The Plan is supported by $2.9 million in funds from the Community Development Block Grant and HOME Programs. These funds, plus $68,003 in income to the city from prior projects and local funds will support activities for the 1995 program year.
Huntington Park convened an initial public hearing to solicit citizen comment. Thereafter, the City proceeded to develop a Consolidated Plan which was made available at strategic places. The initial hearing was followed by a forum and two public hearings to obtain citizen input. There were no public comments made during the public hearing nor during the 30-day comment period.
The most recent Growth Management Plan forecast a population increase of approximately 12 percent (2,102,000 to 2,354,500) from the years 1984 to 2010 for the Central Los Angeles Subregion which includes Huntington Park as well as 16 surrounding cities. Within the same period, total subregional employment is forecasted to increase from approximately 1,435,300 to 1,634,500 for an increase of almost 200,000 or 14%. The year 2010 housing forecast for the Subregion is 898,100, which is an addition of 121,000 dwelling units or almost 16 percent, over the 1984 level.
Community identifies its needs as a declining industrial/business base; low skill levels in the work force; crime; overcrowded public schools; limited information on available medical services; scarcity of affordable housing; and an inadequate transportation system.
The City's special needs groups are large families, female headed households, the elderly, handicapped and the homeless. These groups have a more difficult time obtaining suitable housing. For example, 28.7% or 4,203 of the total City households had five or more members which frequently resulted in the overcrowding of dwelling units. This increasing of household size is related to the in-migration of Hispanic households. One housing action the City has taken to assist large families is through its Redevelopment Agency. The Agency is currently assisting in the development of 81 condominium units, 63 of which contain 3 bedrooms and loft space. A total of one quarter of the units is set aside for low and moderate income households. Moreover, the City continues to meet the housing needs of large families through low interest and deferred loan programs that help finance room additions and other related rehabilitation activities.
There is an estimated 1,377 female-headed households with 854 having dependent children under 18 years of age. The housing needs of the group are being addressed through the expansion of existing affordability programs, such as rent subsidies and programs that connect housing to child care, transportation and other related family services.
A significant portion of City's households are lower income. Half (4,471 households) of this particular income group spends greater than 30% of income on rent/mortgage costs. Of these 4,471 households, 4,184 were renters and 287 were owners. One-third of the housing stock is designated as overcrowded and is the result of the substantial immigration of large mostly Latino households. Over 30% or 4932 units is classified as substandard with 92% of it representing renter occupied units.
Very low-income families for both renters and owners have problems with both substandard housing conditions and severe cost burdens. However, housing conditions tend to be better for homeowners. Yet, these homeowners, particularly the elderly, have a higher cost burden and more housing problems than owners of higher income groups. Even so, 71% of the total moderate income owners have some housing problems, mainly because of the age of the housing and 76% of this income group also bear a cost burden because of the low per- capita income of the City. Significantly, the single largest housing cost is associated with new construction materials, representing 40 to 50% of the property sale price. From 1980 through 1988, housing prices rose over 30%. Land is the second highest cost and generally is significantly higher in Huntington Park than in adjacent jurisdictions. Labor is the third most expensive housing item with skilled labor at a premium resulting in non-union employment being hired to supplement union labor.
Although interest rates fell from the early l980's rate of 20%, they still have a significant impact on Huntington's housing prices. Requiring first-time buyers to place 10 to 15% as a downpayment is another obstacle to affordable housing.
The negative impact associated with the lack of available private financing for home improvement loans is somewhat offset by the City's Community Development Block Grant program which offers low-interest rehabilitation loans to low/moderate income owners.
Positive actions by the City to promote affordable housing include its Land Use Element that allows for Single Room Occupancy (SRO) in the Central Business District and Senior Citizen Housing Zones, and the increased density ratios allowed for affordable housing in the Central Business District. The City will work with the local development community and local non-profits to encourage the construction of affordable housing.
An estimated 60 homeless individuals reside in Huntington Park. Over 80% are substance abusers or mentally ill and are predominantly single males. No families have been identified as homeless. No emergency shelters are located within Huntington Park. There is, however, a regional shelter in the adjacent City of Bell. The Bell Shelter is operated by the Salvation Army and offers overnight accommodations and other homeless services. Transportation to this shelter is provided by the Salvation Army as well as by the Huntington Park Police when warranted.
Huntington Park will continue to work with the Salvation Army through the Bell Shelter and the other 6 County and Regional organizations that help to address the needs of its homeless. The City is considering amending its Zoning Ordinance to permit the development of transitional housing in multi-family residential zones in locations close to services and to permit emergency shelters in commercial and industrial zones.
Currently, Huntington Park has no congregate care facilities or convalescent homes that assist persons who are not homeless but require supportive housing. To help meet that need, the Redevelopment Agency and a private housing developer will be constructing a 181 units affordable apartment complex (Rugby Senior Housing). There are 5 regional special needs facilities that provide services to Huntington Park residents.
Aside from one HUD-assisted senior housing complex, there is no public housing in Huntington Park. However, the City does have 689 households receiving Section 8 assistance. With the largest share of the assistance going to 4-person family households, numbering 345. The Los Angeles County Housing Authority has 3,599 applicants who reside in Huntington Park on its Section 8 waiting list.
