further fair housing.” In order to “affirmatively further fair housing,” each entitlement
community must conduct a Fair Housing Analysis which identifies any impediments to fair housing choice
and take steps to affirmatively further fair housing. HUD advises communities that the Analysis of
Impediments to Fair Housing should also address “Visitability,” the Section 504 Rehabilitation Act, the
Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as the Fair Housing Act.
HUD’s Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) Office is now advising federal entitlement communities
to update their Analysis of Impediments (AI) to Fair Housing Choice with the preparation of their Five-Year
Consolidated Plans, and then every five (5) years thereafter. In addition, each year Bayonne, as part of its
Annual Action Plan, must certify that the municipality will affirmatively further fair housing. This means
that Bayonne will conduct an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), take appropriate actions
to overcome the effects of any impediments identified through the AI, and maintain records reflecting
what analysis and corrective actions were taken.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development requires that an AI include:
•
An analysis of demographic, income, housing and employment data
•
An evaluation of the fair housing complaints filed in the jurisdiction
•
A discussion of impediments: if any, in 1) the sale or rental of housing; 2) provision of brokerage
services; 3) financing, 4) public policies; and 5) administrative policies for housing and community
development activities that affect housing choice for minorities
•
An assessment of current fair housing resources
•
Conclusions and recommendations
The AI utilizes publicly available data from a number of sources, including:
•
Census and other demographic data
•
Consolidated Plan and associated planning documents
•
Fair housing complaint data will be maintained by New Jersey Department of Law and Public
Safety's Division on Civil Rights and local Fair Housing Agencies (described herein)
•
Fair housing testing complaint and education/outreach data maintained by local Fair Housing
Agencies
•
Internet resources on fair housing
7
In addition to the identification of impediments, jurisdictions are required to develop methods to address
the issues that limit the ability of residents to rent or own housing, regardless of their inclusion in a
protected class.
The purpose of this Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing for Bayonne County is to evaluate the housing
characteristics, to identify blatant or defacto impediments to fair housing choice, and to arrive at a
strategy for expansion of fair housing opportunities throughout the County. This Fair Housing Plan is
intended to help create an atmosphere for community change that will remove systematic impediments
to fair housing while helping to create and improve the climate of fair housing choice in Bayonne . The
Plan will:
•
Provide documentation of the fair housing planning process;
•
Educate and raise awareness among the public, public officials, advocate groups, and housing
providers;
•
Establish the need for the proposed actions;
•
Indicate appropriate actions and their intended outcomes;
•
Identify the need for community partners that can offer resources or accept responsibility for
parts of the Plan; and
•
Provide for periodic review, evaluation, and revision of the Plan as part of the Consolidated
Planning Process.
With the acceptance of the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing, the community will have an updated
baseline for progress against which implementation efforts will be judged.
Fair Housing Defined
Fair housing choice is defined as the "ability of persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national
origin, familial status, or handicap, of similar income levels to have available to them the same housing
choices." The Fair Housing Analysis encompasses the following six areas:
1.
The sale or rental of dwellings (public or private);
2.
The provision of housing brokerage services;
3.
The provision of financing assistance for dwellings;
4.
Public policies and actions affecting the approval of sites and other building requirements
used in the approval process for the construction of publicly assisted housing;
5.
The administrative policies concerning community development and housing activities,
which affect opportunities for minority households to select housing inside or outside
areas of minority concentration; and
6.
Where there is a determination of unlawful segregation or other housing discrimination
by a court or a finding of noncompliance by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) regarding assisted housing in a recipient's jurisdiction, an analysis of
8
the actions which could be taken by the recipient to remedy the discriminatory condition,
including actions involving the expenditure of funds made available under 24 CFR Part
570.
The legislative basis for HUD's review of fair housing practices in communities receiving federal funds is
the Civil Rights Act of 1968. On the 20th anniversary of the passage of the legislation, an amendment to
Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act was passed. The amendment, which is known as the Fair Housing Act of
1988, expanded the scope of coverage of the law to include, as protected classes, families with children
and handicapped persons. Further, enforcement powers for HUD including a monetary penalty for
discrimination were added.
New Jersey Fair Housing and Discrimination Information is administered by the New Jersey Department
of Community Affairs within the Division of Housing & Community Resources. It provides that the Fair
Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of:
•
race or color
•
national origin
•
religion
•
sex
•
familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians;
pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18)
•
handicap (disability)
The Fair Housing Act covers most housing. In some circumstances, the Act exempts owner-occupied
buildings with no more than four units, single-family housing sold or rented without the use of a broker
and housing operated by organizations or private clubs that limit occupancy to members.
Based on the Fair Housing Act, as amended, there are seven technical requirements in the Accessibility
Guidelines for covered buildings that optimize public health and safety standards to further fair housing
practices.
The Fair Housing Act further:
•
Prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial
status, or disability.
•
Sets certain requirements for accessible design in new construction.
•
Covers residential multi-family dwellings for first occupancy after March 13, 1991 (covered multi-
family dwellings are all types of buildings with four or more units).
•
Includes condos, single-story townhouses, garden apartments, vacation timeshares, dormitories,
homeless shelters.
•
Requires covered buildings with an elevator to make all units in buildings accessible.
•
Requires covered buildings without an elevator to make all ground-floor units (including ground-
floors at different levels in the same building) accessible.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits landlords from taking any of the following actions based on race, religion
or any other protected category:
9
•
Advertising or making any statement that indicates a preference based on a group characteristic,
such as skin color.
•
Falsely denying that a rental unit is available.
•
Setting more restrictive standards, such as higher income, for certain tenants.
•
Refusing to rent to members of certain groups.
•
Refusing to accommodate the needs of disabled tenants, such as allowing a guide dog.
•
Setting different terms for some tenants, such as adopting an inconsistent policy of responding to
late rent payments, or terminating a tenancy for a discriminatory reason.
In addition to the Fair Housing Act, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) makes it unlawful to
subject people to differential treatment based on race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry,
age, sex, (including pregnancy), familial status, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical
hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information, liability for military service, and mental or physical
disability, including perceived disability and AIDS and HIV status. The LAD prohibits unlawful
discrimination in employment, housing, places of public accommodation, credit and business contracts.
On September 5, 2002, former Governor Jim McGreevey signed the Section 8 Anti-Discrimination bill
which increases penalties for landlords who refuse to rent or lease to persons who receive federal rent
subsidies or have children under the age of 18 (senior and age-restricted housing excluded). Under this
law, a landlord who discriminates can be fined up to $10,000 for a first offense and up to $25,000 for a
second offense. A person bringing action because of discrimination may be awarded a reasonable
attorney's fee.
This law amends the existing "Law Against Discrimination" by prohibiting landlords from discriminating
against tenants based upon a tenants' source of lawful income, such as Section 8 vouchers, or the age of
their children. In addition, it also broadens the powers of housing authorities so that they can bring suit
on behalf of a tenant who is discriminated against. The law is supported by a 1999 state Supreme Court
ruling that says landlords cannot deny an apartment to tenants based solely on their sources of income.
All housing discrimination complaints are filed locally with the New Jersey Department of
Law and Public Safety's Division on Civil Rights, via their State Headquarters or their regional offices.
Research
i.
A review of the Hudson County 2010 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice;
ii.
A review of the FY 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan, FY 2018 and FY 2019 Annual Action Plans, and
Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Reports for FY 2015 through FY 2018;
iii.
A review of the City’s Zoning Ordinance and Master Plan;
iv.
A review of the Bayonne Housing Authority policies and procedures in the Admission and
Continued Occupancy, and the Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan;
v.
The most recent demographic data for the Bayonne was analyzed from the U.S. Census and
American Community Survey, which included general, demographic, housing, economic social,
and disability characteristics;
vi.
A review of the residential segregation data from Census Scope was completed;
10
vii.
A review of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Comprehensive Housing
Affordability Strategy (HUD-CHAS) data was undertaken;
viii.
A review information provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Data and Mapping Tool;
ix.
A review of financial lending institutions through the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA)
database was completed;
x.
A review of the real estate and mortgage practices was undertaken;
xi.
Home mortgage foreclosure data was reviewed; and
xii.
A review of the following additional resources:
-
Bayonne Urban Enterprise Zone website, updated 2020
-
Harbor Station South District Redevelopment Plan
-
Hudson County Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, 2010
-
Hudson County Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, 2016
-
New Jersey Turnpike Authority Interchange 14A Project website, updated 2018
Interviews & Meetings
The City of Bayonne administration maintains an ongoing dialogue with its constituents and organizations
representing various groups within Bayonne. One of the benefits of doing so is an ongoing awareness on
the part of the City of the needs of Bayonne's residents. Some of those needs fall within the parameters
of the CDBG program and are reflected as part of the Analysis of Impediments. Additionally, the City
maintains an ongoing relationship with more than 40 other municipalities, government agencies, school
districts and community service organizations via e-mail, conference calls, face-to-face meetings, and
conferences. Again, this continuous, if sometimes informal, interaction allows Community Development
staff to stay abreast of community needs and opportunities.
In addition to the continuous dialogue, City staff also conducted formal methods of gathering information
and public input, in accordance with their Citizen Participation Plan. Meetings and/or interviews were
conducted with the Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation, Bayonne Department of Health;
Bayonne Family Community Center; Bayonne Housing Authority; Bayonne PAL; Bayonne Urban Enterprise
Zone; Bayonne Youth Center; Community Day Nursery; Garden State Episcopal Community Development
Corporation; Hudson Milestones; Jewish Community Center; Sunflower Adult Day; Trinitas; United
Cerebral Palsey; Victory Hall; Wallace Temple; The Waterfront Project; Windmill Alliance ; community,
social service, and advocacy agencies for the disabled; housing providers; Municipality staff members.
Electronic Surveys were sent to each housing, social service, and community development agency that
was invited to the roundtable discussions and sent out to the general public.
The following agencies were in attendance for a public hearing: Bayonne Economic Opportunity
Foundation, Bayonne Family Community Center, Bayonne PAL, Bayonne Youth Center, Garden State
Episcopal Community Development Corporation, Hudson Milestones, Trinitas, United Cerebral Palsey,
Victory Hall, Windmill Alliance, and members of the public.
11
The following agencies were in attendance for a large interactive focus group: Bayonne Economic
Opportunity Foundation, Bayonne Family Community Center, Bayonne Housing Authority, Bayonne PAL,
Bayonne Youth Center, City of Bayonne, Community Day Nursery, Garden State Episcopal Community
Development Corporation, Hudson Milestones, Trinitas, United Cerebral Palsey, Victory Hall, Wallace
Temple, The Waterfront Project, Windmill Alliance, and members of the public.
Follow up phone calls were made when an organization neither returned a survey nor attended a meeting.
Analysis of Data
•
Low- and moderate-income areas were identified and mapped.
•
Concentrations of minority populations were identified and mapped.
•
Concentrations of owner-occupied and renter-occupied housing units were identified and
mapped.
•
Locations of Section 8 Voucher units.
•
Fair housing awareness in the community was evaluated.
•
Distribution of public and assisted housing units was analyzed and mapped.
•
The location of CDBG expenditures throughout the Municipality was analyzed.
•
The location of HOME expenditures throughout the Municipality was analyzed.
•
The Municipality’s Five-Year Goals and Objectives were reviewed.
•
Potential Impediments
•
Public sector policies that may be viewed as impediments were analyzed.
•
Private sector policies that may be viewed as impediments were analyzed.
•
The status of previously identified impediments was analyzed.
Citizen Participation
Electronic copies of a citizen fair housing survey were made available on the Bayonne’s website and
distributed to several social service and housing agencies throughout the Municipality to encourage
citizen input.
The draft of this 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice was made available on the
Bayonne’s website and hardcopies were placed at the:
Bayonne Municipal Building
630 Avenue C
Bayonne, NJ 07002
This was done to gather additional public comment on the AI Plan. The display period was from April 6,
2020 through May 8, 2020.
The Analysis of Impediments is scheduled to be approved by the Bayonne City Council at its meeting on
May 13, 2020.
12
DRAFT CONCLUSIONS: IMPEDIMENTS FOUND AND ACTION TO
ADDRESS IMPEDIMENTS
Significant work has been done to address the fair housing impediments identified in the last AI,
however many of the same impediments to fair housing still exist. The following draft
impediments are the same impediments identified during the last AI update, as the impediments
that have been identified are systemic impediments that are complex, long-term challenges to
address.
Impediment I – Limited Supply of Affordable Housing
City of Bayonne is committed to affordable housing, however there is still not enough availability
for the residents in the city. The City has instituted a requirement that is applicable to residential
redevelopment projects whereby the redeveloper is required to provide a minimum of ten percent
of the residential units as affordable, whether they be sales or rental units, and an ordinance that
establishes an “Affordable Housing Trust Fund” that requires residential developers to make a
payment to the trust fund that is equal to one percent of the project’s cost and non-residential
developers to make a payment that is equal to two percent of the project’s cost.
11,140 households in Bayonne are cost-burdened, meaning they pay more than 30 percent of
their income on housing costs. This accounts for 43.9% of all households according to the 2012-
2016 Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy. 44.99% of owner households and 43.22% of
renter households are cost burdened. Though renters outnumber homeowners by over 6000
households and the number of renter households cost burdened outnumbers owner households
by over 2,500 households. The level of cost burden speaks to the need for additional affordable
housing in the city. This need is present among all families making up to 120% of area median
income.
Impediment II – Condition of Housing
Housing condition is a concern among both renters and homeowners in Bayonne, especially the
senior population. 75.3 percent of the housing units in Bayonne were built prior to 1970. There
has been little new construction in Bayonne as since 2010 just 261 units of new construction are
estimated to have been built accounting for 1% of all housing units. From 2000 to 2009, 1,377
units or 5% of the total housing units were built.
Currently there are many units that need rehabilitation. Comprehensive Housing Affordability
Strategy (CHAS) data shows us that half of all households in Bayonne have housing problems and
one-third of households in Bayonne have severe housing problems. Although there is need in
the community, many of the homeowners that are interested in participating in the current
Housing Rehabilitation Program led by the City exceed the current income qualifications.
Although many homeowners with incomes up to 80% of area median income have been able to
take advantage of the program, there is additional need among those with incomes between 80-
120% of AMI who cannot take advantage of CDBG funded housing rehabilitation resources.
13
Impediment III – Lack of Education Regarding Fair Housing Laws
As in many municipalities, there is an increased need for education, outreach, and referral
regarding the Fair Housing Act and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD). The LAD
prohibits discrimination when selling or renting property. The law covers owners, agents,
employees and brokers and makes it unlawful to refuse to rent, show or sell property based on a
person's race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, marital status, domestic
partnership status, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, sex, or mental and physical
disability, including AIDS and HIV-related illness.
In Bayonne, there is particular need for education and counseling among those who are low-
income, Section 8 voucher holders, those for whom English is a second language and other
vulnerable populations.
Impediment IV – Complaint Process
Some confusion exists concerning whom to turn to when a violation of fair housing law is alleged
to occur, as well as how to access the State’s fair housing complaint system. In addition, the
process to file a fair housing complaint is viewed as complicated. There is a general fear of
retaliation that may prevent complainants from filing a fair housing complaint.
Impediment V – Lack of Economic Opportunity
Bayonne’s unemployment rate has fallen over the last ten years and their educational attainment
is relatively similar to the County and the State. However, because Bayonne doesn’t have many
post-secondary education or training institutions, many young people have to leave the
community to pursue education, training and career opportunities. There is a need to build a
complete continuum in Bayonne to support educational and career attainment in the city, so
that residents can afford to stay and invest in Bayonne. Ultimately this strategy can create
generations of successful and stable residents, and families can have the option to keep
property in the family which can preserve affordable housing from generation to generation.
14
Introduction
The City of Bayonne, New Jersey is an entitlement community under the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG). In accordance with
the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, each entitlement community must
“affirmatively further fair housing.” In order to “affirmatively further fair housing,” each entitlement
community must conduct a Fair Housing Analysis which identifies any impediments to fair housing choice
and take steps to affirmatively further fair housing. HUD advises communities that the Analysis of
Impediments to Fair Housing should also address “Visitability,” the Section 504 Rehabilitation Act, the
Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as the Fair Housing Act.
HUD’s Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) Office is now advising federal entitlement communities
to update their Analysis of Impediments (AI) to Fair Housing Choice with the preparation of their Five-Year
Consolidated Plans, and then every five (5) years thereafter. In addition, each year Bayonne, as part of its
Annual Action Plan, must certify that the municipality will affirmatively further fair housing. This means
that Bayonne will conduct an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), take appropriate actions
to overcome the effects of any impediments identified through the AI, and maintain records reflecting
what analysis and corrective actions were taken.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development requires that an AI include:
•
An analysis of demographic, income, housing and employment data
•
An evaluation of the fair housing complaints filed in the jurisdiction
•
A discussion of impediments: if any, in 1) the sale or rental of housing; 2) provision of brokerage
services; 3) financing, 4) public policies; and 5) administrative policies for housing and community
development activities that affect housing choice for minorities
•
An assessment of current fair housing resources
•
Conclusions and recommendations
The AI utilizes publicly available data from a number of sources, including:
•
Census and other demographic data
•
Consolidated Plan and associated planning documents
•
Fair housing complaint data will be maintained by New Jersey Department of Law and Public
Safety's Division on Civil Rights and local Fair Housing Agencies (described herein)
•
Fair housing testing complaint and education/outreach data maintained by local Fair Housing
Agencies
•
Internet resources on fair housing
15
In addition to the identification of impediments, jurisdictions are required to develop methods to address
the issues that limit the ability of residents to rent or own housing, regardless of their inclusion in a
protected class.
The purpose of this Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing for the Bayonne is to evaluate the housing
characteristics, to identify blatant or defacto impediments to fair housing choice, and to arrive at a
strategy for expansion of fair housing opportunities throughout the County. This Fair Housing Plan is
intended to help create an atmosphere for community change that will remove systematic impediments
to fair housing while helping to create and improve the climate of fair housing choice in Bayonne. The Plan
will:
•
Provide documentation of the fair housing planning process;
•
Educate and raise awareness among the public, public officials, advocate groups, and housing
providers;
•
Establish the need for the proposed actions;
•
Indicate appropriate actions and their intended outcomes;
•
Identify the need for community partners that can offer resources or accept responsibility for
parts of the Plan; and
•
Provide for periodic review, evaluation, and revision of the Plan as part of the Consolidated
Planning Process.
With the acceptance of the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing, the community will have an updated
baseline for progress against which implementation efforts will be judged.
Fair Housing Defined
Fair housing choice is defined as the "ability of persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national
origin, familial status, or handicap, of similar income levels to have available to them the same housing
choices." The Fair Housing Analysis encompasses the following six areas:
1.
The sale or rental of dwellings (public or private);
2.
The provision of housing brokerage services;
3.
The provision of financing assistance for dwellings;
4.
Public policies and actions affecting the approval of sites and other building requirements
used in the approval process for the construction of publicly assisted housing;
5.
The administrative policies concerning community development and housing activities,
which affect opportunities for minority households to select housing inside or outside
areas of minority concentration; and
6.
Where there is a determination of unlawful segregation or other housing discrimination
by a court or a finding of noncompliance by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
16
Development (HUD) regarding assisted housing in a recipient's jurisdiction, an analysis of
the actions which could be taken by the recipient to remedy the discriminatory condition,
including actions involving the expenditure of funds made available under 24 CFR Part
570.
The legislative basis for HUD's review of fair housing practices in communities receiving federal funds is
the Civil Rights Act of 1968. On the 20th anniversary of the passage of the legislation, an amendment to
Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act was passed. The amendment, which is known as the Fair Housing Act of
1988, expanded the scope of coverage of the law to include, as protected classes, families with children
and handicapped persons. Further, enforcement powers for HUD including a monetary penalty for
discrimination were added.
New Jersey Fair Housing and Discrimination Information is administered by the New Jersey Department
of Community Affairs within the Division of Housing & Community Resources. It provides that the Fair
Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of:
•
race or color
•
national origin
•
religion
•
sex
•
familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians;
pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18)
•
handicap (disability)
The Fair Housing Act covers most housing. In some circumstances, the Act exempts owner-occupied
buildings with no more than four units, single-family housing sold or rented without the use of a broker
and housing operated by organizations or private clubs that limit occupancy to members.
Based on the Fair Housing Act, as amended, there are seven technical requirements in the Accessibility
Guidelines for covered buildings that optimize public health and safety standards to further fair housing
practices.
The Fair Housing Act further:
•
Prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial
status, or disability.
•
Sets certain requirements for accessible design in new construction.
•
Covers residential multi-family dwellings for first occupancy after March 13, 1991 (covered multi-
family dwellings are all types of buildings with four or more units).
•
Includes condos, single-story townhouses, garden apartments, vacation timeshares, dormitories,
homeless shelters.
•
Requires covered buildings with an elevator to make all units in buildings accessible.
17
•
Requires covered buildings without an elevator to make all ground-floor units (including ground-
floors at different levels in the same building) accessible.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits landlords from taking any of the following actions based on race, religion
or any other protected category:
•
Advertising or making any statement that indicates a preference based on a group characteristic,
such as skin color.
•
Falsely denying that a rental unit is available.
•
Setting more restrictive standards, such as higher income, for certain tenants.
