The City of Danbury is located in Fairfield County, in the southwestern portion of the State of Connecticut. Spread out over 42.11 square miles, the City has a total population of 65,585 people. Historically known as "Hat City", Danbury was a principal place of employment largely centered around hat manufacturing through the 19th century and a significant portion of the 20th century. Danbury has experienced modest levels of growth in the last decade and, according to 1990 Census data, Danbury is the eighth largest city in the State of Connecticut. The City lies within commuting distance of New York City and, like other parts of Fairfield County, Danbury has become a bedroom community for the more expensive New York Metropolitan Area.
Preparation of the City of Danbury's 1995 Consolidated Plan has been in accordance with current HUD guidelines and reflects the three main goals of HUD's consolidation effort which include 1) provision of decent housing; 2) provision of a suitable living environment; and 3) expansion of economic opportunities. The purpose of the Consolidated Plan is to create a unified document that provides an overall picture of economic and housing conditions in the City and to develop a series of strategies, goals and recommendations for addressing the housing and community development needs of the City's population. This was accomplished through the development of a long-range three to five year strategic plan, and carried out through the implementation of a one-year action plan for the expenditure of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.
Danbury's 1995 Consolidated Plan presents a strategic vision for housing and community development. It includes a One-Year Action Plan for spending approximately $708,000 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds in 1995. As a HUD entitlement community, the City develops its own programs and priorities for utilizing CDBG funds. These funds will primarily be spent on housing activities, community facilities and services, and infrastructure improvements.
The City's Consolidated Plan was developed with the purpose of providing for
and encouraging citizen participation, emphasizing the involvement of low, very
low, and extremely low-income residents as to where housing and community
development funds may be spent. In the spirit of cultivating broad and
successful participation of the public and interested groups/parties, the City
of Danbury made every effort to involve the community in the consolidated
planning process. These efforts included 1) conducting outreach mailings to
inform the public of the planning process; 2) consulting with various public and
private agencies that provide housing, health services and social services
within the City for input; and 3) consulting with adjacent units of government
on issues of regional concern. As part of the citizen participation process,
the City's Finance Department (which acted as Lead Agency for the preparation of
the Consolidated Plan) held two public hearings (which were publicized in local
media) at which time comments from the public were received. These two
hearings were held on April 26, 1995 and July 18, 1995. Before the second
hearing, and for a 30-day comment period, copies of the draft Consolidated Plan
were available for public review and comment. The Plan was approved and
adopted by the Common Council on August 15, 1995.
The City of Danbury is one of the fastest growing areas in the Housatonic Valley region of Connecticut. According to the 1990 Census, the City's population was 65,585, an 8.5 percent increase from 1980. This compares with an overall growth rate in the Housatonic Valley of 10.3 percent, and a State-wide growth rate of only 5.7 percent. While the total population in Danbury has experienced growth in the last decade, the racial composition of the City was moderately redistributed, with minority populations experiencing growth. In 1990, Whites comprised 86.7 percent of the population, Blacks 5.2 percent, Hispanics 5.6 percent, and Asian/Pacific Islanders 2 percent. The greatest growth from 1980-1990 occurred among the Asian/Pacific Islander population, which grew by 376 percent. This was followed by the Hispanic population, which experienced a 146.7 percent increase in its population.
In 1990, the Median Family Income (MFI) in Danbury was $60, 472,
which is substantially higher than the national median income of $35,939.
While the majority of the City's population earns more than 95 percent of the
MFI, there is a concentration of households earning less than 95 percent of
the MFI. According to 1990 census data, 17,019 persons, or 27.49 percent of
Danbury's population, are classified as low income (those who make less than 50
percent MFI) and moderate income households (those making between 50 and 80
percent MFI). The highest concentrations of low and moderate income
persons are found in two of the City's fourteen census tracts. These two
tracts have low income populations exceeding 40 percent of the total for each
tract.
As indicated previously, the City of Danbury has experienced modest levels of growth in the last decade. One of the effects of the City's expansion as a suburban bedroom community has been that the costs of housing in Danbury have become progressively more expensive. In addition, unemployment in Danbury has risen over the years, from 3.6 percent in 1980 to 5.4 percent in 1990. This rise in unemployment may be attributable to a shift in the City's economic base. In recent years, the City of Danbury -- like many older industrial cities in the northeast -- has shifted from an industrial and manufacturing base to a more service-oriented and retail business base. As in many cities similar in profile to Danbury, it is the "downtown areas" of the City which contain the census tracts with the highest proportions of low-income populations and concentrations of minorities and racial/ethnic groups.
