The City of Hartford was founded in 1635 and was incorporated in 1784. It is the Capital of the State of Connecticut and the core of a metropolitan area with a population of over one million. Hartford is a general purpose municipality with a permanent population of approximately 135,390 residents in an 18.4 square mile area and a daytime population of approximately 260,000. The city lies on the west bank of the Connecticut River, midway between New York and Boston.
Hartford is a consolidated City and Town with a Council-Manager form of government and a City Manager as Chief Executive Officer. Nine Council members are elected at large in odd numbered years on a partisan basis; the Mayor, who is elected directly, presides without vote at Council meetings.
The City provides a broad range of services including public safety, streets and roads, flood control, solid waste collection, health, social services, parks and recreation, education, facilities, planning, development, zoning and general administrative services.
The City of Hartford adopted its "Consolidated Plan" entitled Hartford At Work on July 10, 1995. The title recognizes the many agencies, businesses, and individuals hard at work improving the quality of life in our community and invokes the most pressing challenge facing the people of Hartford, 60 percent of whom fall within the low and moderate income categories: the creation of thousands of new jobs paying living wages.
The One Year Action Plan includes a detailed set of initiatives for the 1995-96 fiscal year to spend a total of $8,112,000 in HUD entitlement funds made up of $5.33 million in CDBG, $1.95 million in HOME funds $188,000 in Emergency Shelter Grant funds and $644,000 in HOPWA funds available for implementation activities.
Clearly defined challenges face the City of Hartford as it addresses its' housing needs. Census data indicates that Hartford has the lowest median household and family incomes, lowest per capita income, and the highest percentage of people living below the poverty line of Connecticut's 169 cities and towns. In addition, only 23% of Hartford's housing stock is owner occupied and there are over 700 abandoned buildings that number continues to increase. The socio-economic problems affecting the city suggest that current trends must be reversed in order to stabilize Hartford's neighborhoods and housing market and to provide affordable housing for its citizens.
The process of preparing the plan presented the City of Hartford and the entire Hartford Community an excellent opportunity to devise a comprehensive, focused strategy to address the city's community development needs. The City of Hartford effectively involved its citizens in the Consolidated Planning (Con Plan) process through a variety of traditional and innovative ways.
The effort began with the development of the City of Hartford's Citizen Participation Plan, which was adopted by the City Council on January 23, 1995. The Citizen Participation Plan outlined the actions that the City intended to take to involve its citizens in the development of the Consolidated Plan. Shortly thereafter, an article describing the Con Plan process was published in the state's largest newspaper, supplemented by articles printed in local community newspapers. The first of two required public hearings was held at the main branch of the public library auditorium. Residents attended the public hearing and it was taped for airing on a local public access television channel. To ensure that hearing impaired citizens had an opportunity to participate in the public hearing process, a sign language interpreter was secured. Informational packets in English and Spanish were distributed that included the schedule of community meetings. Community meetings were held in public housing projects, community school facilities and recreational centers. Residents' comments were generally positive and constructive, and all were considered for inclusion in the Con-Plan.
Shortly thereafter, the "Executive Summary" of the draft Hartford
At Work, was published in the Hartford Courant, the State's largest daily
newspaper, and several area weekly publications. Additionally, staff organized
additional community meetings to allow the public to comment further on the
draft plan. Copies of draft plan were made available at the Department of
Housing and Community Development, the Town and City Clerk's office at City
Hall, the main branch of the Hartford Public Library and other locations. The
City of Hartford's Court of Common Council adopted "Hartford At Work"
as its Consolidated Plan, on July 10, 1995. The City of Hartford will continue
to involve its residents in the continuing process of implementing Hartford At
Work.
Hartford has a long history as a manufacturing center producing firearms, typewriters, bicycles and early automobiles. Many of the city's industrial areas grew up around rail lines. However, the development of the interstate highways and new industrial processes made suburban sites more attractive for new industrial development, and Hartford now has about one-third of the 23,000 manufacturing jobs it had 30 years ago.