•
Refusing to rent to members of certain groups.
•
Refusing to accommodate the needs of disabled tenants, such as allowing a guide dog.
•
Setting different terms for some tenants, such as adopting an inconsistent policy of responding to
late rent payments, or terminating a tenancy for a discriminatory reason.
In addition to the Fair Housing Act, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) makes it unlawful to
subject people to differential treatment based on race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry,
age, sex, (including pregnancy), familial status, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical
hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information, liability for military service, and mental or physical
disability, including perceived disability and AIDS and HIV status. The LAD prohibits unlawful
discrimination in employment, housing, places of public accommodation, credit and business contracts.
On September 5, 2002, former Governor Jim McGreevey signed the Section 8 Anti-Discrimination bill
which increases penalties for landlords who refuse to rent or lease to persons who receive federal rent
subsidies or have children under the age of 18 (senior and age-restricted housing excluded). Under this
law, a landlord who discriminates can be fined up to $10,000 for a first offense and up to $25,000 for a
second offense. A person bringing action because of discrimination may be awarded a reasonable
attorney's fee.
This law amends the existing "Law Against Discrimination" by prohibiting landlords from discriminating
against tenants based upon a tenants' source of lawful income, such as Section 8 vouchers, or the age of
their children. In addition, it also broadens the powers of housing authorities so that they can bring suit
on behalf of a tenant who is discriminated against. The law is supported by a 1999 state Supreme Court
ruling that says landlords cannot deny an apartment to tenants based solely on their sources of income.
All housing discrimination complaints are filed locally with the New Jersey Department of
Law and Public Safety's Division on Civil Rights, via their State Headquarters or their regional offices.
WHO CONDUCTED
Bayonne is a HUD CDBG entitlement community. The Bayonne’s Community Development Program was
responsible for preparation of the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing under the direction of the
Bayonne City Council. Bayonne has not prepared an Analysis of Impediments of recent, as they had
previously been included in Hudson County’s submission to HUD.
PARTICIPANTS
The City of Bayonne, as an Entitlement Community as designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD), receives CDBG funds. Bayonne is also a member of the Hudson County
18
Consortium; however, they have not received HOME Funds. Additionally, they are no longer included in
the County’s Analysis of Impediments.
Consistent with the development of the Consolidated Plan the Al has been developed in compliance with
the City’s Citizen Participation Plan and process. To ensure compliance with the regulations relating to the
Citizen Participation process the City did the following:
•
Followed the most current Citizen Participation Plan
•
Published notices prior to public hearings
•
Held public hearings in accessible locations
•
Held focus groups and stakeholder interviews with community stakeholders and municipal
leadership to understand the current status of fair housing at the community level
•
Published a summary of the Al and listed locations where the complete Al could be viewed
•
Made the Al available to the general public for a period of thirty days prior submission to HUD
•
Provided citizens, agencies or other interested parties access to records relating to the provision
of funds for affordable housing activities during the preceding five-year period
•
Considered the views and comments received and incorporate same in the Five-Year Consolidated
Plan
METHODOLOGY USED
The preparation of the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing included research on most recently
available demographic data regarding population, housing, income, and employment. Additionally, the
City conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of public policies affecting housing. The community
also examined administrative policies concerning housing and community development, and their
administration in the community. Using the listed information, Bayonne was able to prepare actions to
be completed that affirmatively further the provision of fair housing in the jurisdiction. This revised
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing was undertaken, at the City’s direction, by Triad Associates, Inc.,
a community planning and development consulting firm.
Research
Bayonne Master Plan
Harbor Station South District Redevelopment Plan
Hudson County Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
Interviews & Meetings
The City of Bayonne administration maintains an ongoing dialogue with its constituents and organizations
representing various groups within Bayonne. One of the benefits of doing so is an ongoing awareness on
the part of the City of the needs of Bayonne's residents. Some of those needs fall within the parameters
of the CDBG program and are reflected as part of the Analysis of Impediments. Additionally, the City
maintains an ongoing relationship with more than 40 other municipalities, government agencies, school
districts and community service organizations via e-mail, conference calls, face-to-face meetings, and
conferences. Again, this continuous, if sometimes informal, interaction allows Community Development
staff to stay abreast of community needs and opportunities.
19
In addition to the continuous dialogue, City staff also conducted formal methods of gathering information
and public input, in accordance with their Citizen Participation Plan. Meetings and/or interviews were
conducted with the Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation, Bayonne Department of Health;
Bayonne Family Community Center; Bayonne Housing Authority; Bayonne PAL; Bayonne Urban Enterprise
Zone; Bayonne Youth Center; Community Day Nursery; Garden State Episcopal Community Development
Corporation; Hudson Milestones; Jewish Community Center; Sunflower Adult Day; Trinitas; United
Cerebral Palsey; Victory Hall; Wallace Temple; The Waterfront Project; Windmill Alliance ; community,
social service, and advocacy agencies for the disabled; housing providers; Municipality staff members.
Electronic Surveys were sent to each housing, social service, and community development agency that
was invited to the roundtable discussions and sent out to the general public.
The following agencies were in attendance for a public hearing: Bayonne Economic Opportunity
Foundation, Bayonne Family Community Center, Bayonne PAL, Bayonne Youth Center, Garden State
Episcopal Community Development Corporation, Hudson Milestones, Trinitas, United Cerebral Palsey,
Victory Hall, Windmill Alliance, and members of the public.
The following agencies were in attendance for a large interactive focus group: Bayonne Economic
Opportunity Foundation, Bayonne Family Community Center, Bayonne Housing Authority, Bayonne PAL,
Bayonne Youth Center, City of Bayonne, Community Day Nursery, Garden State Episcopal Community
Development Corporation, Hudson Milestones, Trinitas, United Cerebral Palsey, Victory Hall, Wallace
Temple, The Waterfront Project, Windmill Alliance, and members of the public.
Follow up phone calls were made when an organization neither returned a survey nor attended a meeting.
Analysis of Data
•
Low- and moderate-income areas were identified and mapped.
•
Concentrations of minority populations were identified and mapped.
•
Concentrations of owner-occupied and renter-occupied housing units were identified and
mapped.
•
Locations of Section 8 Voucher units.
•
Fair housing awareness in the community was evaluated.
•
Distribution of public and assisted housing units was analyzed and mapped.
•
The location of CDBG expenditures throughout the Municipality was analyzed.
•
The location of HOME expenditures throughout the Municipality was analyzed.
•
The Municipality’s Five-Year Goals and Objectives were reviewed.
•
Potential Impediments
•
Public sector policies that may be viewed as impediments were analyzed.
•
Private sector policies that may be viewed as impediments were analyzed.
•
The status of previously identified impediments was analyzed.
Citizen Participation
20
Electronic copies of a citizen fair housing survey were made available on the Bayonne’s website and
distributed to several social service and housing agencies throughout the Municipality to encourage
citizen input.
The draft of this 2019 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice was made available on the
Bayonne’s website and hardcopies were placed at the:
Bayonne Municipal Building
630 Avenue C
Bayonne, NJ 07002
This was done to gather additional public comment on the AI Plan. The display period was from April 6,
2020 through May 8, 2020.
The Analysis of Impediments is scheduled to be approved by the Bayonne City Council at its meeting on
May 13, 2020.
HOW FUNDED
The Bayonne funded the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing with funds from its CDBG entitlement.
CONCLUSIONS: IMPEDIMENTS FOUND AND ACTIONS TO ADDRESS IMPEDIMENTS
Bayonne has prepared this 2020 of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice to focus on the status and
interaction of the following fundamental conditions within the Bayonne
CDBG PRIORITIES:
The City of Bayonne focuses its CDBG entitlement funds toward improving the quality of life for its
residents, who are extremely low, very low, and low-income, and to preserve and increase the housing
stock of affordable owner and renter housing units. The CDBG activities have been separated into broad
categories addressing priority needs identified in the Municipality’s FY 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan.
Over the course of the last five years, the highest priorities for the Community Development Block Grant
program identified in the City’s FY 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan include:
1. Preserve existing housing through the Housing Rehabilitation Program
2. Maintain and improve public facilities including non-profit facilities that provide services to low-
and moderate-income residents
3. Ensure that quality public services in support of youth development, public health, employment
and housing needs are available to low income residents
4. Continue Administration and Management activities, including Fair Housing
5. A previous priority was the implementation of Commercial Façade Grants. These efforts have
been integrated within the Urban Enterprise Zone efforts and no longer fall under CDBG.
21
Given changes that have taken place in the community over the last five years, CDBG priorities for
Bayonne moving forward over the next five years include the following:
1. Preserve existing affordable housing through the Housing Rehabilitation Program
2. Maintain and improve the infrastructure including water, sewer, streets, sidewalks, storm water
facilities
3. Continued support of provision of services to those individuals and groups with special needs,
such as the disabled and the elderly
4. Support activities that address the needs of the Homeless and Non-homeless Special Needs
Populations, especially in the areas of prevention and of transitioning to independent living
5. Execution of anti-poverty efforts that support and build upon existing programs, relate to
economic development efforts and integrate job training and placement, welfare to work
initiatives and other programs aimed at improving opportunities for economic self-sufficiency
6. Fair Housing activities
The Housing Rehabilitation and Public Services programming are especially important given the public
service needs and the recent occurrence of multiple fires in Bayonne. There are implementation
challenges with the Housing Rehabilitation program in terms of income qualification and the complexity
of working with landlords/tenants, however the City remains committed to supporting the preservation
and improvement of existing affordable housing.
HOUSING NEEDS:
The following priority housing needs have been identified in preparation for Bayonne’s FY 2020-2024
Consolidated Plan:
Preserve existing affordable housing through the Housing Rehabilitation Program:
The demand for housing in northern New Jersey has continued to be high and is steadily growing. In
Bayonne the current median sales price of a home is $427,000 with the average price for a 1 bed at
$691,666 and a 2 bed at $932,500 according to Trulia. The City’s housing stock is largely multi-family
buildings, the vacancy rates are low and despite a lot of current attention on new luxury rental
developments, there have not been that many units added to Bayonne’s housing stock over the last ten
years. According to the 2013-2017 American Community survey, of the City’s 27,568 total housing units
in 2017, 13,852 were in structures of 2 to 4 units accounting for 50.2% of the housing units in the City.
37.2% of the housing units are in two-unit structures, this is the plurality of housing units in Bayonne.
19.9% of housing units are either single family attached or detached units. According to Census data there
are 27,272 housing units in the City of Bayonne, only 8.42% percent of which were vacant. This
percentage of vacant residential units is lower than the national figure of 12.21% as well as New Jersey’s
vacancy rate at 10.87%, and is reflective of the City’s tight housing market.
22
Furthermore, Bayonne has an older housing stock, with 84.6% of their housing units in Bayonne built prior
to 1980. If you add the housing stock built between 1980-1989, around 90.0 percent of the City’s housing
stock is more than thirty years old. This threshold is important because at that point the need for major
repairs becomes evident. Structures older than 70 years are assumed to have exceeded their useful
life. The implication of this is that rehabilitation and upgrading of units is an on-going problem. The
condition of the housing stock in Bayonne is considered to be fair. As noted, much of the housing stock
was built before 1980, so rehabilitation and upgrading are constant concerns in many neighborhoods.
Implement Fair Housing Activities:
As prices rise and luxury developments become profitable, gentrification is a concern in the community.
The need for Fair Housing education and advocacy will only grow in Bayonne. The median monthly rent
in Bayonne continues to climb and over 30% of renters are cost burdened. Median monthly rents for 2000
was $681 and in 2010 it increased to $967 according to the 2006-2010 American Community Survey. The
most current estimate from the 2013-2017 American Community survey shows that the median rent has
increased to $1,187/month. This indicates a 74.3% increase in the median rent from 2000-2017.
In 2000, 31.9% of renter households were spending more than 30% of their monthly income on rent. By
2010, the percentage of renters spending more than 30% increased greatly by 11.3 percentage points to
43.2% of all renters In Bayonne. Most recently in 2017, the percentage of all renters paying over 30
percent of income for rent continued to increase up to 47.5% of all renters. The total number of those
renters paying more than 30 percent of income for rent has increased by 51.7% from 2000 to 2017, and
their percentage has increased by 15.6 percentage points. These large increases in the percentage of
income going toward rent speaks to the need for more affordable housing options in Bayonne. The result
of high rental housing costs and a large number of low-income households is housing instability, cost
burden, “doubling up” and a need for individuals and families to work more than one job just to “afford”
the rent.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NEEDS:
Execution of anti-poverty efforts that support and build upon existing programs, relate to economic
development efforts and integrate job training and placement, welfare to work initiatives and other
programs aimed at improving opportunities for economic self-sufficiency: Poverty and the affordability
of housing are major concerns in Bayonne. Bayonne’s median household income in 2017 was $56,701,
up more than $3,000 from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey ($53,587). The poverty rate for
families has been increasing in Bayonne since 2000 when it was 8.4% in 2000 to 9.9% in 2010, and most
recently 13 % in 2017. The poverty rate for individuals is as of 2017, 15.7% up from 10.1% in 2000 and
12.4% in 2010.
23
11,135 households in Bayonne are cost-burdened, meaning they pay more than 30 percent of their
income on housing costs. This accounts for 43.88% of all households according to the 2012-2016
Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy. 44.99% of owner households and 43.22% of renter
households are cost burdened. Though renters outnumber homeowners by over 6,000 households, the
number of renter households that are cost burdened outnumber owner households by over 2,500
households.
According to RealtyTrac, as of December 2019, Bayonne has 121 properties in some stage of foreclosure
(default, auction or bank owned). Bayonne has a foreclosure rate of 1 in every 2,757 housing units. Hudson
County has a foreclosure rate of 1 in every 3,382 properties, and the State of New Jersey had a foreclosure
rate of 1 in every 1,223 housing units. Therefore, Hudson County has a lower foreclosure rate.
(INSERT LIST OF IMPEDIMENTS)
Demographics/Background Data
In order to perform an analysis of impediments to fair housing choice in the City of Bayonne the demographic,
housing, economic, and social characteristics of the Municipality were evaluated as a basis for determining and
identifying any potential impediments to fair housing choice.
Bayonne is located on a peninsula between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill Van Kull to the south, and New York
Bay to the east. It located to the north of Staten Island, and is accessible to Staten Island via the Bayonne Bridge.
It is located to the South of Jersey City and is the southernmost city in Hudson County. Bayonne has a rich history
of industry being a ship building town due to its location within New York Harbor. Still today there is a terminal
for cruise ships located and port industry for goods.
The data from the 2013-2017 and 2014-2018 American Community Survey are the most recent figures that have
be released since the 2010 Census.
Population, Race, Ethnicity, and Religion
Population
Bayonne experienced over a half century of steady population loss during the 20th Century, with the largest loss
occurring between 1930 (population of 88,979 people) and 1940 (population of 79,198), a 11% decline in
population. From 1930 to 1990 Bayonne lost 27,535 residents, a 30.94% decrease in population. Since 1990,
however, Bayonne has experienced small growths in population. The 2000 U.S. Census reported that the
population grew to 61,842 people (an increase of 0.65%). The 2010 U.S. Census reports that Bayonne experienced
an even larger population growth over the previous decade, an increase of 1.9% to 63,016 people. The most recent
estimate from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey estimates the population is starting to grow at higher
24
rates as from 2010 to 2017 the population is estimated to have grown by 5.88% to 66,719, the highest Bayonne’s
population has been since 1970. From 2000 to 2017 Bayonne has grown by 7.89%. Hudson County has seen
population growth at rates higher than Bayonne during this time. Between 2000 and 2010, the population of
Hudson County increased by 4.15% from 608,975 people in 2000 to 634,266 people in 2010. The 2013-2017
American Community Survey estimates the population has continued to increase since 2010 by 7.17% to 679,756.
From 2000 – 2017 Hudson County has had an 11.62% growth in population. The State of New Jersey experienced
smaller population growth from 2000 to 2010 of 4.48% as the population grew from 8,414,350 in 2000 to
8,791,894 in 2010. The 2013-2017 American Community Survey (ACS) estimates the population increased since
2010 by 1.91% to 8,960,161. From 2000 to 2017 New Jersey’s population grew by 6.49%, a smaller rate than both
Bayonne and Hudson County.
Table 1- Population Change -City of Bayonne
Source: U.S Census Data, 2017 ACS
New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the Country and Hudson County is the most densely populated
county in the state with 14,973.5 persons/ per sq. mile. Hudson County is home to the four most densely
populated municipalities in the Country, Guttenberg, Union City, West New York, and Hoboken. Guttenberg is
just 0.2 square miles and has a population of 11,695, making it the most densely populated municipality in the
country with a density of 59,768.4 people/sq. mile. Bayonne’s density as of 2017 is lower than most of the County
with a population density of 11,575.3 persons/sq. mile compared to 14,973.5 person/sq. mile in Hudson County.
Bayonne’s also larger than the average size of municipalities in Hudson County (3.85 sq. miles), with a size of 5.8
square miles.
58,000
60,000
62,000
64,000
66,000
68,000
1980
1990
2000
2010
2017
25
Table 2-Population Density in Hudson County
Source: NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development
The following table highlights the racial composition of Bayonne at the time of the 2000 and 2010 U.S. Census and
2013-2017 American Community Survey counts.
Table 3 - Race /Ethnicity in Bayonne
2000 U.S. Census
2010 U.S. Census
2013- 2017 American
Community Survey
Population
Count
%
Population
Count
%
Population
Count
%
Total
61,842
--
63,016
--
66,719
-
White, Non-
Hispanic
43,217
69.9%
35,821
56.8%
32,730
49.1%
Black, Non-
Hispanic
3,038
4.9%
4,730
7.5%
6,472
9.7%
Native American,
Non-Hispanic
48
0.1%
66
0.1%
49
0.1%
Asian, Non-
Hispanic
2,529
4.1%
4,803
7.6%
5,873
8.8%
Pacific Islander,
Non-Hispanic
23
0.0%
10
0.0%
205
0.3%
Land Area (sq. miles)
Persons Per Square
Mile 2010
Persons Per Square
Mile 2017
Hudson County
46.2
13731.4
14973.5
Bayonne
5.8
10858.3
11575.3
East Newark
0.1
23532.1
26749.9
Guttenberg
0.2
57116.0
59768.4
Harrison
1.2
11319.3
14662.7
Hoboken
1.3
39212.0
43231.6
Jersey City
14.8
16736.6
18301.9
Kearny
8.8
4636.5
4862.8
North Bergen
5.1
11838
12400.2
Secaucus
1.3
2793.7
3472.3
Union City
1.3
51810.1
54875.6
Weehawken
0.8
15764.6
19265.6
West New York
1.0
49341.7
53827.4
26
Other Race, Non-
Hispanic
152
0.2%
234
0.4%
320
0.5%
Two or more races,
Non-Hispanic
1,760
2.8%
1,109
1.8%%
1,319
2.0%
Hispanic or Latino
11,015
17.8%
16,251
25.8%
19,751
29.6%
Source: 2000, 2010 Census, 2013-2017 American Community Survey
The demographics of the population in Bayonne have seen significant change between 2000 and 2017. Since 2000
the minority population has grown substantially while the White, Non-Hispanic population and their percentage
of the City’s population has declined. The White, Non-Hispanic population in 2000 was nearly 70% of Bayonne’s
population, and since 2000 has declined by over 10,000 residents and 24.27%. Their percentage of the population
has declined by more than twenty percentage points and according to the 2013-2017 American Community Survey
Bayonne is now a minority majority city. White, Non-Hispanic still maintains the largest single group in terms of
population. Hispanic has been the largest minority group in Bayonne since at least the year 2000, since 2000 the
Hispanic population has increased by 79.3% and over 7,700 residents. The Hispanic proportion of the Bayonne’s
total population has increased by 11.8 percentage points since 2000. As of 2017, the largest Country of origin for
the Hispanic population of Bayonne was Puerto Rico at 37.12% of Bayonne’s Hispanic population. The second and
third highest is the Dominican Republic and Mexico which are the country of origin for 18.87% and 6.2% of
Bayonne’s Hispanic population.
The Black, Non-Hispanic and Asian, Non-Hispanic population of Bayonne have both doubled in size since 2000.
The Black population has grown by 113% going from just under 5 percent of the population to just under 10
percent currently. The Asian population has increased by 132.2% since 2000, and increased its share of the total
population by more than double from 4.1% to 8.8%.