The most pressing housing need in the City of Danbury, as identified in the Consolidated Plan, is affordability. To address this, increased rental assistance for cost-burdened renters is needed, as well as the cultivation of affordable homeownership opportunities through the construction of new affordable ownership housing. Other pressing housing needs in the City are the condition of housing units and overcrowding among extremely low-income homeowners. These housing needs can be addressed through the expenditure of funds on housing rehabilitation activities, and by increasing the supply of affordable housing containing two or more bedrooms.
The City of Danbury had 25, 950 housing units in 1990. The decade from 1980 to 1990 experienced a drop in the rate of housing production from the two preceding decades. According to 1990 census data, only 3,369 new units were produced in the City during the 1980s. As in many suburbs of the New York Metropolitan Area, there has been a dwindling of housing production since 1970.
Owner-occupied homes of more than three bedrooms are the predominant housing type in the City of Danbury, comprising 40 percent of the housing stock. This is followed by renter- occupied two-bedroom housing units, which make up 15 percent of the housing stock. The ratio of owner-occupied to renter-occupied units in the City has remained fairly constant during the past three decades, with an average of 65.9 percent of residents residing in units which they own and the remaining 34.1 percent of the population renting units. As of 1994, only 7.2 percent of the City's housing stock was classified as vacant.
With regard to the condition of the housing stock, it has been estimated that a minimum of 10 percent of the City's renter stock and 2 percent of the owner-occupied housing stock could be classified as substandard. Of these substandard units, approximately 95 percent of the housing units in both categories would be suitable for rehabilitation.
The problem of securing affordable, quality housing affects most of the urban areas of the northeast. In the 1980s, the rising cost of housing throughout Danbury created a situation whereby many middle income residents of the City could not afford to purchase a home. For example, in 1980, the US Census reported the median value for owner-occupied housing in Danbury to be $73,900. By 1990, this value had increased by 154.7 percent to $188,200. Similarly, rental housing rates were reported as $238 in 1980 and $693 in 1990, an increase of 191.2 percent. A recent decline in housing prices has remedied this problem slightly, but a significant portion of the population is still unable to purchase the average priced home. Further, the availability of affordable rental housing has steadily declined in the past and existing rental units are still unaffordable to a large segment of the population.
Extremely low-income populations (both owners and renters) face the greatest cost burden. According to Census data, 76.2 percent of the extremely low-income owner households and 67.7 percent of extremely low-income renter household experience housing cost burden. To address this problem, increased rental assistance and affordable homeownership opportunities are needed.
Based upon a count conducted in November 1993, 91 homeless adults were found to be in the City's various homeless shelters and 55 adults were found in a non-sheltered environment. Of the 146 homeless adults counted, 108 were single adults and 38 persons were found to be in 12 homeless families. Of the 91 sheltered homeless adults, 53 were male and 38 were female; 36 were White, 29 were Black, 25 were Hispanic and 1 was a Native American. The non-sheltered homeless population consisted of 51 adult males and 4 adult females, of which 35 were White, 10 were Black, 9 were Hispanic and 1 was a South Asian Indian. With regard to homeless youth, a total of 30 homeless individuals 17 years of age and under were found in the City -- 27 of whom were sheltered and 3 of whom were unsheltered.
Danbury has a total of 81 emergency shelter beds provided by five separate shelters. Of these 81 beds, 45 are devoted to single adults, 17 are devoted to homeless women with children, and 9 are devoted to homeless males. There are two transitional housing facilities in the City -- Amos House and an SRO operated by the Danbury Housing Authority -- which provide a total of 56 beds for homeless families and individuals for a period not to exceed two years. Some of these transitional housing programs are geared toward special needs populations including drug and alcohol addicted individuals, severely mentally ill, HIV/AIDS victims, and runaway youth. Of the highest priority to address the needs of homeless populations in the City of Danbury is the provision of outreach and assessment to homeless individuals, families and persons with special needs, as well as the provision of permanent supportive housing and permanent housing to these groups.
The City of Danbury, as of 1994, had a total of 1,099 publicly-assisted housing units. Of these public housing units, 178 received project-based assistance, 170 units received State public housing assistance, 402 received Federal public housing assistance, and 373 received tenant-based Section 8 subsidies. The City of Danbury Housing Authority owns and manages the City's 1,099 public housing units.