The Hartford region is home to thousands of available skilled workers from the defense, manufacturing and financial services industries that have downsized or relocated in recent years. Hartford also offers well established vocational and technical training programs. The Hartford environs offer quality public education and many cultural and physical amenities. Hartford is strategically located and has international air service through Bradley Airport in nearby Windsor Locks, efficient highway networks, a rail system, and river access. Because of its location and transportation linkages, workforce, advanced technologies, and research opportunities, Hartford has numerous new market opportunities in the global economy.
Data from the 1990 Census indicates that Hartford has the lowest median household and family incomes, lowest per capita income and highest percentage of people living below the poverty line of Connecticut's 169 cities and towns. There has been an increase from 15.4% to 18.4% in the percentage of Hartford residents 60+ years of age. Hartford's elderly population is aging in place and many are living in original homes and communities. However, current census information indicates that the city's population is getting younger rather than older.
Economically, approximately 60% of the city's population is defined as low, very low and extremely low income. Census data shows that the population in the city is changing and becoming more diverse. From 1980 to 1990 the Hispanic population grew by 58.2%, the Black, non-Hispanic population by 10.7%, others by 16.2% while the White, non-Hispanic population decreased by 29.8%.
As in many cities in the Northeast, much of Hartford's housing stock is
quite old and in need of significant rehabilitation. Thirty-seven percent of
the housing units were built prior to 1940, and 66% prior to 1960. There is a
distinct age difference between the housing stock in Hartford and that of the
rest of the region. While 17% of the region's stock is less than 15 years old,only 9% of Hartford's housing was built after 1980. Seventy-eight percent of the
residential properties in Hartford are renter-occupied, giving Hartford the
highest rate of renter- occupied units of the larger cities in Connecticut. The
1990 Census reports the median rent for the City of Hartford to be $443 per
month.
City departments conducted an assessment of the Housing needs of the city in accordance with HUD Guidelines; the assessment found that:
Since 1980, outward migration and a declining local economy have seriously reduced housing prices in Hartford and have discouraged investment in the housing market. In turn, affordable newer housing and greater economic opportunities outside of Hartford have contributed to the trend of outmigration. Similarly, transportation and employment patterns favoring suburban over urban living, as well as fear of urban crime and concern over the quality of education, have undermined the economics of inner-city living and contributed to the flight to the suburbs. These demographic and economic shifts over the last decade have profoundly impacted the condition of housing stock and the need for different types of housing in Hartford.
Housing supply and housing needs in the city vary greatly. Although certain neighborhoods on the fringe of the city demonstrate high owner occupancy, good maintenance, and stability, most neighborhoods are predominantly renter-occupied, and are composed of a deteriorating housing stock characterized by increasing vacancy. Only 22% of residential properties in Hartford are owner-occupied, while other troubled cities such as Bridgeport boast double that number.
The increase in operating expenses for properties in Hartford has also aggravated the already negative housing trends caused by economic and demographic shifts. Because much of Hartford's housing stock is quite old (37% was built prior to 1940), much of the housing supply requires substantial rehabilitation. Compounding the problems of an aging and deteriorating housing stock are drops in rental rates, liabilities due to environmental mandates concerning lead-based paint and asbestos, historic preservation and rising property taxes. These factors have led to a substantial increase in deferred maintenance, tax delinquencies and foreclosures, and abandonment. The number of blighted buildings has risen to over 700 in recent years.
Although Hartford has managed to reverse some of the loss of standard habitable housing units through a major rehabilitation effort in the last decade, vacancy rates are still on the rise due to population loss. The total number of units has not changed since 1980, indicating that the housing supply has stabilized, yet vacancy rates, which are often used as indicators of a housing market's strength, have soared by 110% in the last several years.
Outmigration, deteriorating housing conditions, and vacancies have been accompanied by an influx of lower-income persons, which, in turn, has exacerbated the problems outlined above. Because over 60% of occupied units in the City are home to extremely low, very low, and low income households, Hartford possesses a disproportionate share of persons who have difficulty paying standard market rates for housing. Current estimates indicate that over 70% of Hartford households spend a disproportionately high percentage of their income on housing (i.e. more than the suggested limit of 30%).
