The City of Porterville, located approximately 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles in Tulare County, is situated in one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. Porterville's economy is historically dominated by agriculturally based industries. Citrus production and processing constitute a major segment of the local employment market. Today, Porterville also is host to several diverse employment centers. These include the west coast distribution center for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the headquarters for Sierra National Forest, the Porterville Developmental Center (State Hospital for the developmentally disabled), Sierra View District Hospital, four shopping centers, Standard Register, Royalty Carpet Mills, and Jostens, Inc..
There currently exists approximately 206 acres of public, quasi-public and private park lands within Porterville's Urban Area Boundary. Active and passive recreation needs are fulfilled in the community with the following: seven City parks, a municipal golf course, a community center, the pool complex, Airport Off-Highway Vehicle Park, the historic Zalud House and Gardens, Porterville Racquet Club, Rocky Hill Raceway, and approximately 325 acres of riparian scenic lands in and around the Tule River Channel.
The City of Porterville has crafted a Consolidated Plan that serves as a document that assesses the City's needs and strategies for addressing needs over the next five years, as well as providing information on proposed activities to be funded during the current fiscal year with Community Development Block Grant(CDBG) funds. The "One Year Action Plan" outlines the City's plan for expending approximately $800,000 of CDBG funds. These funds will be primarily spent on neighborhood improvements such as street improvements, construction of a youth center, and on economic development initiatives.
The City of Porterville convened two meetings during the period City staff were drafting the Consolidated Plan. The first meeting was held on February 15, 1995, and was conducted by City staff and the CDBG Citizen Advisory and Housing Opportunity Committee. Recommendations were presented at this hearing and were incorporated into the City's Consolidated Plan. Fifteen people attended the February 15, 1995, hearing. This number included six advisory committee members, the City's Consolidated Plan consultant, four City staff members and four members of the public. Porterville's second public hearing was held on May 2, 1995, and was conducted by the City Council. No comments or new ideas were presented at this meeting for inclusion in the Plan.
To encourage public input on the community development and housing needs of
Porterville, the City published notices of hearings in the Porterville Recorder,
and articles on the Consolidated Plan and citizen participation process were
published in the newspaper as well. The local radio stations, including a local
Spanish speaking stations and a local cable television station were also used to
encourage citizen participation in review of the Consolidated Plan. Finally,
organizations and individuals identified as having an interest in housing and
community development issues were sent information by mail.
Based upon census data, the total population for Porterville in 1990 was 29,563 persons, and the Median Family Income (MFI) was $26,697. The City has determined that 33% of its total household population is very low income (MFI of no more than $8,009) and another 16% had MFI of $21,358, making these households low income. Therefore, 49% of the City's households had lower incomes.
The City has found that low and moderate income (incomes at or below 80% of
the MFI) households are concentrated in the central part of the City, North of
State Highway 190, South of Henderson Avenue, between Newcomb and Plano Streets.
Other areas of concentration of low and moderate income households are within
the vicinity of the State Hospital for the Developmentally Disabled and in the
northern portion of the City, East of Main Street. According to the 1990 census
data, 69% of the all households were White, 25% were Hispanic, 4% were
Asian/Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans and African Americans represented
1% of the population respectively.
According to the California Department of Employment figures, unemployment averaged 10.1% in 1980 and 11% in 1990 for the City of Porterville. Review of 1990 census data indicates that although the African American households only represent 1% of the City's total population, 52% of this population had low and moderate incomes defined as incomes below 80% of the MFI. Likewise, Native Americans comprise only 1% of the City population, yet 58% of this population have low or moderate incomes. The City also found that 70% of The Asian/Pacific Islanders population had incomes at or below 80% of the MFI. Information from the census also indicates that 60% of the Hispanic population can be classified as having low or moderate incomes.
