Findings
XI. Housing and the Environment
Highlights
- There are nearly 1,000 subsidized or tax credit assisted public housing units in the county designated for elderly, disabled and low-income populations. A waiting list of nearly 400 already exists for this housing, and as the baby boomers age, the need for subsidized housing will increase (Table HE-1 and HE-2).
- Based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) most current data as reported by the Environmental Defense Fund (www.Scorecard.org),
Cortland
ranked about average compared to all counties in the
US
with regard to cancer hazards from air and water pollutants (Table HE-4).
-
Cortland
waters rank among the cleanest/best in the
US
when measuring releases of major pollutants in to our waters (Table HE-7).
- Releases of major pollutants into our air have a more favorable ranking compared to the national average, but it does not rank as favorably as the water (Table HE-6).
- Compared to the
U.S.
,
Cortland
ranks among the counties with the highest amount of cattle waste produced. However, between 1987 and 1997, there was a 27% decline in the amount of waste produced, with the greatest reduction coming from hogs and cattle (Table HE-8 and HE-9).
- The Rosen Site, one of three Superfund sites in the county, recently completed remediation (Table HE-10).
- 113 homes in
Cortland
County
lack complete plumbing facilities (Table HE-16).