You are reading

Sunnyside/Woodside residents struggle to cover the rent, lack emergency funds, according to report

Development on 43rd Street

Development on 43rd Street (QueensPost)

Nov. 30, 2016 By Hannah Wulkan

More than half of Sunnyside and Woodside residents are finding it difficult to pay their rent each month and lack the funds to cover their living expenses for three months should an emergency strike, according to a new report.

The Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development recently released a detailed study of the economic well being that residents in different parts of city face. The study is broken down by neighborhoods.

The study concluded that 59 percent of Sunnyside and Woodside residents are rent-burdened, or pay more than 30 percent of their income towards rent.

The study also shows that 57 percent of residents have inadequate emergency savings, meaning they could not cover three months of rent and living expenses out of their savings.

“Without sufficient emergency savings that cover at least three months’ worth of household expenses, families are at risk of eviction, foreclosure, and damaged credit,” the study points out.

The report compiled data from several censuses and city databases to analyze 20 different economic factors—from health insurance coverage to high school graduation rate–by neighborhood. It then ranked the economic well being of residents based on each factor and put together a chart.

Poor scores were “deemed high risk” while good scores were called “low risk.”

“This chart helps residents, community groups, and officials learn about what’s happening in their neighborhoods, build power with other neighborhoods across the city to mobilize for change and get resources, and make informed decisions about equitable development in their local economy,” according to the authors behind the study.

According to the report, there are several areas that are especially concerning to Sunnyside and Woodside, but in general the area is actually doing quite well.

The categories marked as “high risk” on the chart point out that 23 percent of Sunnyside/Woodside residents do not have health insurance and 27 percent of households have limited English spoken.

However Sunnyside and Woodside do better in several categories than neighboring areas. Only 12 percent of residents live below the poverty line, compared to 17 percent in both Astoria and Jackson Heights.

The neighborhood also only has a 4.7 percent unemployment rate, compared to 6.1 percent in Astoria and 5 percent in Jackson Heights.

The study shows a calculated score for the economic well being of residents in each neighborhood, with the best score at 24 and the worst at 76. Sunnyside and Woodside scored 36, putting it in the top quartile in the city, which the chart labels as “low risk.” It is the only area in Western Queens that scored in the top quartile.

Manhattan had the most areas scored as low-risk, or in the top quartile, while The Bronx and Brooklyn both had quite a few areas that were scored as high-risk, or in the lowest quartile, while Queens showed a wide range of economic opportunity.

Economic Well Being by Queens Post on Scribd

email the author: [email protected]

39 Comments

Click for Comments 
George Jefferson

Try telling that to the crybaby old soup chicken senior witch . Wha wha wha. She should have a go fund me like the restaurant on Roosevelt that never paid the taxes and now asks her customers who she charges to eat, could you please pay my tax bill that i didnt pay when you pay your check. Barbara wants a penthouse apartment but she cant afford the studio in the sub basement, maybe you guys can go fund me so i can live in a better place i cant afford. And its not her fault its the greedy landlord. Her new tune is, ” i moving on up, to the southside,in a de-luxe apartment, in the sky” and she needs a roommate, so maybe florence, or weezy will go with her

Reply
Santa Claus

You cant have your cake and eat it. Prices go up, things change, you have to adapt. Move somewhere more reasonably priced. Talk about sacrifice for your family? Well moving out of a neighborhood you cant afford anymore but love is part of the sacrifice . I dont think you want to be inconvenienced. I would love to live in the city but i couldnt afford it. My family and i packed up and moved to queens. Why strangle yourself with bills. I hated leaving but i hate being broke more. I dont hate the building owner i felt he had to make a business decision. I dont like it but whats he supposed to do he brought the property as an investment,to make money. Hes not greedy ,its business. Id like a new mercedes benz but i cant afford it so i bought a nice used bmw. Clint Eastwood says a man has to know his limitations. Its true. Moving a little further isnt the end of the world. It may work out real well for you and you may end up saying thank the good lord i left sunnyside. Whatever either way, if you have your health, your family eats ,has a place to live, and is also healthy be happy. Merry Christmas to all, and a happy new year. Better days are coming, its not all that bad

Reply
ANNOYED

Look at the cost of property taxes in Sunnyside/Woodside . How are honest landlords suppose to pay property taxes without raising rent? Subsidize the renters?

