Highlights

• There are more than 400 units for public housing for senior citizens and the disabled. The aging of the baby boomers will require more. (Table HE-1 and HE-2)
   
• The cancer risk from the quality of outdoor air is higher in Cortland than the national average. (Table HE-4)
   
• The small amount of toxins released into our water puts Cortland among the best counties in the country. (Table HE-5)
   
• Compared to the U.S., Cortland ranks among the counties with the highest amount of cattle waste produced. However, there has been a 27% decline in that amount between 1987 and 1997 presumably indicating fewer cows. (Table HE-8 and HE-10)
   
• There are three Superfund sites in the county. (Table HE-11)
   
• An average of 104,000 pounds of toxic chemicals are released into the air annually in Cortland County. (Table HE-13)
   
• In 1998, the county met the national air quality standards as shown in Table HE-14.

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The Ideal

Community residents in focus groups, community visioning, and surveys indicated their "ideal" conditions for housing and the environment. These are the conditions that they would value for themselves, their families and their community.

Residents want a cleaner and greener environment with attention paid to the quality of the air, soil and water. They want Cortland history preserved in its old buildings and homes. A comprehensive county plan for commercial and farm development is desired.

Other items frequently mentioned were:

• More recycling/yearly big item trash pickup
• Block grants to renovate substandard housing
• Better snow removal
• A balance with nature not influenced by dollars
• No spot zoning
• Neighborhood pride campaigns
• Downtown façade more uniform
• Keep "small town" rural atmosphere
• More senior housing
• Limited mall areas
• More planning
• Attention to the entrances into the city

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Significant Findings

In the county as a whole, 59% of the houses are owner occupied according to the 1990 census. The city of Cortland has only a 43% rate of homeownership. The high rate of city rental property relates to the presence of a college with students living off campus.

As the population ages, more assisted housing will be required, particularly for the middle class income population. Currently there is a construction project of numerous assisted living units on the polo fields on Route 13.

The long-term effects of poverty on this county are evident in the substantial decline of the housing stock. Yet there has been no new public housing in the past 7 years and many people are on the waiting list for public housing for as long as 18 months.

Housing costs for most people represent their largest monthly expense. For many working poor who rent, their income from minimum wage jobs has not caught up with the rents. For those home-owning, low-income families, the cost of upkeep is a problem. The 1990 census shows that nearly 40% of the county residents pay over 35% of their income in housing. The lack of living wage jobs in Cortland County keeps safe, affordable housing out of the hands of the working poor and thwarts the goals of welfare reform.

The three United Way surveys (1990,1995 and 2000) show that adequate paying jobs and affordable housing are among the top ranked problems for the county. According to the Cortland Housing Assistance Council, the county was designated in 1991 as a Difficult Development area. The Council suggested that people and businesses would not relocate in Cortland with the housing stock in such disrepair. It also noted a particular need for short term and temporary housing for runaway and homeless teens and victims of domestic violence.

The Environmental Defense Fund (www.scorecard.org) compares Cortland County with several others with regard to toxins released to the environment, water and land; cancer risk from outdoor air; and pollution related to animal wastes. Our water quality ranks among the cleanest. We rank among the best counties also in the amount of toxic releases to the land. The cancer risk from outdoor air needs attention, as does the disposal of animal wastes.

There are 3 Superfund sites in the county. Two of them pose a "significant threat" as reported by the NYS Public Interest Research Group. The county landfill has the capacity for 20 more years before it is filled. More recycling could extend the life of the landfill.

Cortland does better than expected with the reported cases of one infectious disease linked to the environment, shigella. But for two other such diseases -- E. Coli and salmonella -- we have more cases than would be expected.

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Indicators for Housing and the Environment

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