As the State Capitol and the site of major military installations, a major Northern California business and commercial center, tourist attraction and retirement community, the Sacramento region has experienced high levels of economic and population growth since World War II. The City and County's general plans as well as most private sector forecasts expect this growth to continue in the long run. However, the City's major concern is that with military base closures, declining real estate values and a lack of Federal and State resources, that growth may slow considerably over the next five years.
The City's One-Year Action Plan is supported by $5.9 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, $2.4 million in HOME funds and $160,000.00 in Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG). Additionally the City has $1 million in program income and received $320,513 as its most recent Section 8 award.
The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Authority has an extensive
community participation process. Target Area Committees (TACs) have been in
place in the County since 1978 and in the City since 1982. The TACs represent
the actual neighborhoods where CDBG are targeted and are an important part of
program development, implementation, and evaluation. Recently, Sacramento
Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) staff also began relying on local
neighborhood organizations for input in new areas without TACs. These groups
(including Project Area Committees, Redevelopment Area Committees, Community
Advisory Committees, and locally organized neighborhood associations--any or
all, including TACs are referred to as TACs) represent a true "neighborhood
based" opinion. Regardless of modifications in Federal regulations
concerning citizen participation, Sacramenta has remained committed to obtaining
the broadest citizen participation possible. Citizens may request additional
information on any of those subject areas covered in the plan by contacting the
person named in the plan as responsible for that particular subject area.
The City's population is 361,227 and of that number 47 percent are
classified as minority. Minority households constitute a greater percentage of
the low income population than of the total population. The City has 68,000 low
income households, which the City defines as households earning at/or below 80
percent of Sacramento's median income ($45,200 for a family of four). Of those
low income households, 54% are White, 18% Black, 15% Hispanic, 1% Native
American and 12% Asian.
44,525 of the City's low-income households experience one or more housing problems. These problems consist of households paying 30% or more of their income for housing, living in substandard conditions, and/ or overcrowded conditions. Large family renter households have a much higher incidence of housing problems than any other group.
The need for housing rehabilitation remains a crucial need throughout the City. An estimated 11.8% or approximately 18,0097 of the city housing stock is defined as substandard with 17,192 suitable for rehabilitation. The number of deteriorated, vacant housing units is increasing, particularly in older neighborhoods having a high concentration of lower income and minority households. The City's housing objectives are to expand the supply of affordable housing through new construction and the acquisition and/or rehabilitation of housing with a focus on the older established neighborhoods.
There is a high level of default and foreclosure in the local housing market both for multi-family and single-family units. Prices for single-family homes rose 74% from 1985 through 1990 with only 41% of the City's households being able to afford to purchase a median priced home. A survey deemed to be representative of Sacramento's current market conditions shows a 7.9% vacancy rate for multi-family rental housing. The City believes its vacancy rates are high enough to permit affordable housing programs through the utilization of existing housing stock. Such programs would include housing rehabilitation and Section 8 vouchers and certificates.
Very low income household have the highest cost burden with 27% of this income group paying 50% or more of their income for housing, compared to 6% for low income and 2% for moderate income. Even though interest rates have fallen, making single family housing more affordable, the City does not expect market forces alone to make homeownership more affordable to prospective low income households. Consequently, there is definitely a need to provide homeownership opportunities to households with incomes between 50 percent and 80 percent of area median income.
Because of decreasing homeownership rates are considered the major cause of neighborhood decline, the housing elements of the City's general plans place great emphasis on owner-occupied housing. If the growing social problems which make the implementation of affordable housing in older neighborhoods more difficult, are to be eradicated, troubled neighborhoods must be strengthened through social services and job opportunities. There needs to be linkage between housing and community development efforts.
To alleviate the cost burdens of the 44,525 low income households, there is a need for rental assistance and other related affordable housing subsidies, particularly for the very low income households who suffer the largest housing cost burdens.
In the Sacramento area, there are approximately 3000 homeless individuals consisting of single males and females as well as families with children. The homeless have many divergent characteristics and problems, which can not be helped through housing assistance alone. Such divergence points to the need for multiple programs to address the array of needs unique to each of the homeless subgroups.
To help meet its homeless population needs, Sacramento has 11 permanent shelters able to serve about 900 persons, transitional housing facilities serving more than 200 persons daily and 20-units of Single Room Occupancy. The City also has 120 Section 8 Vouchers/Certificates reserved for the homeless and numerous programs and services targeted exclusively to the homeless, such as job training and counseling.
Within the Sacramento area , there are approximately 23,211 non-homeless residents with special needs, such as the frail elderly, physically disabled and persons with HIV/AIDs. Like the homeless, many low income with special needs require supportive housing.
The City has some homeownerhip programs open for its special needs population. However, such programs are limited because low income households have a much more difficult time affording homeownership even with substantial subsidies. Decent and affordable housing is also needed for the 1,300 migrant farmworkers employed in the Sacramento area during the peak summer months.
