Tulare, California is a healthy growing community located in the South San Joaquin Valley. While known for its agricultural economy Tulare is developing a diversified industrial base with companies like Kraft Cheese and Haagen-Dazs. Tulare is home of the world famous California Farm Equipment Show and International Exposition and has raised prominent citizens including Admiral Elmo "Bud" Zumwalt and Olympic Decathlon Champion Bob Mathias. Tulare citizens are known for their can do attitude, their volunteer spirit and their desire to provide for the needs of all residents.
The City of Tulare Consolidated Plan presents a strategic vision for housing and community development in this growing and diversified agricultural community. The plan includes a one-year action plan for spending approximately $824,300 of Community Development Block Grant and related program income. These funds will be utilized on housing, neighborhood infrastructure and commercial development activities in the city's Alpine Redevelopment Project area.
The City of Tulare adopted a Citizen Participation Plan for the Consolidated
Plan which encourages the participation of all its citizens including minorities
and non-English speaking persons as well as persons with disabilities. The
city's redevelopment agency coordinated preparation of the Consolidated Plan
including consultation with public agencies and other organizations regarding
community development and housing needs. General information on the amount of
funds the city expected to receive and the range of activities which could be
undertaken was made available at the onset of preparation of the Consolidated
Plan. Two well publicized public hearings were held. The first hearing was
held in advance of preparation of the plan to solicit input on housing and
community development needs and the second public hearing was held after the 30
day comment period on the proposed plan. Thereafter, the Consolidated Plan was
adopted by the Tulare City Council on May 2, l995.
Tulare, a city of 39,3l4 people, is located in the southern San Joaquin Valley in the northwest portion of Tulare County, bisected by State Highway 99 and is the second largest incorporated city in the county. The city is fast growing and is expected to nearly double in population by 2010. While Tulare is an agriculturally based community, it has developed a strong diversified industrial base.
1990 median family income in Tulare was $19,631 and 38.4 percent of all
households in Tulare were low-and moderate-income. The non-white ethnic
population was 43 percent in 1990 with Hispanic population representing 34
percent of the population, followed by Black - 6 percent, Asian - 2 percent and
American Indian - 1 percent. Two areas of the community have high
concentrations of racial/ethnic minorities and three areas have high
concentrations of low-income families.
As with the County of Tulare, the City of Tulare's economy is primarily based on agriculture. However, since the 1970's when Tulare established its industrial park it has diversified into manufacturing and agriculturally-related economies. Tulare's industrial diversification has helped to increase incomes which has given many of Tulare's households the opportunity for a better way of life and the ability to purchase a home. However, unemployment levels in the City of Tulare have remained well above the national average. The percentage of persons on welfare also ranks very high.
Two critical housing needs are identified in the Consolidated Plan: increasing the affordability of housing and to a lesser extent rehabilitating the existing housing stock to a standard condition. To address the affordability issue, assistance is needed to reduce cost burden of both existing and new housing. To address the housing quality/condition problem, funds are needed to help property owners maintain and rehabilitate their homes. A lesser need is to continue providing services for the homeless including food, shelter and clothing. Of low-income households, large families have the greatest need followed by elderly and small families. This is true for both renter and owner households.
The City of Tulare had 11,316 year around housing units in 1990. 10,84l percent were occupied. Of the occupied units, 43 percent were rental units and 57 percent were owner occupied. The overall vacancy rate in 1990 was 4.2 percent. Tulare's housing stock grew by 3.542 units during the period 1980 to 1990. Tulare's housing stock has emulated changes that have occurred statewide in that single family homes as a percentage of the total housing stock have decreased 87 percent to 78 percent, while multi-family units and mobile homes have increased 11 to 18 percent and 2 to 4 percent, respectively. 11 percent of the housing units in the City of Tulare were classified as sub- standard in 1991. About 7 percent of these units were suitable for rehabilitation.
Most of the single family housing units built in the last few years are beyond the price range of lower income households. Very low rates of subsidized multi-family housing construction have resulted in a pent up rental demand. Limited multi-family construction has also caused rents to rise and rents are likely too continue rising in the future, outstripping ability to pay. Households with incomes at or below 50 percent of median family income have the greatest housing cost burden. They need rental assistance and affordable housing options and landlords need rehabilitation assistance. Low- income first time homebuyers need downpayment assistance, credit counseling and home maintenance training.
