New Housing Development Surge Not Spiking School Enrollments: Study
By JOHN JORDAN
WHITE PLAINS, NY–A newly released report on the new multifamily housing development boom and its impacts on communities in Westchester County refutes the long-standing premise that new housing development will result in large increases in student enrollment, resulting in higher school tax burdens for local taxpayers.
The report, authored by commercial real estate brokerage firm RM Friedland, chronicles the significant residential housing development activity since 2021 when approximately 27,500 units of new housing have either been completed and delivered (12,500) or are currently under construction (15,000).
Most of the new projects have been concentrated in New Rochelle, Yonkers, White Plains and Mount Vernon. More suburban villages and towns like Armonk, Sleepy Hollow and Port Chester have also seen a surge in new housing. Occupancy rates across major projects have remained high, the report states.
One of the report’s major findings is that new multifamily housing development has not resulted in spikes in student enrollment in impacted school districts. The report—released at the Business Council of Westchester’s and the Fordham Real Estate Institute’s annual real estate development conference at 360 Hamilton Ave. in White Plains—stated: “Concerns about overcrowded schools and strained infrastructure, often raised in opposition to large housing developments, have proven to be largely unfounded in Westchester County. Evidence from New Rochelle and Yonkers reveals a decrease in student populations despite substantial residential growth.”
In fact, the report noted that enrollment data across Westchester County reveals that, among 40 school districts, only four—Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford and Yorktown Heights—experienced an increase in student populations between 2018 and 2023.
“Notably, these districts are located in municipalities that have not seen significant residential development during this period, highlighting a stark contrast with the larger cities undergoing extensive growth. It is also noteworthy that these four school districts saw negligible increases ranging from seven to 24 students (0.7% – 1.45% increase),” the RM Friedland report stated.
One of the report’s major findings is that new multifamily housing development has not resulted in spikes in student enrollment in impacted school districts. The report stated: Evidence from New Rochelle and Yonkers reveals a decrease in student populations despite substantial residential growth.”
In fact, the report noted that enrollment data across Westchester County reveals that, among 40 school districts, only four—Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, and Yorktown Heights—experienced an increase in student populations between 2018 and 2023. “Notably, these districts are located in municipalities that have not seen significant residential development during this period, highlighting a stark contrast with the larger cities undergoing extensive growth. It is also noteworthy that these four school districts saw negligible increases ranging from seven to 24 students (0.7% – 1.45% increase),” the RM Friedland report stated.
The report on the impact of new residential development on student enrollment in Westchester mirrors the findings of a report released by an advocacy group in late March 2022. That report found there wasn’t any data from recent large multifamily developments in suburban Westchester communities to substantiate fears of a surge in student enrollment expressed by local opponents of those development projects.
Key findings from the Welcome Home Westchester report included that recent housing developments did not have a major impact on school enrollment; in none of the multifamily residential projects with at least 100 units examined did children associated with the project and enrolled in the local school district equal or exceed 1% of the school’s total enrollment. Also, in all cases, the projects generated a net positive financial benefit to the school taxes, even after taking into account the costs of educating enrolled school children living in the multifamily housing.
Published: February 13, 2025.