Report: Lack of affordable housing, transportation, education for seasonal workers
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — A study commissioned by Cape May County shows it is strong on tourism but weak on providing affordable housing, transportation and jobs with an educational component for seasonal workers.
County Economic Development Program Coordinator Joe Molineaux said during a presentation June 1 that a task force was formed in April 2020 — after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the county the previous month. The task force submitted a reopening and recovery plan to the state, resulting in specialized tourism marketing. He said work began in fall 2020 to have a recovery and resiliency plan created for the county with the assistance of South Jersey Economic Development District Executive Director Louis Joyce.
A contract was awarded to Econsult Solutions (ESI), which produced a 100-page report following six months of work. Joyce said the goal was to create plans for resiliency so that if another pandemic were to occur, contingency plans would be in place.
“The planning during the recovery period has given some insight into how this county’s local economies responded to that kind of disruption,” he said.
The study also identified underlying weaknesses in the current systems that support the existing economies, Joyce said.
He said ESI worked with the community and focus groups, interviewing business owners and county and local officials.
Corrine Beasley, a director at ESI, said Cape May County has an aging and declining population that does not follow state trends.
Summer employment in the county totaled 56,500 in 2019, dropping to 46,300 in 2020 and recovering to 58,400 in 2021, according to the report.
Looking at higher education, the top five associate degree programs in the county in 2019 to 2020 were liberal arts and sciences-general studies and humanities: 36 percent; health professionals: 20 percent; business management and marketing: 18 percent; homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting: 5 percent; and culinary, entertainment and personal services: 3 percent.
ESI Senior Vice President Gina Lavery said 79 percent of county residents lack high-speed fiber optic broadband access. About 10 percent of employed county residents work remotely from home.
“In the next 10 years, there’s going to be an increasing shift toward jobs and employment in math and science,” she said. “That’s not an area that is a particular concentration and strength in Cape May County right now but it’s an opportunity to be thinking about.”
Before the pandemic, nationally the job growth outlook was forecast to increase by about 5 percent over the next 10 years. That number has shifted downward to 2 percent, Lavery said.
With federal infrastructure funding available, the county needs to leverage it to ensure Cape May County’s infrastructure and build environment will be sustainable and resilient for the years to come, she said. The report noted 51 percent of land in the county is in a special flood hazard zone.
Offshore wind projects will help attract related jobs to the county, Lavery said. The state has set a goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050.
“One of the things we heard from the very beginning of our engagement with the county was you want to make sure we’re focusing on a diverse economy that isn’t all tourism,” she said.
Lavery said the county can continue to build on its successful tourism economy but needs to attract more businesses and residents.
Beasley said home values in the county have increased by 20 percent in the past year, making it unaffordable for some segments of the population. She said the county has a seasonal housing shortage.
“What we recommend is establishing a housing task force that can address these countywide, workforce housing issues,” Beasley said, suggesting the task force be created immediately.
Lavery said the county may need to lead an affordable housing task force consisting of representatives of local municipalities.
Beasley said the county could bolster its marketing to elevate the county as a year-round destination and produce a campaign to attract new businesses by focusing on existing amenities.
“There’s geographical benefits on the Eastern Seaboard between two major cities, and the coastal desirability of this place makes it very attractive,” she said.
The report recommends promoting niche tourism sectors in the winery, brewery and distillery industries, particularly to target the shoulder and off seasons. Beasley suggested a partnership with Atlantic Cape Community College with apprenticeship programs in that industry.
She also suggested marketing a brewery and winery tour for visitors that could include an educational aspect.
Another recommendation of the report is creating a regional, seasonal workforce marketing campaign and connecting the seasonal workforce to training opportunities.
Lavery said they heard from business owners that high school and college-age employees are looking for an educational component to their employment.
“Some of the jobs in Cape May County that are just seasonal have a disadvantage there because they are not able to offer things like that,” she said.
The report also recommends encouraging retirees to re-enter the labor market on a part-time basis.
Lavery said a recommendation is targeting educational partners to strengthen a culture of innovation, especially research activity. The report also recommends the county strengthen strategic partnerships with state and federal economic development partners.
Employers have a challenge of not being able to hire as many J-1 visa workers as in the past, she said. The report recommends a local and regional marketing campaign to attract seasonal workers.
Seasonal workers could be sought from winter resorts such as those in Colorado, she said.
Institutes of higher education in the state are doing great work and there is no reason Cape May County cannot capture those researchers and principal investigators that may work in ocean or wind research or aviation, Lavery said.
She said researchers sometimes commercialize their work into a product that turns into an industry that can grow and attract more jobs.
The county lacks mass transit, which presents a problem for those who do not own cars, particularly seasonal workers. The report recommends expanding the county’s Fare Free Transportation.
Infrastructure for electric vehicles needs to be in place throughout the county not only for visitors but for municipal vehicles, according to the report.
Lavery said the next step in presenting the report is outreach and engagement.
“The county has a great set of folks that are focused on making sure this plan gets implemented but it’s going to be more than just a handful of people,” she said.
Molineaux said the county has $1 million available in forgivable loans for businesses affected by the pandemic as well as $5,000 grants for businesses with five or fewer employees.
An up to $10,000, two-year forgivable loan is available to businesses with six to 20 employees affected by COVID, Molineaux said. The funding is also available to nonprofit organizations.
Funding is also available to assist with rent and mortgage payments, he said. Molineaux can be contacted at (609) 465-1085.
By JACK FICHTER/Sentinel staff