In addition to an increase in the concentration of low-income households, Hartford has experienced an increase in the concentration of populations with special needs. During the 1980's, Hartford saw an expansion of homeless shelters, group homes, and half-way houses. This has placed a greater burden upon Hartford, both financially and socially, than upon other towns in the region which do not have such housing demands.
The simultaneous oversupply of housing and lack of affordable housing suggests that Hartford must maximize the use of existing housing stock. The most beneficial compromise between production, demolition, and rehabilitation and reconfiguration of current housing stock must be found. Although rehabilitation efforts have succeeded, a lasting rejuvenation of housing conditions will require sustained strategic improvement in the economic and social factors that contribute to the deterioration of Hartford neighborhoods and discourage investment and maintenance.
The number of homeless people seeking shelter and services in the city of Hartford is growing. In 1991, the City estimated that there were 988 sheltered and unsheltered homeless people in Hartford, with an equal number at risk of becoming homeless (CHAS, 1991). By 1994, the City's Annual Plan estimated that the number of homeless, sheltered and unsheltered, had increased to 1,372 with an equal number at risk of becoming homeless. From October, 1993 to September, 1994, based on statistics reported to the State Department of Social Services, statewide shelters experienced a 13% increase in usage. In the city of Hartford, shelter usage in 1994 was up 17% from 1993.
The sheltered homeless are a heterogeneous group with diverse needs. The homeless include single adults, substance abusers, the mentally ill, ex-offenders, persons with AIDS, families with children, veterans, the employed, the unemployed, and the elderly. The fastest growing segment of the population is currently families with children, often one parent families headed by a female.
The Hartford Housing Authority (HHA) manages 4,940 public housing units, housing more than 7,000 individuals. Many of these units are in need of extensive physical rehabilitation in order to ensure their long-term viability.
HHA rehabilitation plans focus on a range of areas from total reconfiguration of units to more minor repairs. The Hartford Housing Authority's five year Comprehensive Grant Plan will address some of the most pressing needs facing the Authority's developments. During this time, the Authority plans to reconfigure its five major family developments, improve the physical spaces, decrease density, bring the housing up to Federal, State, and local codes, and create economic development opportunities in the developments. The remaining developments and scattered site structures will also be upgraded using Comprehensive Grant Funds. Additional funding will be leveraged to meet the Authority's expected total costs for improvements at all of its housing sites. A Section 504 Compliance needs assessment is in process and will be incorporated into the Comprehensive Grant Plan when available. As the developments are reconfigured and rehabilitated, all will be brought up to Section 504 Compliance standards for accessibility.
There are a large number of assisted units in the city of Hartford. The most recent figures available indicate that the number of assisted units in the city, other than public housing, is 10,548 or 18% of the total occupied housing units among a 90% occupancy rate in assisted housing. An estimated total of 6,971 of these units are located in a specific site, and a total of 3,577 consist of rental certificates and vouchers that are given to families for use in scattered rental units throughout the City. When public housing is taken into account the proportion of assisted housing rises to 24%.
Although the City of Hartford has comparatively few public policies that could be viewed as barriers to affordable housing, several policy areas merit some discussion.
Since the cost of building permits are higher in the City than in most surrounding jurisdictions, many prospective developers and property owners are discouraged from building in Hartford. As a response, the City has agreed to waive the permit fee for all properties built or rehabilitated under the Urban Homesteading Program. Extending this policy to all affordable housing projects would reduce the cost to all such programs and eliminate barriers to development.
Extremely high property taxes serve as another major barrier to housing development in Hartford. This significantly raises operating costs which, in turn, directly affect the affordability of rents. As a result, the City has and will continue to offer tax assessment deferrals to the developers of low-income housing. Such deferrals allow the developer to gradually phase in any increase in assessment due to the rehabilitation of the property. Thus, rather than incurring a large tax increase in the first year of operations, developers absorb a relatively small tax increase each year for 10 years.
In addition, liability and property insurance rates for vacant properties are also prohibitively expensive. Work needs to be done to find ways to reduce this carrying cost for everyone.
