The four previously designated projects include:

Throughout this document, 1990 Census tract data is utilized to describe the characteristics of different neighborhoods within the City of Norwalk. Rather than refer to each of twenty-two different census tracts by number, each tract will be identified by a name. The following chart will serve as a reference to correlate each neighborhood with its census tract number, its major streets and several important neighborhood landmarks.

Norwalk's population stands at 79,358 persons as of July, 1995, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health. This represents an increase of 1,027 persons since the 1990 census which recorded a population of 78,331. Although Norwalk's population has not grown dramatically in the last few decades, the composition of the population continues to change.

Norwalk's population has grown more diverse over the last decade. The white population declined slightly from 64,271 persons in 1980 to 62,106 persons in 1990; comprising 79% of the total population. Minorities now comprise roughly 21% of the population, up from 17.4% in 1980. Persons of Asian descent represent the fastest growing part of the population on a percentage basis, increasing to 1,290 persons in 1990, a 91% increase. The black population showed a greater numerical change, increasing by 1,285 persons to 12,123 during the same period. The Hispanic population, which is comprised of individuals from both the white & black racial groups, grew by 62%, from 4,521 persons in 1980 to 7,339 persons in 1990.

Norwalk's population aged during the eighties, a trend which will continue into the next century. The greatest population gain between 1980 and 1990, was in persons 65 years and older, increasing 17% to 9,893 persons in 1990. The population also grew among the youngest segment of the population, with the 0 - 4 year age group increasing by 14% to 5,326 persons in 1990. The median age of Norwalk residents has risen from 33.4 years in 1980 to 34.5 years in 1990.

POPULATION BY AGE GROUP

As of December 1996, the City of Norwalk had a diverse housing stock of 32,550 units, according to the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD). This represents an increase of more than 300 units since the 1990 Census count of 32,224 units. Norwalk's housing stock is comprised of a mix of single family, two family and multifamily housing; with roughly half of the stock in single family housing and the remainder in multi-unit structures of two or more. Since 1970, the multi-family housing stock has grown the fastest, adding more than 4,000 units during a 25 year period. During the same period, the number of two family housing units declined slightly and the number of single family homes increased by just over 2,000 units. Norwalk and Stamford are the only communities in the southwest region with 50% or more of their housing stock in multi-unit structures. Multi-unit structures range from a mere 1% to just over 25% of the housing stock in neighboring suburban towns.

In April of 1997, the Department of Economic and Community Development reported that Norwalk had a total of 11.8% of its housing stock in public or non-profit housing affordable housing. Norwalk is one of only 29 communities in the state with more than 10% of its housing stock in affordable housing.

While the citywide population remained relatively stable between 1980 and 1990, certain neighborhoods showed population gains of 6% and more. Specifically, four neighborhoods in the center of the city and a fifth in north Norwalk, gained 1,732 persons over the last decade. These fast-growing neighborhoods include Norwalk Center, the Hospital Hill area surrounding Norwalk Hospital, the Golden Hill neighborhood, the SoNo historic district area, and the Cranbury neighborhood. This population growth emanated from a dramatic 19% increase in the number of housing units within these neighborhoods, generated by a condominium building boom in the mid-eighties. The 1,560 new units created in these five neighborhoods represent more than half the new units produced in Norwalk over the decade between 1980 and 1990.

A closer look at the population of each neighborhood shows considerable variations in the age of its residents, particularly in the percentage of elderly residents. Elderly residents, aged 65 years and older, comprise approximately 12% of the citywide population. However, in certain neighborhoods close to the center of the city, the percentage of elderly residents increases to more than 15% of the population. It is interesting to note that, with one exception, these neighborhoods also have homeownership rates higher than the city average, indicating the stabilizing influence of an older population.

The citywide poverty rate decreased between 1980 and 1990, falling from 7.0% to 5.8% for all persons. This is indicative of an improving economic climate for the city as a whole. The poverty rate for families also decreased during this period, falling from 5.5% in 1980 to 3.8% in 1990; affecting a total of 1,132 families in Norwalk.

However, as is the case with many older urban neighborhoods across the country, the poverty rate for certain parts of Norwalk was much higher. The seven neighborhoods with poverty rates above the city average include Norwalk Center, West Main, Spring Hill, Golden Hill, Springwood, Woodward and SoNo. The poverty levels in these neighborhoods ranged from 6.5% in Norwalk Center to 17.5% in SoNo.

EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION & INCOME

The correlation between unemployment and education reveals that neighborhoods with high school graduation rates below the citywide average of 79.5%, tend to have higher rates of unemployment. However, other factors, including high numbers of single parent households or households receiving public assistance income, also have an impact on neighborhood employment rates.

The citywide median family income in 1990 was $55,269. As noted above, eight of Norwalk's twenty two neighborhoods have median incomes below the citywide average.

When all of these economic indicators are viewed together ,education, unemployment, median income and poverty rates, six neighborhoods show higher levels of housing need than the rest of the city; including Spring Hill, Golden Hill, SoNo, East Norwalk, Woodward and Springwood. In addition, Norwalk Center stands out as a neighborhood with low median family incomes and a high poverty rate, despite a low unemployment rate.

The availability of ownership housing affordable to households in the low and moderate income categories is extremely limited. Norwalk's 1990 inventory of 18,940 owner-occupied households had a median value of $241,300; including many single-family homes and luxury condominiums not affordable to the households earning less than the area wide median income of $67,963. According to 1990 census statistics, nearly 22% of all owner households were having a housing problem; due most frequently to a cost burden; meaning that they pay more than 30% of their incomes for housing. The high cost of housing causes many families to double-up, which in turn results in overcrowded living conditions. According to an informal survey of families applying for affordable housing, there are an estimated 400 doubled-up families in Norwalk. These numbers are an indication of the negative vacancy situation for lower-income families.

Norwalk maintains one of the highest homeownership rates in the tri-state area at 62%, compared with only 44% in the New York metropolitan area. The relatively high citywide homeownership rate is actually much lower for certain age and racial groups as well as for certain neighborhoods in Norwalk, as indicated on the chart below. In addition, both Black and Hispanic households are identified as having a higher percentage of housing problems than is the norm for all households. Households belonging to one or more of these groups should be targeted for additional educational, financial and technical assistance in their housing search efforts.

Substandard housing conditions are not considered to be a significant problem in ownership housing. Of the 280 substandard units which do exist, most are vacant. Based on recent housing rehab activities, it is estimated that an average of $20,000 per unit is needed to make these substandard units habitable. Most of these units are located in older neighborhoods with large numbers of pre-1940 housing; such as the Springwood and Woodward neighborhoods, or are owned by the elderly or persons unable to maintain their home due to disabilities.

The primary obstacle in the effort to increase home ownership rates among low and moderate income families is the cost of housing and the difficulty in arranging conventional financing. Moderate income families can afford some of the available market-rate housing; due to the 15-20% reduction in average sales prices in the early 1990's and relatively affordable mortgage interest rates. However, very low and low income families cannot afford available housing without significant subsidies both on the purchase price and the financing of such housing. In fact, financial assistance for home buying has historically been targeted to moderate-income households, due to the deep subsidies which are necessary to assist very low and low income households. The average cost of subsidizing affordable housing purchases is $12,000 per unit, according to the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency. Typically this subsidy is in the form of a second mortgage and is scheduled for repayment beginning 10 years from the date of the loan's origination.

The availability of rental housing affordable to households in the low and moderate income categories is extremely limited. Norwalk's 1990 inventory of 11,620 rental households had a median rent of $647 per month in 1990. Many apartments are not affordable to households earning less than the area wide median income. According to 1990 census statistics, more than 39% of all rental households were having housing problems due to a cost burden; meaning that they pay more than 30% of their incomes for housing. The high cost of housing causes many families to settle for units which are smaller than they need or are in poor condition.

The majority of rental housing in Norwalk is located in the city's older multifamily neighborhoods, including Woodward, Springwood, Norwalk Center, East Norwalk, SoNo, West Main and Hospital Hill. As indicated above, the neighborhood immediately surrounding Norwalk Hospital has by far the largest number of rental units with a total of 1,510; followed by West Main & SoNo, with 1,042 and 981 rental units, respectively.