Table 4- Race and Hispanic or Latino Population in Hudson County Excluding Bayonne
2000 U.S. Census
2010 U.S. Census
2013- 2017 American
Community Survey
Population
Count
%
Population
Count
%
Population
Count
%
Total
547,133
571,250
613,037
White, Non- Hispanic
171,999
31.44%
159,689
27.95%
162,827
26.56%
Black, Non- Hispanic
71,002
12.98%
66,585
11.66%
66,837
10.90%
Native American,
Non- Hispanic
854
0.16%
869
0.15%
836
0.14%
Asian, Non- Hispanic
53,841
9.84%
79,022
13.83%
96,135
15.68%
27
Pacific Islander, Non-
Hispanic
185
0.03%
166
0.03%
215
0.04%
Other Race, Non-
Hispanic
3,506
0.64%
4,017
0.70%
3,114
0.51%
Two or more races,
Non- Hispanic
14,698
2.69%
9,292
1.63%
9,359
1.53%
Hispanic or Latino
231,108
42.24%
251,602
44.04%
273,714
44.65%
Source: 2000, 2010 Census, 2013-2017 American Community Survey
The population of Hudson County, when excluding Bayonne, has grown in total population at rates higher than
Bayonne since 2000, with Hudson County’s population growing by 12.04%. When including Bayonne in the
calculation Hudson County saw 11.62% growth during this time, Bayonne grew by 7.89% a little below the county
as a whole. The plurality of the population of Hudson County when excluding Bayonne is Hispanic. This has been
true since at least 2000, and their share of the population continues to increase, as between 2000 and 2017 the
Hispanic population grew by 18.43% and by over 42,000 residents. This resulted in an increase of their share of
the total population of 2.41 percentage points. Hudson County has long had a large Hispanic population especially
in the Northern parts of the County in places like West New York and Union City, which have been referred to as
Havana on the Hudson due to its large Cuban population. Bayonne has seen a large increase in its Hispanic
population since 2000, at a rate of 79.3%. Similar to Bayonne, Hudson County has seen decreases in its White,
Non-Hispanic population since 2000, though from 2010 to 2017 there was a small increase. Since 2000 the White
population of Hudson County has decreased by 5.33%. From 2000 to 2010 there was a 7.16% decrease in the
White population but a 1.97% increase in the White population from 2010 to 2017 lowered the rate. In all though
White has decreased in its overall rate of the County’s population by nearly 5 percentage points, a rate much
lower than Bayonne but still substantial.
Similarly to White, Non-Hispanic, the Black, Non-Hispanic population of Hudson County has seen population loss
between 2000 and 2017 of -5.87% and has gone from the 3rd most populated race/ethnicity in Hudson County to
the fourth, behind Hispanic, White and Asian. This is different from Bayonne which has seen its Black population
more than double in size since 2000. If including Bayonne in this calculation the Black population would see a -
0.99% decrease in population versus -5.87% without Bayonne. Similar to Bayonne the Asian population in Hudson
County has seen substantial growth with a 78.55% increase in population from 2000 to 2017. During this time the
Asian population has increased by over 42,000 residents and increased their share of the total population by
nearly 6 percentage points.
Dissimilarity
One way to consider racial distribution in a community is to look at the dissimilarity indices for an area.
Dissimilarity indices measure the separation or integration of races across all parts of the Municipality. The
dissimilarity index, based on 2013-2017 American Community Survey compares the integration of racial groups
with the white population of the Municipality on a scale from 0 to 100%.The values of the dissimilarity index range
from 0 to 100, with a value of zero representing perfect integration between the racial groups in question, and a
28
value of 100 representing perfect segregation between the racial groups. Dissimilarity Index values between 0 and
39 generally indicate low segregation, values between 40 and 54 generally indicate moderate segregation, and
values between 55 and 100 generally indicate a high level of segregation.
Table 5- Bayonne Dissimilarity Index
Dissimilarity Index
White, Non-Hispanic/Black, Non-Hispanic
24.66
White, Non-Hispanic/Asian, Non-Hispanic
22.35
White, Non-Hispanic/Some other Race, Non-Hispanic
66.68
White, Non-Hispanic/Two or more race, Non-Hispanic
27.13
White, Non-Hispanic/Hispanic
11.72
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
The table above highlights the dissimilarity indices for various race and ethnic groups as compared to the White,
Non-Hispanic population in Bayonne. The Hispanic population is the largest minority group in Bayonne and has a
dissimilarity index of 11.72%, meaning that 11.72% of the white population would need to move to another
neighborhood so that White and Hispanic populations would be more evenly distributed in the Municipality. The
Black, Non-Hispanic population is the second largest minority population, with a dissimilarity index of 24.66%. The
Asian population is the third largest minority population in Bayonne, and compared to the White, Non-Hispanic
population had a Dissimilarity Index of 22.35%. Therefore, all minority groups of greater population than 1,000
have relative low dissimilarity Indices compared to the White, Non-Hispanic population in Bayonne, therefore
indicating low amount of segregation by race/ethnicity in Bayonne. All other minority groups have relatively small
populations, which introduces some error into the calculation of the dissimilarity indices. More specifically, for
populations under 1,000 people, the dissimilarity index may be high even if the population is evenly distributed
across the Municipality. The Black/African American, Asian and Hispanic populations are the only minority
populations in Bayonne with populations exceeding 1,000 people. As a result, the dissimilarity indices of the other
minority populations misrepresent the actual distribution of these populations across Bayonne.
The following maps highlight the racial composition in Census Tracts throughout Bayonne according to the 2013-
2017 American Community Survey. The darkest shaded census tracts indicate the highest concentration of each
population group, and the lightest shaded block groups indicate the lowest concentration of each population
group. The White population is the plurality of Bayonne’s population’s but higher numbers of White population
are seen in the Census Tracts in South Bayonne, though there also majority White census tracts in North Bayonne
as well but it is not as concentrated. The census tract with the largest rate of white population is in southwest
Bayonne in the area including and surrounding G. Thomas DiDomenico Park and Municipal pool.
29
Map 1- White Population in Bayonne
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
Out of the 16 census tracts in Bayonne 7 are majority minority census tracts. They are primarily in the Northern
and central parts of Bayonne. Though the largest percentage of a minority population is found in a tract of South
Bayonne bordered by 16th St in the north, Avenue C on the west, and Route 440 on the South and east sides. This
area is 73.7% minority population, with a plurality of Hispanic residents that account for 46.04% of the population.
The area/census tract with the largest population of minority residents is located in the area including and
surrounding Bayonne High School and Veterans Park in West Bayonne. This is also the area where large amounts
of public housing is located.
The census tracts with larger rates of Hispanic population are in central Bayonne, although this is only based on
percentage of the total population in each Census Tract, which vary in geographic size and population. In fact, the
second largest Hispanic population by Census Tract is found in the northern most Census Tract in Bayonne which
mostly encompasses the area bounded by Avenue on the east, 48th St on the south, and Jersey City on the North
and Newark Bay on the west.
30
Map 2- Hispanic Population in Bayonne by %
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
Map 3- Bayonne Hispanic Population by Tract
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
31
Ethnicity
The following table highlights the ethnicities of Bayonne’s residents at the time of the 2000 Census and more
recent reports. (Data not available for 2010 Census).
Table 6- Ethnicity and Ancestry in Bayonne
2000 Census
2006-2010 ACS
2013-2017 ACS
Total:
61,842
62,027
66,719
Afghan
59
0.10%
15
0.02%
36
0.05%
Albanian
28
0.05%
9
0.01%
52
0.08%
Alsatian
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
8
0.01%
American
1,546
2.50%
1,443
2.33%
1,935
2.90%
Arab:
2,271
3.67%
2,773
4.47%
5,595
8.39%
Egyptian
1,941
3.14%
2,608
4.20%
4,989
7.48%
Iraqi
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Jordanian
74
0.12%
19
0.03%
0
0.00%
Lebanese
24
0.04%
50
0.08%
31
0.05%
Moroccan
15
0.02%
0
0.00%
10
0.01%
Palestinian
21
0.03%
12
0.02%
71
0.11%
Syrian
4
0.01%
12
0.02%
177
0.27%
Arab
134
0.22%
23
0.04%
217
0.33%
Other Arab
58
0.09%
49
0.08%
100
0.15%
Armenian
11
0.02%
15
0.02%
113
0.17%
Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac
0
0.00%
12
0.02%
0
0.00%
Australian
0
0.00%
55
0.09%
60
0.09%
Austrian
58
0.09%
136
0.22%
85
0.13%
Basque
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
7
0.01%
Belgian
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
17
0.03%
Brazilian
7
0.01%
14
0.02%
85
0.13%
British
17
0.03%
104
0.17%
69
0.10%
Bulgarian
27
0.04%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Cajun
0
0
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Canadian
28
0.05%
86
0.14%
32
0.05%
Carpatho Rusyn
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Celtic
7
0.01%
81
0.13%
15
0.02%
Croatian
14
0.02%
25
0.04%
9
0.01%
Cypriot
6
0.01%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Czech
101
0.16%
148
0.24%
65
0.10%
Czechoslovakian
196
0.32%
30
0.05%
14
0.02%
Danish
30
0.05%
30
0.05%
42
0.06%
Dutch
158
0.26%
346
0.56%
200
0.30%
Eastern European
52
0.08%
31
0.05%
131
0.20%
English
615
0.99%
1,039
1.68%
954
1.43%
Estonian
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
European
64
0.10%
42
0.07%
192
0.29%
Finnish
14
0.02%
15
0.02%
0
0.00%
32
French (except Basque)
209
0.34%
380
0.61%
326
0.49%
French Canadian
48
0.08%
48
0.08%
140
0.21%
German
1,578
2.55%
3,237
5.22%
2,552
3.82%
German Russian
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Greek
199
0.32%
294
0.47%
416
0.62%
Guyanese
116
0.19%
140
0.23%
15
0.02%
Hungarian
236
0.38%
426
0.69%
322
0.48%
Icelander
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
14
0.02%
Iranian
62
0.10%
23
0.04%
207
0.31%
Irish
8,521
13.78%
11,169
18.01%
7,412
11.11%
Israeli
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
19
0.03%
Italian
10,528
17.02%
10,349
16.68%
8,913
13.36%
Latvian
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Lithuanian
263
0.43%
234
0.38%
114
0.17%
Luxemburger
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Macedonian
0
0.00%
9
0.01%
40
0.06%
Maltese
36
0.06%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
New Zealander
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Northern European
7
0.01%
22
0.04%
18
0.03%
Norwegian
67
0.11%
194
0.31%
131
0.20%
Pennsylvania German
0
0.00%
22
0.04%
7
0.01%
Polish
8,762
14.17%
8,533
13.76%
6,853
10.27%
Portuguese
139
0.22%
234
0.38%
57
0.09%
Romanian
16
0.03%
22
0.04%
127
0.19%
Russian
635
1.03%
756
1.22%
881
1.32%
Scandinavian
7
0.01%
38
0.06%
0
0.00%
Scotch-Irish
264
0.43%
361
0.58%
80
0.12%
Scottish
249
0.40%
205
0.33%
229
0.34%
Serbian
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Slavic
260
0.42%
347
0.56%
100
0.15%
Slovak
523
0.85%
782
1.26%
370
0.55%
Slovene
9
0.01%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Soviet Union
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Subsaharan African:
247
0.40%
470
0.76%
405
0.61%
Swedish
124
0.20%
196
0.32%
26
0.04%
Swiss
14
0.02%
31
0.05%
17
0.03%
Turkish
7
0.01%
17
0.03%
51
0.08%
Ukrainian
495
0.80%
589
0.95%
514
0.77%
Welsh
14
0.02%
53
0.09%
39
0.06%
West Indian (except
Hispanic groups):
207
0.33%
674
1.09%
1,265
1.90%
Yugoslavian
11
0.02%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Other groups
14,955
24.18%
25,223
40.66%
30,188
45.25%
Unclassified or not
reported
7,725
12.49%
2,435
3.93%
6,407
9.60%
Source: 2000 Census, 2006-2010 and 2013-2017 American Community Survey
33
The largest ethnicities and ancestries in Bayonne are Italian, Irish, Polish and Arab, specifically Egyptian. Since
2000 the first three groups have seen their representation in Bayonne decline. In line with the decreases in the
White Non-Hispanic populations, those identifying with certain European ancestry have declined, from 2000 to
2017, those in Bayonne that have Italian ancestry declined by 15.34%, Irish ancestry declined by 13.01 % and
Polish ancestry declined by 21.79%. However, the Arab population increased by 146.37% % during this time and
is presently the 4th most reported ancestry in Bayonne. The Egyptian population which in 2017 consisted of 89.16%
of the Arab population grew by 157% from 2000 to 2017. The 2006-2010 and 2013-2017 American Community
Survey did not include “Other Ancestries” as an option, it included “Other Groups”. And since 2000, people
identifying as” other/ancestries/groups” has increased sizably to where now nearly half of Bayonne’s population
fits into this category.
Foreign-Born/LEP
According to the 2014-2018 American Community Survey, 30.38% of Bayonne’s population is foreign-born, this is
lower than Hudson County’s Foreign-Born rate of 42.77%. The largest foreign populations are found in Census
Tracts in the Third Ward and Second Ward, with the largest being Census Tract 106, which is the area surrounding
Veterans Park that has several affordable housing complexes. This area has 2,292 foreign born residents. If just
looking at rate of population then Census Tract 104 has the highest rate of foreign-born population in Bayonne
with 42.62% of the population being foreign born. This area consists of the entire MOTBY site, as well as parts of
the Third ward.
Map 4- Foreign Born Population by Tract
Source: 2014-2018 American Community Survey, Policy Map
34
Map 5- Foreign Born % by Tract
Source: 2014-2018 American Community Survey, Policy Map
Of the 19,838 foreign born residents of Bayonne, 3,949 or 19.9% of them are from Egypt, the country from which
the most foreign-born residents of Bayonne are from. The top 5 is rounded out by the Dominican Republic, the
Philippines, India, and Poland. The top 5 countries from which the foreign-born population are from represents
52.4% of the foreign-born population. The Egyptian Born population is spread out throughout Bayonne, though
its largest concentration are at the very north of the City, on the border of Jersey City, as well as farther south in
the Second Ward, in two adjacent census tracts along Newark Bay just north of Bergen Point.
35
Map 6- Egyptian Population by Tract
Source: 2014-2018 American Community Survey, PolicyMap
Limited English Proficiency
Limited English proficiency (LEP) is defined as those who speak English less than “very well” In order to
determine whether translation of vital documents is required, the number of LEP persons per language group
must be determined, the City shall provide written translation of vital documents for LEP language groups that
are either 1000 or more or (2) more than 5%, of the eligible population in the market area. Approximately
7,556 residents or 12.4% of Bayonne residents 5 years and over had Limited English Proficiency as of 2015, the
2011-2015 American Community Survey is the most recent survey that includes a detailed rundown of the LEP
population. According to the 2011-2015 American Community in Bayonne there are two primary languages
with more than 1,000 speakers who speak English less than “very well” they are Spanish and Arabic.
Table 7- LEP Population more than 1,000 in Bayonne 2015
Language Group
Number of LEP Persons
(% of total population)
% of Total Population
( 5yr. old )
Spanish
3,631
5.94%
Arabic
1,458
2.38%
Source: American Community Survey 2011-2015
36
Age
The following chart illustrates age distribution in Bayonne at the time of the 2017 American Community Survey.
The ACS reports that, currently, children under five years of age represented 6.3% of the population; 24.3% of
Bayonne’s population is under 20 years of age; and 14% is 65 years of age or older
Table 8- Age of Population in Bayonne
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
The median age in Bayonne at the time of the 2000 U.S. Census was 38.1 years. The median age increased to 38.4
years at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census. According to 2017 American Community Survey, the median age has
again risen to 38.6. During this same time period, the median age in Hudson County has increased from 33.6 in
2000 to 34.9 years old in 2017 showing a much larger population for much of the County compared to Bayonne.
The median age for the State of New Jersey increased quite a bit from 36.7 in 2000 to 39.6 years in 2017 showing
possible indication this being from baby boomers aging in place, while younger people hesitating to either move
0.00%
1.00%
2.00%
3.00%
4.00%
5.00%
6.00%
7.00%
8.00%
Under 5 years
5 to 9 years
10 to 14 years
15 to 19 years
20 to 24 years
25 to 29 years
30 to 34 years
35 to 39 years
40 to 44 years
45 to 49 years
50 to 54 years
55 to 59 years
60 to 64 years
65 to 69 years
70 to 74 years
75 to 79 years
80 to 84 years
85 years and over
37
to or choosing to leave New Jersey. Bayonne is much more in line with the state compared to Hudson County
concerning Median Age.
As shown in the map below the areas illustrating the percentage of the population in Bayonne that are over the
age of 65. 14% of Bayonne’s total population is 65 and over. The highest concentrations of persons age 65 and
over are on the west side of Bayonne along Newark bay, in two adjacent census tracts that that include Bayonne
High School as well as large amounts of publicly supported housing, including senior housing owned by the
Bayonne Housing Authority.
Map 7- Population % Age 65 and Over in Bayonne
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
Religion
The U.S. Census does not collect data on the religious affiliations in the United States. In an effort to better
understand the religious affiliations of the residents of Bayonne, the Municipality used the data made available
by The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) and Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies.
ARDA surveys the congregation members, their children, and other people who regularly attended church services
within counties across the United States.
Although this data appears to be the most comprehensive data that is available, it is unfortunately not entirely
complete as it does not accurately include traditional African American denominations. The total number of
regular attendees was adjusted in 2010 (the most recent year for which data is available) to represent the
38
population including historic African American denominations. However, the total value cannot be disaggregated
to determine the distribution across denominational groups.
The table below shows the religious affiliations of Hudson County residents. Only 2010 data includes some
information on historically African American denominations. Therefore, there is some error in the reporting across
the years reported below.
Table 9 Religious Affiliation in Hudson County
2000
2010
Evangelical Protestant
12,273
19,890
Black Protestant
N/A
12,308
Mainline Protestant
14,371
12,853
Catholic
318,026
280,930
Orthodox
2,107
6,318
Other
N/A
38,322
Southern Baptist
2,567
Islam
15,697
21,042
Judaism
12,500
3,821
Total Adherents of all
religions
378,031
370,621
Source: The Association of Religion Data
Overall those reporting s being adherents to religion decreased from 2000 to 2010 by just over 8,500 adherents.
Still Catholicism remains the most practiced religion in Hudson County, though adherents decreased by -11.66%.
Mainline Protestant also lost -10.56% of their reported adherents from 2000 to 2010. Evangelical Protestant
increased sizably in Hudson County, increasing by 62.06%, as did Islam which increased by 34.05%.
Household Tenure
As seen in Table 10, the 2010 Census reported 27,796 housing units in Bayonne. This number represented a slight
3.62 % increase from the 26,826 units in the 2000 housing stock. The 2013-2017 American Community Survey
estimates that demand for housing in the Bayonne has decreased and that Bayonne has lost 228 units accounting
for a decrease of -0.82% from 2010 to 2017. Still in the 17 years from 2000 to 2017 Bayonne increased its number
of housing units by 2.8%, According to Table 10 in 2017 there were 25,213 occupied housing units (91.5%) and
2,355 vacant housing units (8.5%), in Bayonne. In general, an upward trend of the vacancy rate has been seen in
Bayonne since 2000, though it has slightly declined from 2010 to 2017. Still the amount of vacant housing units in
Bayonne increased by 83.84% from 2000 to 2017. Hudson County’s vacancy rate (including Bayonne) in 2017 was
9.1% of all housing units, a 152.1% increase (10,072 to 25,390) in the number of vacant housing units from 2000
when the vacancy rate in Hudson County was 4.2%.
39
Table 10- Housing Units in Bayonne by Occupancy Status
2000
2010
2017
2000-2017 change (%)
Total housing units
26,826
27,796
27,568
+2.8%
Occupied units
25,545
25,234
25,213
-1.3%
Vacant units
1,281
2,562
2,355
+83.8%
Vacancy rate
4.8
9.2
8.5
+3.7%
Source: 2000, 2010 Census and 2013-2017 American Community Survey
In 2000, of the occupied housing units, 40% were owner-occupied and 60% were renter-occupied. In 2010, of the
occupied housing units, 38.8% were owner-occupied and 61.2% were renter-occupied. According to the 2013-
2017 American Community Survey there were 25,213 housing units, of those occupied 38.1% were owner
occupied and 61.9% were renter occupied indicating a further increase in the rate of renter-occupied units.
Hudson County’s ownership rate was lower than Bayonne with a 31.4% home-ownership rate, a minimal increase
from its ownership rate of 30.7% in 2000.
In 2000, the average size of the owner-occupied households was 2.61 persons and the average renter household
was 2.28 persons. In 2010, the average size of owner-occupied households was 2.67 persons and the average size
of renter-occupied households increased to 2.37 persons. In 2017, the average size of owner-occupied households
was 2.72 and of renter occupied households was 2.58. From 2000 to 2017, household sizes in Bayonne for both
owner and renter occupied households increased, this increase is in line with the population increases during this
time. The following chart illustrates the breakdown by household size for owner and renter households.
Table 11 Household Tenure by Size in Bayonne
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
1 person
household
2 person
household
3 person
household
4person
household
5 person
household
6 person
household
7 or more person
household
Owner-Occupied
Renter Occupied
40
One person, renter occupied households make up the plurality of households in Bayonne and account for 33.12%
of all renter-occupied households. Two-person, renter occupied households are the second most frequent type
of household constituting 23.82% of renter-occupied households. Two-person, owner-occupied households are
the most frequent type of owner-occupied households and constitute 34.3% of all owner-occupied households.
