Richmond's Consolidated Plan outlines the direction the City has chosen to take in addressing critical housing, community and economic development needs during a three-year period (1994-97). The Plan was a collaborative effort of the City and its citizens. The Community Development Commission appointed two task forces, the Consolidated Plan Advisory Task Force and a Staff Task Force. The Advisory Task Force worked with staff in preparing the Plan. Members included representatives from neighborhood councils, nonprofit housing corporations, homeless service providers, housing authority, tenants, social services agency providers, non-English speaking residents, and the Community Development Commission. The City's Staff Task Force was established to ensure coordination between City Departments. Additionally, the City held two public hearings to obtain residents and service providers input on the housing and non-housing community development needs in the City of Richmond.
The Consolidated Plan consists of four major sections: Housing Development Needs; Community Development Needs; Housing and Community Development Three Year Strategic Plan; and the First Year Action Plan. This document summarizes the Plan and provides the citizens with an overview of Richmond's housing and development needs.
Richmond, like other cities in the nation, is dealing with many important socioeconomic issues associated with poverty, crime, population growth, and unemployment. Some of its more immediate problems include the following:
Richmond faces numerous housing and community issues such as
excessive
housing costs, overcrowding, difficulties for first-time home
buyers, inadequate
housing opportunities for moderate-income households and
homelessness.
Richmond's three-year Consolidated Plan delineates the needs it
intends to
address and the goals it hopes to accomplish.
The City of Richmond is located 16 miles northeast of San Francisco, on a peninsula that separates the San Francisco Bay and the San Pablo Bay. Richmond is the largest city in west Contra Costa County, both in terms of population and land area and the second largest in Contra Costa County. West Contra Costa County is also the most ethnically diverse area of Contra Costa County. Within the city limits, Richmond has over 7,000 acres of land currently zoned for industrial use. Approximately 10 percent is estimated to be vacant and available for use in parcels of varying sizes.
According to the Census Bureau, Richmond experienced significant growth during the decade (1980-1990). The City's population was 74,767 in 1980, and 87,425 in 1990, an increase of seven percent during the past decade. (See Demographic Profile Table). In 1994, the population was estimated to be 92,650, an increase of six percent since 1990. Overall, the City's population accounted for approximately 11 percent of Contra Costa County's population in 1990.
In terms of its racial/ethnic makeup, the majority (64 percent) of Richmond's residents are non-Caucasian. Of this population, African Americans comprise approximately 44 percent, making them the largest racial/ethnic group in Richmond. In contrast, African Americans comprised only 9 percent of the County's population in 1990.
Although Whites and African Americans saw a slight decline in their respective aggregate percentage growth, all racial/ethnic groups experienced a net increase in their numbers during the decade. Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders experienced the greatest increases with 65 percent and 184 percent, respectively.
There were 32,798 households in the City of Richmond in 1990. Of these, 40 percent were white, 40 percent were African American, 10 percent were Hispanic (may be of any race), and 9 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander.
The 1994 median income for a family of four for the Oakland Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA), according to the Census Bureau, was $55,300. The median income for a family of four in Richmond was $42,750 in 1993, and the national median family income was $39,900, 23 percent or $12,550 less than the PMSA's and slightly higher than the national median income. Approximately 19 percent of Richmond's population received incomes that placed them at or below the poverty line in 1990.
Richmond, according to the Census Bureau, had a total of 34,530 year-round housing units in 1990. Of these, 32,747, or 95 percent, were occupied. Forty-six percent of the occupied housing units were rentals and 54 percent were owner-occupied. The median value of owner-occupied homes in Richmond was $144,000 in 1990; the median rent was $506.
As of 1990, 13 percent (4,360 units) of Richmond's housing stock were built before 1940 and 43 percent were built between 1940-1959. Over 57 percent of the City's housing stock is more than 30 years old. The City's housing development and building inspections staff estimates that 25 percent of the housing stock built before 1940 has major code violations of an emergency nature and should not be inhabited. It is also estimated that another 20 percent could use some type of preventive maintenance or repair.
The Consolidated Plan emphasizes serving neighborhoods that have a concentration of extremely low-, very low- and low-income households and racial/ethnic populations. They are:
Richmond's Consolidated Plan addresses both present and future housing needs of its residents. Housing needs for renters and homeowners are identified at various income levels. Reducing excessive cost burden emerges as the most significant need across the board for the majority of household groups. It is also one of the leading precursors to becoming homeless, particularly when there is a limited availability of affordable housing units. Related needs include reducing overcrowding, reducing difficulties for first-time homebuyers, and creating more housing opportunities.
GoalTo address these housing needs, the City of Richmond has established the following as its primary goal of the Consolidated Plan three-year strategy:
Improving the access to affordable housing and improving housing quality, thus reducing the incidents of excessive housing costs.
Priority
- Develop housing that is affordable to very low and low income first-time homebuyers.
Three Year Housing Strategy
Establish new construction programs to benefit very low, low and moderate income households. Acquire and develop 3-5 large sites which could accommodate the development of 8-25 units of single family housing. Develop 30 scattered site single family housing units in the target area neighborhoods.