The largest employers within the City are shown below:
| Company Name | # of Employees | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Porterville State Developmental Center | 1,593 | Mental health/care for developmentally disabled |
| Porterville School | 1,200 | Education District |
| Wal-Mart Distribution | 1,200 | Warehousing/retail sales center and retail store |
| Packing Houses | 800 | Citrus and grape packing/shipping |
| Sierra View District Hospital | 572 | General health care |
| U. S. Forest Service Sequoia National Service | 385 | Forest operation and administration |
| Beckman Instruments | 350 | Electronics |
| Josten's, Inc. | 250 | Printing and Engineering |
Housing needs identified by the City for the next five years are listed below:
The City has determined through analyzing 1990 census data that 100% of all African American homeowner households, with incomes between 31-50% MFI experienced housing problems. For Hispanic homeowner households in the same income category, 79.4% experienced housing problems, while 67.7% of Hispanic homeowners with incomes between 51-80% MFI were identified as having housing problems. For renters, 100% of African American households with incomes between 0-30% MFI experienced housing problems.
According to the City, the 1990 median housing value was $71,500, or 2.7 times the median household income. The median housing value in 1980 was $52,300, and increased 37% by 1990. For renter households, rents increased 79% between 1980 and 1990, going from an average $183 in 1980 to $329 by 1990.
In summary, Porterville reports that the City's housing stock increased dramatically 1980 and 1990 from 7,235 to 10,105 units. The City's single family housing stock increased by 34% and multi-family housing increased by approximately 56% between 1980 and 1992. The City has also concluded that 22% of the renter households in the City were living in overcrowded conditions in 1990, and that 56% overpaid for their rental housing. It is estimated that there are 1,759 substandard housing units in the City, which comprises 17% of the City's total housing stock.
Statistical data indicates that the median value of single family housing as well as the cost for renting housing increased significantly between 1980 and 1990. Since 49% of the City's households are of low and moderate income it is clear that relieving housing cost burdens is a definite affordable housing need. Further, as stated earlier, the need for finding appropriate sized housing for large families with lower incomes is another significant affordable housing need. Finally, the need to preserve existing owner occupied housing has also been identified as an significant housing need, given that 17%of the City's housing stock is estimated to be substandard.
The City has estimated that there are approximately 172 individuals in the City that are homeless. Of this number, 51 individuals are members of families, while the balance, 100 are single adults, and 21 are homeless youths not in families. Of this population, the City has estimated that 91.2% of the homeless that have been counted are sheltered, the remaining 8.7%. In consultation with homeless service providers, the City has determined that homeless needs given a high priority over the next five years focus on the provision of emergency shelter for both families and individuals, and there is also a great need for transitional and permanent housing with supportive services for both families and individuals. The highest priority is given to homeless families.
Porterville has a total of 452 public housing units that have received some type of Federal assistance. Of those units, 115 are public housing units owner and managed by the Tulare County Housing Authority, another 170 units developed by non-profit corporations are managed the Tulare County Housing Authority, and the remaining 167 units were developed using Farmers Home Administration Section 515 funds. The Tulare County Housing Authority does not expect any public housing units to be lost during the next five years. Based upon a 1992 Tulare County Association of Governments Fair Share Allocation Plan, it has been estimated that 24 farmworker households would be in need of housing within the boundaries of Porterville each harvest season. The City has assisted farmworker households in the past through its First Time Low Income Homebuyer and Housing Rehabilitation Loan Programs.
Identified barriers to the creation of affordable housing include the actual costs to develop this housing, and the lack of sufficient income of potential buyers. Costs related to the development of affordable housing that make such development prohibitive include: cost of land, plans, materials, labor, financing, and land use requirements.
There are no court orders, consent decrees, or HUD-imposed sanctions that affect the provision of fair housing remedies.
Porterville estimates that as many between 795 and 1,097 units owned by households with incomes between 0 - 50% MFI have lead-based paint hazards, while 1,175 and 1,532 rental units occupied by households with incomes between 0 - 50% MFI have lead-based paint hazards.