The following maps highlight the distribution of owner-occupied and renter-occupied housing units across the
City. The highest concentration of rental units is in the Second Ward/Midtown area of the Municipality. The
highest concentration of owner-occupied housing is found in the southern Bergen Point area of Bayonne. The
three census tracts out of the three census tracts with the highest percentage of owner-occupied housing units as
illustrated below, are located there with owner occupied rates from 52% to 59%. The highest owner occupied rate
being in the area including and adjacent to Bergen Point and parts of the Bergen Point neighborhood. There are
six census tracts in Bayonne with 70% and more renter-occupied housing units, four of them are located in Central
Bayonne north of Route 440. They range from 71% to 81%, with the area of 81%( the highest in all Bayonne) rental
units being the area including and surrounding the Bayonne PAL, and including the area from JFK Blvd to Avenue
C from 24th to 16th Streets.
Map 8- Owner-Occupied Housing Units in Bayonne
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
41
Map 9-Renter-Occupied Housing Units in Bayonne
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
In Table 12 household tenure is compared by race and ethnicity. The amount of, “White alone” households has
declined -15.12% from 2000 to 2017 which is no surprise as the white population has decreased significantly. They
have gone from 82.89% of households down to 67.85% of households. (Note this population measures different
than White, Non-Hispanic, and the totals do not add up due to Hispanic not being a race). Still White, Alone
Households make an overwhelming majority of owner-occupied households, as of 2017, 82.72% of owners are
White Alone, though this has declined from 90.86% in 2000. White Households currently make up 59.32% of all
renter occupied households, this is significantly lower than in 2000 when they were 77.57% of renters. Among
White households, 44.45% are owners, this is a very slight increase from 43.89% in 2000.
Since 2000, the Hispanic population of Bayonne has been increasing, according to table 12, Hispanic households
have increased by 83.3%. Like Bayonne as whole, their rates of homeownership have slightly decreased since
2000, as in 2017, 20.37% of Hispanic households are homeowners, down from 20.37% in 2000. While making up
29.95% of households in Bayonne, Hispanic households make up just 13.38% of homeowners. Since 2000, the
number of Black Households in Bayonne have increased by 87.94%, but their homeownership rate has declined
from 20.29% in 2000 to 12.91% in 2017. And while making of 9.83% of all households in Bayonne, Black
households own just 3.48% of all owner-occupied units.
Asian households have increased at the highest percentage of any other group in Bayonne since 2000, they have
increased by 175.88%. Unlike Hispanic and Black Households as their number of households have increased so
have their homeownership rates, as in 2017 it was 41.58% of Asian Households, up from 26.32% in 2000. Asian
42
Households constitute 7.08% of households in Bayonne and 8.08% of owner-occupied units. It is clear that as Black
and Hispanic households have increased in Bayonne it is likely that the new households have been renters, but as
Asian households have moved to Bayonne they are more likely to be owners.
Table 12- Household Tenure by Race and Ethnicity in Bayonne
2000 U.S.
Census
2010 U.S.
Census
2013-2017 American
Community Survey
Owner
(40%)
Renter
(60%)
Owner
(38.8%)
Renter
(61.2%)
Owner
(38.1%)
Renter
(61.9%)
Total Householders
10,228
15,317
9,791
15,446
9,656
16,831
Householder who is
White
9,293
11,882
8,281
10,531
7,988
9,984
Householder who is
Black or African
American
281
1,104
333
1,879
336
2,267
Householder who is
Hispanic
766
2,695
1,254
3,918
1,292
5,051
Householder who is
American Indian and
Alaska Native
22
39
13
54
7
55
Householder who is
Asian
179
501
624
841
780
1,096
Householder who is
Native Hawaiian and
Other Pacific
Islander
0
8
0
8
13
33
Householder who is
some other race
alone
293
1,227
371
1,672
367
1,802
Householder who is
two or more races
160
556
169
461
114
371
Source: 2000 U.S. Census and 2010 U.S. Census, 2013-2017 ACS, PolicyMap
43
Families
As shown on the chart below, in 2017, families constituted 66% of households in Bayonne, an increase from 2010
when families were 63.6% of all households. In 2010 households with children under 18 were 32.1% of
households, in 2017 the rate is 34.4% of all households had children under eighteen, indicating an increase in
households with children. In 2010 16.8 % of households were headed by a female and as of 2017 16.05% of
households were female-headed showing minimal change. 5.7% of households were headed by a male with no
wife present in 2010 that numbers increased to 6.69% in 2017, showing an increase. Household type has seen
minimal changes from 2010 to 2017, with slight increases in family-households with children under 18, and single-
headed households with no spouse present. The chart below depicts household type for the 2013-2017 American
Community Survey.
Table 13 Household Type in Bayonne 2017
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
Income and Poverty
Bayonne’s Median Household Income in 2017 was $56,701, up more than $3,000 from the 2006-2010 American
Community Survey ($53,587). In 2000 the Median Household Income was $41,566. Hudson County’s Median
Household Income was higher than Bayonne’s in 2017 at $62,681, an increase of more than $7,000 from 2010,
when it was 55,275 much closer to Bayonne’s Median Household Income at the time. In 2000, Hudson County’s
Median Household Income was more than $22,000 less than in 2017 at $40,293, at the time Bayonne’s Median
Household Income was higher than the County. New Jersey’s Median Household Income in 2017 is much higher
than Bayonne and Hudson County’s at $76,475, up more than $6,000 from 2010 when it was $69,811. In 2000 it
was $55,146, so like Hudson County it has increased by more than 21,000 from 2000 to 2017, while Bayonne
34.00%
43.26%
6.69%
16.05%
Non Family Households
Married Couple Household
Male Householder, No Wife Present
Female Householder, No Husband Present
44
increased by 15,000, indicating higher wages amongst households throughout New Jersey and other areas of
Hudson County outside Bayonne.
The Median Household Income varies in different parts of Bayonne, the higher Median Household Incomes tend
to be in the area’s with higher rates of owner-occupied housing, concentrated in the Southern part of Bayonne
though with areas of higher incomes in Northern Bayonne as well, in the area around Bayonne Park. The highest
Median Household Income is in a tract in Bergen Point with a median household income of $78,553. The area
with the lowest median household income is in the Eastside Neighborhood.
Map 10 Bayonne Median Household Income by Tract
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
45
The table below shows the breakdown of household income in Bayonne from 2000 to 2017.
Table 14 Household Income in Bayonne
2000 U.S. Census
2006-2010 American
Community Survey
2013-2017 American
Community Survey
Number of
Households
Percentage
Number of
Households
Percentage
Number of
Households
Percentage
Total Households
25,581
-
25,148
-
25,213
-
Less than $10,000
2,903
11.3%
1,852
7.4%
2,189
8.7%
$10,000 to $14,999
1,665
6.5%
1,442
5.7%
1,061
4.2%
$15,000 to $24,999
3,264
12.8%
2,590
10.3%
2,403
9.5%
$25,000 to $34,999
3,153
12.3%
2,344
9.3%
2,410
9.6%
$35,000 to $49,999
3,982
15.6%
3,441
13.7%
3,046
12.1%
$50,000 to $74,999
4,795
18.7%
4,570
18.2%
4,496
17.8%
$75,000 to $99,999
2,847
11.1%
3,247
12.9%
2,826
11.2%
$100,000 to
$149,999
2,185
8.5%
3,589
14.3%
3,302
13.1%
$150,000 to
$199,999
542
2.1%
1,152
4.6%
2,011
8.0%
$200,000 or more
245
1.0%
921
3.7%
1,469
5.8%
Median Household
Income
$41,566
$53,587
$56,701
Table 1 Source: 2000 U.S. Census and 2006-2010 and 2013-2017 American Community Survey
46
The table below identifies the Section 8 Income Limits in the Jersey City, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area, which
encompasses all of Hudson County, based on household size for FY 2019. The Median Family Income for a family
of four (4) in Bayonne’s MSA is $70,600 in 2019.
Table 15 Jersey City, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area Section 8 Income Limits for FY 2019
1 Person
2 Person
3 Person
4 Person
5 Person
6 Person
7 Person
8 Person
Extremely Low
(30%) Income
Limits
19,250
22,000
24,750
27,500
30,170
34,590
39,010
43,430
Very Low (50%)
Income Limits
32,100
36,700
41,300
45,850
49,550
53,200
56,900
60,550
Low (80%)
Income Limits
51,350
58,700
66,050
73,350
79,250
85,100
91,000
96,850
Source: HUD
The table below highlights the current low- and moderate-income population in Bayonne. The block groups that
have a population of more than 51% low- and moderate-income are shaded and indicated in bold. Bayonne has
an overall low- and moderate-income population of 51.21%. For comparison, Hudson County has a low- and
moderate-income population of 54.16% (not including Bayonne’s population and other entitlement communities)
and the State of New Jersey has a low- and moderate-income population of 37.86%. Out of 52 Block groups, 21
are classified as low mod areas.
Table 16 Low - and Moderate-Income Population in 2019 for the City of Bayonne
Census Tract and Block Group
Low-Mod Pop.
Total Pop.
Low-Mod_%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 101
1495
2305
64.86%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 101
705
1040
67.79%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 101
590
1315
44.87%
Block Group 4, Census Tract 101
435
1200
36.25%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 102
810
1040
77.88%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 102
440
1245
35.34%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 102
310
630
49.21%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 103
235
765
30.72%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 103
575
910
63.19%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 103
1030
1210
85.12%
Block Group 4, Census Tract 103
0
0
0.00%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 104
1265
2155
58.70%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 104
805
1695
47.49%
47
Block Group 3, Census Tract 104
185
1100
16.82%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 105
195
890
21.91%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 105
255
1110
22.97%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 105
605
1175
51.49%
Block Group 4, Census Tract 105
395
865
45.66%
Block Group 5, Census Tract 105
440
925
47.57%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 106
720
1100
65.45%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 106
1025
1535
66.78%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 106
540
1595
33.86%
Block Group 4, Census Tract 106
1150
1330
86.47%
Block Group 5, Census Tract 106
460
985
46.70%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 107
650
1300
50.00%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 107
1105
1335
82.77%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 107
560
1075
52.09%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 108
555
1305
42.53%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 108
245
795
30.82%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 108
400
1120
35.71%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 109
1365
1945
70.18%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 110
1405
2135
65.81%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 111
155
360
43.06%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 111
1105
1730
63.87%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 111
1600
2580
62.02%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 112
1145
2130
53.76%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 112
540
1555
34.73%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 112
150
630
23.81%
Block Group 4, Census Tract 112
1025
2365
43.34%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 113
660
1230
53.66%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 113
685
1115
61.43%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 113
225
465
48.39%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 114
285
725
39.31%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 114
240
945
25.40%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 114
815
2100
38.81%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 115
710
1315
53.99%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 115
550
1405
39.15%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 115
265
845
31.36%
Block Group 1, Census Tract 116
625
1070
58.41%
Block Group 2, Census Tract 116
355
930
38.17%
Block Group 3, Census Tract 116
865
1815
47.66%
Block Group 4, Census Tract 116
385
655
58.78%
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
48
Map 11 is the map of the low- and moderate-income population in Bayonne. The low- and moderate-income
population is primarily located in on the Eastside, Midtown, and as well as the eastern part of the Third
Ward/Uptown .of the Municipality.
Map 11 Low-/ Mod-
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
The poverty rate for families has been increasing in Bayonne since 2000 when it was 8.4% in 2000 to 9.9% in 2010,
and most recently 13 % in 2017. The metrics in Table 17 show a higher rate of poverty for Bayonne families in
2017 than in 2000 and 2010. The poverty rate for individuals is as of 2017, 15.7% up from 10.1% in 2000 and
12.4% in 2010. Concentrations of poverty are categorized as census tracts where 40 percent or more of the
population lives below the federal poverty line. In Bayonne there are no Census Tracts that meet this distinction
as of the 2013-2017 American Community Survey. Census Tract 109, in the East Side area has the highest rate of
poverty of any tract at 28.2% of individuals in that tract living below poverty. Census Tract 103, an area of the
Third Ward with its residential areas adjacent to Port Jersey, has the highest poverty rate for families at 23.2%.
Hudson County a whole, tends to have slightly higher percentages of poverty compared with just Bayonne. The
county as of 2017 has a 13.9% family poverty rate compared to 13% in Bayonne. The individual poverty rate is
17.15 in the County versus 15.7% in Bayonne. For female headed households with no husband present and
children under 18, the poverty rate in Hudson County is 40.3% compared to 30.4% in Bayonne. In Hudson County
there are two census tracts that as of the 2013-2017 American Community Survey are concentrations of poverty.
They are both adjacent to each other in the West Bergen section of Jersey City, and have 43.1% and 40.2% of
individuals living in poverty.
49
Table 17-% Families in Poverty in Bayonne
Table 18-% Families in Poverty in Hudson County
Percentage of Families and Female-Headed Households Living in Poverty in Hudson County
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
All Families
Families with related
children under 18 years old
Families with female
householder, no husband
present
Female headed households
with related children under
18 years
Percentage of Families and Female-Headed Households
Living in Poverty in Bayonne
2000 Census
2006-2010 American Community Survey
2013-2017 American Community Survey
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
45.00%
All Families
Families with related
children under 18 years old
Families with female
householder, no husband
present
Female headed households
with related children under
18 years
2000 Census
2006-2010 American Community Survey
2013-2017 American Community Survey
50
Employment
In 2000, 59.5% of Bayonne’s residents 16 years of age and over were considered a part of the labor force. The
2006-2010 American Community Survey estimates that approximately 65.3% of the population were currently in
the labor force. The 2013-2017 American Community Survey estimates that 62.2% of the population 16 and over
are part of the work force. The following charts illustrate the classes of workers and the occupations. Bayonne
workers are divided fairly evenly among occupations reported by the Census. The plurality of workers(38.13%) are
in management, business, science, and the arts; almost one quarter of workers are in sales and office occupations;
a little under a fifth of workers are in service occupations; and the remaining workers include production,
transportation, natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations. The majority (72%) of workers in
Bayonne are employees of private companies, while 16% work for government entities,
Table 19 Occupations in Bayonne
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
Management,
business,science, and
arts occupations,
38.13%
Service occupations,
18.83%
Sales and office
occupations, 23.94%
Natural
resources,construction,
and maintenance
occupations, 5.43%
Production,
transportation, and
material moving
occupations, 13.66%
51
Table 20 Worker Class in Bayonne
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
The chart below shows the trends of the unemployment rate for Bayonne from January 2009 to October
2019.
Table 21 Bayonne Unemployment Rate
Source: www.bls.gov
72%
2%
6%
16%
4%
Employee of Private
Company
Self Employed in own
incorporated company
Private Not for Profit
Wage and Salary
Government
Self employed in own not
incorporated business
workers & unpaid family
workers
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
Jan-09
May-09
Sep-09
Jan-10
May-10
Sep-10
Jan-11
May-11
Sep-11
Jan-12
May-12
Sep-12
Jan-13
May-13
Sep-13
Jan-14
May-14
Sep-14
Jan-15
May-15
Sep-15
Jan-16
May-16
Sep-16
Jan-17
May-17
Sep-17
Jan-18
May-18
Sep-18
Jan-19
May-19
Sep-19
52
In cohort with national trends the Bayonne unemployment rate during the past 10 years saw a high of
11.2% in July 2010, since then it has continued to decline with few outliers. In October 2019, Bayonne had
an unemployment rate of 3.7%, compared to the Hudson County unemployment rate of 3.1% and New
Jersey’s unemployment rate of 3.3%.
Education
Table 22 Educational Attainment for Population 25 years old and above
Source: 2014-2018 American Community Survey
The population in Bayonne lags behind Hudson County and New Jersey in education attainment. Though
a majority (55.15%) of the population has at least some college classes, 58.5% of Hudson County’s
population, and 62.07% of New Jersey’s population 25 and older have at least some college classes.
Hudson County outpaces the state and Bayonne with over 2/5’s of the population with a Bachelor’s degree
or higher. Taking Bayonne out of Hudson County’s calculation of those with a Bachelor’s Degree or higher
moves the County percentage up slightly to 41.43%, as Bayonne accounts for just 8.27% of the County’s
population with a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. This is less than Bayonne’s proportion of the County’s total
population which 9.77%.
Bayonne
Hudson County
New Jersey
Less than H.S Diploma
12.1%
15.83%
10.46%
H.S Diploma
32.75%
25.67%
27.47%
Some College or
Associate’s Degree
19.71%
17.64%
23.18%
Bachelor’s Degree or
Higher
35.44%
40.86%
38.89%
53
Map 12 % of population with at least a Bachelor’s Degree
As is evident in the map above, areas of northern Bayonne have higher percentages of Bachelor Degree
or higher residents than part of southern and Midtown. Out of the five census tracts north of 31st, four
have percentages of bachelor degree or higher residents, than Bayonne as a whole. The three tracts with
the highest percentage are all located in North Bayonne with a range of 42.76% to 46.7% of residents.
According to the New Jersey Department of Education, during the 2018-2019 school year there were
9,576 students in the Bayonne School District’s twelve schools. The District population is primarily white
(42%) and Hispanic (38%), with smaller Black (9%) and Asian (8%) populations.
54
58.4% of students met or exceeded expectations on the PARCC state assessment for English, which met
the proficiency benchmark. The district’s students scored under state expectations for Math at 38.6%
exceeded or met expectations. The chart below illustrates that district schools are comparable with many
schools in New Jersey.
There are 12 Public Schools in Bayonne that are given GreatSchools scores, the average score for
Bayonne’s schools is 4.92 out of 10, and approximately half of them are rated average (see chart below).
55
Housing Profile
As shown in Table 23, according to the 2013-2017 American Community survey, of the City’s 27,568 total
housing units in 2017, 13,852 were in structures of 2 to 4 units accounting for 50.2% of the housing units
in the City. 37.2% of the housing units are in two-unit structures, this is the plurality of housing units in
Bayonne. 19.9% of housing units are either single family attached or detached units.
Since 2000, the number of housing units has increased by 4.77%, single-family homes have increased by
15%, with detached units increasing by 8.1% and attached units increasing by 34.6%, though their
percentage of the total housing units has increased minimal by just 2.1 percentage points. 2-4-unit
structures have decreased by 4%, and decreased by 3.5 percentage points of their total of housing units
in Bayonne currently holding a slim majority of all housing units. Since 2000 units in buildings with 5 or
more units have increased by 7.7%.
Table 23- Housing Units by Structure Type - Bayonne
Units in Structure
2000 (2000 Census)
2010(2006-2010 ACS)
2017 (2013-2017ACS)
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
Total housing
units
26,826
100%
27,693
100%
27,568
100%
1-unit,
detached
3,533
13.2%
4,177
15.1%
3,818
13.8%
1-unit, attached
1,242
4.6%
1,533
5.5%
1,672
6.1%
2 units
10,153
37.8%
9,842
35.5%
10,268
37.2%
3 or 4 units
4,272
15.9%
4,165
15%
3,584
13%
5 to 9 units
2,293
8.5%
2,491
9%
2,454
8.9%
10 to 19 units
2,090
7.8%
2,405
8.7%
2,249
8.2%
20 or more
units
3,134
11.7%
2,953
10.7%
3,395
12.3%
Mobile home
109
0.4%
127
0.5%
128
0.5%
Boat, RV, van,
etc.
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
56
Table 24 Year Structure Built in Bayonne
Number
%
Total housing units
27,568
100.00
Built 2014 or later
46
.2%
Built 2010 to 2013
215
.8%
Built 2000 to 2009
1,377
5.0%
Built 1990 to 1999
971
3.5%
Built 1980 to 1989
1,439
5.2%
Built 1970 to 1979
2,742
9.9%
Built 1960 to 1969
3,798
13.8%
Built 1950 to 1959
2,931
10.6
Built 1940 to 1949
2,954
10.7%
Built 1939 or earlier
11,095
40.2%
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
As shown in Table 23 above, 75.3 percent of the housing units in Bayonne were built prior to 1970. There
has been little new construction in Bayonne as since 2010 just 261 units of new construction are estimated
to have been built accounting for 1% of all housing units. From 2000 to 2009, 1,377 units or 5% of the
total housing units were built.
Chart Year Structure Built in Bayonne
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
Built 2014 or later
Built 2010 to 2013
Built 2000 to 2009
Built 1990 to 1999
Built 1980 to 1989
Built 1970 to 1979
Built 1960 to 1969
Built 1950 to 1959
Built 1940 to 1949
Built 1939 or earlier
57
The following chart outlines the composition of the housing stock in Bayonne at the time of 2000 U.S.
Census, 2006-2010 American Community Survey, and 2013-2017 American Community Survey.
Table 25 - Housing Stock in Bayonne
The median value of owner-occupied homes in Bayonne in 2000 was $155,600 compared to $150,300 for
Hudson County and $170,800 for New Jersey. In 2010, according to the 2006-2010 American Community
Survey the median value of owner-occupied homes in Bayonne had more than doubled to approximately
$363,300 compared to $383,900 in Hudson County and $357,000 in New Jersey. As of the 2013-2017
American Community Survey the Median value of owner-occupied units in Bayonne was $314,800
indicating practically no change since 2010. Hudson County’s median value saw a slight increase to
$349,500 and New Jersey saw an increase of over $10,000 to $321,100.
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
1-unit,
detached
1-unit,
attached
2 units
3 or 4
units
5 to 9
units
10 to 19
units
20 or
more
units
Mobile
home
Boat, RV,
van, etc.