The last homeless survey conducted in 1993 did not enable the City to adequately determined the number of homeless at a given point in time. However, the survey which was conducted indicated 22 homeless families, 23 homeless single men, 5 homeless single women and 1 homeless couple. Within the next year, Tulare will complete a new homeless study to incorporate in its Consolidated Plan. Within the City of Tulare or surrounding communities, 108 emergency shelter beds are available for families and single male adults. Specialized services and housing are also available for alcoholic drug treatment and mental patients. Lesser needs exist for persons with special needs such as the frail elderly, persons with disabilities, and persons with HIV/aids.
Tulare has 205 pubic housing units, 372 Section 8 rental units and 205 other-assisted units from a variety of other federal and state programs. Currently there are 5,800 applicants on a Tulare County waiting list for Housing Authority units. Approximately 1,136 of these applicants have a Tulare address. The Tulare County Housing Authority has no unused rental vouchers or certificates and no vacant units. No Section 8 units are expected to be lost from the assisted housing inventory for any reason including demolition. This information demonstrates that additional subsidized housing is sorely needed within the City of Tulare for all low-income population groups. Service providers for special needs populations indicated the following needs in addition to affordable housing:
Lack of sufficient affordable housing for the low-income is one of the most critical housing problems for the City of Tulare. Relevant public policies have been studied including zoning regulations, subdivision ordinance, building codes and inspections, improvement requirements, development standards, amount of land zoned and available for new development and development impact fees. At the present time, none of these policies appear to be impeding the development, maintenance or improvement of assisted housing. However, the city will need to continue to look at these issues in the future as impacts may begin to appear.
The city will complete an analysis of impediments to fair housing choice to be incorporated into the Consolidated Plan by February 6, 1996. The city in cooperation with the Community Housing Resource Board of Tulare established a Discrimination hotline which is providing information on fair housing complaints. This information will assist the city in completion of the fair housing analysis. There are no court orders, consent decrees or HUD imposed sanctions that affect the provision of assisted housing or fair housing remedies in the jurisdiction.
Based upon the number of units built in Tulare before 1978 when use of lead-based paint was prevalent, it is estimated that 25 percent of the 6,200 units, 1,550 units, contain lead-based paint hazards which require abatement. Many of these units are occupied by low-income families. Both the Tulare County Housing Authority and the city have been participating in activities to reduce lead-based paint hazards. All of the housing authority units have been abated of lead-based paint hazards. The city follows HUD mandated procedures regarding lead-based paint in its rehabilitation program. The Tulare Redevelopment Agency's residential acquisition program and city's code enforcement demolition program also eliminates structures where severe lead-based paint hazards are prevalent.
There are no other issues.
The City of Tulare has a high welfare rate and a high unemployment rate. Therefore, developing the skills of low-income persons to meet the requirements of the ever changing job market is an important long term need. Job creation is a vital component to breaking the chain of anti-poverty. However, without an adequate number of jobs, even well trained workers can be unemployed or forced to seek other job markets. Tulare has focused its efforts on industrial development since 1971. The Tulare Industrial Site Development Foundation was formed which has acquired industrial park property, installed public improvements and marketed property. The city has cooperated to the maximum extent possible by fast tracking plans and permits. An economic development committee under the Greater Tulare Chamber of Commerce and the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation coordinate the city's industrial and commercial retention and recruitment efforts.
Tulare's vision for change includes the following goals: providing
adequate, affordable housing for all of its residents, eliminating substandard
housing through rehabilitation programs; providing needed infrastructure for
community development; and insuring that job training and adequate jobs are
available for all residents of the community. The Community Development Block
Grant Program is one of the important financial tools in achieving this vision.
Tulare's housing and community development objectives and priorities are not particularly unique. Housing problems are primarily related to low-income and deterioration of the housing stock which is aging. The housing priorities and strategies reflected in the Consolidated Plan are the city's best efforts to deal with these problems. The city's specific housing strategy focuses on increasing the supply of affordable housing for both renters and homeowners, for small families, large families and the elderly. The city's community development has focused on revitalizing areas of the city in which redevelopment project have been established (the Alpine and Downtown Redevelopment Projects). Removing blight, providing new and improved affordable housing and providing economic development opportunities for low- and moderate-income citizens have the primary objectives. The city has attempted to obtain Enterprise Zone designation from the State of California and will continue to work toward this goal. A chamber of commerce economic development division has been formed with several sub committees to deal with the overall concern of providing adequate jobs and improved sales tax base for the city. The city also participates in the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation.
