The City of Encinitas, California, is a picturesque seaside community 25 miles north of the City of San Diego. The City incorporated with five distinct communities in 1986. There are 26.1 square miles, 162 miles of public streets and 58 acres of parks. Beaches cover six miles and 48 acres.
The Encinitas Consolidated Plan presents an action plan to assist extremely low, low and moderate income renters of all family categories, extremely low family and elderly homeowners, the rural homeless and disabled persons.
The City of Encinitas published a notice of a proposed Citizen Participation Plan on October 6, 1994, conducted a public hearing and approved the Citizen Participation Plan on October 19, 1995.
The HOME Consortium, of which the city is a member held a public meeting on the Five Year Consolidated Plan in Fallbrook on October 26, 1994, for the cities in north San
Diego County. The City of Encinitas held a public meeting for the same purpose on November 29, 1994, at the city's civic center. Notices were mailed to 71 agencies or individuals. A notice of the meeting was published in the Encinitas Sun. Six agencies attended the public meeting .
On December 8, 1994, a notice of availability of funds and requests for proposals for Community Development Block Grant and HOME program implementation was published in the Encinitas Sun.
The City of Encinitas is a coastal community of almost 56,000 persons. The city has no pattern of racial segregation nor census tracts with minority concentration. Hispanics are represented in all census tracts. The Encinitas median family income is 27% higher than either the San Diego County or the national median income. However, 26% of the households in the city have incomes below 80% of the San Diego County median income of $45,400 for a family of four.
Over half of the city's population are workers over the age of 16 years. Seventy percent of these persons work outside the city and commute to work in their own cars. Only 8,729 Encinitas residents work in the city with approximately 14,000 persons commuting into the city for employment. The main employment in the city is in the service related industries as well as retail, agriculture and construction.
The housing stock is 62% owner occupied, primarily single family detached or attached units. Only 14 % of the units are in multifamily projects. The housing stock is in good shape with only 1.5 % being substandard housing. Overcrowding is a much greater problem with an incidence of 8.4 % of all renters in overcrowded conditions.
A moderate income (80% of median income) family of four can afford to pay $126,450 to buy a three bedroom unit. The average median price for single family homes sold between 1992-1994 was $260,500, with condominiums selling for a median price of $165,500. A moderate or low income family can not qualify to buy a home in the city.
Moderate income families can afford most rents in the city. However, rents are not affordable for low income (50% of median income) families which comprise 13% of the households in the city. Eighty-five percent of the renter households pay over 30% of their income for housing and 73% pay over 50% of their income for housing. An increased number of rental units in all bedroom sizes at more affordable rents is needed to address the shortage of rental units and the high cost. Home ownership programs need to be established to assist moderate income families in purchasing homes/condominiums.
San Diego County has unique characteristics that increase the difficulty in obtaining accurate information on the homeless population. The County is part of the largest region of immigration in the United States with one of the busiest international border crossings. Shelters are not frequently used, especially by the rural homeless who often camp on vacant land in the hillsides and canyons. In 1991, the City's Task Force for the Homeless conducted a survey of the homeless. The homeless population (approximately 766) are predominately single men (rural homeless) who are working part time in agriculture, construction, landscaping and general labor. They need steady employment and permanent housing. Due to a very low level of education, limited job skills and language/culture barriers, they could benefit from employment training and placement programs.
There is no public housing in the city. Previously the city was in the jurisdiction of the County of San Diego Housing Authority for the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program. In 1994 the Encinitas Housing Authority (EHA) was established. The EHA recently received 50 Section 8 vouchers from HUD. As of December 1994, 60 families were receiving Section 8 rental assistance through the County of San Diego Housing Authority. HOME funds were used for a rental assistance program in 1994/95. These funds should assist approximately 13 families for two years. When the vouchers for HOME and Section 8 have been issued, 123 Encinitas' families will be receiving rental assistance.
The city has identified a need to increase the number of multifamily zones to provide for future very low and low income rental housing. In meetings with non-profit and for-profit developers to develop affordable housing, the major block has been the lack of land zoned for multifamily use. In 1989, when the Housing Element was developed, only 52 acres of vacant land out of 2,434 acres were zoned for multifamily units. This land is no longer vacant. The Housing Committee is working on a project to identify sites in the city upon which the city would place an Affordable Housing Development overlay zoning designation. This zone would provide the property owner with the option of developing at the base zoning or at the higher multifamily zoning designation if affordable housing is provided. Specific development standards would apply to the overlay and should facilitate the development of affordable housing.
The City has conducted a fair housing impediments analysis. The analysis revealed two problem areas: (1) the disproportionate denial rate for conventional loans in census tract 177 as compared to other census tracts in the city-(the tract has 49% low income and 23% Hispanic) and (2) the lack of zoning that would facilitate the construction of affordable housing. The City's active Fair Housing education and monitoring program will continue. Educational programs are presented monthly to the Board of Realtors and an annual poster contest is held in the elementary schools. Monitoring is conducted with periodic testing, assisting complainants, and working with lenders.
City will continue to distribute the brochure, Lead Based Paint: A Threat to Your Children. The inspection programs with the Housing Certification Program, Illegal Unit Program and Code Enforcement will be established. The number of cases caused by lead paint poisoning will be determined for 1995 through the County Department of Health.