2000 Census
2006-2010 ACS
2013-2017 ACS
58
The table below outlines the number of new units for which building permits were filed annually in the
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA (Core Based Statistical Area). The New York-
Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA area saw a constant decline in number of permits from 2003
to 2011 but since has seen increases in number of permits.
Table 26 - Units Authorized by Building Permits – New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island,
NY-NJ-PA
Single Family
Multi Family
5+ Units
Total
2003
19,581
30,231
18,379
49,812
2004
19,871
37,002
22,456
56,873
2005
21,424
45,783
32,313
67,207
2006
16,484
44,503
31,232
60,987
2007
12,558
43,847
34,338
56,405
2008
8,793
42,797
39,197
51,590
2009
6,496
10,211
8,459
16,707
2010
7,010
11,658
9,409
18,668
2011
6,003
15,536
13,646
21,539
2012
6,815
20,097
18,038
26,912
2013
10,139
29,685
27,346
39,824
2014
11,799
36,185
33,776
47,984
2015
11,167
75,257
72,887
86,424
2016
10,397
32,834
30,363
43,231
2017
11,289
39,289
36,396
50,578
2018
11,077
38,615
35,872
49,692
Source: http://socds.huduser.org/permits/summary.odb
59
Table 27 - Building permits in Hudson County 2003-2018
Total
2003
637
2004
937
2005
882
2006
768
2007
453
2008
269
2009
184
2010
137
2011
120
2012
157
2013
242
2014
409
2015
493
2016
476
2017
410
2018
1,297
Source: U.S Census Bureau, Residential Construction Branch
According to the Census since 2012 there has been in an increase in the number of building permits issued
for new housing units in Hudson County. In 2018, the number of units more than doubled the permits for
units in 2017, and it surpassed the number of units permitted any year since 2003 including before the
Great Recession.
Financing
Owner Costs
In 2000, the median monthly expense for Bayonne’s households with a mortgage was $1,570. The 2006-
2010 American Community Survey estimated that the median monthly owner costs, including a mortgage,
increased dramatically to $2,548. The 2013-2017 American Community Survey estimates that the median
monthly expense increased slightly since 2010 to $2,605. From 2000 to 2017 median monthly owner costs
for those with a mortgage have increased 65.9 % in Bayonne while median income during the same time
period only increased 26%. 38 percent of all owner- occupied houses in 2017 do not have mortgages. The
2000 Census does not present the entire picture of housing costs, so the data is incomplete. The number
of houses without a mortgage has remained relatively unchanged from 2010 to 2017. The median monthly
owner costs for those without a mortgage has increased by 78.7 % and $521/month from 2000 to 2017.
60
The median housing costs percentage increase has been higher for those without mortgages than those
with mortgages from 2000 to 2017.
Table 28 Mortgage Status and Selected Monthly Owner Costs in Bayonne
2000 U.S. Census**
2006-2010 American
Community Survey
2013-2017 American
Community Survey
Monthly Owner
Cost
Number of
Housing
Units
%
Number of
Housing
Units
%
Number of
Housing
Units
%
Houses with a
mortgage
2,216
59.4%
6,705
65%
5,952
62%
Less than $200
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0%
$200 to $399
0
0%
0
0.0%
14
0.2%
$400 to $599
17
0.7%
107
1.6%
52
0.9%
$600 to $799
54
2.4%
80
1.2%
21
0.4%
$800 to $999
119
5.4%
121
1.8%
78
1.3%
$1,000 to $1,499
773
34.9%
624
9.3%
439
7.4%
$1,500 to $1,999
849
38.3%
945
14.1%
658
11.1%
$2,000 and more
404
18.2%
4,828
72%
4,690
78.8%
Median
$1,570
----
$2,548
---
$2,605
---
Houses without a
mortgage
1,515
40.6%
3,611
35%
3,653
38%
Median
$662
----
$1000+
----
$1,183
---
**Only specified units all units
Source: 2000 U.S. Census and 2006-2010, 2013-2017 American Community Survey
In 2000 and 2010, monthly housing costs exceeding 30 percent of monthly income rose from of 38.1%
of all owner -occupied housing with mortgages in 2000 to 53.4% of all owner-occupied households with
mortgages. In 2017 this rate declined greatly to an even lower rate than was seen in 2000, with the 2017
rate being 37.5%. This decrease in percentage of owners spending more than 30% on housing costs may
indicate that steps have been made to make housing more affordable in Bayonne. Or perhaps increases
in income may have taken percentages down to lower than they were in 2010. Those without mortgages
paying more than thirty person in housing costs has increased slightly from 31.1% in 2000, 32.7% in
2010, and 34% in 2017. This would be in line with the fact that housing costs have increased more rapidly
than incomes.
61
Table 29 - Selected Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household Income in Bayonne
2000 U.S. Census**
2006-2010 American
Community Survey
2013-2017 American
Community Survey
Number of
Housing
Units
Percentage
of Total
Units
Number of
Housing
Units
Percentage
of Total
Units
Number of
Housing
Units
Percentage
of Total
Units
Units with a mortgage
(excluding those whose
costs cannot be calculated)
2,216
---
6,705
---
5,952
---
Less than 20 percent
741
33.4%
1,544
23%
1,415
23.8%
20 to 29.9 percent
624
28.2%
1,584
23.6%
1,618
27.2%
30 to 39.9 percent
275
12.4%
1,398
20.9%
986
16.6%
40 percent and more
570
25.7%
2,179
32.5%
1,838
30.9%
Not computed
6
0.3%
0
0%
95
1.6%
Units without a mortgage
(excluding those whose
monthly costs cannot be
calculated)
1,515
---
3,611
---
3,653
---
Less than 20 percent
777
51.3%
1,762
48.8%
1,792
49.1%
20 to 29.9 percent
256
16.9%
649
18%
595
16.3%
30 to 39.9 percent
143
9.4%
336
9.3%
495
13.6%
40 percent and more
329
21.7%
846
23.4%
746
20.4%
Not computed
10
0.7%
18
0.5%
25
0.7%
**Only specified unit not all units
Source: 2000 U.S. Census, 2006-2010, 2013-2017 American Community Survey
Foreclosures
According to RealtyTrac, as of December 2019, Bayonne has 121 properties in some stage of foreclosure
(default, auction or bank owned). Bayonne has a foreclosure rate of 1 in every 2,757 housing units. Hudson
County has a foreclosure rate of 1 in every 3,382 properties, and the State of New Jersey had a foreclosure
rate of 1 in every 1,223 housing units. Therefore indicating that Hudson County has a lower foreclosure
rate than Bayonne, and Bayonne has a lower foreclosure rate than the state as a whole.
Renter Costs
The median monthly rent in Bayonne for 2000 was $681 and in 2010 it increased to $967 according to the
2006-2010 American Community Survey. The most current estimate from the 2013-2017 American
Community survey shows that the median rent has increased to $1,187/month. This indicates a 74.3%
increase in the median rent from 2000-2017. During this time (2000-2017) the number of occupied rental
units has increased minimally at 1.9%. The number of units charging $1,000/month and more has
increased dramatically, by 848.76% from 2000 to 2017. The following table illustrates rental rates within
Bayonne from 2000 to 2017.
62
Table 30 Gross Monthly Rent in Bayonne
2000 U.S. Census
2006-2010 American
Community Survey
2013-2017 American
Community Survey
Number of
Housing
Units
%
Number of
Housing
Units
%
Number of
Housing
Units
%
Occupied units
15,317
100%
14,832
100%
15,608
100%
Less than $200
1,107
7.2%
405
2.7%
244
1.6%
$200 to $299
491
3.2%
584
3.9%
709
4.5%
$300 to $499
1,826
11.9%
698
4.7%
540
3.5%
$500 to $749
6,040
39.4%
1,923
13%
931
6%
$750 to $999
4,424
28.8%
4,349
29.3%
2,111
13.5%
$1,000 to $1,499
1,072
7%
5,586
37.7%
7,083
45.4%
$1,500 or more
58
0.4%
389
6.5%
3,638
23.3%
No cash rent
299
2%
330
2.2%
352
2.3%
Median
$681
-
$967
-
$1,187
-
Source: 2000 U.S. Census Data and 2006-2010 and 2013-2017 American Community Survey
In 2000, 31.9% of renter households were spending more than 30% of their monthly income on rent. By
2010, the percentage of renters spending more than 30% increased greatly by 11.3 percentage points to
43.2% of all renters In Bayonne. Most recently in 2017, the percentage of all renters paying over 30
percent of income for rent continued to increase up to 47.5% of all renters. The total number of those
renters paying more than 30 percent of income for rent has increased by 51.7% from 2000 to 2017, and
their percentage has increased by 15.6 percentage points. These large increases in the percentage of
income going toward rent helps support the need for more affordable housing options in Bayonne.
Table 31-Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in Bayonne
2000 U.S. Census
2006-2010 American
Community Survey
2013-2017 American
Community Survey
Number of
Units
Percentage
Number of
Units
Percentage
Number of
Units
Percentage
Less than 20
percent
5,998
39.2%
4,080
27.5%
4,101
26.3%
20 to 29.9 percent
3,693
24.1%
3,877
26.1%
3,319
21.3%
30 to 39.9 percent
1,622
10.6%
2,112
14.2%
2,214
14.2%
40 percent and
more
3,266
21.3%
4,297
29%
5,202
33.3%
Not computed
738
4.8%
466
3.1%
772
4.9%
Source: 2000 U.S. Census Data and 2006-2010, 2013-2017 American Community Survey
63
Table 31 shows that currently 5,202 or a third of rental households spend 40% or more of their income
on rent according to the 2013.2017 American Community Survey.
The 2020Fair Market Rents for the Jersey City, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area are shown in the table below.
Table 32 2020 Fair Market Rents (FMRs) by Unit Bedrooms in the Jersey City, NJ HUD Metro
FMR Area
Efficiency
One-
Bedroom
Two-
Bedroom
Three-
Bedroom
Four-
Bedroom
FY 2020 Fair Market Rent
$1,292
$1,439
$1,691
$2,107
$2,291
Source: U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
Based on the HUD – Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) the following statistics were
found based on Low/Mod Income (LMI) housing types:
Table 33 – Income distribution by % of HUD Area Median Family Income
Income Distribution Overview
Owner
%
Renter
%
Total
Household Income <= 30%
HAMFI
525
11.4%
4,070
88.6%
4,595
Household Income >30% to
<=50% HAMFI
1,115
27.7%
2,915
72.3%
4,030
Household Income >50% to
<=80% HAMFI
1,600
37%
2,725
63%
4,325
Household Income >80% to
<=100% HAMFI
1,030
38.2%
1,665
61.8%
2,695
Household Income >100%
HAMFI
5,155
53%
4,575
47%
9,730
Total
9,425
37.1%
15,950
62.9%
25,375
Source: 2012-2016 CHAS
64
As HUD Area Median Family Income’s increase so do the homeownership rates. Of those families making
less than 30% of the HUD Area Median Family Income, just 11.4% are homeowners, well below Bayonne’s
Homeownership rate, 37.1%. According to the 2012-2016 Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy
Tables 34- 37 - Cost Overburden
Housing Cost Burden
Overview 3
Owner
Renter
Total
Cost Burden <=30%
5,115
8,645
13,760
Cost Burden >30% to <=50%
2,105
2,985
5,090
Cost Burden >50%
2,135
3,910
6,045
Cost Burden not available
75
405
480
Total
9,425
15,950
25,375
Income by Cost Burden
(Owners and Renters)
Cost burden >
30%
Cost burden >
50%
Total
Household
Income
<=
30%
HAMFI
3,320
2,855
4,595
Household Income >30% to
<=50% HAMFI
3,465
1,990
4,030
Household Income >50% to
<=80% HAMFI
2,525
830
4,325
Household Income >80% to
<=100% HAMFI
835
215
2,695
Household
Income
>100%
HAMFI
995
155
9,730
Total
11,140
6,045
25,375
Income by Cost Burden
(Renters only)
Cost burden >
30%
Cost burden >
50%
Total
Household
Income
<=
30%
HAMFI
2,875
2,420
4,070
Household Income >30% to
<=50% HAMFI
2,490
1,340
2,915
Household Income >50% to
<=80% HAMFI
1,285
150
2,725
65
Household Income >80% to
<=100% HAMFI
185
0
1,665
Household
Income
>100%
HAMFI
60
0
4,575
Total
6,895
3,910
15,950
Income by Cost Burden
(Owners only)
Cost burden >
30%
Cost burden >
50%
Total
Household
Income
<=
30%
HAMFI
445
435
525
Household Income >30% to
<=50% HAMFI
975
650
1,115
Household Income >50% to
<=80% HAMFI
1,240
680
1,600
Household Income >80% to
<=100% HAMFI
650
215
1,030
Household
Income
>100%
HAMFI
930
155
5,155
Total
4,240
2,135
9,425
Source: 2012-2016 CHAS
11,140 households in Bayonne are cost-burdened, meaning they pay more than 30 percent of their
income on housing costs. This accounts for 43.9% of all households according to the 2012-2016
Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy. 44.99% of owner households and 43.22% of renter
households are cost burdened. Though renters outnumber homeowners by over 6000 households and
the number of renter households cost burdened outnumbers owner households by over 2,500
households.
The majority of households (9,310 households or 71.9%) in Bayonne making less than 80% of the HUD
Area Median Family Income are cost burdened. Of those cost-burdened, 61% (5,675 households) are
severely cost-burdened, meaning they spend 50% or more of their income on housing. Of all cost-
burdened households in Bayonne, 54.3% of those cost-burdened households are severely cost-burdened,
56.7% of renters and 50.3% of owners.
72.25% of households making less than 30% of the Area Median Family Income, are cost burdened and
85.99% of those households are severely cost-burdened. 70.6% of renters making less than 30% of the
Area Median Family Income, are cost burdened and 84.17% of those households are severely cost-
66
burdened. 84.76% of owners making less than 30% of the Area Median Family Income, are cost burdened
and 97.75% of those households are severely cost-burdened. Those Households making between 30%-
50% of HAMFI, have the highest rates of cost burden, higher than those making 0-30% HAMFI. 85.98% of
households in the 30-50% HAMFI are cost burdened (87.44% owners, 85.42% renters). Though their rates
of severe cost burden are lower as just 57.43% of cost burdened households are severely cost burdened
(66.6% owners, 53.82% renters). As incomes increase from 50% HAMFI the amount of cost-burdened
families decrease, as does the percentage of severely cost-burdened households per income class.
As stated already, higher percentages of owner-households in Bayonne are cost burdened compared to
renters. A majority (77.5% and 3,310 households) of owner households making less than 100% of the Area
Median Family Income are cost-burdened. Of those cost-burdened households 59.8% are severely cost-
burdened. Still 18.04% of those homeowners making over 100% HAMFI have cost burden, 16.66% of those
households have severe cost burden. While just 1.3% of renters making 100% HAMFI have cost burden,
none have severe cost burden.
Housing Problems
A household is considered to have a housing problem if it has one of the following: cost over burdened by
more than 30% of their income; experiencing overcrowding; or having incomplete kitchen or plumbing
facilities. A severe housing problem is considered to have one of the following: cost over burdened by
more than 50% of their income; experiencing overcrowding; or having incomplete kitchen or plumbing
facilities.
Table 38 Housing Problems in Bayonne
Housing Problems
Overview 1
Owner
Renter
Total
Household has at least
1 of 4 Housing
Problems
4,480
7,540
12,020
Household has none
of 4 Housing Problems
4,875
8,015
12,890
Cost burden not
available, no other
problems
75
400
475
Total
9,425
15,950
25,375
67
Severe Housing
Problems Overview 2
Owner
Renter
Total
Household has at least
1 of 4 Severe Housing
Problems
2,445
4,920
7,365
Household has none
of 4 Severe Housing
Problems
6,905
10,630
17,535
Cost burden not
available, no other
problems
75
400
475
Total
9,425
15,950
25,375
Income by Housing
Problems (Owners
and Renters)
Household has at
least 1 of 4 Housing
Problems
Household has
none of 4 Housing
Problems
Cost Burden not
available, no other
housing problems
Total
Household Income <=
30% HAMFI
3,355
765
475
4,595
Household Income
>30% to <=50% HAMFI
3,520
510
0
4,030
Household Income
>50% to <=80% HAMFI
2,765
1,560
0
4,325
Household Income
>80% to <=100%
HAMFI
950
1,745
0
2,695
Household Income
>100% HAMFI
1,420
8,310
0
9,730
Total
12,020
12,890
475
25,375
Income by Housing
Problems (Renters
only)
Household has at
least 1 of 4 Housing
Problems
Household has
none of 4 Housing
Problems
Cost Burden not
available, no other
housing problems
Total
Household Income <=
30% HAMFI
2,915
755
400
4,070
Household Income
>30% to <=50% HAMFI
2,540
375
0
2,915
Household Income
>50% to <=80% HAMFI
1,480
1,245
0
2,725
68
Household Income
>80% to <=100%
HAMFI
285
1,380
0
1,665
Household Income
>100% HAMFI
315
4,260
0
4,575
Total
7,540
8,015
400
15,950
Income by Housing
Problems (Owners
only)
Household has at
least 1 of 4 Housing
Problems
Household has
none of 4 Housing
Problems
Cost Burden not
available, no other
housing problems
Total
Household Income <=
30% HAMFI
440
10
75
525
Household Income
>30% to <=50% HAMFI
980
135
0
1,115
Household Income
>50% to <=80% HAMFI
1,285
315
0
1,600
Household Income
>80% to <=100%
HAMFI
665
365
0
1,030
Household Income
>100% HAMFI
1,105
4,050
0
5,155
Total
4,480
4,875
75
9,425
Source: 2012-2016 CHAS
47.37% of all households in Bayonne have at least 1 of 4 housing problems, and 29% of households have
at least 1 of 4 severe housing problems. Owners and renter households have similar percentages rates of
having housing problems as 47.53% of owners and 47.27% of renters report having 1 of the 4 housing
problems. Renters are more likely to have severe housing problems as 30.8% of renters have 1 of 4 severe
housing problems while 25.94% of owners have 1 of 4 severe housing problems in Bayonne.
73% of those households making 0-30% of HUD Area Median Family Income, have housing problems,
(83.81% owner, 71.6% renters). An even higher percentage of households making 30%-50 HAMFI have
housing problems with 87.34%, (87.89% owner and 87.13% renters.) One of the reasons for this may be
that many housing programs are concentrated on assisting the lowest income populations, possibly
leading to households making 30%-50% HAMFI with the highest amounts of housing problems. As
incomes increase all percentages of housing problems decrease but it should be noted that owners look
to have more housing problems than renters, as 39.24% of owners making more than 50% of HAMFI have
housing problems, while 23.2% of renters making more than 50% HAMFI have housing problems. One of
69
the reasons may because as a homeowner you are responsible for repairs and as housing costs increase
the owner may not be able to afford the repairs immediately. Renters sometimes have the luxury of
contacting a super or building management to make repairs.
Disabled Households
The following tables include the 2013-2017 American Community Survey estimates that show the number
of disabled individuals in Bayonne and Hudson County. The total non-institutionalized population of
Bayonne was shown as 66,671 and the disabled population is 6,545, or 9.8%. These numbers represent a
14% increase in the number of disabled individuals in Bayonne since 2010, when the amount of disabled
was 5,740 or 9.2% of the population, according to the 2006-2010 American Community Survey. 69% of
those with a disability are 65 and over. Ambulatory disabilities account for 30.7% of the all identified
disability, the plurality of disabilities. This is an indicator of the need for housing for the disabled who are
mainly low- and moderate-income and who are usually unable to find housing resources that are
accessible and/or affordable.