Priorities for affordable housing include the following: increasing the supply of affordable housing and reducing cost burden for low-income households; improving the living conditions of low- income families; assisting public housing residents to become more self sufficient; and increasing the housing choices for low-income and minority residents within the community. Special housing need groups will also be assisted to a lesser degree through support of applications and programs from eligible public agencies and nonprofits. A priority for alleviating homelessness will be conducting an adequate survey within the next year to allow the city to better assess such needs.
The city will continue its active participation on the Tulare Interagency Council to assist in the coordination and delivery of services to the homeless and households threatened with becoming homeless. The city will encourage development of supportive housing for non homeless persons by other entities such as the Tulare County Housing Authority and non profit entities.
Non housing community development priorities are proposed to be located generally within the Alpine Redevelopment Project area or Downtown Redevelopment Project area, except for fair housing activities which are needed community wide. These areas have been established as Tulare's target areas for community development investment. Such needs focus on parking, infrastructure improvements and commercial rehabilitation. In addition, there is a need for youth centers and youth services.
Tulare's anti-poverty strategy consists of the following elements: education, job training, job creation and the provision and preservation of affordable housing. These elements are generally but not always under the control of governmental agencies within the city. Agencies providing job development include the Private Industry Council, EDD, Proteus, C-SET, ABLE Industries and Turning Point. Job creation has been the focus of the City of Tulare, the Tulare County Economic Development Division and the Tulare Industrial Site Development Foundation. These organizations have the continuing ask of providing adequate employment opportunities. Having adequate affordable housing is important too, because without such housing, industries will not locate in a community. The Tulare County Housing Authority's programs complement the city's efforts along with private developers and contractors. The elements of the anti-poverty strategy are coordinated by the city manager and city's redevelopment department to the extent the city has some span of control or influence.
Within the City of Tulare the primary housing and community development providers include the City itself, the Tulare Redevelopment Agency, the Housing Authority of Tulare County and various non profit organizations including Self-Help Enterprises, Tulare Emergency Aid Council, LOVE, Inc. and the Salvation Army. Private industry is also expected to have a large role in development of housing within the five year period of the Consolidated Plan as a developer of single family housing assisted with Mortgage Credit Certificates HOME funds, redevelopment agency housing set-aside funds and single family mortgage revenue bonds and as a developer of multi family housing assisted with tax credits, HOME funds and redevelopment agency 20 percent Housing Set-aside funds.
Between agencies such as Tulare Emergency Aid, Salvation Army, C-SET, Tulare County Public Social Services, LOVE, Inc. and New Life Christian Temple, homeless persons and persons threatened with homelessness will have their needs served.
The Tulare Interagency Council established by the City Council of Tulare has
become the vehicle to enhance city coordination between public and assisted
housing providers and private and governmental mental health and social service
agencies. The city's redevelopment director serves as the city's member and
permanent secretary to the organization. The council meets monthly to carry out
its duties.
The City of Tulare one-year action plan outlines the proposed expenditure of approximately $824,300 in Community Development Block Grant funds and associated program income. These funds will be spent within the Alpine Redevelopment Project area on the following activities including: $80,000 for acquisition, including associated relocation and clearance costs, of two substandard residential properties for infill low-income single family housing; $270,000 for acquisition, including associated relocation and clearance costs of substandard commercial and residential property for commercial reuse; and $474,300 for construction of alley improvements.
All of the proposed projects are located within the Alpine Redevelopment Project area. All of the funds are targeted to a low-income residential portion of the project area with the exception of the $270,000 for the acquisition/relocation/demolition referred to above.
The City of Tulare Redevelopment Agency will be the lead agency for all of the activities proposed.
The City of Tulare is not an Entitlement jurisdiction for receipt of HOME or Emergency Shelter Grants. However, the city has applied for HOME funds through the State of California and hopes to receive a grant to help finance a 41 unit HOME/tax credit/redevelopment Housing Set-aside project for small and large families. In addition, the Tulare Redevelopment Agency has supported a 50 unit tax credit project with set-aside funds for both small and large families. The Redevelopment Agency also expects to complete development of 20 single family homes for very low- and low-income families within the Alpine Redevelopment Project area utilizing HOME and 20 percent Housing Set-aside funds. First time homebuyer assistance will also be provided by the Tulare County Housing Authority through the Mortgage Credit Certificate Program. This program will assist low income households to become homeowners.
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 project(s) from a street level vantage point; in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).