Transportation-related issues for seniors and the handicapped have been identified as areas as a priority community development need. The city has been rehabilitating parks and the streets to meet the American For Disability Act requirements. The goal with the elderly is to assist them to maintain independence in their lives in their own homes for as long as possible. Services for the frail elderly, such as adult day care, are critical. Another identified need is to assure that children have a stable environment and that they receive support and services in their lives which encourage them to become productive adults. Before and after school child care, self-esteem programs and recreation programs will be used to address these issues. The City has also identified employment training as a secondary or medium priority due to the need of the service, retail and flora culture businesses for minimally skilled workers. Because of the number of persons with AIDS, support services and housing will be addressed, if funding is available.
The City has identified areas needing infrastructure improvements, such as water, sewer, and streets, but there are few areas in the City that would be eligible as low income areas where Community Development Block Grant funds could be used. Most neighborhoods needing improvements have a mix of income levels with housing interspersed with greenhouse operations. The few areas that are qualified as CDBG low/mod census tracts have been identified in the priority Needs Table, but because of the greater need for affordable housing and the mix of the neighborhoods, infrastructure has been identified as a lower priority.
The City will utilize 13 nonprofit agencies to implement the 1995/96 programs. The Encinitas Housing Authority is contracting with North Coast Housing (a nonprofit) to administer the Section 8 program. The various contracts and agreements will provide a means of coordinating private and public self sufficiency programs, consolidating the waiting list and effectively providing services.
The purpose of the Plan is to establish a vision for utilizing federal and local community development programs that have the goals of providing decent housing, suitable living environments, and expanding economic opportunities.
The City's housing priority is to assist extremely low, low, and moderate income renters of all family categories to address housing problems including housing cost burden. Programs include rental assistance, conversion of market units to low income units, new construction, and home owner programs. A secondary priority is to assist extremely low income family and elderly homeowners and family homeowners. A small-owner occupied rehabilitation program will maintain the present stock. Homeless prevention programs can assist persons with potential loss of housing due to job loss or illness. The Accessory Unit Program provides cost burdened home owners with a program to increase income and also provide new affordable units.
A priority is to address the needs of the rural homeless through a continuum of care approach. Continuum of care for the rural homeless starts with assisting single men with obtaining transitional housing with services provided to obtain job skills, employment training and placement, and language/cultural training. Another priority is to provide supportive services to seniors, youth, and the disabled including addressing transportation related needs.
Families with incomes below the poverty line will be assisted through the implementation of the Section 8 Program that will provide 50 vouchers and the HOME Tenant Based Assistance Program with funding for approximately 13 households. Case management services (San Dieguito Senior Center), transportation and homemaking services (North County Council on Aging), and the Meals on Wheels program will assist seniors on low fixed incomes. Homeless families are assisted through services provided by the Community Resource Center (case management) and North County Chaplaincy (outreach and training). Both of these programs provide a means for homeless families to become self sufficient.
The City has some federal programs, such as Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). HOME, Section 8 Rental Assistance, and Mortgage Credit Certificates, which can be used to address community development needs. Other federal programs, such as tax exempt housing bonds or HUD Section 202 elderly housing programs, can also be used to address needs.
However, there are no local funds, such as redevelopment 20% set aside funds, available. The limited City resources must, therefore, be used to leverage additional funds from private and public sources and programs. Innovative partnerships with commercial banks, and nonprofit and for-profit developers are needed. The City has established a housing authority as a tool for either converting existing units to low income or constructing new affordable housing units. The City's land use policies have been examined and ordinances revised, such as the Accessory Unit ordinance, in order to produce more affordable housing.
The implementation of the city's Plan requires coordination with nonprofit agencies, the federal Housing Administration (FHA-HUD), the County of San Diego Housing Authority, several city departments and the Encinitas Housing Authority. At present the city is part of the HOME consortium which is implemented with an agreement between the County of San Diego, the cities of Santee and Vista and the City of Encinitas. The City also is part of the Mortgage Credit Certificate program with the County and a group of other cities in the County. This program is also implemented through an agreement between each city and the County of San Diego.
The CDBG and HOME entitlement cities in the County meet on a quarterly basis to coordinate programs and share strategies for reducing the number of households with income below the poverty line. The six housing authorities within the County have a similar coordinating structure.
The Annual Plan implements year one of the Five Year Strategic Plan. Below is the listing of proposed Key Projects.
Install handicap accessible ramps in existing sidewalks to meet American With Disabilities Act requirements - $40,000.
Assist housing development with acquisition and redevelopment costs to provide low/mod income housing city wide - $318,250.
Feasibility study and redevelopment costs for senior housing, child/adult day care center facility - $24,900.
Modify existing park and beach facilities in conformance with American with Disabilities Act - $27,000.
Serve 1500 low income families through the North County Chaplaincy: provide health care, parenting education, support for pregnant mothers and mothers with small children assist battered women through acting as an advocate and interpreter in court for women and children; AIDs, alcohol and drug education programs; living skills in a new culture; - $8,800.
Case management services and food for homeless or near homeless families through the Community Resource Center - $8,800.
Adult care health services to elderly with Alzheimer's disease - $5,000.
Provide personal care to low income men and women living with AIDS - $8,800.
Provide service for 165 youth; provide community service opportunities, academic assistance, leadership training, health referral and care, and mentoring experiences - $8,800.
After school care for 20 low income elementary school children - $5,000
Educational program including poster contest, assistance for complainants, monitoring through testing and impediments assessment for Fair Housing Activities - $17,000
Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program - $174,320.
MAP 1 depicts points of interest in the jurisdiction.
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.