Table 39 Disabled Persons in Bayonne
Total
With a disability
Percent with a disability
Estimate
Estimate
Estimate
Total civilian noninstitutionalized
population
66,671
6,545
9.8%
SEX
Male
33,073
2,959
8.9%
Female
33,598
3,586
10.7%
RACE & HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN
White alone
43,789
5,300
12.1%
Black or African American alone
7,415
444
6.0%
American Indian and Alaska Native
alone
86
0
0.0%
Asian alone
5,977
162
2.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific
Islander alone
205
13
6.3%
Some other race alone
6,517
374
5.7%
Two or more races
2,682
252
9.4%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino
32,706
4,467
13.7%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
19,732
1,416
7.2%
AGE
Under 5 years
4,221
0
0.0%
5 to 17 years
10,632
330
3.1%
18 to 34 years
14,847
606
4.1%
35 to 64 years
27,582
2,542
9.2%
65 to 74 years
5,352
1,149
21.5%
75 years and over
4,037
1,918
47.5%
DISABILITY TYPE BY DETAILED AGE
70
With a hearing difficulty
(X)
1,288
1.9%
Population under 18 years
14,853
37
0.2%
Population under 5 years
4,221
0
0.0%
Population 5 to 17 years
10,632
37
0.3%
Population 18 to 64 years
42,429
339
0.8%
Population 18 to 34 years
14,847
34
0.2%
Population 35 to 64 years
27,582
305
1.1%
Population 65 years and over
9,389
912
9.7%
Population 65 to 74 years
5,352
264
4.9%
Population 75 years and over
4,037
648
16.1%
With a vision difficulty
(X)
993
1.5%
Population under 18 years
14,853
59
0.4%
Population under 5 years
4,221
0
0.0%
Population 5 to 17 years
10,632
59
0.6%
Population 18 to 64 years
42,429
450
1.1%
Population 18 to 34 years
14,847
130
0.9%
Population 35 to 64 years
27,582
320
1.2%
Population 65 years and over
9,389
484
5.2%
Population 65 to 74 years
5,352
246
4.6%
Population 75 years and over
4,037
238
5.9%
With a cognitive difficulty
(X)
2,458
3.9%
Population under 18 years
10,632
272
2.6%
Population 18 to 64 years
42,429
1,370
3.2%
Population 18 to 34 years
14,847
451
3.0%
Population 35 to 64 years
27,582
919
3.3%
Population 65 years and over
9,389
816
8.7%
Population 65 to 74 years
5,352
185
3.5%
Population 75 years and over
4,037
631
15.6%
With an ambulatory difficulty
(X)
4,164
6.7%
Population under 18 years
10,632
32
0.3%
Population 18 to 64 years
42,429
1,819
4.3%
Population 18 to 34 years
14,847
71
0.5%
Population 35 to 64 years
27,582
1,748
6.3%
Population 65 years and over
9,389
2,313
24.6%
Population 65 to 74 years
5,352
798
14.9%
Population 75 years and over
4,037
1,515
37.5%
With a self-care difficulty
(X)
1,671
2.7%
Population under 18 years
10,632
137
1.3%
Population 18 to 64 years
42,429
615
1.4%
Population 18 to 34 years
14,847
13
0.1%
Population 35 to 64 years
27,582
602
2.2%
Population 65 years and over
9,389
919
9.8%
Population 65 to 74 years
5,352
209
3.9%
Population 75 years and over
4,037
710
17.6%
With an independent living difficulty
(X)
2,967
5.7%
Population 18 to 64 years
42,429
1,423
3.4%
Population 18 to 34 years
14,847
247
1.7%
71
Population 35 to 64 years
27,582
1,176
4.3%
Population 65 years and over
9,389
1,544
16.4%
Population 65 to 74 years
5,352
388
7.2%
Population 75 years and over
4,037
1,156
28.6%
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
Table 40- Type of Disability for Population in Bayonne
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
The total non-institutionalized population of Hudson County (excluding Bayonne) according to the 2013-
2017 American Community Survey was shown as 608,870 and the disabled population is 56,895, or 9.34%.
This indicates a 10.9% percent increase in the number of disabled individuals since 2010. When compared
to Bayonne which has a disabled population of 9.8%, it is shown that there is a similar rate of disabled
persons with a disability in Bayonne compared with the rest of the County. Similar to Bayonne Ambulatory
disabilities account for a plurality of disabilities.
Table 41 Disabled Persons in Hudson County Excluding Bayonne
Total
With a disability
Percent with a disability
Total civilian
noninstitutionalized
population
608870
56895
9.34%
Hearing,
9.50%
Vision,
7.30%
Cognitive,
18.10%
Ambulatory,
30.70%
Self-Care,
12.30%
Independent
Living, 21.90%
72
Total
With a disability
Percent with a disability
SEX
Male
301937
25633
8.49%
Female
306933
31262
10.19%
RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN
White alone
329596
31979
9.70%
Black or African
American alone
75469
8948
11.86%
American Indian and
Alaska Native alone
2046
249
12.17%
Asian alone
96938
5789
5.97%
Native Hawaiian and
Other Pacific Islander
alone
358
33
9.22%
Some other race alone
84817
7842
9.25%
Two or more races
19646
2055
10.46%
White alone, not
Hispanic or Latino
161440
14787
9.16%
Hispanic or Latino (of any
race)
272149
27237
10.01%
AGE
Under 5 years
43220
239
0.55%
5 to 17 years
80641
4259
5.28%
18 to 34 years
185974
6110
3.29%
35 to 64 years
234581
23235
9.90%
65 to 74 years
37271
10050
26.96%
75 years and over
27183
13002
47.83%
DISABILITY TYPE BY DETAILED AGE
With a hearing difficulty
9727
1.60%
Population under 18
years
123861
390
0.31%
Population under 5 years
43220
103
0.24%
Population 5 to 17 years
80641
287
0.36%
Population 18 to 64
years
420555
3697
0.88%
Population 18 to 34
years
185974
659
0.35%
Population 35 to 64
years
234581
3038
1.30%
Population 65 years and
over
64454
5640
8.75%
Population 65 to 74
years
37271
1946
5.22%
Population 75 years and
over
27183
3694
13.59%
With a vision difficulty
12353
2.03%
73
Total
With a disability
Percent with a disability
Population under 18
years
123861
1003
0.81%
Population under 5 years
43220
178
0.41%
Population 5 to 17 years
80641
825
1.02%
Population 18 to 64
years
420555
7042
1.67%
Population 18 to 34
years
185974
1658
0.89%
Population 35 to 64
years
234581
5384
2.30%
Population 65 years and
over
64454
4308
6.68%
Population 65 to 74
years
37271
1796
4.82%
Population 75 years and
over
27183
2512
9.24%
With a cognitive
difficulty
20337
3.34%
Population under 18
years
80641
2924
3.63%
Population 18 to 64
years
420555
10843
2.58%
Population 18 to 34
years
185974
3207
1.72%
Population 35 to 64
years
234581
7636
3.26%
Population 65 years and
over
64454
6570
10.19%
Population 65 to 74
years
37271
2446
6.56%
Population 75 years and
over
27183
4124
15.17%
With an ambulatory
difficulty
33405
5.49%
Population under 18
years
80641
744
0.92%
Population 18 to 64
years
420555
15567
3.70%
Population 18 to 34
years
185974
1760
0.95%
Population 35 to 64
years
234581
13807
5.89%
Population 65 years and
over
64454
17094
26.52%
Population 65 to 74
years
37271
7177
19.26%
74
Total
With a disability
Percent with a disability
Population 75 years and
over
27183
9917
36.48%
With a self-care difficulty
13315
2.19%
Population under 18
years
80641
917
1.14%
Population 18 to 64
years
420555
5360
1.27%
Population 18 to 34
years
185974
776
0.42%
Population 35 to 64
years
234581
4584
1.95%
Population 65 years and
over
64454
7038
10.92%
Population 65 to 74
years
37271
2253
6.04%
Population 75 years and
over
27183
4785
17.60%
With an independent
living difficulty
21778
3.58%
Population 18 to 64
years
420555
9718
2.31%
Population 18 to 34
years
185974
1870
1.01%
Population 35 to 64
years
234581
7848
3.35%
Population 65 years and
over
64454
12060
18.71%
Population 65 to 74
years
37271
3974
10.66%
Population 75 years and
over
27183
8086
29.75%
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
75
Table 42 Type of Disability for Population in Hudson County Excluding Bayonne
Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey
Fair Housing Enforcement, Outreach Capacity, and Resources Analysis
FAIR HOUSING LAWS
The Federal Fair Housing Act
The federal Fair Housing Act covers most housing. In some circumstances, the Act exempts owner-
occupied buildings with no more than four units, single family housing sold or rented without the
use of a broker, and housing operated by organizations and private clubs that limit occupancy to
members.
What does the Fair Housing Act prohibit?
In the Sale and Rental of Housing - No one may take any of the following actions based on race,
color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap:
•
Refuse to rent or sell housing
•
Refuse to negotiate for housing
•
Make housing unavailable
•
Deny a dwelling
•
Set different terms, conditions, or privileges for the sale or rental of a dwelling
Hearing,
8.70%
Vision,
11.10%
Cognitive, 18.30%
Ambulatory, 30.10%
Self-Care, 12.00%
Independent
Living, 19.60%
76
•
Provide different housing services or facilities
•
Falsely deny that housing is available for inspection, sale, or rental
•
For profit, persuade owners to sell or rent (blockbusting) or deny anyone access to or
membership in a facility or service (such as a multiple listing service) related to the sale
or rental of housing.
In Mortgage Lending - No one may take any of the following actions based on race, color, national
origin, religion, sex, familial status, or handicap (disability):
•
Refuse to make a mortgage loan
•
Refuse to provide information regarding loans
•
Impose different terms or conditions on a loan, such as different interest rates, points, or
fees
•
Discriminate in appraising property
•
Refuse to purchase a loan or
•
Set different terms or conditions for purchasing a loan.
Other Prohibitions - It is illegal for anyone to:
•
Threaten, coerce, intimidate or interfere with anyone exercising a fair housing right or
assisting others who exercise that right
•
Advertise or make any statement that indicates a limitation or preference based on race,
color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or handicap. This prohibition against
discriminatory advertising applies to single family and owner-occupied housing that is
otherwise exempt from the Fair Housing Act.
Additional Protections for the Disabled If someone has a physical or mental disability (including
hearing, mobility and visual impairments, chronic alcoholism, chronic mental illness, AIDS, AIDS
Related Complex and mental retardation) that substantially limits one or more major life
activities, or has a record of such a disability, or is regarded as having such a disability, a landlord
may not:
•
Refuse to let the disabled person make reasonable modifications to a dwelling or common
use areas, at the disabled person’s expense, if necessary, for the disabled person to use
the housing. (Where reasonable, the landlord may permit changes only if the disabled
person agrees to restore the property to its original condition when he or she moves.)
•
Refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services if
necessary, for the disabled person to use the housing.
•
A “reasonable accommodation” is a change, exception, or adjustment to a rule, policy,
practice, or service that may be necessary for a person with a disability to fully enjoy their
apartment or house. Common accommodations include providing a mobility impaired
person with an accessible parking space, allowing a tenant who is blind to have a service
animal, and allowing tenants with mental disabilities to designate a friend to mail their
rent payment.
Requirements for New Buildings -In buildings that are ready for first occupancy after March 13,
1991, and have an elevator and four or more units:
77
•
Public and common areas must be accessible to persons with disabilities
•
Doors and hallways must be wide enough for wheelchairs
•
All units must have:
o An accessible route into and through the unit
o Accessible light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats, and other
environmental controls
o Reinforced bathroom walls to allow later installation of grab bars and Kitchens
and bathrooms that can be used by people in wheelchairs.
If a building with four or more units has no elevator and will be ready for first occupancy after
March 13, 1991, these standards apply to ground floor units. These requirements for new
buildings do not replace any more stringent standards in State or local law.
Housing Opportunities for Families - Unless a building or community qualifies as housing for older
persons, it may not discriminate based on familial status. That is, it may not discriminate against
families in which one or more children under the age 18 live with:
•
A parent
•
A person who has legal custody of the child or children or the designee of the parent or
legal custodian, with the parent or custodian's written permission. Familial status
protection also applies to pregnant women and anyone securing legal custody of a child
under age 18.
•
Housing for older persons is exempt from the prohibition against familial status
discrimination if:
o The HUD Secretary has determined that it is specifically designed for
o and occupied by elderly persons under a federal, State, or local
o government program or
o It is occupied solely by persons who are 62 or older or
o It houses at least one person who is 55 or older in at least 80% of the
o occupied units, and adheres to a policy that demonstrates the intent to
o house persons who are 55 or older.
A transition period permits residents on or before September 13, 1988, to continue living in the
housing, regardless of their age, without interfering with the exemption.
The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination
The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) was first adopted in 1945 and, as such, was the
nation’s first civil rights statute. The LAD has been amended numerous times, and, in its current
form, it protects against discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, nationality,
ancestry, age, sex (including pregnancy), familial status, marital status, domestic partnership
status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic
information, liability for military service, and mental or physical disability, perceived disability,
and AIDS and HIV status.
The LAD prohibits unlawful discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, places of public
accommodation, credit, and business contracts. So, not all of the above prohibited bases for
78
discrimination are protected in all areas of activity. Specific to fair housing, the LAD prohibits
discrimination based on the following:
•
Race, Creed, Color, National Origin,
•
Sex, Gender Identity or Expression,
•
Marital Status or Civil Union Status,
•
Affectional or Sexual Orientation,
•
Familial Status,
•
Actual or Perceived Physical or Mental Disability,
•
Ancestry, Nationality,
•
Domestic Partner Status, And
•
Source of Lawful Income or Source of Lawful Rent or Mortgage Payment.
This last phrase establishes a protection above and beyond the protected classed covered by
federal fair housing laws. As an example, it means that a landlord cannot deny the lawful recipient
of a Section 8 housing choice voucher to rent an apartment. Such vouchers are considered lawful
rent payment.
The NJ Division on Civil Rights
The Division on Civil Rights (DCR) is part of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General’s
Department of Law and Public Safety and is the agency responsible for investigating
discrimination complaints and eradicating illegal discrimination in New Jersey. Complaints must
be filed with the Division on Civil Rights within 180 days after the alleged act of discrimination.
The complaint process works as follows: once a complaint is accepted, the Division will conduct
an investigation. Following the completion of the investigation, the Director will determine
whether or not probable cause exists to believe that unlawful discrimination has occurred. If a
finding of probable cause is issued, the case will be transmitted to the Office of Administrative
Law where a full hearing will take place before an Administrative Law Judge. The case may be
litigated by a state Deputy Attorney General on behalf of the Division, or the complainant may
choose to litigate the case personally or through private counsel. If a finding of no probable cause
is issued, the case is closed without further proceedings by the Division. If the Director has not
made a probable cause determination within 180 days of the filing of the complaint, the
complainant may request to litigate the case at the Office of Administrative Law either personally
or through private counsel (but not by a Deputy Attorney General).
If, after investigation and an administrative hearing of a complaint, the Director determines that
unlawful discrimination occurred, the Director can order the respondent to take affirmative action
to remedy the discrimination. The Director is authorized to order relief such as reinstatement,
hiring, or upgrading of the employee, and may also award back pay and damages for pain and
humiliation. Further, after the hearing, the Director may also award attorneys’ fees to prevailing
complainants and may assess a statutory penalty against the responding party. Alternatively, an
79
aggrieved party may file a complaint in New Jersey Superior Court within two years of the alleged
violation.
A person may initiate an action in Superior Court without first filing a complaint with the Division.
However, filing a complaint in Superior Court bars the filing of a simultaneous complaint with the
Division because a person may not process a complaint of discrimination simultaneously before
the Division and in Superior Court. A person who files an action in Superior Court is entitled to a
jury trial. A successful litigant may be awarded reinstatement, hiring or upgrading, and back pay,
as well as damages for pain and humiliation. In more egregious cases, an award of punitive
(punishment) damages may be made. An award of attorney’s fees is also available to prevailing
parties in Superior Court.
Penalties for Violations of the LAD
Penalties for violation of New Jersey Law Against Discrimination are as follows: up to $10,000 for
the first violation, up to $25,000 for the second violation within 5 years, and up to $50,000 for
two or more violations within seven-year period.
FAIR HOUSING LAWSUITS AND COMPLAINTS
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Fair housing complaints can be filed directly with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. HUD is responsible for investigation and adjudication.
Cases that HUD investigates are usually resolved by administrative hearing. Complainants also have the
option of filing suit in Federal District Court.
On January 28, 2020 Triad Associates emailed the HUD-Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in
New York. Inquiring about housing complaints filed in Bayonne. HUD responded by email, supplying data
from January 1, 2010 until February 18, 2020. Since 2010, fifteen housing complaints have been filed with
HUD originating in Bayonne. On average the cases have been closed in 11.26 months. Several have been
open for 2 to 4 years before being closed with a no cause determination.
New Jersey Division on Civil Rights
The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights is responsible for the enforcement of the New Jersey Law Against
Discrimination (LAD). Complaints must be filed with the Division within 180 days after the alleged act of
discrimination. Once a complaint is accepted, the Division will conduct an investigation.
Following the completion of the investigation, the Director of the Division will determine whether or not
probable cause exists to indicate an occurrence of discrimination has occurred. If a finding of probable
80
cause is issued, the case is transmitted to the Office of Administrative Law where a full hearing will take
place before an Administrative Law Judge.
On January 28 2020, Triad Associates emailed the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights inquiring about
housing complaints filed in Bayonne. The request was for a list of all fair housing complaints and, including
the alleged basis of discrimination and how each case was resolved or concluded. Since 2010, there have
been nine complaints filed against entities in Bayonne. Four of the complaints were brought against the
City’s Housing Authority.
Existence of Fair Housing Discrimination Suit
The City’s believes there are no fair housing discrimination suits that have been filed and/or are pending
in Bayonne.
Determination of Unlawful Segregation
The City believes there are no determinations of unlawful segregation that have been filed and/or are
pending in Bayonne.
Training of Testers – N.J. Housing Investigations Unit
There are no locally based organizations in Bayonne undertaking formal testing to identify practices taking
place in violation of the Fair Housing Act. At the state level, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General
Department of Law and Public Safety Division on Civil Rights is charged with enforcement of federal fair
housing laws and the state Law Against Discrimination. Within the Division on Civil Rights, there is a
Housing Investigations Unit (HIU) which, according to the 2007 New Jersey Fair Housing Report, is
responsible for combating and enforcing housing discrimination in New Jersey.
The HIU is headed by a statewide manager and regionally assigned housing investigators. Along with
investigating complaints, the unit conducts undercover housing testing to detect systematic
discriminatory practices. Staff of the unit also collaborate with housing advocacy groups to better manage
the referral network for individuals who have experienced housing discrimination.
Investigators of the HIU are trained at the National Fair Housing Training Academy in Washington, D.C.,
sponsored by the HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. The HUD-FHEO training program
consists of a five-week core curriculum, following which investigators are awarded Federal certification as
enforcement practitioners in civil rights fair housing.
The HIU oversees compliance with the Multiple Dwelling Reporting Rule which requires property owners
with 25 or more rental units to annually report on the racial and ethnic composition of tenants and
81
applicants. The MDR takes the form of a database that HIU uses to detect potential patterns of housing
discrimination. It includes information on the degree of access property owners provide to persons with
disabilities and Section 8 rental subsidies.
Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity (FHEO-HUD)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Office of Fair Housing & Equal
Opportunity (FHEO) receives complaints regarding alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act. The
complaints filed in Bayonne are shown in the table below. Since some of the complaints had several basis
each basis is one complaint for the purpose of this tabulation. Though in total 15 complaints were filed
from 2010 to February 2020. Race was the basis most commonly seen in Bayonne. Then Disability and
National Origin, with seven and three basis of complaints each.
Table 43 Basis for Housing Complaints (includes multiple basis for single complaint)
Bayonne
Count
% of Bayonne
Complaints
Race
9
37.5%
Disability
7
29.16%
Familial Status
2
8.3%
National Origin
3
12.5%
Retaliation
1
4.16%
Sex
1
4.16%
Religion
1
4.16%
Source: U.S. Department of HUD-FHEO
The following table shows how violation complaints were closed or resolved for the complaints originating
in Bayonne. The majority of complaints were closed due to a no cause determination, which means HUD
has found that there is no reasonable cause to believe that discrimination occurred. Four complaints were
withdrawn after resolution and two complaints were closed after FHAP Judicial Consent Order
82
Table 44 How Complaints Were Closed Bayonne
Basis
# of Complaints
No Cause
Lack of Jurisdiction
Complainant
Failed to
Cooperate
DOJ Dismissal
Conciliated/
Settled
Withdrawn After
Resolution
Withdrawn
Without
Resolution
Election Made to
Go to Court
Unable to Locate
Complainant
FHAP Judicial
Consent Order
Race
3
2
1
Disability
4
1
3
Retaliation
1
1
Race, Disability
1
1
Race, Familial Status
2
1
1
Race, Familial
Status, National
Origin
1
1
Religion, National
Origin,
1
1
Race, disability, &
Sex
1
1
Race & National
Origin
1
1
Total
15
8
1
4
2
Source: U.S. Department of HUD-FHEO
83
The following table illustrates the dates complaints were filed with HUD. This goes off number of
complaints therefore the number of basis for complaint is not counted. The largest number of complaints
originating in Bayonne were seen in 2010 and 2013. In four out of the ten years, no complaints were filed.
Table 45- HUD Date Filed of Complaints Bayonne
Date Filed
Bayonne
Count
% of Municipality Complaints
2010
2
27.3%
2011
4
-
2012
3
18.2%
2013
1
27.3%
2014
2
9.1%
2015
9.1%
2016
1
9.1%
2017
2
-
2018
-
2019
-
Source: U.S. Department of HUD-FHEO
The following table titled “HUD-FHEO Complaints” summarizes all of the complaints filed with the HUD
Office of Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity between January 1, 2010 and February 18 2020 in Bayonne
84
Table 46 HUD-FHEO Complaints
HUD Case
Number
Violation
City
Violation
Zip Code
Violation
State and
County
HUD Filing
Date
Closure
Date
Closure Reason
Bases
Issues
02-10-
0805-8
Bayonne
New Jersey -
Hudson
08/11/10
09/27/12
No cause
determination
Race, Familial
Status
Discriminatory refusal to rent; Discriminatory terms, conditions,
privileges, or services and facilities
02-11-
0227-8
Bayonne
07002
New Jersey -
Hudson
12/29/10
03/31/11
Complaint withdrawn
by complainant after
resolution
Disability
Failure to make reasonable accommodation
02-11-
0448-8
Bayonne
New Jersey -
Bergen
04/13/11
07/27/11
No cause
determination
Race
Discriminatory refusal to rent; False denial or representation of
availability - rental; Discrimination in terms/conditions/privileges relating
to rental; Discriminatory acts under Section 818 (coercion, Etc.)