In a similar manner, the City is currently modifing or eliminating other policies that create disincentives to developers. During the real estate market boom of the 1980's, the Court of Common Council of the City of Hartford passed the Housing Preservation and Replacement Ordinance. Viewed at the time as encouraging the maintenance and development of affordable housing, this ordinance required any developer who demolished housing stock or converted any residential units to a non-housing use either to replace the units at another site or pay into a fund which would be used to develop low-income housing. At present, however, this ordinance can be considered a barrier to development. Opinion in the community indicates that the demolition of buildings can be a positive contribution to affordable housing. By reducing housing density and increasing the availability of parking and open space, demolition and conversion can contribute to a safer environment and increase market incentives. The City has recently revised the ordinance to make it easier to demolish buildings and there is growing support for its complete repeal.
The City of Hartford will affirmatively further fair housing, which means it will conduct an analysis of impediments to fair housing choice within the jurisdiction, take appropriate actions to overcome the effects of any impediments identified through that analysis, and maintain records reflecting that analysis and actions in this regard.
In addition, the Department of Housing and Community Development has developed affirmative marketing policies and procedures which all borrowers of HOME Program funds must comply with.
Typical of cities in the Northeast, Hartford has a relatively aged housing stock. According to the U.S. Census, 90% of the housing stock within the city of Hartford was constructed prior to 1978. In addition, 37% of the housing supply was constructed prior to 1940.
Economically, approximately 60% of the city's population is defined as low, very low and extremely low income. Assuming an even distribution of the age of the city's housing stock among economic groups, and assuming an equal number of people per household by economic group, it is conservatively estimated that there are 93,000 (60% x 90%) people in Hartford at risk for lead-based paint hazards. It should be noted, however, that low income individuals and families typically reside in rental housing with the oldest housing stock. These are in the worst condition and possibly place such persons at an even greater risk than estimated.
A study of the geographic distribution of reported cases of children with lead poisoning in Hartford mirrors those economic facts, indicating that a very high percentage of Hartford's low and moderate income population is potentially at risk regarding lead-based paint hazards.
The challenge facing Hartford today is to bring jobs back to the city, bolstering the grand list and the workforce and revitalizing partnerships in the public and private sectors. The consensus throughout the city is that economic development is critical, and will positively impact other crucial needs. For example, as Hartford residents have increasing opportunities to work and earn adequate wages, they will have more resources to invest in housing and to spend on other amenities. Economic vitality will impact neighborhood revitalization, crime, homelessness, and other important priorities of the City of Hartford.
The second essential community development need is neighborhood revitalization. City neighborhoods need to be seen as decent places to live, work and invest. This gives rise to several other needs including:
The third crucial community development need is the creation of affordable homeownership opportunities for low and moderate income residents.
The City of Hartford's Department of Housing & Community Development in its role as the lead agency in the drafting of the Consolidated Plan brought together a "Core Team" comprised of members of a number of different City Departments;. These members represent Housing Services, Grants Management, Planning, Business Services, Redevelopment, Social Services, Public Works; Public Housing Authority, and the Mayor's Office. These departments produced the Plan in a collaborative manner and will share responsibility for implementation through interdepartmental teams where needed.
City departments will each have major responsibilities under the City's Consolidated Plan, but full implementation will rely on the on-going development of effective partnerships between the public and private and nonprofit sectors and between the City of Hartford's neighborhoods. In a time of shrinking public resources, there is increasing pressure to use remaining resources efficiently through collaboration.
To maximize its limited resources, the City of Hartford will take a leadership role in prioritizing, targeting existing funds, leveraging additional funds, and ensuring that programs are coordinated and services are not duplicated. The City is already moving in this direction by becoming a facilitator and technical assistance provider, in conjunction with establishing a Grant Resource Center within the Grants Management Division of the Department of Housing and Community Development.
At the neighborhood level, the city is helping to organize, under the Comprehensive Communities Program, neighborhood committees to work with city staff to set priorities at the neighborhood level for a range of initiatives, from economic development to addressing the abandoned housing problem. This program begins a move to bring service delivery, starting with police services, closer to neighborhood residents, sharing responsibility with them for basic planning and operational decisions. In some neighborhoods, ad hoc coalitions have been formed to pursue neighborhood development priorities with technical assistance from City staff, nonprofit housing developers, and others. These grassroots efforts are being encouraged and supported by the City.