The citywide median contract rent in 1990 was $647 per month. Rental housing costs vary considerably by area, and the chart at left indicates those neighborhoods with rental rates below the citywide median in 1990. Not surprisingly, all of these neighborhoods have a high percentage of either elderly or family subsidized housing which contributes to their overall affordability.

The condition of housing is a significant factor in rental housing. Many substandard units exist, which are occupied by persons who cannot afford more habitable units. Most of these units are located in neighborhoods with a high percentage of absentee landlords, who do not allocate sufficient funds for the maintenance of their rental units. Tenants are reluctant to spend their funds to upgrade such units and public subsidies cannot be utilized unless the owner is willing to agree to their funding restrictions.

The cost of rental housing in Norwalk, although viewed as the most affordable in the lower Fairfield County, is still beyond the reach of many low and moderate income families. The 30% rule of thumb on monthly housing costs is not realistic for many of these families who must pay up to fifty percent of their monthly incomes on housing costs. According to the Connecticut Housing Coalition, forty four percent of rental households in the state pay more than thirty percent of their incomes for housing.

A wide variety of strategies are needed to provide rental and ownership housing opportunities for all income groups within the City of Norwalk. Examples of these strategies are as follows:

Target Low and Very Low Income Families for nontraditional homeownership opportunities. Cooperative housing is an excellent example of this nontraditional type of homeownership opportunity. Recent affordable housing developments produced by Action Housing and Fairfield County Mutual Housing, such as Crestwood and Hanford Housing Co-operatives, are illustrations of this type of housing. Many families in these cooperative units experience a reduction in their monthly housing costs when compared to what they had paid for similar rental housing.

Promote the continuation of unconventional mortgage programs which provide mortgage assistance, down payment grants, closing cost assistance and/or gap mortgage financing to low and moderate income households. Currently, the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency's Home Ownership Assistance Program and Neighborhood Housing Services of Norwalk's World Savings First Mortgage Program are serving as the primary source for this type of mortgage assistance.

Expand private lending for affordable housing by encouraging banks to be more "user friendly" to first time homebuyers, particularly those with from low-incomes and minority households. Private affordable mortgage programs, operating in conjunction with the Redevelopment Agency's Homeownership Assistance Program, allow for more lenient underwriting criteria, lower minimum down payments and homeownership counseling. The Partnership should encourage a larger number of banks to offer these programs and recommend an increase the amount of funding set aside to assist lower income homebuyers.

Promote cooperation among various agencies to assist first-time homebuyers in order to maximize the resources available to low and moderate income households interested in purchasing a home. One such effort involves both Neighborhood Housing Services and the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency in assisting qualified families with the purchase and then the rehabilitation of housing with substandard units. The advantage of this combined effort is that a new homeownership opportunity is created and the substandard units are brought up to code and are once again a viable source of housing in the community.

Target programs to the groups identified as having less access to homeownership opportunities including minorities, residents of certain inner city census tracts, and head of households under the age of 35. In assisting these groups in achieving the dream of homeownership, the additional benefits of neighborhood stabilization from a more balanced owner/rental mix, economic security for families who now have control of their housing costs, and the equalization of opportunity for all types of families to share in the benefits of homeownership, will also be accomplished.

Maintain subsidized rental housing and ensure the continuation of federal subsidies for Section 8 housing in Norwalk and surrounding communities. Support efforts to maintain and improve public rental housing.

Rehabilitate & preserve existing affordable rental housing stock by promoting the housing rehabilitation programs offered by the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency and Neighborhood Housing Services of Norwalk.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

1990 Census of Population & Housing June 1993

Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C. 20402

1996 Regional Housing Needs and Supply Assessment South Western Planning Region May 1997

Buckhurst Fish & Jacquemart Inc. 72 Fifth Avenue NYC, NY. 10011

1996 Affordable Housing Appeals Procedure List May 1997

Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development Hartford, CT. 06106

Fair Housing Officer's Annual Report FY 1996-1997 November 1997

Fair Housing Advisory Commission, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06856-5125

Housing Plan for Norwalk November 1990

Norwalk Housing Partnership, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06856-5125

Norwalk's Changing Population A Review of 1990 Census Data March 1992

Norwalk Planning Commission, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT. 06856-5125

A Snapshot of Homelessness Results of the 1997 Survey of the Homeless March 10 - 17, 1997

Advocates to End Homelessness