With regard to Section 8 units, the Housing Authority reports that there are no vacancies and a significant waiting list for units in existence. According to information supplied by the Housing Authority, in 1994 there were 10 Section 8 certificate vacancies and a waiting list for Section 8 certificates and vouchers that included 1,600 family applicants, indicating the strong demand for affordable rental units in Danbury.
The total number of public housing units currently being renovated or rehabilitated is 300, and the Housing Authority anticipates the rehabilitation and renovation of an additional 300 units during the next fiscal year.
Within the City of Danbury there are barriers to affordable housing, which include not only the cost of housing, but the public policies of the City which at times limit the incentives to develop, maintain or improve affordable housing. Some of these include tax policies, land use controls, building codes, fees and charges, growth limits, and other policies that affect the return on residential investment. While there are few actions that can feasibly reduce or eliminate all or even some barriers to affordable housing, the City is taking steps to ameliorate the conditions that can prevent residents of the City from obtaining quality, affordable housing.
The City of Danbury is aware that impediments to fair housing exist within the City and is committed to affirmatively promoting fair housing opportunities.
The City of Danbury has determined that a number of housing units currently occupied by low, very low, and extremely low income residents contain lead-based paint hazards. An examination of 1990 Census data reveals that the median age of housing in the City is 31 years, and that 22.3 percent of the housing stock was built in 1939 or earlier. Fortunately, there are relatively few elevated blood level cases in the City -- currently the City has experienced only 9 confirmed cases of elevated blood levels.
Priority community development needs in the City of Danbury include the
provision of a variety of public services (i.e. senior services, handicapped
services, youth services, transportation, substance abuse, employment training,
child care and health services), infrastructure improvements -- especially
street and sidewalk improvements -- public facilities such as child care
centers, parks and parking facilities, and economic development activities.
The City of Danbury's housing and community development objectives and priorities were developed based upon the needs identified in the Consolidated Plan. These objectives and priorities represent funding priorities over the next three to five years to address those identified needs using all available resources. They are designed to principally address those needs that were identified as being of high priority in Danbury as described below:
High Priority Housing Needs:
High Priority Homeless Needs:
High Priority Community Development Needs:
Public Facility Needs:
Infrastructure Improvements:
Public Service Needs:
Economic Development Needs:
Other Community Development Needs:
The City of Danbury will utilize all means, programs and services available to reduce the number of households in the community with incomes at or below the poverty level. The City will provide support and funding to agencies such as the Community Action Committee of Danbury (CACD), the community's designated anti-poverty agency, to facilitate its efforts to reduce the number of these households.
A combination of funding resources is reasonably expected to be available to assist in financing the activities and actions which are designed to address the City's priority housing, homeless and community development needs. These funding resources include not only the City's direct Federal CDBG allocation, but other Federal, State and local funding sources. In 1995, the City's CDBG entitlement is $708,000. Other Federal sources include grant funds and other revenues totaling over $4.5 million, the bulk of which originates from the U.S. Department of Education. Other Federal departments and agencies such the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will also contribute a substantial amount of funding to the City of Danbury. Nearly $30 million in State funds are also anticipated, over half of which will be from the State Department of Education. Other sources of funding at the State level will come from the State Department of Environmental Protection, State Department of Transportation, the State Department of Human Resources and the State Departments of Health and Social Services.
One of the major goals of the consolidated planning process is to enhance
coordination among the various agencies involved in providing housing and social
services. The City will continue its efforts to improve communication with
private industry, nonprofit organizations, and public institutions as well as
the general public to best allocate its Federal dollars to address the most
pressing needs of the community. Toward this end, Danbury will make every
effort to coordinate all funding and in-kind resources available to the
jurisdiction. The City recognizes the benefits and need for this type of
hands-on coordination, which will maximize the potential of resources to
ameliorate the housing and non-housing community development needs of the City.
The City of Danbury's One-Year Action Plan outlines the proposed use of approximately $708,000 in CDBG funds. These funds will be spent on an array of housing and community development activities including:
Roughly 80 percent of the projects in the One-Year Action Plan are dedicated to census tracts in Danbury's central city area. Census Tracts 2101, 2102 and 2107 contain the most projects, and also exhibit the highest concentrations of low/moderate income households, minority populations and unemployment.
Highlights of Danbury's housing goals for the next three to five years include reducing by five percent the number of renters who are cost-burdened, increasing the number of new, affordable owner-occupied housing units in the City, increasing the number of homeless who are placed in transitional/permanent housing, and reducing the number of homeless in the City.
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 neighborhood streets and proposed HUD funded projects, as described in the table under MAP 5.