As a result of the Consolidated Plan, representatives of the city of
Hartford have begun to meet with representatives of surrounding communities to
share information about planning and community development initiatives that are
taking place in those communities. It is the intent of all participants to
continue these meetings. The development or strengthening of regional
initiatives in all areas of the plan will be essential to counteract the
negative trends being experienced in the city of Hartford.
Hartford at Work presents Hartford's plan to marshall our community's resources to fulfill our vision for our City and its neighborhoods. Our vision for Hartford includes a vibrant downtown and clean, safe, diverse and lively neighborhoods in which residents are actively engaged in building their community. The vision for our children and families is for them to become self- sufficient economically, socially and physically. Our vision is grounded in the belief that expanding jobs and economic opportunity are the foundation for revitalization. It is also grounded in the understanding that the forces of economic and racial polarization within the region have set in motion a dynamic which Hartford is powerless to halt on its own. Concerns over a declining middle class, job and tax bases, rising social service needs, safety and quality of education must be dealt with on a regional basis. Hartford at Work challenges the citizens of the region to work together.
The following summarizes the City of Hartford's priorities and objectives for the allocation of resources for the provision of affordable housing over the next three to five years.
First order of priority: The City's first order of priority is home ownership. The City will give priority consideration to applications for HOME program funding that propose home ownership, (both rehabilitation and new construction) although both large and small families will receive priority consideration for funding, large family units will be preferred. This priority will also be addressed through activities such as the Department of Housing's Downpayment Assistance Program, Urban Homesteading Program, Redevelopment Projects, as well as other programs and activities which may be funded in part through the CDBG, and HOME Program and other public- private financing mechanisms.
Second order of priority: Although priority consideration for funding will go towards home ownership, the City fully recognizes the need to fund through its HOME Program the rehabilitation of its multi-family rental housing properties. In addition, CDBG funds will be used to maintain, preserve and improve the existing housing stock in Hartford through small home improvement loans to owner occupied properties in Hartford's neighborhoods.
Third order of priority: The City intends to begin in 1995 a selective demolition program to demolish some of the more than 700 vacant properties that have outlived their usefulness, are substantially deteriorating, and are contributing to the blight of the neighborhoods. The demolition of these properties will help to reduce present density in the neighborhoods and will allow for new construction and home ownership opportunities in the future.
Priorities for economic development activities include: creating a citywide coordinated approach to economic development projects targeted at attracting new commercial and industrial businesses and new jobs to Hartford, increasing the focus on small businesses; supporting the rehabilitation, expansion and retention of existing businesses, and advancing key downtown and neighborhood projects; focusing on the renewal and growth of Hartford's downtown business district as the central core of the City and hub of the region; developing and implementing a comprehensive neighborhood investment strategy through a community planning process; and creating an effective system for providing capital to fund economic development projects that diversify Hartford's economic base and create jobs for Hartford residents.
Priorities for workforce development activities include: building an effective regional workforce; working with regional economic development efforts to foster job creation; addressing transportation needs; coordinating area agencies' job development efforts; offering education and training services that are responsive to economic development initiatives and which support self-sufficiency; planning and implementing One Stop Career Centers; developing a comprehensive employment-related youth services delivery system; strengthening school-to- work transition; and insuring that Hartford residents are hired to work on major construction projects receiving public assistance.
Priorities for neighborhood revitalization activities include: encouraging and facilitating citywide and neighborhood-based efforts to get stakeholders involved in comprehensive planning efforts to encourage neighborhood revitalization and community development; improving the condition of neighborhoods by strategically using resources for physical revitalization; facilitating the redevelopment of abandoned properties and assisting property owners to access resources to maintain and rehabilitate properties; facilitating neighborhood revitalization by reducing crime, organizing residents, supporting law enforcement activities, and maintaining adequate fire protection; maintaining our infrastructure and public facilities; and facilitating community-based and region-wide arts and cultural activities.