02-11-
0468-8
Bayonne
New Jersey -
Hudson
04/19/11
02/20/15
FHAP judicial consent
order
Race
Discriminatory refusal to rent
02-11-
0505-8
Bayonne
07002
New Jersey -
Hudson
05/06/11
02/07/12
Complainant failed to
cooperate
Race, National
Origin,
Disability
Discriminatory refusal to rent and negotiate for rental; False denial or
representation of availability - rental; Discrimination in
terms/conditions/privileges relating to rental; Discriminatory acts under
Section 818 (coercion, Etc.)
02-12-
0126-8
Bayonne
07002
New Jersey -
Hudson
11/28/11
03/09/12
No cause
determination
National
Origin, Religion
Discriminatory terms, conditions, privileges, or services and facilities;
Discriminatory acts under Section 818 (coercion, Etc.)
02-12-
0455-8
Bayonne
New Jersey -
Hudson
04/20/12
02/20/15
FHAP judicial consent
order
Retaliation
Discriminatory acts under Section 818 (coercion, Etc.)
02-12-
0729-8
Bayonne
07002
New Jersey -
Hudson
08/13/12
09/27/12
Complaint withdrawn
by complainant after
resolution
Disability
Failure to make reasonable accommodation
02-12-
0761-8
Bayonne
New Jersey -
Hudson
08/28/12
03/19/13
No cause
determination
Race, Disability
Discriminatory refusal to rent; Steering
02-13-
0536-8
Bayonne
New Jersey -
Hudson
08/08/13
04/03/15
No cause
determination
Race, Sex,
Disability
Discriminatory refusal to rent; False denial or representation of
availability - rental; Discrimination in terms/conditions/privileges relating
to rental; Discriminatory acts under Section 818 (coercion, Etc.)
02-14-
0397-8
Bayonne
07002
New Jersey -
Hudson
05/13/14
02/02/18
No cause
determination
Race, National
Origin
Discriminatory refusal to rent; False denial or representation of
availability - rental; Discrimination in terms/conditions/privileges relating
to rental; Discriminatory acts under Section 818 (coercion, Etc.)
02-15-
0050-8
Bayonne
07002
New Jersey -
Hudson
10/22/14
10/08/15
No cause
determination
Disability
Failure to make reasonable accommodation
02-16-
4419-8
Bayonne
07002
New Jersey -
Hudson
07/12/16
02/03/17
Complaint withdrawn
by complainant after
resolution
Disability
Failure to make reasonable accommodation
02-17-
6486-8
Bayonne
07002
New Jersey -
Hudson
03/07/17
10/06/17
Complaint withdrawn
by complainant after
resolution
Race, Familial
Status
Discriminatory refusal to rent
02-17-
6646-8
Bayonne
07002
New Jersey -
Hudson
03/23/17
05/09/19
No cause
determination
Race
Discriminatory refusal to rent; Discriminatory terms, conditions,
privileges, or services and facilities
Source: U.S. Department of HUD-FHEO, Philadelphia Regional Office
85
National Trends
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) releases annual reports on the basis of fair
housing complaints nationwide. The following table highlights the frequency of housing complaints by basis from
2014 to 2017. The 2017 information is the most up to date data that has been released.
Table 47- Housing Complaints Nationwide
Basis
FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
FY 2017
Number of
Complaints
% of
Total
Number of
Complaints
% of
Total
Number of
Complaints
% of
Total
Number of
Complaints
% of
Total
Disability
4,621
54.4%
4,605
55.8%
4,908
58.5%
4,865
59.4%
Race
2,383
28.1%
2,291
27.8%
2,154
25.7%
2,132
26%
Familial Status
1,051
12.4%
1,031
12.5%
882
10.5%
871
10.6%
Retaliation
867
10.2%
832
10.1%
785
9.4%
834
10.2%
National Origin
1,067
12.6%
898
10.9%
917
10.9%
826
10.1%
Sex
879
10.4%
915
11.1%
800
9.5%
800
9.8%
Religion
223
2.6%
225
2.7%
204
2.4%
232
2.8%
Color
146
1.7%
151
1.8%
143
1.7%
192
2.3%
Number of
Complaints filed
8,489
-
8,246
-
8,385
-
8,186
-
Source: Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Annual Report to Congress FY 14-15, 16, and 17
Much like housing complaints in Bayonne, disability and race are consistently the most common causes for
complaint throughout the nation. Note that the percentages for each year do not equal 100% and the number of
complaints each year does not equal the total complaints across all basis. This is because there are often multiple
basis for the filing of a fair housing complaint.
Identification of Impediments
Progress on Previously Identified Impediments
Bayonne has previously participated in the Hudson County Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice. The
previous impediments identified by Hudson County include the following:
Impediment #1: Discrimination in the Housing Market
The review of demographic information, discrimination complaint data, and lending data are not clear in
indicating the extent of housing discrimination among persons in the protected classes. Statistical data can assist
in identifying problems and topics of concern, however, reporting requirements vary, as does the quality of data
provided. Further, much of the available data is at least a year old by the time it is available. More focused,
accurate and current data is necessary to understand the needs, and more sources of first-hand information
from focus groups and housing advocacy groups are needed to obtain a better understanding of the situation in
the marketplace. In the current economy and given the structure of the Hudson County housing stock, the
incidences of discrimination likely focus on rental housing, and the focus of efforts in the immediate future
86
should be upon aspects of discrimination in the rental market. In particular, discrimination among the protected
classes should be addressed.
Impediment #2: Fair Housing Advocacy and Outreach
At the present time, it does not appear that Hudson County has a strong, visible fair housing advocacy group that
can assist persons who feel that they have suffered discrimination, and at the same time provide outreach and
education on fair housing issues, such as those noted above.
Impediment #3: Bias in Lending
This Analysis did not find significant evidence of discrimination in lending practices. The issue does not appear to
have generated specific complaints, and this data is far from conclusive. Additional detailed research is necessary
to make any definitive conclusion. However, the County should, to the extent possible, ensure that persons
seeking loans for home purchase or improvement are aware of lending practices and procedures.
Impediment #4: Limited Supply of Affordable Housing
As discussed earlier, affordability is one aspect of housing discrimination and it is difficult to talk about addressing
impediments to fair housing, and actions to eliminate discrimination in housing, without simultaneously talking
about development of policies, plans, programs, and projects to increase the supply of affordable housing. Earlier
sections of this Analysis and the Housing Market Analysis in the Consolidated Plan address the issue of affordability
in detail, and the arguments and statistics will not be repeated here. Suffice to say that even moderate-income
households face challenges in purchasing a home in Hudson County, and low-income families face a significant
cost burden for rental housing.
Impediment #5: Government Policies
This impediment deals with issues relating to the development of land including housing that is available to a wide
range of persons and income levels in disparate locations. This goal is affected by a wide range of factors, some
of which, as noted earlier, are beyond the ability of the municipalities or the County to change. Also, the County
itself has little control over land use, zoning and permit application procedures.
Impediment #6:
The proposed development or location of affordable housing, group homes, public housing, or Section 8 housing
often draws storms of criticism and opposition from neighborhood residents. This “not-in-my-backyard” (NIMBY)
attitude affects the availability of housing for people in the protected classes and is a significant challenge to
achieving fair housing objectives. While it is difficult to avoid this attitude, the County and municipalities can take
some measures to mitigate these challenges.
87
Though all of the aforementioned impediments are relevant for the County as a whole, not all are directly relevant
to Bayonne. Out of all of the county-wide impediments identified, Bayonne officials felt the two impediments
most relevant to their city are Fair Housing Advocacy and Outreach, and Limited Supply of Affordable Housing.
Bayonne has worked to address these two impediments through the following actions:
Update on Impediment #2: Fair Housing Advocacy and Outreach
During 2018 alone, Bayonne invested more than $43,000 in CDBG funds into Fair Housing services that provided
information, referrals, advocacy and counseling to hundreds of Bayonne residents. This step was taken to address the
impediment of insufficient knowledge of and assistance with fair housing rights and responsibilities.
The City of Bayonne has a strong, visible fair housing group that can assist persons who feel that they have suffered
discrimination, and at the same time provide outreach and education on fair housing issues.
The Waterfront Project is a nonprofit organization that is a free legal center for low- and moderate-income Hudson
County Residents. The Waterfront Project Housing Counseling and Legal Advocacy program works in Bayonne to
stop displacement of vulnerable residents- homeless, working poor, seniors and people with disabilities. The
Waterfront Project educates tenants about housing rights, provide one-on-one housing and financial capability
counseling and provide free legal representation.
The Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides Fair Housing services,
specifically through rental assistance. Rental assistance is provided for individuals that are behind in their rent,
are being evicted, or are homeless. When potential clients are screened for eligibility, intake managers listen to
each clients’ housing scenarios. Intake managers attempt to intervene in tenant/landlord disputes. If any legalities
are discovered, the BEOF will make a referral to the Waterfront Project. The BEOF also connects clients to other
resources that may improve their quality of life such as the food pantry or the energy assistance program.
Update on Impediment #4: Limited Supply of Affordable Housing
The City of Bayonne has (1) instituted a requirement that is applicable to residential redevelopment projects
whereby the redeveloper is required to provide a minimum of ten percent of the residential units as affordable,
whether they be sales or rental units, and (2) that the City Council is considering an ordinance that establishes an
“Affordable Housing Trust Fund” that will require residential developers to make a payment to the trust fund that
is equal to one percent of the project’s cost and non-residential developers to make a payment that is equal to
two percent of the project’s cost.
In addition, the City has implemented a Housing Rehabilitation program with the goal of preserving the existing
affordable housing in Bayonne. The program has improved 25 homes over the last five years. They have been
working to expand the program from owner-occupied homes to rental units, however although City staff know
this is a need, for various reasons they are not seeing demand.
88
Evaluation of Public and Private Sector Policies
Part of the Analysis of Impediments is to examine the public policies of the jurisdiction and its impact on fair
housing choice. The local government controls land use and development through its comprehensive plan, zoning
regulations, subdivision regulations, and other laws and ordinances passed by the local governing body. These
regulations and ordinances govern the types of housing that may be constructed, the density of housing, and the
various residential uses in a community. Local officials determine the community’s commitment to housing goals
and objectives. The local policies therefore determine if fair housing is to be promoted or passively tolerated.
This section of the Analysis of Impediments evaluates Bayonne’s policies and plans to determine if there is a
commitment to affirmatively further fair housing.
CDBG Program
The Bayonne receives Federal funds from HUD as an entitlement municipality under the CDBG program. The
Municipality received $1,533,452 in CDBG funds in FY 2019. Bayonne allocates its funds to public facility
improvements, public services, housing rehab, and infrastructure improvements.
In particular, in its FY 2019 CDBG Program, Bayonne proposed to allocate the CDBG funds as outlined in the table
below.
FY 2019 CDBG Allocation for Bayonne
Activity
Funding Amount
CDBG Administration
$300,000
Housing Rehabilitation
$180,000
Public Services
$199,500
Public Services- Homeless Assistance
$35,000
Public Improvements-Facilities
$450,000
Public Improvements-Improvements and
Infrastructure.
$343,500
All activities listed above will occur in low/mod areas of the Municipality which are a high priority for the
Municipality. Additionally, each activity meets the National Objectives of serving a low/mod area, low/mod
people, low/mod job creation, or eliminating slums/blight.
In its FY 2015-2019 Five Year Consolidated Plan, Bayonne identified several goals to prioritize its funding needs
during this five-year period. There are outlined below.
Five Year Objectives
Affordable Housing Objectives
Rehabilitating Housing Owned by Low-Income Households
Homeless Objectives
89
Homeless Prevention and rapid rehousing
Non-Housing Priorities
Infrastructure improvements, including the reconstruction of streets and sidewalks
Public facility improvements, including non-profit facilities
Economic development, including façade improvements, loan programs
Public services, especially for the elderly and other human service needs
Fair housing programs
Assist City with Master Plan process
Public Housing, HUD Assisted Housing, and Low Income Housing Tax Credits
Public Housing
The Bayonne Housing Authority owns 11 public housing developments and an additional 20 units in two scattered
site within Bayonne. According to the Housing Authority they have 1,277 housing units. As seen in Map 12, there
are public housing developments in all parts of Bayonne but most of them are located in the Midtown and Eastside
areas. All of the Public Housing in Bayonne are located in Low Mod Census Tract Block Groups except one
development, Bergen Point Gardens in Bergen Point. According to data provided by the Bayonne Housing
Authority as of February 2020, there were 1,259 households/families and 2,575 individuals living in Public Housing
in Bayonne. Comparing that with 2013-2017 ACS estimates, that accounts for 3.86% of Bayonne’s population.
50.68% of households are single person, 28.53% are 3 or more people. 28.28% of households in Bayonne Public
Housing have children. The plurality of households in Public Housing are White, Non-Hispanic at a rate of 48.05%
of households, 35.1% of public housing households are identified as Hispanic,15.33% of households are Black, and
just 0.875 of households are Asian. While the rate of Hispanic and Black households are a bit higher than Bayonne’s
total population, and Asian household percentage is much lower than the racial/ethnic composition of Bayonne,
Public Housing in Bayonne looks to be very similar to Bayonne’s racial/ethnicity composition as a whole, with a
white plurality but a majority minority total population. At a near 2: 1 ratio, female heads of households
outnumber male heads of households. 65.92% of households have a Gross Household Income of $20,000/year.
The average Gross Household Income of all public Housing is $18,472/year. And rent per month is under $500 for
69.5% of all families, with 200-299/month being the plurality with 32.17% of families in Bayonne Public Housing.
Table 48- Bayonne Housing Authority Developments
Housing Development
Units
Occupancy
Pamrapo Gardens
108
General
Bergen Point Gardens
108
General
Centreville Gardens
108
General
La Tourette Gardens
162
General
Kill Van Kull Gardens
129
General
90
Pamrapo Gardens Annex
55
Elderly/Disabled
Eastside Gardens
65
General
Kill Van Kull Gardens
69
Elderly/Disabled
Constable Hook Gardens
175
Elderly/Disabled
Back Bay Gardens
250
Elderly/Disabled
Scattered Sites
20
General
Interfaith Housing
18
General
TOTAL:
614
Source: Bayonne Housing Authority
Map12 - Public Housing Locations in Bayonne
Source: Bayonne Housing Authority
Map 13 - Public Housing Locations and Low/Mod Rates
91
Source: Bayonne Housing Authority, HUD
It is the policy of the Bayonne Housing Authority to administer its Waiting List in a manner that consistently
ensures equal treatment of all applicants in accordance with HUD regulations. Applicants are processed by
appropriate bedroom size availability, date and time of application, and the following preferences:
1. Resident of Bayonne
2. Veteran or disabled status
3. Currently living in substandard housing
4. Involuntarily displaced
5. Severely cost-burdened, paying more than 50% of income on housing.
6.
Currently there are 6,208 applicants on the Bayonne Housing Authority’s Public Housing Waiting lists, 4,566 for
Families Public Housing and 1,642 for Senior Public Housing. The Housing Authority does not close the lists at any
time. Of those on the Family Public Housing list, 67% of them have a female head of household. 37.98% of
applicants are Hispanic, the plurality of those on the list. 59.26% of those on the waiting list report having no
children. 5.34% of applicants are nonelderly disabled. And 71.92% are requesting 1- or 2-bedroom units. On the
Senior Housing list, 54.93% of the heads of households are women a bit less than the family list. 36.97% of
applicants are White, while 31.79% are considered Hispanic. 69.18% of applicants are looking for no bedroom
units.
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
The Bayonne Housing Authority administers 252 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers but there are many vouchers
used in Bayonne from other housing authorities. There are approximately 460 vouchers being used in Bayonne,
many are from Jersey City where due to affordability issues voucher holders have come to Bayonne to use their
92
vouchers. As seen in Map 14 vouchers are used in every census tract in Bayonne, though the three census tracts
where they are most used are in Low Mod Census tracts, where over 51% of the population is Low-Mod. 63.48%
of the vouchers are used in Low Mod Census Tracts.
Map 14 - Section 8 Voucher Usage in Bayonne by Census Tract
Source: HUD, Bayonne Housing Authority
As of February 2020, approximately 3,948 households were on the Section 8 Voucher waiting list. The waiting list
is open and the Housing Authority does not practice closing the list when it gets to a certain number of applicants.
The plurality of applicants are Hispanic (36.47%), Non-elderly (72.36%), Female Head of households(73.02%),
without children(57.55%), seeking 1 or 2 bedroom vouchers (37.69%). The majority (64.48%) of those with
vouchers are in households of 1 or 2 people, with the plurality being one person households (37.42%). The plurality
of those households are Hispanic (42.92%), 30.44% are White, 25.79% are Black and 0.63% are Asian. These
distributions by race are much different than Bayonne as a whole and the racial/ethnic distribution of public
housing. With a much larger Hispanic and Black population rate and lower White and Asian population
proportions. 58.35% of the households do not have children a rate slightly lower than Public Housing, and similar
to Public Housing Female Head of Households outnumber men by a ratio of around 2:1. 61.95% of households
with vouchers make less than $20,000 a year, and the average Household Income is 19,133, slightly higher than
Gross Household Income for those in Public Housing.
Low Income Housing Tax Credit –
The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program was created under the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and is
intended to attract private investment to develop affordable rental housing for low- and moderate-income
households. This program provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to reduce the developer’s Federal income tax.
93
Bayonne is supportive of the use of Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects to provide housing that is
affordable to low-income households. There are (3) LIHTC projects with one hundred and fourteen (114) LIHTC
units. Each LIHTC is located in a different block group.
The chart below illustrates which LIHTC projects were developed in Bayonne from 1987 through 2019:
Table 49- Bayonne LIHTC Projects
HUD ID
Number:
Project Name:
Project Address:
Project
Municipality:
Project
State:
Project
ZIP Code:
Total
Number
of Units:
Total
Low-
Income
Units:
NJA20029036
SENIOR HORIZONS
OF BAYONNE
74 LEXINGTON
AVENUE
BAYONNE
NJ
7002
59
59
NJA20120939
BAYONNE SENIOR
RESIDENCE
44 WEST 32ND
STREET
BAYONNE
NJ
7002
16
16
NJA20130001
BAYONNE TRANSIT
732 AVENUE E
BAYONNE
NJ
7702
46
39
Source: http://lihtc.huduser.org/
Map15- LIHTC Properties
Source: http://lihtc.huduser.org/
94
Zoning, Land Use, and Development Potential
Land use and zoning policy in New Jersey are subject to enabling legislation provided in the Municipal Land Use
Law (MLUL). The MLUL requires that all residential districts in the state permit community residences and
prohibits municipal authorities from excluding group homes from their communities. The MLUL does not allow
municipalities in New Jersey to require prior notification for the siting of group homes, to establish minimal
distance requirements between group homes, to require group homes to obtain a conditional use permit or a
special use permit before commencing operation, to limit the number of group residences in the municipality, or
to require that group homes be treated any differently than a single-family residence.
Bayonne’s municipal zoning ordinance was reviewed to identify zoning that may potentially impede housing
choice in the City. The analysis was based on topics raised in HUD’s Fair Housing Planning Guide, which include:
•
The opportunity to develop various housing types (including apartments and housing at various
densities)
•
The opportunity to develop alternative designs (such as cluster developments and planned
residential developments)
•
Minimum lot size requirements
•
Dispersal requirements for housing facilities for persons with disabilities in single family zoning
districts
•
Restrictions of the number of unrelated persons in dwelling units based on the size of the unit or
the number of bedrooms.
It is important to consider that the presence of inclusive zoning does not necessarily guarantee a zoning
ordinance’s fairness. This analysis does not address the issue of availability, suitability, or development potential
of sites. Though this will be covered in the next section.
Bayonne has a simplified zoning ordinance. The ordinance consists of a variety of zones, sub-zones, with varying
lot size, height, building type, and architectural requirements. The following zoning elements were analyzed for
impediments to fair housing choice.
a. Date of Ordinance
In general, the older the zoning ordinance, the less effective it will be. Older zoning ordinances have not
evolved to address changing land uses, lifestyles, and demographics. However, the age of the zoning
ordinance does not necessarily mean that the regulations impede housing choice by members of the
protected classes. The ordinance reviewed for this analysis has been amended through February 15, 2017
b. Residential Zoning Districts
Bayonne has 4 main residential zones, R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-M. R-2 is the zone for which the majority of
Bayonne zoning applies to.
In short, the residential permitted uses are:
•
R-1, are single family detached homes
95
•
R-2 Detached single family and two-family homes
•
R-3 Detached single family and two-family homes, one family attached townhomes, Two family
attached townhomes, multiple family dwellings- 3-6 family dwellings, and low rise apartments
•
R-M- Detached single family and two-family homes, one family attached townhomes, Two family
attached townhomes, multiple family dwellings- 3-6 family dwellings, low rise apartments, and high rise
apartments
•
There is no language in the zoning ordinance that states anything about limiting or obstructing
the operation of group homes besides the language as described below, which would require a conditional
use permit
•
Each of these residential zones, have a conditional permitted use of “Community residences for
the developmentally disabled; community shelters for victims of domestic violence; community
residences for the terminally ill and community residences for persons with head injuries.”
