Alhambra's 1995 Consolidated Plan constitutes a strategic vision for housing and community development. The purpose of the Consolidated Plan is to streamline the HUD grant application process and to ensure that the funding decisions are made in the context of the City's Comprehensive Development Plan. This summary offers city residents a quick overview of Alhambra's housing and community development needs, the 5-year goals of the Consolidated Plan, and the strategies and actions for carrying out those goals.
This plan includes a one year action plan for 9 physical improvement and service programs and 2 administrative support programs.
The City's Consolidated Strategy and Plan for Housing and Community Development Program was developed through an extensive citizen participation process. The City advertised both the plan availability and the date of the first public hearing 10 days prior to the HCDA Citizen Advisory Committee Meeting held on April 4, 1995. The public hearing was published in both English and Spanish. All notices listed plan availability, the date of the public hearings and to whom questions could be addressed. The City Council's Public Hearing, held on April 24, 1995 was published consecutively for five weeks prior to April 24,1995 in both English in the Star News and in Spanish in the La Opinion Newspaper. In addition, the notices and plan availability were posted at City Hall and the local library. Coordination and contact with various arms of the local government and their constituents, as well as surrounding governments were made. A second public hearing was held on April 24, 1995.
Alhambra with a population of 82,106 in 1990, is located just east of the City of Los Angeles. From its beginning in the 1940's, Alhambra has been a bedroom community. Today, it is still predominately residential in character, complimented with several large employers and a strong commercial base. It has been experiencing a fairly large increase in population (27% from 1980 to 1990). While the city has been noticing an increase in the number of multi- family residences from the traditional one and two family residences, it has also been experiencing an increase in the density of individual households. ( Eight percent of the 1980 households had more than one person per room. In 1990 the figure was 21.5%.)
Concentrations of low income persons are found throughout the center of the
City. The City's median family income is 90% of that of the Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
A relatively fast growing, predominately residential community with some noticeable changes in housing type from one and two family to multi- family and a significant increase, in the last decade, of more than one person per room.
Over 40% of the housing stock was built prior to 1950. Median rent in 1990 was $638 per month. There has been a 15% drop in the value of owner occupied housing in the last 5 years. The current median value of owner occupied residences is $240,000. It should be noted that the housing stock of Alahambra has very few large bedrooms units. Less than 3.3% have 4 or more bedrooms.
Twenty nine percent of the City's households earn less than half of the SMSA's medium household income.
The existing number of homeless is relatively small. (In 1990 54 persons were living in homeless shelters in Alhambra. In a 1994 report, the Alhambra Police Department reported that only 36 homeless persons are regularly seen in Alhambra. Fifteen percent of the City's households earn less than 30% of the SMSA's population.
The City contracts with the Los Angeles County Housing Authority to administer it's Section 8 rental assistance program. There are currently 414 certificates and 80 couchers distributed to Alhambra residents. Alhambra residents can participate through the County, but must be on the County wide waiting list in order to receive assistance. There is no separate list kept for Alhambra residents.
There are several barriers to affordable housing including, lack of vacant land, the cost of existing housing, and relatively high construction costs.
It is not anticipated that the housing needs of any specific group will change in the next 5 years. It is expected that the need for assistance in general will increase due to the growth of Alhambra's population.
Fifty-eight percent of the homes in Alhambra have some traces of lead based paint. Eleven cases of lead base paint poisoning in Alhambra have been reported in the last 4 years
Because of the high percentage of senior citizens in Alhambra and the fact that seniors tend to live longer, a program to assist the elderly to live longer independently is crucial to the residents of Alhambra.
A public service program for youth at risk is also high on the priority list, along with a fair housing program.
Economic development needs include upgrading the visual appearance and increasing parking for customers of the Main Street downtown area.
Finally, especially in low and moderate areas, there is a need to assist
areas that need to be cleaned up and maintained. (Sixty percent of the City
lies within census tracts that are predominately low and moderate income.)
Goals of the Community Development Strategy are stated in the General Plan Housing Element and include:
The major thrust of the development objectives and priorities are to promote neighborhood conservation, downtown commercial revitalization, and increase the quantity and improve the quality of housing available to the portions of the City's population whose housing needs are currently not being addressed with the existing housing market and its resources.
Priority #1 Address the needs of existing homeowners and elderly, small, and large household renters with incomes below 50% of the median.
Priority #2 Address the needs of elderly, large and small household renters and first time homebuyers with children whose household income is between 51% and 80% of the median.
Priority #3 Address single renters, first time homebuyers without children and first time homebuyers with children whose income is below 50% of the median.
The City will continue to make sure that participants in the HOME Program funded Rental assistance Program continue to have access to the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and HUD's Family Self- Sufficiency (FSS) program. Both are administered by the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission.
Federal resources include HUD CDBG, HOME, Section 8 and 202 housing programs
funds; and State of California funds and assistance, particularly in land
redevelopment, are to be used.
All programs, except for the commercial rehabilitation, code enforcement, and new low/moderate income senior housing will be administered city wide. Commercial rehabilitation is focused on downtown properties. Senior housing construction is at the corner of 4th & Main St. The code enforcement work is in two suppressed census tracts.
The City Manager's office administers CDBG and Section 108 funds and the City's Development Services Department Housing Division administers Home program funds. Los Angeles County Housing Authority administers HUD Section 8 Rental Assistance. Program. The City has recently designated Alahambra CHAPA as a Community Housing Organization (CHDO) in connection with a proposed 100 unit low income elderly housing project and is currently working with Habitat for Humanity for CHDO designation.
MAP 2 depicts points of interest and minority concentration levels.
MAP 3 depicts points of interest and unemployment levels.
MAP 4 depicts points of interest, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 5 depicts points of interest, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within one neighborhood.
