Action Plan

The City of Pittsburg's 1995 Action Plan constitutes an application for $769,000 in CDBG program funds.

Citizen Participation

Two public hearing occurred on January 17, 1995 and April 17, 1995. All public hearings were noticed in the local newspaper at least 10 days prior to the date of occurrence. The primary purpose of the first public hearing was to receive input on local Community Development Needs. The April 17th meeting was a regular meeting of the Pittsburg City Council. The CDBG funding for the 1995-96 Program Year was an item on the regular agenda. Prior to approving the recommendations, the Mayor opened the item to public discussion.

The City of Pittsburg, population 51,569 is located in northeastern Contra Costa County and lies at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. Although the economic base of the City is changing, Pittsburg is still part of the heavily industrialized corridor that runs along the north shore of the County. The City's 1990 median household income is $38,532, a 96.3 percent increase since 1980, but still significantly lower than the County's 1990 median household income of $45,087. As of 1990, 29.2 percent of the City's households were in the very low income category and 19.3 percent in the low income category. Twenty-six percent of the households are in the moderate income category. Population growth from 1980 to 1990 increased by 43.9 percent. However, in comparing the composition of the ethnic groups in the City, there were 6.3 percent fewer White, 12.4 percent fewer Black, 79.4 percent more Asian or Pacific Islanders and 11.4 percent more Other Races. Almost 2,053 female-headed households live in Pittsburg, the majority with children. The 1990 census indicates that 2,807 single parent families accounted for 22.1 percent of all Pittsburg families with children. In addition, there are 2,300 senior households having one or more persons 65 years and over. Seniors make up 3,661 or 7.7 percent of the City's population.

As of 1990, 23,676 persons were employed but with a corresponding high unemployment rate of 7.1 percent, significantly higher than the County's rate of 5.0 percent. The 1990 Census shows that 24.1 percent of the City's adult residents have not graduated from high school nor received a GED.

Conditions

The demand for affordable housing for low and moderate income persons is in part generated by the lack of affordable housing in many other cities in the County. The price of housing has been rising at a much higher rate than family income, thus reducing the opportunity for homeownership for a growing percentage of the public. Contributing factors are increasing costs of land, material, labor and fees charged for services by the private sector and public agencies adding to the demand has been the loss of very old, dilapidated, and substandard units which constituted significant blighting influences in the oldest portion of the community and provided unsanitary and unsafe living conditions. There are 4 ,261 (25.5 percent of the total units) housing units which are over 40 years old and these housing units and the neighborhoods in which they are located are in need of intervention through housing rehabilitation and public facilities improvements to prevent their further deterioration.

Another indicator of the need for housing and adequately sized housing is overcrowding. Over ten percent of the City's population lives in overcrowded conditions, which is more than twice the County's average.

Lastly, the California Department of Housing and Community Development stated that overpayment for housing is the most widespread housing problem in the state. HCD defines overpayment when a household plays more than 25 percent of its gross income for housing. In 1990, 47 percent of all households in the City were paying more than 25 percent of this income for housing costs

Community Development Needs

Long term water and sewer capital improvements have been recommended by both utilities master plans to meet existing needs and new growth. In the older neighborhoods and particularly the downtown target area improvements are needed to roadway surfaces, curbs, gutters and sidewalks. The extraordinary amount of rain during the fall and winter of 1994/95 has caused significant deterioration to many street surfaces beyond the normal rate and has accelerated the need for repairs. Other needs relate to many human services and community facilities which are experiencing reduction in service or elimination altogether. These include reduced or no contribution to the County Library System, burdensome user fees for park and recreational facilities, and reductions in meal programs for senior citizens and others.

Vision for Change

The City has targeted an area bounded by Eighth Street on the north, Tenth Street to the south on the east side of Railroad, Thirteenth Street to the south on the west side of Railroad, and between Harbor Street and Beacon Street. The target area contains the oldest and most deteriorated housing in the City. The City and Redevelopment Agency selected this area for a multi-year commitment to develop an aggressive, comprehensive concentrated approach to prevent deterioration to the point where further clearance is required. The proposed program will assist in the elimination of blighting influences through improving the physical appearance of housing, improving structural condition, and upgrading the level of effort and maintenance in the neighborhood. Housing opportunities for targeted group income families will be expanded through preserving existing housing which could be otherwise lost, putting vacant units back into occupancy, providing subsidy assistance to enable targeted income group residents to become homeowners, and creating subsidized new housing opportunities for the elderly. Approximately 50 units of housing will be rehabilitated, of which 20 will be assisted with CDBG funds.