Available vacant land for residential development is extremely limited and Huntington Park does not have the financial resources to acquire land, relocate households and build new housing developments.
Another barrier is income. The majority of City residents are employed in low wage positions with little opportunity for upward mobility or savings for homeownership with many residents spending 40 to 70% of their income for housing. Community scale and preference is a barrier in neighborhoods where residents insist on the preservation of single- family communities.
Promote affirmative marketing and monitor compliance with fair housing policies in government subsidized affordable housing and private sector housing.
The City estimates that low and moderate income persons occupy 5,800 rental units and 2,518 owner-occupied units which may be at risk for lead-based paint hazards. The Los Angeles Department of Health works with Huntington Park by providing it with the address of any household where there is evidence of lead poisoning. The City then contacts the property owner with an offer of financial assistance to help abate the hazard. Huntington Park's efforts also include lead hazard education and outreach activities.
It is estimated that there are 2,724 elderly households in Huntington Park and approximately 636 lower income handicapped individuals. Currently there are no onsite facilities for people fleeing domestic violence; homeless youths, or persons with AIDS.
Lack of neighborhood facilities, such as child care and senior centers. Need to improve public spaces and economic development activities.
Because the City has no public housing, it has not explored any specific coordination between public and assisted housing providers. However, it does make referrals to appropriate agencies. It also requires the integration of educational, supportive and social services with housing activities for housing projects that received assistance from the City particularly through its Redevelopment Agency.
Additionally, the Redevelopment Agency will continue as the City's primary vehicle for housing construction and new development. The Community Development Department will continue to be responsible for residential rehabilitation and code enforcement. The City has 9 non-profit and governmental agencies to assist in carrying out its housing and community development plan.
Huntington Park has no geographic priorities for allocation of resources. Rather it has concentrates and allocates its resources on the following three household income types:
With respect to homelessness, the City provides funding to the Salvation Army to assist the homeless. As stated earlier, homelessness is not a major priority for Huntington Park. Other than the elderly , the City does not have sufficient populations having special needs to grant them priority status and place them among the above prioritized groups.
Huntington Park will focus on arresting the deterioration of its neighborhoods and building neighborhood stability by providing and encouraging provision of decent housing and community vitality. The lack of available private and public resources make it difficult to address all the needs of Huntington Park's under-served neighborhoods.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME are the major (if not, only) funds available for the building and rehabilitation of housing. No funding is available for public housing and the private market is not providing rental units for large families. Private lending institutions have not typically invested heavily in Huntington Park.
Currently, there is a 3-5 year wait on the Housing Authority waiting list for Section 8 assistance. The City will use its CDBG funds for residential rehabilitation, minor home repair and code enforcement programs. HOME funds will be used to provide additional rehabilitation resources and to fund tenant based rental assistance.
Citizens list crime, deteriorated neighborhood conditions, the lack of youth opportunities, economic development and jobs, education and community involvement/organizations as priority areas. Huntington Park will use its CDBG public service funds to provide after- school academic and recreation programs, for activities addressing gang and drug problems, educational support and job training for youth and adults. Economic development objectives are being met through the provision of funds to a Small Business Center which provides technical assistance and business counseling to City businesses.
Huntington Park is also a member of the Southeast Economic Development Corporation whose overall goal is to improve the business climate for existing businesses and to attract new ones. It will also engage in the continued development of the City's outreach/marketing strategy and identification of job development resources as well as linking these resources from the service providers to residents and program recipients.
Huntington Park's strategy to assist in reducing the number of households with incomes below the poverty lines is dependent on the City's ability to increase the local employment base and the ability to increase educational and job training opportunities for its residents. In addition to providing support to the Southeast Educational Center (SEC), the City is working with the SEC to develop a specialized medical billings course to meet the demand for these services for a Spanish speaking market. Funding for this project will come from a HUD grant.
Huntington Park's recently completed Economic Development Strategy indicated that more resources were necessary to carry out its anti-poverty strategy. Therefore, to combat this, the City's strategy became the basis for the establishment of the Southeast Educational Center and the regional Southeast Community Development Corporation. Moreover, the City actively pursues and encourages businesses to relocate to Huntington Park and to take advantage ofthe City's membership in the California Association of Enterprise Zones and participate in the Los Angeles Revitalization Zone, both of which provides economic and tax incentives for hiring local residents.
CDBG and HOME funds are the only two major funding sources cited for housing, economic development, public improvements and public services activities shown on Huntington Park's list of proposed projects.
Huntington Park expects to receive $578,000 from the HOME program, $2,330,130 in CDBG funds ($2,315,000 from 1995-1996 allocation and $15,130 of reallocated funds). The City also expects $68,003 in program income from the repayment of residential rehabilitation loans.
Provide tenant-based rental assistance to 40 families; property acquisition of 5 housing units; rehabilitation of single-unit residential benefitting twenty households; minor home repair for 25 households; code enforcement benefitting 250 households; Homeless Assistance Program benefitting 60 people; Community Housing Development Organization Set- Aside for 5 housing units.
Projects have been designated as either Citywide or low/mod benefit areas.
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, and proposed HUD funded projects.
TABLE (without Map) provides information about the project(s).