Reply
I CANT AFFORD THS PLACE,WHAAAAA!?

Maybe she was in the bar all the time maybe thats why she couldnt afford the apartment .

Reply
Billy

The monster is right. What did she contribute? Should have got a morgage. F her. Insider price too. I doubt very highly that 100k was needed upfront

Reply
Not me

I bet A. Bundy is happy to hear that a ministry is evicting 40 tenants in Astoria before the end of this month!

Reply
Greenpoint ave monster

Its barbaras own fault f her, shes always crying about something. Look at her face book posts. Shes a whiner, always a pity party for poor barbara. Loser. Oldsoupchicken

Reply
Arya Stark

Which Barbara Hayes on Facebook is she? There are tons of people on Facebook with that name.

Reply
Greenpoint ave monster

Barbara im sure you got first option to buy but didnt. Stop your sobbing. I think your crying in your soup you old soup chicken

Reply
Jillianyeaitsme

Re: Grnpt.Ave Loser
So if a lifetime resident who has contributed to the community for decades doesn’t have $100,000 or more in their “emergency fund in case of greedy new landlords” – they should be kicked out of their lifelong home & community and not whine about it huh? Their children too I suppose? Gee I wonder your occupation???
P.S. Stop your lack of basic writing skills before telling others to stop crying. You don’t get to boss people around when you can’t even form a simple sentence.

Reply
Paris Shmagette

Sunnyside is ground zero, I think it will be every bit as pricey as Greenpoint and WIlliamsburg within 5 years. It’s already Astoria prices and the housing stock is much nicer. I had a pretty cheap 3-bed for a while but the building was sold and the rent started going up. I saw the writing on the wall when I moved and realized just how expensive sunnyside had gotten. Now I’m paying way more for one less room, like a shmuck, so I can stay in this neighborhood. But hey, we’re 20 min from manhattan am-i-right?? Lol.

Reply
Lucy

The neighborhood has changed a lot last 20 years, a lot of young people, young couple, new professionals, every time someone move out…price goes up, there is someone willing to pay what is too much for us But for someone who used to live in a crap studio in Manhattan without window and walk up (just because is Manhattan) and see a place here for the same or less it is a big deal. The price has been pushing many folks away, good people, but the salaries raise cannot keep up with cost of living. An it said thee are no inflation…really??

Reply
Hit them where it hurts

Everyone stop paying rent, then go to court and prove hardship. They can’t evict the whole neighborhood and the city will help because they don’t want anymore homeless…

Reply
A.Bundy

why not? its private property. would be nice if buildings were emptied. it would be easier for landlords to sell the building for new condo developments. there have been plenty of demolitions for such projects in sunnyside recently. this is a free market. the landlords can do what they want. there are more than plenty of people looking to pay higher rent to live closer to the city. its called gentrification. it happened to williamsburg, it will happen here. cant afford rent? time to add another 30 minutes of travel time. you will need it coming from Fwushing, aka, the edge of the city, aka chinatown 2.0. dont like it? should have lived somewhere far, traveled hours per day, worked 2 jobs, and saved up to buy a co-op with $300 a month in maintenance fees. its called sacrifice and struggling.

Reply
Sacrifice Really?

Greed is a what is happening. Families shouldn’t have to decide between staying home with a sick child and going to work so they can pay rent or buy milk. They shouldn’t be forced out of a family neighborhood with a great school and parks and all these family oriented things because of “gentrification” specially when these people arent doing anything for the neighborhood except leaving dog crap on the sidewalk. I get sacrificing for the good of your family but this is ridiculous!

Reply
Me

Luckily not everyone is a deadbeat loser and we won’t have chaos by following this type of suggestion.

Reply
Hey me

Nothing to do with being a deat beat loser everything to do with surviving. That wouldn’t bring chaos and if it does so be it maybe people will start waking up.