The guidance set forth for Community Residential for the Developmentally Disabled and Shelters for
Victims of Domestic Violence by the zoning ordinance as a permitted conditional use are:
a. A statement setting forth the full particulars on the building and/or use as submitted.
b. No Community Residence for the Developmentally Disabled or Shelter of Victims of Domestic
Violence shall be located upon a lot containing any other use, nor shall any structure or facility on the site
be utilized to provide services for any person not residing on the site.
c. Each Community Residence for the Developmentally Disabled or Shelter for Victims of Domestic
Violence shall submit proof of licensing by the Department of Human Services of the State of New Jersey.
d. No building utilized for a Community Residence for the Developmentally Disabled or Shelter for
Victims of Domestic Violence shall be constructed or altered so as to be inharmonious with the residential
character or adjacent structures and residential zones.
There are a total of 18 zoning districts, and 14 of them permit residential uses of some form. Of these 14
districts, 4 are residential zones, and 10 are commercial/mixed-use zones. Residential uses for many of
the commercial zones are relegated to apartments on upper floors and are not permitted on ground level.
c. Permitted Residential Lot Sizes
Because members of the protected classes are often also in low income households, a lack of affordable
housing may impede housing choice by members of the protected class. Excessively large lot sizes may
deter development of affordable housing. A balance should be struck between areas with larger lots and
those for smaller lots that will more easily support creation of affordable housing.
•
Minimum lot sizes for residential uses range from as small as 3,000 square feet in all residential
zones for single detached homes, to 1,000 sq. ft. per unit for low rise apartments, and 400 sq. ft.
per unit for high rise apartments in the R-M Zone.
A major problem as far as the development of new housing is that there is a lack of vacant land in Bayonne,
therefore many new housing will either be on redeveloped lots or in the redevelopment of former
industrial areas around the waterfront that are currently vacant and have been declared redevelopment
areas in hope of creating large mixed-use communities.
96
The sites of note for redevelopment in Bayonne are on the below map from the Master Plan These special
development areas include the Military Ocean Terminal (MOTBY), Texaco site, Broadway Corridor, Avenue
‘E’ Corridor, 8th Street Station, former Best Foods Site and Route 440.
Map 16 Development Sites
Source: Bayonne Master Plan Reexamination Report-2017
Housing recommendations per Bayonne’s, Master Plan Reexamination Report-2017
a. Promote the development of a range of housing types with a mixture of densities, including low,
moderate, middle and market rate housing that is affordable to millennials, young families and empty-
nesters seeking to remain or move into Bayonne.
•
Consider branding the districts based on redevelopment projects; - Loft District, Restaurant Row District,
Arts District, Historic District etc.;
b. Promote the development of stand-alone and integrated senior housing that enables older residents to
“age in place” including independent, assisted and congregate care housing.
c. Protect and preserve the integrity of the existing residential neighborhoods by reducing the potential
encroachment of commercial and high density multi-family uses.
•
Maintain lower density development regulation in existing residential neighborhoods that do not abut
against commercial properties;
•
Consider zoning revisions that strengthen the bulk standards for single family residential in existing
neighborhoods;
d. Encourage high quality adaptive reuse and development of single family, duplexes and townhomes in
existing residential neighborhoods.
97
•
Consider including design standards for the redevelopment and or construction of single family, townhomes
and duplex units in existing residential neighborhoods
Federal Requirements
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) encourages its grantees to incorporate “visitability”
principles into their designs. Housing that is “visitable” has the most basic level of accessibility that enables
persons with disabilities to visit the home of a friend, family member, or neighbor. “Visitable” homes have at least
one accessible means of egress/ingress for each unit, and all interior and bathroom doorways have 32-inch clear
openings. At a minimum, HUD grantees are required to abide by all Federal laws governing accessibility for
disabled persons.
Federal laws governing accessibility requirements include Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans
with Disabilities Act, and the Fair Housing Act.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (24 CFR Part 8), known as “Section 504” prohibits discrimination against
persons with disabilities in any program receiving Federal funds. Specifically, Section 504 concerns the design and
construction of housing to ensure that a portion of all housing developed with Federal funds is accessible to those
with mobility, visual, and hearing impairments.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. 12131; 47 U.S.C. 155, 201, 218, and 225) (ADA) prohibits
discrimination against persons with disabilities in all programs and activities sponsored by state and local
governments. Specifically, ADA gives HUD jurisdiction over housing discrimination against persons with
disabilities.
The Fair Housing Act was amended in 1988 to include persons with disabilities as a protected class, as well as to
include design and construction requirements for housing developed with private or public funds. Specifically, this
law requires property owners to make reasonable modifications to units and/or public areas in order to allow the
disabled tenant to make full use of the unit. Additionally, property owners are required to make reasonable
accommodations to rules or procedures to afford a disabled tenant full use of the unit. As it relates to local zoning
ordinances, the Fair Housing Act prohibits local government from making zoning or land use decisions, or
implementing land use policies that exclude or discriminate against persons of a protected class.
Taxes
Taxes impact housing affordability. While not an impediment to fair housing choice, real estate taxes can impact
the choice that households make with regard to where to live. Property taxes are generally made up of county,
municipal, and school district taxes. Tax increases that may occur are burdensome to low income homeowners
and increases are usually passed on to renters through rent increases. If property taxes are used as a main source
of school district funding, there may be a desire to limit housing for families with children to avoid the cost of
paying for their schooling.
Bayonne’s taxes are assessed by a municipal tax assessor, and as of 2019, Bayonne has $2,182,496,041 worth of
ratables ranking 6th highest of 12 Hudson County municipalities and accounting for 3.43% of the County’s total
ratables. The equalization ratio is currently 34.13% indicating a likely need for a reassessment, of which the City
98
is in the very early stages of. An equalization ratio indicates the value of assessed value vs true value, with a value
of 34.13% indicating that Bayonne’s true value of Property is nearly 3 times its assessed value. The reevaluation
may cause tax rates to decline, as they may be high currently to make up for the inaccuracies of the assessments.
Currently Bayonne has a total property tax rate of $8.63 per $100 of assessed value, this is the second highest tax
rate in Hudson County, only Kearny at 10.54% has a higher tax rate.
Bayonne Property Tax Rates:
•
County and County Open Space ...................... 1.278
•
School District………………………………………………3.148
•
Local School……………………………………………………0.482
•
Library Tax......................................................... 0.096
•
Municipal........................................................ 3.626
The table below illustrates the taxes assessed for owner-occupied and renter-occupied properties assessed at
$100,000.
Table 50 Property Taxes
Taxes for Property Assessed at $100,000
County Taxes
$1,278
School District Taxes
$3,148
Local School Taxes
$482
Library Taxes
$96
Municipal Taxes
$3,626
Total Taxes
$ 8,630
Taxes for Property Assessed at $200,000
County Taxes
$2,556
School District Taxes
$6,296
Local School Taxes
$964
Library Taxes
$192
Municipal Taxes
$7,252
Total Taxes
$ 17,260
Source: Hudson County Tax Board, N.J Dept. of Treasury
99
As of 2019 there is nearly $917 million of assessed value for property that is tax exempt. Over $589 Million of that
property is classified as public property. The tax exempt property represents $79.13 Million in lost revenue to the
municipality, which causes a higher tax burden rate for the other properties, and makes Bayonne a less desirable
place to own a home. This has may have contributed to the decline in homeownership.
Transportation
Bayonne has a plethora of transportation options that allow its residents to travel throughout the region for jobs,
leisure and travel.
The Hudson–Bergen Light Rail serves municipalities in Hudson County including Bayonne, it runs from North
Bergen south to Bayonne, there are four stops in Bayonne. The route that runs through Bayonne terminates at
the Hoboken Terminal allowing for connections to the PATH Train (with stops and routes from Newark to
Manhattan), New Jersey Transit rail and bus, and no additional fee transfers to other routes of the Hudson Bergen
Light rail to areas north of Hoboken There are connections along the rail, outside of Bayonne, to the PATH train,
that runs between Newark and Manhattan, and New Jersey Transit Trains and Buses. The trains run from
approximately 5 am until 2am. Each ride is $2.25/trip with a reduced fare for seniors (62 and over), children, and
the disabled of $1.10/trip. Monthly passes are available for $70/month.
Map 17 : Hudson Bergen Light Rail (Source: NJ Transit)
100
There are four New Jersey Transit Bus Routes that start and terminate in Bayonne, two of them take passengers
to either Exchange Place (81) or Journal Square Transportation Center (10) in Jersey City. The other two take you
to Manhattan one to the Port Authority Bus Terminal (119) in Midtown, and the other (120) to Battery Place in
Downtown Manhattan. One bus for each Terminus NYC and Jersey City, travels on Avenue C/Broadway with a
terminus at 1St Street and Avenue C in Bergen Point (81/120) and another on JFK Boulevard throughout Bayonne
having a terminus at 2nd Street and JFK Blvd. (10/119) in Bergen Point as well.
The MTA, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates public transportation in the State of New York,
operates their only bus route that goes from New York to New Jersey, in Bayonne that takes people from the 34th
Street Hudson Bergen Light Rail Station to several stops in Staten Island. This Bus Route, S89, runs limited service
on weekdays only and is only in service surrounding Morning and afternoon/night rush hours, as there is no service
from approximate 10 am –3:45 pm and from 9pm to 5:15 am.
Recently, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved of a lease that will allow the City and a private
company to start a ferry service that will take riders to Manhattan. It is unknown when this service will begin.
101
According to the 2014-2018 American Community Survey, 24.3% of Bayonne’s workers worked in Bayonne,
58.11% of are working in Hudson County. An additional 23.86% of workers work outside of the County in New
Jersey. And 18.03% of Bayonne’s workers are working out of state. Approximately 22.39% of housing units in
Bayonne do not have a vehicle, this is lower than the County (32.21%), but nearly double the State’s rate of just
11.44%. Just over half of workers (52.7%) drive alone to work, 25.9 % take public transportation, 9.8% are in car
pools, and 7.7% walked to work. Hudson County in comparison has much higher rates of public transportation use
(42.1%) and much lower car commuting (combined 44.7% vs Bayonne combined 62.5%)
Section 3
HUD’s definition of Section 3 is:
Section 3 is a provision of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968. The purpose of Section 3 to ensure
that employment and other economic opportunities generated by certain HUD financial assistance shall, to the
greatest extent feasible, and consistent with existing Federal, State and local laws and regulations, be directed to
low- and very low income persons, particularly those who are recipients of government assistance for housing,
and to business concerns which provide economic opportunities to low- and very low-income persons.
Bayonne requires that if all of its contracts that exceed $100,000, the Contractor must submit a Section 3
Affirmative Action Plan and Certification, along with a Section 3 Utilization Report. Bayonne includes the Section
3 Requirements in all of its CDBG construction activity public notices. In addition, the municipality has a Federal
Construction Contract Provisions Booklet for its CDBG Program that it provides to contractors for construction
improvement contracts.
During the research and study phase for the Analysis of Impediments, no impediments or complaints were
mentioned or filed based on the Federal Section 3 Requirements.
Public Sector
Impediments to fair housing choice are any actions, omissions, or decisions taken because of race, color, religion,
sex, disability, familial status, or national origin that restrict housing choices or the availability of housing choices,
or any actions, omissions, or decisions that have the effect of restricting housing choices or the availability of
housing choices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin. Policies,
practices, or procedures that appear neutral on their face but which operate to deny or adversely affect the
provision of housing to persons of a particular race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin
may constitute such impediments.
An important element of the analysis includes an examination of public policy in terms of its impact on housing
choice. From a budgetary standpoint, housing choice can be affected by the allocation of staff and financial
resources to housing related programs and initiatives. The decline in federal funding opportunities for affordable
housing for lower income households has shifted much of the challenge of affordable housing production to state,
county, and local government decision makers.
102
From a regulatory standpoint, local government measures to control land use (such as zoning regulations) define
the range and density of housing resources that can be introduced in a community. Housing quality standards are
enforced through the local building code and inspection procedures.
A community's sensitivity to housing issues is often determined by people in positions of public leadership. The
perception of housing needs and the intensity of a community's commitment to housing related goals and
objectives are often measured by board members, directorships, and the extent to which these individuals relate
within an organized framework of agencies, groups, and individuals involved in housing matters. The expansion
of housing choice requires a team effort and public leadership, and commitment is a prerequisite to strategic
action.
Bayonne Land Use Boards
Planning Board
The Bayonne Planning Board is comprised of nine members, is guided by the power and duties assigned
to it by the municipal Land Use Law.
The Board is responsible for making and adopting the Master Plan, administering the Land Subdivision
Ordinance, reviewing site plans, approving conditional use applications, and preparing for a municipal
capital budget.
Zoning Board of Adjustment
The Bayonne Zoning Board of Adjustment is comprised of seven members, and reviews all application for
construction or signage which do not meet the requirements of the zoning ordinance, limiting schedule
or Bayonne Master Plan.
Further responsibilities include hearing and deciding appeals in the enforcement of the Zoning Code,
hearing and deciding requests in interpretation of the Zoning Code, ruling on applications for variances,
and finally, granting variances to allow department from land us regulations.
Building Codes (Accessibility)
Private Housing Stock
As the standard for meeting accessibility requirements for new construction, the Bayonne Codes Office
applies the New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code, Subchapter 7, Barrier Free, which references
ANSI A117.1 American National Standard for Buildings and Facilities – Providing Accessibility and Usability
for Physically Handicapped People.
As noted in the Hudson County AI, building regulations are essential to protecting the health and safety
of citizens and the general welfare of the community. While building codes have positive contributions,
they also contribute to increased construction costs. The state’s uniform building code comes under the
authority of the NJ Department of Community Affairs and was adopted by New Jersey in 1977. The code
103
is administered by local officials who are licensed and regulated by NJDCA. Building codes are designed to
insure a reasonable building life. However, the uniform code tends to be conservative and slow to accept
and include innovative techniques.
Public Housing Stock
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and 24 CFR Part 8 requires that 5% of all public housing units
be accessible to persons with mobility impairments. Another 2% of public housing units must be accessible
to persons with sensory impairments. In addition, a public housing authority’s administrative office,
application offices, and other non-residential facilities must be accessible to persons with disabilities. The
Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) is the standard against which residential and non-
residential spaces are judged to be accessible.
Affordable Housing Trust Fund
City of Bayonne has (1) instituted a requirement that is applicable to residential redevelopment projects whereby
the redeveloper is required to provide a minimum of ten percent of the residential units as affordable, whether
they be sales or rental units, and (2) that the City Council is considering an ordinance that establishes an
“Affordable Housing Trust Fund” that will require residential developers to make a payment to the trust fund that
is equal to one percent of the project’s cost and non-residential developers to make a payment that is equal to
two percent of the project’s cost.
Private Sector
Real Estate Practices
Bayonne is served by the North Central Jersey Association of Realtors (NCJAR), which currently has more than
13,00 members. NCJAR is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Members of NCJAR are bound
by the Code of Ethics of NAR. OCBOR follows NAR’s guidelines for breaches of ethics, including fair housing
violations. Every member of NCJAR is required to comply with these requirements.
NCJAR does not track persons with disabilities or women in its system, but the current members include women
and persons with disabilities. In addition, they also have a Diversity/Cultural Affairs Committee & Equal
Opportunity Task Force, which according to their website is working to “strengthen the inclusiveness of the
industry, which will strive to promote fair housing and create opportunities through Diversity, by providing
education, networking and business tools. The committee will work closely with a number of multicultural real
estate associations and create partner events.”
The NAR has created a diversity certification, “At Home with Diversity: One America”, to be granted to licensed
real estate professionals who are members in good standing and who complete the NAR “At Home with Diversity”
course. The certification signals to customers that the real estate professional has been trained on working with
today’s diverse owners and renters.
104
Newspaper Advertising
Under federal law, no advertising with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling may indicate any preference,
limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. The
law, as found in the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, describes the use of words, photographs, symbols or
other approaches that are considered discriminatory.
The local paper, Jersey Journal, was reviewed. No ads contained questionable language. Several major real estate
firms placed the HUD fair housing logo in their banner ads.
Mortgage Lending Practices
Under the terms of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (F.I.R.R.E.A.), any
commercial lending institution that makes five or more home mortgage loans must report all residential loan
activity to the Federal Reserve Bank under the terms of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). The Home
Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 (HMDA) requires most mortgage lending institutions to disclose detailed
information about their home-lending activities annually. The objectives of the HMDA include ensuring that
borrowers and loan applicants are receiving fair treatment in the home loan market.
The national 2017 HMDA data consists of information for 12.1 million home loan applications reported by 5,852
home lenders, including banks, savings associations, credit unions, and mortgage companies. HMDA data, which
is provided by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), includes the type, purpose, and
characteristics of each home mortgage application that lenders receive during the calendar year. It also includes
additional data related to those applications including loan pricing information, action taken, property location
(by census tract), and information about loan applicants such as sex, race, ethnicity, and income.
Public and Private Sector
Accessibility of Rental Housing
Bayonne Housing Authority
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and 24 CFR Part 8 requires that 5% of all public housing units
must be accessible to persons with mobility impairments and that another 2% of public housing units
must be accessible to persons with sensory impairments. The public housing in Bayonne does not meet
this requirement. While they do meet the requirements for mobility impairments, the City has no
hearing/vision accessible units and is therefore not in compliance with Section 504.
105
Local Accessible Housing Assistance
New Jersey has 18 County Offices on Disability Services that work to advance independent living for
people with disabilities by providing a wide range of services. Coordination of disability services in
Bayonne is overseen by the Hudson County Office of Disability Services.
Fair Housing Information and Enforcement
One of the most effective strategies for combating housing discrimination is to focus on education and outreach.
New Jersey Legal Services provides the only fair housing education and outreach in Hudson County. Brochures
regarding fair housing are not available at public places in Bayonne.
Office of Landlord Tenant Affairs
Bayonne does not have an Office of Landlord Tenant Affairs. The City clerk would refer fair housing
complaints and inquiries, if received, to the Division on Civil Rights office located in Trenton. The lack of
immediate access to local assistance in fair housing issues is a concern. The Fair Housing Action Plan
included in this document recommends that the City appoint an in-house staffer who will serve as a Fair
Housing Coordinator, someone who will both disseminate information about fair housing issues as well
as provide a service to residents experiencing discriminatory practices.
Fair Housing Council of Northern New Jersey
The Fair Housing Council of Northern New Jersey, based in Hackensack, provides a number of services in
the fair housing arena. The organization is a HUD certified counseling agency and offers clients housing
and financial counseling for both sales and rentals.
The group also:
▪ Protects people who experience discrimination based on race, religion,
national origin, disability, family or marital status, or sexual orientation.
▪ Provides information, educational programs and assistance to housing and lending consumers, real
estate professionals, schools, government.
▪ Works with county, state, and federal governments to assist first-time homebuyers.
▪ Assists businesses and corporations in locating housing for transferees.
▪ Assists low-income families in finding affordable housing, works to expand the supply of affordable
housing and offers counseling to prevent foreclosures.
▪ Provides homelessness prevention assistance.
▪ Monitors realtors and lending institutions for compliance with the Fair Housing laws.
The group is not actively involved in Hudson County, but is able to conduct testing in the
County. Efforts to identify other housing assistance or service entities in the County have
not proven successful
106
The Waterfront Project
Per their website, The Waterfront Project (WFP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to
assisting Hudson County’s economically disadvantaged people – the working poor, seniors, veterans,
and those living with disabilities – by providing information, advice, and pro bono legal representation to
address their civil legal issues and concerns.
As a participating agency of the HUD-certified housing counseling program, WFP has trained staff who
provide free information, guidance, financial counseling and referrals to renters in Hudson County in
connection with housing-related matters. WFP’s staff and volunteer attorneys provide advice, guidance
and representation in connection with a variety of civil legal matters.
WFP has a unique program for low and moderate-income seniors in Hudson County. Working with the
County Surrogate’s Office, attorneys travel to senior centers throughout the County providing
education and free legal representation in connection with the preparation of wills, powers of attorney,
and health care directives.
The Hudson County Housing Resource Center
Per their website, The Hudson County Housing Resource Center’s mission is to prevent homelessness by
protecting and increasing Hudson County’s stock of affordable housing. The is HCHRC is a HUD Certified
Housing Counseling Agency that can provide residents, municipalities and housing organizations with
information, assistance, and counseling on a wide range of issues including security deposit refunds,
substandard conditions, rent increases, foreclosure and imminent homelessness. The Center can offer
advice, represent clients in court, and refer clients to other agencies as necessary. The Center has
operated continuously since 1990, and, while serving clients of all income levels, has focused on low- and
moderate-income families. Though the majority of the Center’s clients are from Jersey City, the Center
serves individuals and families from throughout the County
Summary of Primary Impediments to Fair Housing and Recommended Goals
Protected Document Content
Start your free trial to view the raw municipal bid documents and web text.
Unlock Full AccessDetailed Risk Breakdown
local preference
No Flags Found
performance bond
No Flags Found
liquidated damages
No Flags Found
Quick Actions
Explore More
Timeline
First Discovered
Apr 1, 2026
Last Info Update
Apr 1, 2026
Start your 7-day free trial
Get instant notifications and full bid analysis. Existing users will be logged in automatically.
Start Free Trial