Housing and Community Development Objectives and Priorities

The City of Pittsburg has developed the following long-term objectives for housing/code enforcement, economic development, public facilities/improvements, and public service:

Housing/Code Enforcement

• Increase, improve and preserve the housing stock of Pittsburg that is affordable to low and moderate income households.
• To increase the supply of housing without overcrowding or adversely affecting the prevailing character and quality of existing neighborhoods.
• To foster a renaissance of Pittsburg through revitalization of its housing stock, and to extend an opportunity for a safe and secure life to all present and future residents.
• To maintain and improve the physical condition of existing housing.
• To provide for improved liability in structures that are safe, attractive and well- maintained.
• To ensure that every household has the opportunity to live in a structurally sound unit, large enough to accommodate its members, at a reasonable cost relative to its income and free from non-economic constraints on its freedom of selection.
• Promote fair housing through an ongoing fair housing counseling and education program.

Economic Development

• To provide technical assistance to small business.
• To provide or facilitate loans or grants for the rehabilitation of commercial buildings and the prevention or elimination of blighted conditions.

Public Facilities/Improvements

• Enhance the viability of targeted areas of the City through efforts directed at improving infrastructure including replacement and/or construction of utilities and streets.
• Provide assistance in the development, expansion or rehabilitation of facilities serving lower income areas or persons.

Public Service

• Provide assistance to public service organizations which address the social needs of lower income residents.
• Provide after school services and recreational programs for the City's youth.
• Provide protective legal counseling and abuse prevention assistance to low income frail elderly.
• Provide meal service to elderly, homebound and other low/moderate income residents.

Description of Key Projects

To achieve local objectives, the City of Pittsburg proposes to utilize its 1995-96 Community Development Block Grant funds for the following activities:

Public Facilities and Improvements

• Street improvements on 10th Street in support of housing rehabilitation efforts in the downtown target area..........$25,000
• Street improvements to West Boulevard in support of code enforcement activities.....$10,000
• Street improvements on School Street between Harbor and Vincent in support of code enforcement activities......$10,000

Housing Rehabilitation/Code Enforcement

• Comprehensive rehabilitation of substandard housing units in the downtown Neighborhood Preservation target area and provision of COPPS Team code enforcement activities in the downtown and other designated target areas......$458,000

Economic Development

• Matching funds to the Private Industry Council Business Management Program to provide expanded technical assistance to small businesses.......$12,000

Public Services

• Battered Women's Alternatives in order to provide emergency and support services to battered women and their children......$5,000
• Job readiness training for low income youths in coordination with the Pittsburg High School Campus Career Center..........$10,000
• East County Boys and Girls Club in order to provide recreation, youth sports activities, tutoring and after school support programs for the City's low and moderate income youth....$45,000
• First Baptist Church in order to provide resource assessment, information, referral and case management support to families that are at high risk of homelessness....$20,000
• Family Stress Center to provide support to low-income families whose infants and young children are at risk of child abuse or neglect....$5,000
• Family and Community Services of Contra Costa to provide a daily hot meal for homebound elderly and disabled clients.
• Hospice of Contra Costa to provide care for Pittsburg's terminally ill patients and give support to their families....$5,000
• Lions Blind Center of Diablo Valley to provide newly blind adults with the skills needed to maintain or gain their independence....$5,000
• Contra Costa Legal Assistance to provide free legal services for at-risk seniors to prevent criminal and civil elderly abuse.....$10,000
• City of Pittsburg/Leisure Services Department to provide subsidies for Pittsburg's low income youth for participation in activities through the City's Leisure Services program..... .$5,000

Planning/Administration

• Pittsburg Economic and Housing Development Corp. to identify impediments to fair housing and to prepare a Fair housing Plan for the City.....$20,000
• City of Pittsburg for the general management, coordination and oversight of the CDBG program.....$110,678
• City of Pittsburg for data gathering and other activities associated with the preparation of the Consolidated Plan.....$5,000
• City of Pittsburg for providing information to citizens and organizations regarding the planning and implementation of activities funded with CDBG funds.....$3,000

Maps

MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.

MAP 3 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and minority concentration levels.

MAP 4 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and unemployment levels.

MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.

MAP 6 is a map, sectioned by neighborhood, which depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.

TABLE (without associated map) provides information about the project(s).

Ms. Janis Glover
City of Pittsburg
PH: (510) 439-4920