18 The Courier sun • SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Economic growth is rising in Jamaica — and so are expenses: comptroller By Liam Baker [email protected]/@QNS Economic growth can be a double edged sword, as is the case for Jamaica residents whose neighborhood has seen a healthy spike in population, income and number of businesses, while rapidly increasing rents are proving to be a burden on tenants. A report by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli of the greater Jamaica area found that over the past 20 years, the number of businesses increased by 39 percent, population has risen 35 percent since 1980, while the median household income rose 11 percent in 2015. However, between 2002 and 2014, the median monthly rent rose 82 percent while the median household income only went up 26 percent, leaving 56 percent of tenant households rent burdened (a household is deemed rent burdened when 30 percent or more of household income is devoted to rent). The influx in population — driven mostly by immigrants from the Caribbean, South Asia, Central and South America — combined with the surging rent prices, is leading to overcrowding in the area. In 2014, 12.5 percent of the population lived in households with more than one person per room. This is a higher share than the rest of Queens and the city overall, which had 10.9 and 9.9 percent, respectively. Despite Jamaica being hit hard by the recession — the area lost 2.5 percent of its jobs in 2009 — the area is slowly recovering, with 2015 seeing job numbers nearing their prerecession Development is also on the rise in Jamaica. In 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Queens Borough bestof.qns.com peak, a record 47,600 jobs in 2008. A QUEENS COURIER AND QNS.COM CONTEST Services BEST ATTORNEY President Melinda Katz and Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen released the Jamaica Now Action Plan, which will provide $153 million in public funding to the area, spread out across initiatives for road improvements, affordable housing and NYPD security cameras. JOHN J. CIAFONE, ESQ. ATTORNEY MILLION DOLLAR ADVOCATES FORUM THE TOP TRIAL LAWYERS IN AMERICA TM VOTE FOR US! 25-59 Steinway Street, Astoria, NY 11103 718-278-3900 • [email protected] Photo courtesy of Borough President Melinda Katz Local elected officials at Queens Library’s Central Library in Jamaica for the Sept. 21 press conference to unveil the comptroller’s report, “An Economic Snapshot of the Greater Jamaica Area.”
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