Drug Free Communities (DFC) Program - Project Abstract, including Community Overview: The Union City Prevention Coalition is a well-established, 30-year old, community-based, youth substance use prevention coalition that is capable of effecting community-level change. The Coalition was established via the passage of a municipal resolution by the Union City Board of Commissioners on May 21, 1990. Its current mission is to plan and implement strategies to prevent and reduce youth substance use and its related consequences within the City of Union City. The goals of our Coalition are to establish and strengthen community collaborations by supporting local efforts working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth and, over time, reduce substance abuse among adults by addressing the factors in the City of Union City (Union City) that increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse. The Union City is an economically disadvantaged, urban community located in Hudson County, New Jersey. This working-class community is located atop the ridge of the lower Hudson Palisades. Since its incorporation in 1925, two major waves of immigration, first of German speakers and then of Spanish speakers, greatly influenced the development and character of Union City. Its two nicknames, "Embroidery Capital of the United States" and "Havana on the Hudson", reflect important aspects of that history. It should be noted; Union City currently has the highest percentage of Hispanic residents in any municipality in the State of New Jersey; and with a population density of 51,810.1 per square mile (US Census – Urban Community Qualifier), Union City qualifies as the most densely populated city in the United States. The 2010; United States Census results indicated there were 66,455 people, 22,814 households, and 15,514 families residing in Union City. The racial makeup of the city was 58.01% White, 5.25% Black or African American, 1.23% Native American, 2.39% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 27.43% from other races, and 5.64% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 84.71% of the total population. Additionally, the 2010 United States Census results indicated that 23.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The per capita income for Union City was $18,506. About 17.0% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.4% under the age of 18 (US Census – Economically Disadvantaged Qualifier) and 20.8% over the age of 65. The Union City School District has a distinguished history of bringing poor, mostly immigrant children (three quarters of whom live in homes where only Spanish is spoken and a quarter of which are thought to be undocumented and fearful of deportation) into the educational mainstream. Finally, the District is one of (31) New Jersey Schools Development Authority Districts (statewide). This designation is given to economically disadvantaged school districts, whose residential tax base is unable to sustain the cost of operating a public-school system. The State of New Jersey currently covers all costs associated with the District’s building and renovation projects. Page 3