Over the next five years, the City of Porterville projects that the needs of
the residents will relate to affordable housing for large renter families with
very low and low incomes, and owners with excessive cost burdens and
rehabilitation needs. Infrastructure improvements, housing code enforcement,
construction of youth centers, social services, economic development, and the
need for homeless facilities are other needs that have been given a high
priority by the City for the next five years.
The need for affordable housing options as well as the preservation of existing housing, and the housing needs of large, low income families are the main priorities for the City over the next five years. In terms of community development priorities, infrastructure projects like street and sidewalk improvements, social service projects, homeless facilities and economic development activities are top priority projects will be the types of activities the City plans to implement during the period covered by the Consolidated Plan.
Affordable Housing The City has concluded that their is a shortage of affordable 3-4 bedroom rental units both in public and private housing developments. As a result, Porterville has determined that housing for large families with incomes at or below 50% of the MFI is a high priority. Assisting potential homeowners with downpayment assistance, and current homeowners who must rehabilitate their housing are the two other major housing priorities identified by the City. Code enforcement has also been identified by Porterville as a high priority activity.
Homelessness Alleviation With the assistance of homeless service providers, the City has concluded that there is a great need for the provision of emergency shelters for both families and singles, as well as the need for transitional housing and permanent housing options primarily for families.
Community Development Needs Porterville has identified the development of a youth center as the community's highest priority need, after consulting with social service, law enforcement and youth services agencies. Medium priority has been assigned for the development of additional senior centers, neighborhood facilities, child care centers, and parks and recreational facilities. Along with the need for a youth center, the City has classified storm drain, water, sewer, sidewalk, street and other infrastructure needs as being of the highest priority in low income areas of Porterville. In terms of social service activities, highest priority has been assigned to programs that target youths, substance abusers, provide transportation services and fair housing counseling.
Porterville's Anti-Poverty Strategy approach encompasses both economic development solutions as wells as affordable housing options to the low income workforce. The City's aggressive Economic Development program has successfully fostered the creation of 2,500 new jobs in the last three years. The City anticipates that several new employers will located to Porterville during the next five years. Over the past five years, Porterville estimates that its unemployment rate has decreased by 5% due to the efforts of the Economic Developme
The City expects this program to continue over the next five years, and to continue to elevate the City's very low income households from poverty status. The City expects that many of its formerly impoverished households will be eligible to participate in Porterville's First Time Low Income Homebuyers Program.
Resources available to Porterville for housing and community development activities include CDBG funds, federal Home Investment Partnerships (HOME)Program funds awarded to the City by the State of California, and Porterville Redevelopment Agency Low Income Housing Set-aside funds.
Porterville's Department of Community Development and Services administers
the City's CDBG, and HOME programs and was responsible for developing the City's
Consolidated Plan. Staff from this department work closely with the Tulare
County Housing Authority, community service providers, and local lending
institutions. The City expects that these direct relationships will continue
over the five year period covered in their Consolidated Plan.
Porterville's One Year Action Plan outlines the proposed use of approximately $880,000 in CDBG, including program income funds which are generated from past projects funded with CDBG funds. These dollars will be targeted mainly to the development of a youth center, services to administer youth programs at another site, infrastructure improvements to support economic development, street frontage improvements, and homeownership and housing rehabilitation assistance.
The City proposes to utilize its CDBG funds specifically in low and moderate income areas of the City. The street frontage improvements, construction of the youth recreational facility, and the provision of services to youths are all located in the same section of the City (Census Tract 41).
The Porterville Department of Community Development and Services is the lead agency for the CDBG program.
The City hopes to provide assistance for the rehabilitation of 10 low and moderate income owner occupied units, and assist 45 low and moderate income families purchase their first homes by providing downpayment assistance during the first year of the City's Consolidated Plan period.
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; in addition, a table describes information about the project(s).
MAP 6 depicts Neighborhood Segments and streets and proposed HUD funded projects.