Priorities for human development activities include designing a delivery system driven by the needs of residents, emphasizing collaboration, cost effective and comprehensive coordination of programs; ensuring low and moderate income residents access to basic services; developing Neighborhood Health Centers; reducing violence, drug abuse, teen pregnancy and AIDS; promoting expansion of mental health services with a family-based focus; developing an early childhood action plan; promoting expansion of daycare and supervised after school opportunities; aggressively pursuing youth through increased outreach efforts; expanding support programs for at-risk youth; expanding medical services to adolescents; making existing services more accessible to youth; developing inter-generational service delivery models; maintaining in-home services to seniors; targeting services to low-income elderly and those older adults whose independence may be jeopardized by fragile health and social status; and leveraging additional funding sources to support human development needs.
The high degree and concentration of poverty in several Hartford neighborhoods requires aggressive action on all the fronts, with emphasis on economic development (both job creation and job training), and mobilization of individuals and institutions for comprehensive neighborhood revitalization.
The initiatives will involve the expenditure of several hundred million dollars over the next five years. This expenditure is dwarfed by the projected expenditures on public education within the school system and basic income support under the AFDC, General Assistance, and Unemployment Insurance programs.
The principles and institutional processes which have guided the planning process for Hartford At Work will be as important to its success as the specific principles and mechanisms initiatives outlined below:
While the ultimate responsibility lies with the City Council, the appointed City Manager, and the Department heads charged with implementation, the plan calls for the building of capacity at the neighborhood level to ensure full accountability and responsiveness of City, other public, and private services.
The City of Hartford has received a HOME Program Entitlement for 1995 totaling $1,949,000. The Department of Housing and Community Development set aside $613,650 of 21st year CDBG funds for activities associated with housing development.
In addition, the Department of Housing and Community Development has $600,000 in program income available from loan repayments from the Urban Homesteading, Housing Preservation Loan Fund, and Housing Development Loan Fund Programs.
In the past, the city has received significant amounts of funding from the State Department of Housing under a variety of housing programs. However, at present, the status of the State Department of Housing is unclear and we are uncertain as to what level of funds will be earmarked, if any, for housing activities.
In the past, the City has required that applicants for funding demonstrate that they have or will successfully leverage funding from other public/private sources. The State Department of
Housing has provided a large portion of this funding with the balance coming from private sources. The biggest source of this private funding has been the Capitol Housing Finance Corporation which is funded by a consortium of local banks and insurance companies. As this organization is presently reconsidering its funding methods, it is unclear whether and to what extent it will continue to participate in the funding of affordable housing. With respect to satisfying matching requirement of HUD's HOME Program the City will request match credit from sources such as delinquent property taxes owed the City, anti-blight liens, and the value of City owned property and the value of Tax Abatements and Deferrals provided by the City for HOME projects. As a last resort, the City will utilize its Low Income Housing Fund as the City's match obligation.
One other source of funding for Affordable Housing that remains active at this time is the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program administered by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. Several of our 1993 and 1994 Home Projects relied upon the tax credit program for much of their funding.
The City of Hartford's Department of Housing & Community Development in its role as the lead agency in the drafting of the Consolidated Plan brought together a "Core Team" comprised of members of a number of different City Departments. The members of the Core Team represent Housing Services, Grants Management, Planning, Business Services, the Redevelopment Agency, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Public Works, the Public Housing Authority, and the Mayor's Office. These departments produced the Plan in a collaborative manner and will share responsibility for implementation through interdepartmental teams where needed. It is important to establish clear primary responsibility for each initiative or project. It is suggested that Department heads meet every six months for an all-day workshop to report on progress and update Hartford At Work. Reports of these sessions would become addenda to the Plan.
To promote coordination of City efforts, it is proposed that the Court of Common Council form a Special Committee of five members chaired by Deputy Mayor, to meet on a schedule set by the Deputy Mayor to monitor implementation of Hartford At Work. The Deputy Mayor will convene meetings of the Committee and key City department heads every six months to review progress on the plan. Departments would include those on the Core Team and others as invited.