Reply
Anonymous

It means most people in the city are in trouble. Other neighborhoods are in worse trouble than this one but trouble is trouble. The rezoning is not working. Why? Landlord greed.

Reply
Anthony Blackwood

So which is it then? the heading states that residents are living below the poverty line and basically fighting over scraps in the street but the survey conducted by the city shows the neighborhood to be in the “low risk” factor and doing quite well with only 23% struggling. Let’s keep journalism real and lose the sensationalism

Reply
Anonymous

In conculsion, we don’t need anymore high rent buildings here. We need our officials to clamp down on the kind of real estate people who aspire to be like the Israel brothers in Brooklyn. (Ahem, Phipps!)

Reply
People for trump

Wow what news. What do you expect , rent prices went through the roof in recent years. Salaries, fixed incomes stayed the same . Landlord got erections when they saw what they could charge. Sales of viagra will drop

Reply
Tyler

Instead of marching to Trump tower and visiting school children Van Beamer better start doing his f..king job and help where it’s needed.
All you people that will support him saying it’s not his problem can go do whatever it is you do. These are the issues that need attention and people that need help you useless little man.

Reply
John

-Tyler if you think you can do a better job then run for office blowhard. All of the things you listed are a part Van Bramers job. Keep up the great job Jimmy!!!

Reply
Me

Real estate bubble’s rental version.
Renting to people who may or may not be able to pay, or without stable jobs or income, not checking their past income or bank balances, and assuming they will be able to pay the $2600 rent for 2 bedroom.

There are cheaper options but everyone wants new or renovated, everyone wants Washer and dryer in their apartment and more. These new apartment building were supposed to have affordable units , what happened to that?

Everyone deserves to live in a comfortable living space especially families with kids. So what needs to be done is to ensure the lower costing apartments are livable and landlords are doing their part of keeping the places livable. I hear complaints from most of my friends at those big apartment buildings.

Reply
Neutral Observer

Capitalism + Conservative Values = Imposed Social Darwinism.
Can’t afford the rent? Leave. Can’t find a job here? Leave. Get kicked out of your apt and become homeless? Too bad, you lose.

Man, I can’t wait to see the devastation after 4 years of GOP controlled government. Buckle up, people. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

Reply
Fan of Dough Boy Park

This is taking place NOW, under a Democratic president with 2 democratic senators and a democratic mayor….BUT let’s blame a guy not even in office yet? That makes sense. Chug!Chug!Chug! That koolade

Reply
barbara hayes

thanks to the courts and crooked lawyers many of us that were grandfathered into our parents apartments in the celtics only for the owner to be able to sell the apartments as condos. i had the ceiling fall on my head the building department issued severe and other code violations and they even ignored a court date and failed to repair until three months after the ceiling fell on my head. yet due to what is known as a stipulation i was denied my right to a trial as per my constitutioonal rights. And I was made to move out leaving everything i owned including antique furnishiings and belonging of my parents and my children my parents had the apartment since i was born and it was at that time in the name of my mothers first husband lynch but it was under lynch hayes of course they got over on me now the rich foreigners own my apt. And i have nothing I live with a woman I care for and I could not afford rents in this neighborhood because everything I did save is in storage and the city pays the bill.my mother worked for 15 years as a volunteer for sunnyside senior center i worked as chairman on the board of elections for years with my mom and my brother a new york city fire man and my father a ww11 vet. I just simply cant believe that I have no place of my own thanks to courts and a system that is completely broken and not protecting the people

Reply
Anonomus

I can’t even believe you have the never to post this! How dare you think you and you family of takers have the right to live in an apartment forever,( at a ridiculously low rent I am sure) that you do not own!! You are a byproduct of what is wrong with this country. Perhaps had you gotten an education and did something with your life you would be able to afford to live in this or any other neighborhood !

Reply
Lucy

Make sure to know the neighborhood to comment, not everybody paying outrageous amount has washer/dryer those are luxury. For instance my building no elevador no W/D no laundry room, no living super, only has studios and 1 bedroom, and it is going for $1750/$1800. On 41 st building walk up, no W/D or laundry room, 2 bedroom on 2nd floor$2500. To my understanding it is an absurd but that is the new reality.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News