One Year Plan of Action
Acquire and develop one to two large sites to accommodate 8-25 units of single family housing and develop 10 scattered site single family housing units through programs that include HOME land acquisition and CDBG, HOME and tax increment funds to reduce the cost of mortgages, and down payment and closing cost assistance.
Three Year Housing Strategy
Undertake acquisition and rehabilitation activities to expand the supply of housing to low-income, very low-income, extremely low-income and moderate-income households, to assist 30 households in purchasing rehabilitated houses.
One Year Plan of Action
Assist 10 households in purchasing rehabilitated houses through purchase/rehabilitation and displacement programs.
Three Year Housing Strategy
Provide workshops and counseling services to approximately 300 first-time homebuyers and qualify 50 first-time homebuyers.
One Year Plan of Action
Provide workshops and counseling services to 100 first-time homebuyers and qualify 15 homebuyers through the counseling program.
Priority
- Assist low income homeowners with the rehabilitation of their homes and preservation of their property.
Three Year Housing Strategy
Provide rehabilitation assistance to 600 elderly and handicapped homeowners.
One Year Plan of Action
Provide rehabilitation assistance to 200 elderly and handicapped homeowners through Home Improvement Loan programs, Emergency Repair programs, Housing Development and Counseling Services, Paint and Landscape Rebate programs and Smoke Detector Installation programs.
Three Year Housing Strategy
Establish paint, emergency repair and rehabilitation counseling programs that will assist 150 non-elderly low-income households.
One Year Plan of Action
Assist 50 non-elderly low income households through programs that will provide flexible interest loans to those whose homes have code deficiencies; provide paint and landscape rebates; and provide deferred loans to correct emergency conditions that are a threat to the health and safety of occupants.
Three Year Housing Strategy
Provide housing counseling assistance and property maintenance for 150 low-income homeowners.
One Year Plan of Action
Provide housing counseling assistance to homeowners whose incomes are insufficient to cover unexpected expenses or job loss to prevent foreclosure, homelessness, and other problems. And, provide property maintenance training to 150 homeowners.
Priority
- Increase the number of housing units that is available to extremely low-, very low- and low-income renters.
Three Year Housing Strategy
Acquire and rehabilitate 100 units of affordable rental housing, particularly for low-income, large families. And, assist low-income households with relocation assistance.
One Year Plan of Action
Acquire and rehabilitate 30-35 units of affordable rental housing, particularly for large family households through programs that include Section 8 Voucher/Certificate programs and HOME funding for rehabilitation.
Three Year Housing Strategy
Develop 50 units of affordable new housing for low-income residents, the elderly, the handicapped, and other special needs households, And, provide tenant counseling services to 2,000 low-income persons.
One Year Plan of Action
Provide tenant counseling services to 650-700 low-income persons through the Contra Costa Legal Aid program to address landlord/tenant and other housing problems.
Priority
- Provide assistance to owners of low income rental housing units.
Three Year Housing Strategy
Provide rental rehabilitation and preservation assistance to owners of 150 affordable rental housing units.
One Year Plan of Action
Provide rental rehabilitation and preservation assistance to owners of 50 affordable units through programs that provide up to 50 percent of the rehabilitation cost to rental property owners and predevelopment loan assistance.
Three Year Housing Strategy
Provide property management training to 200 owners of rental properties. Provide property management training and capacity building to Richmond's Neighborhood Housing Service (RNHS) and CDHDC to enable them to expand their purchase and rehabilitation of rental properties.
One Year Plan of Action
Provide property management training to 65-70 owners of rental properties to help improve their skills and knowledge of basic landlord/tenant rules and regulations, basic home maintenance, tenant selection and how to deal with problem tenants and illegal activity on their property and other regulatory processes.
In addition to the need for more emergency, transitional and permanent housing for all homeless populations, there is a critical need for a network of services which deal with the related issues of employment, health care, education and employment training in a comprehensive manner. There is also a need to better coordinate services and information among the agencies serving the homeless population.
Households with incomes of less than 30 percent of the median family income are considered at risk and threatened with becoming homeless. In Richmond, 2,141 or 12 percent of the owner-occupied households and 4,155 or 28 percent of the renter households fall into this category.
Priority
- Implement intervention strategies to enable households with less than 30 percent of the median family income to avoid homelessness.
Three Year Homeless Strategy
Provide counseling services dealing with landlord/tenant problems to assist 100 households at-risk of becoming homeless. Continue to work with fair housing and homeless service providers to intervene for at-risk households threatened with eviction.
One Year Plan of Action
Provide counseling services to renters and homeowners and provide payments and other assistance for families who are temporarily or permanently relocated.
Priority
- Provide adequate outreach and assessment services to prevent homelessness and determine what assistance is needed by homeless households.
Three Year Homeless Strategy
Advocate additional funding for homeless services agencies that provide outreach and assessment services, and provide funding to leverage CDBG dollars for physical improvements needed by these agencies.