The City of Hartford and the Hartford Housing Authority (HHA) work together closely to maximize resources and opportunities for the 4,490 residents of public housing. The City provides basic City and social services to public housing residents. The City Manager is responsible for the appointment of commissioners of the HHA . The Court of Common Council for the City of Hartford issued a number of resolutions in support of the work of the HHA, including a resolution dated April 25, 1994 that commends and endorses the work of the HHA in "developing and implementing plans that it is hoping will drastically redefine criminal activity and related social ills in the Authority's housing developments ...[by] lowering housing density, improving tenant security, creating multi-income/mixed use rental and homeownership communities, and emphasizing quality of life issues." The HHA worked closely with the City on the Stowe Village Family Investment Center development, and will continue to work very closely with the City on efforts to restructure the aging, large family developments.
In an atmosphere of continuous change, it is challenging to build meaningful collaborations with State agencies working on community development. It is the goal of the city of Hartford to maintain the existing coordination with these entities. However, the City cannot depend on the State, or any other single source for the resources necessary to implement a successful Consolidated Plan. Department heads are strongly encouraged to seek alternate sources of project funding as City, State and Federal resources are becoming increasingly scarce. The Department of Housing and Community Development has to date successfully identified and leveraged significant resources for both housing and community development activities that in the past were not available.
As a result of the Consolidated Plan, representatives of the City of
Hartford have begun to meet with representatives of surrounding communities to
share information about planning and community development initiatives that are
taking place in those communities. It is the intent of all participants to
continue these meetings. The development or strengthening of regional
initiatives in all areas of the plan will be essential to counteract the
negative trends described in Section I.
The one year Action Plan for FY 1995-96 addresses the expenditure of funds under the following HUD entitlement programs:
| Community Development Block Grant | $6,280,251 | (includes $950,000 in program income) |
| HOME | 1,949,000 | |
| Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) | 188,000 | |
| HOPWA | 644,000 | (program to be run by State of Conn.) |
| _________ | (Revised Allocation of $592,000) | |
| TOTAL | $9,061,251 |
The City allocated the majority of its Program Year 21 CDBG funds to strategic Community Development projects, provided funding for Human Services that sustained existing levels of services currently being provided to the community. In developing its spending plan for the funding of Community Development projects, the City gave higher priority to project applications that provided the potential for long term benefits to neighborhood revitalization efforts. Prioritized Human Services categories included youth services and programs; counseling services; training projects; neighborhood and housing services. Etc. Under Program Year 21, CDBG funds were distributed at the funding amounts and activity categories listed below.
| Community Development | $3,855,044 | (61%) |
| Human Services | 823,360 | (13%) |
| Housing Revolving Loan Funds | 600,000 | (10%) |
| CDBG Program Administration | 1,001,847 | (15%) |
| TOTAL | $6,280,251 | (100%) |
Under the FY 95 HOME Program, the City of Hartford reserved 10% ($194,900) of its total FY 95-96 HOME Program allocation for internal program administration. The City, as required by HUD, set-aside a minimum of 15% ($292,350) of its FY 95-96 HOME Program allocation for Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO's) for the purpose of providing loans for the rehabilitation of vacant-deteriorated residential properties for low income first time homeownership opportunities, low and very low income rental housing or any combination thereof. Preference will be given to those proposals that include a homeownership component. The majority of the City's HOME Program Funds, approximately $1,000,000, is being used for the rehabilitation of vacant, deteriorated residential properties for low income first time homeownership opportunities, low and very low income rental housing or any combination thereof. Preference is given to those proposals that include a homeownership component. The City has allocated approximately $461,750 of the remaining HOME Program funds for a downpayment assistance program to assist income eligible families to purchase their own homes. This program is one of the first of its kind in the nation, and was created by the Department of Housing and Fannie Mae. The program is known as House Hartford and is designed to increase homeownership in Hartford by providing Downpayment and Closing Cost Assistance. Fannie Mae has committed 75 million dollars to Hartford over the next 5 years with the hope that 1500+ families will take advance of this program.