The Sacramento Housing Regional Authority manages 3,491 units of public housing. Its Public Housing Modernization program receives a $3.7 million from HUD. These funds are targeted for emergency repairs, such as life threatening electrical problems and leaky roofs; second, HUD mandated priorities, such as lead-based paint abatement and accessibility features for the physically handicapped and third, energy conservation and other general property improvements. Because needs far exceed resources, current levels of funding are sufficient to cover only the highest priority needs. Approximately 2400 assisted housing units are in danger of being lost through prepayment of federally assisted mortgage and other subsidy agreements.
There is a need to consider eliminating duplication of Federal and State regulations. The City is concerned that Federal requirements for an impact assessment of public land use regulations and the production of affordable housing is nearly identical with a State of California requirement. The City also has programs in place that are geared to ameliorate negative effects on affordable housing such as housing trust funds and zoning provisions which provide density bonuses for the development of affordable housing. Additional City measures such as inclusionary zoning will be considered by the City in conjunction with updates of its General Plan Housing Elements.
The City has certified that it will affirmatively further fair housing and aggressively comply with Anti-Discrimination requirements. The City also allocated funds to the Human Rights/Fair Housing Commission to provide assistance to eligible clients in areas of complaint mitigation and legal advice/referrals.
Sacramento's total number of owner and renter units containing lead based paint (LBP) is 46,310 A sample of 232 City homes revealed that 25% of units surveyed has elevated interior LBP levels, 65% had elevated exterior lead paint levels and 5% had elevated soil concentrated levels. This study also revealed that of the 382 children living in this sample study of homes, 14% had varying degrees of lead blood levels.
The City has a five year LBP risk reduction strategy which includes increase coordination between relevant health, environmental and housing authorities; integrate local LBP risk efforts into existing housing programs and advocate increased state funding and other private sector support.
The City cites the need to assist its troubled neighborhoods by placing
greater emphasis on these areas as the most logical geographic framework for
assessing community service needs and allocating scarce public resources. In addition to revitalizing
low -income neighborhoods, there is also a need to expand economic opportunities
for low income people. The Consolidated Plan strategy is intended to support
City and County efforts to implement a new approach to the provision of
community services. Growing social problems and unemployment in our
neighborhoods make the implementation of affordable housing and other physical
improvements more difficult without bringing to bear integrated public services
to deal with those social problems. Neighborhood self-sufficiency and
commitment becomes more imperative in light of declining public budgets and
increasing neighborhood problems.
Major goals are to revitalize depressed or declining neighborhoods, provide public services to targeted lower income and disadvantaged populations and provide housing assistance to low income persons. Specific target areas have identified a need for affordable housing in their neighborhoods and housing rehabilitation remains a crucial need throughout the City. Visible renewal to spur reinvestment continues to be a major City goal and neighborhoods have been specifically targeted for infrastructure and neighborhood improvements.
The City cites the preservation and expansion of affordable housing as one of its major objectives. Thus, efforts will be directed towards the production of additional affordable housing in the face of increasing deterioration of funding. Factors such as economic conditions, owner abandonment of housing, changes in the laws and stringent financial markets require that emphasis be place on rehabilitation and the restoration of existing housing in order to promote neighborhood stability and growth.
The City will target its single family housing rehabilitation program city-wide to all eligible Community Development Block Grant areas. It will also institute in those areas where the majority of the housing requires less extensive rehabilitation work its Paint and Beautification Program and will institute its plan for the acquisition and rehabilitation of boarded and vacant units.
In addition to the comprehensive community development and housing approach that the City will undertake in its designated neighborhoods, its goal is to institute a commercial revitalization program is to reinvigorate its older, neighborhood serving commercial areas by providing low interest commercial rehabilitation loans, storefront improvement grants and free architectural design services.
The City will continue to provide its extensive public services to its low-income population. Such services include funding for its youth summer employment program, to its Community Information Center which provides assistance in housing, legal services, transportation, health and consumer counseling.
The City is actively involved in activities to reduce poverty through increased economic development. Specific Activities include business loans, training and employment opportunities in conjunction with affordable housing and homeless services program, and on an active Enterprise Zone program which links low-income residents to job opportunities.
The City is able to draw on County resources in its implementation of Homeless programs. In addition to its HOME, CDBG and ESG funds, the City relies on Section 8 certificates and vouchers. The City also recently received $3.5 million for public housing development and has a Housing Trust Fund which is based on revenues levied on development/construction fees generating $200,000 in revenues in 1994. It also sets aside 20% of its tax increments for affordable housing, generating in 1994 $5.7 million under its housing set-aside program.
The Sacramento Housing Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) is the lead agency and
responsible for coordinating with twenty-six entities responsible for carrying
out the programs and actions covered in its Consolidated Plan. Examples of
these entities are the Salvation Army, WEAVE Human Rights, the Fair Housing
Commission, the Sacramento Mutual Housing Association, and various City and
County agencies.
The City's Consolidated Plan outlines the proposed use of approximately $8.5 million in CDBG, HOME and Emergency Shelter Grants with an additional $1 million in program income. These funds will be expended on a wide range of newly proposed housing and community development activities, including the following examples:
Targeted neighborhoods and Citywide.
The City and the County have each designated the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, which administers covered programs on their behalf to also function as the Consolidated Plan's lead agency.
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 provides information about the project(s).
MAP 6 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects for one neighborhood.