One Year Plan of Action
Rehabilitate the Souper Center to enhance its ability to provide services to the homeless persons.
Priority
- Ensure that homeless service providers in the City receive proportionate funding to address the emergency shelter and transitional housing needs of the homeless.
Three Year Homeless Strategy
Work with service providers to increase the number of transitional housing units.
One Year Plan of Action
Use the HOME and Section 8 programs to increase the number of housing units and to assist families in obtaining affordable rental housing.
Priority
- Develop permanent and independent living units earmarked for homeless households.
Three Year Homeless Strategy
Develop extremely low and very low income housing units and earmark some of those units for homeless households who are ready to move from transitional to permanent housing.
One Year Plan of Action
Encourage the development of single room occupancy dwellings through the Section 8 Moderate Rehab program. Provide construction and rehabilitation programs that assist first time homebuyers, and tax increment housing financing, HOME and Section 8 vouchers/certificates that result in affordable housing.
The following funds are directed toward providing housing and helping the homeless. Richmond will receive 12 million from federal funding programs and 3.4 million from non-federal programs for its three year plan. The breakdown for these funds are as follows:
Federal Programs:
HOME: $1,896,000
CDBG: $5,025,000
Public Housing (Comprehensive Grant Program): $5,100,000
Non-Federal Programs:
Local Funds (Redevelopment Agency Funds): $2,976,000
Private Resources (Local Initiatives Support Corporation - LISC): $450,000*
(California Neighborhood Housing Services Foundation - NHS): $24,000*** Funds to Richmond's Neighborhood Housing Services (RHNS) for new construction.
** Funds to RHNS for rehabilitation.
The majority of community development needs outlined in this section were identified through the extensive citizen involvement and community planning processes in the preparation of the CHAS and the Richmond Enterprise Community Strategic Plan. The needs are applicable to Richmond in general and the community development target neighborhoods in particular.
Public facility needs vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood. However, with respect to addressing the critical needs of families and individuals in the community development target neighborhoods, the focus is on two types of facilities. Multi-purpose neighborhood service facilities need to be developed to improve resident access to services and opportunities. There is also a need to improve parks and recreation facilities. The greatest needs are for completion of improvements in lighting and security at all centers and parks in the Community Development target areas and making minor improvements and repairs to public facilities through the employment of Richmond's young people.
A number of needs were identified for infrastructure and public improvements including: street repairs with curbs, gutters and sidewalks, street landscaping, and additional street lighting. These improvements enhance the perception of neighborhoods and the marketability of housing.
Finally, there is a critical need to create numerous opportunities for economic and business development that will result in benefits accruing to Richmond's most disenfranchised residents. There is a need for neighborhood retail development and for developing micro-enterprises that provide local business ownership and potential employment for and services to neighborhood residents.
Priority
- Improve access to community and family services by eliminating institutional barriers and delivering services from community centers located throughout the community development target areas.
Three Year Community Development Strategy
Develop one additional One-Stop Shopping Center either at a Housing Authority facility or at a school-based Multi-purpose Center using funds from the State of California.
Priority
- Develop safe, desirable parks and recreational facilities to improve the image of the neighborhoods and provide activities for youth and adults.
Three Year Community Development Strategy
Complete development of North Richmond's recreation site on City-owned land by 1996-97.
One Year Plan of Action
Construct new Alvarado Community Center in conjunction with the East Bay Regional Parks District by 1995-96. Expand and renovate Southside Community Park by 1995-96 and complete renovations to the Richmond Plunge by 1995-96.
Priority
- Administer infrastructure improvements which will improve housing marketability and enhance neighborhood development.
Three Year Community Development Strategy
Complete Richmond Parkway by 1996-97.
One Year Action Plan
Complete North Richmond's Flood Control Project by the first quarter of 1996.
Priority
- Provide assistance to small and minority businesses and micro-enterprises; support commercial rehabilitation to attract businesses and produce jobs; and create job opportunities and employment/training.
Three Year Community Development Strategy
Develop and improve sites and vacant structures in target neighborhoods to provide opportunities for new business and industrial development and employment for residents.
One Year Action Plan
- Complete repairs to the historic Ford Motor Assembly building by 1995-96.
- Complete amendment to the Harbor Gate Project Area and have amendment adopted by the Redevelopment Agency by 1995-96.
The following resources will be used for community development projects in Richmond.
Federal Programs - ($8,400,000)
Local Funds - ($60,605,000)
Richmond anticipates receiving a total of approximately $85 million in federal and non-federal funds over the next three years. These funds will be used to achieve the housing and community development priorities and strategies identified in the Consolidated Plan. The funding sources listed in this document are projections based on prior funding levels that were received from the various federal, state and local funding sources.
Citizens will have an opportunity to monitor all aspects of the Consolidated Plan. Monitoring reports will be completed on a quarterly or bi-annual basis for all Consolidated Plan projects and activities. Citizens teams from the Community Development Commission will also be appointed to follow specific projects and activities within their particular area of interest.
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.