The City of Hartford received $188,000 in Emergency Shelter Grant funds for the year beginning July 1, 1995; all of the will be expended by June 30,1996. Matching funds totaling $188,000 will include general fund dollars allocated in support of the McKinney Shelter and matching contributions from the emergency shelters receiving allocations. ESG funds will be used to fund existing emergency shelters and day shelters within the City of Hartford. Specifically, 95% of the funds will be used for operating costs and 5% will be used by the City for administrative costs. An estimated 9,321 individuals, including families with children will receive emergency shelter services during the year.
| Day Shelters | |||
| Friendship Center | 118 Main St | $4,700 | |
| House of Bread | 532 Ann St | 4,700 | |
| Subtotal | $9,400 | ||
| Actual Beds |
+20% for Shelters Open During the Day |
Adjusted Per Bed Allocation* | |
| Emergency Shelters | |||
| Immaculate Conception Shelter | 30 | 30 | $13,895 |
| Interval House | 20 | 24 | 11,190 |
| McKinney Shelter | 88 | 88 | 41,030 |
| My Sister's Place | 16 | 19 | 8,850 |
| Open Hearth | 20 | 20 | 9,320 |
| Salvation Army Marshall House | 27 | 32 | 14,915 |
| St. Elizabeth House | 23 | 23 | 10,720 |
| South Park Inn | 85 | 102 | 47,540 |
| Subtotal (Emergency Shelters) | $169,200 | ||
| Subtotal (Day Shelters) | 9,400 | ||
| TOTAL | $188,000 |
* Based on 20% increase for shelters open during the day.
$169,200: 363 adjusted beds = 466.12 per bed.
For the first time, the City of Hartford was eligible to apply, for HOPWA funds for the Hartford MSA. 97% of these funds will be passed on to the State of Connecticut, through a contract with the City, to be used for eligible activities to continue the programs they have in place to assist the needs of persons with HIV/AIDS in the Hartford MSA. The City will use 3% of the funds for administrative costs. Funds will be used for the year beginning December 1, 1995; it is anticipated that funds will be expended by November 30, 1996.
This action is being taken based on meetings with the State, local HUD, Hartford and the Connecticut AIDS Residence Coalition (CARC) officials in which unanimous support for this action was given. CARC is a statewide organization which supports providers of housing and services for PWAs and whose philosophy is states "that all people have a right to safe, affordable and permanent housing that enhances their quality of life." CARC's Standards of Care for Persons living with HIV/AIDS is followed by the State through programs supported with HOPWA funds and provides a continuum of responsible, supportive housing options for people with HIV disease. Those providers in the Hartford MSA who currently receive HOPWA funds were surveyed, and all were supportive of this action. This development of parallel programs would duplicate effective systems already in place. The passing on of funds to the State will insure that funds are distributed quickly and effectively to support programs authorized through the HOPWA program which target the Hartford MSA.
The allocation of resources were not limited to any special geographic neighborhood. Allocations were made citywide for every neighborhood in the city that suffers from the many serious problems described in this citizens summary of Hartford's plan. However, the City intends to develop plans to strategically target its resources to specific priorities and project areas during upcoming years that will make a meaningful impact in the neighborhood. Please refer to the Maps indicating the locations of programs and projects funded during FY 1995-96.
The City of Hartford Department of Housing and Community Development will be the lead agency for the implementation of the plan which will rely on the strengthening or development of community-based partnerships which bring together individuals and organizations to address each area of the plan. The plan will provide an overall context for this work, and the partnerships, which serve as planning, implementation, and mutual accountability mechanisms, will contribute to its continual refinement.
The city of Hartford is committed to increasing the availability of affordable housing and to improving the quality of life in Hartford's neighborhoods. The City's Department of Housing and its Redevelopment Agency will work with neighborhood-based organizations to create home ownership opportunities, develop rental housing, provide funding for maintenance and repair activities, provide down payment assistance, make loans to abate lead paint problems, and selectively demolish blighted buildings.
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 low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects for a single neighborhood, as described in the table under MAP 5.
MAP 7 depicts neighborhood streets, points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects, as described in the table under MAP 5.
