Hillsborough County, is situated along Tampa Bay, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico, on the west coast of Florida. Encompassing 76 miles of Tampa Bay coastline and 20 miles of inland water. The County is a little over an hour from all the Orlando attractions and about a thirty minute drive from the beautiful Gulf Coast beaches. The County totals 1072 square miles size and comprises one part of the Tampa\St. Petersburg\Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) with a combined population of well over two million people. The County has three incorporated communities which are the Cities of; Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City. The County's economy draws on tourism, services, manufacturing and government. Through the Consolidated Planning Process, Hillsborough County has laid the groundwork for proactive Housing and Community Development for the next three years and beyond.

A. Action Plan

During the fiscal year which runs from October 1, 1998, through September 30, 1999, Hillsborough County will utilize Federal funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out the activities and strategies detailed in our Consolidated Planning Document (CPD). These funds include the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Home Investment Partnership Act (HOME) and Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG). In addition, Housing for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) funds will be available to Hillsborough County residents, but are addressed in the City of Tampa's Consolidated Plan. The total funds available for the activities outlined in the CPD total $8,471,000. Match requirements for the HOME program will come primarily from the Florida State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program funds. Hillsborough County's SHIP allocation for the fiscal year July 1, 1998 through June 30, 1999 is approximately $3.9 million. In addition, private funds are sought to help leverage these dollars for First-Time Home Buyers served through Hillsborough County's non-profit housing providers. The goals and objectives of Hillsborough County's 1998 - 2001 CPD are described below:

· Provide decent housing - improve existing housing conditions and increase the availability of very low to moderate income housing opportunities through affordable housing programs.

· Create suitable living environments - provide improvement of the quality of life to very-low to moderate income persons through public service programs, addressing human service needs and infrastructure improvements. Provide programs to improve and upgrade the living environment through capital improvement projects, rehabilitation, public services, and the provision of home ownership opportunities.

· Expand economic opportunities - work to get a stronger commercial base and attract businesses to the County.

B. Citizen Participation

Hillsborough County began its Consolidated Planning Document (CPD) development process in early February, 1998, by sending out letters and surveys to 259 non-profit organizations, local and state government service providers, civic and neighborhood associations and advocate groups advising them of the CPD development process and of five public hearing meetings that were scheduled for February, 1998. The County selected five locations that would conveniently accommodate all residents of unincorporated Hillsborough County. The public notice announcing the CPD public hearing meetings was printed in 3 local newspapers on February, 1998 soliciting public comment for the CPD Public service announcements and flyers were also done. The County advertised again in May, 1998 stating the dates and places where the "Draft CPD" could be reviewed prior to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners Public Workshop on the proposed CPD.

Hillsborough County consulted with and received cooperation and assistance from the City of Tampa, the Hillsborough County Planning Commission, the City of Plant City, the City of Temple Terrace, Hillsborough County Health Department, Hillsborough County Housing Finance Agency, State of Florida Department of Labor and Employment, the Florida State Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, and the City of Tampa Housing Authority. Other organizations that provided information and assistance were the Affordable Housing Steering Committee, the West Central Area Agency on Aging, the Hillsborough Coalition for the Homeless, the Bay Area Apartment Association, the Bay Area Legal Services, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the Tampa AIDS Network, the Tampa Bay Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the Tampa Bay Reinvestment Corporation, and the Agency for Community Treatment Services, Inc., among numerous others.

Hillsborough County is a moderately growing urban county in West Central Florida, with 88% of its 1,072 square miles in the unincorporated area. According to the 1990 Census, 61% of the population lived in the unincorporated area. By 2010, more than 70% of the total population will reside outside of the incorporated cities. In 1993, the unincorporated County had 548 persons per square mile. Economic growth and population growth has moderated over the past several years. The unemployment rate in 1993 was 6.4% and has remained stable over the last few years. Property values have moderated also and this has put a larger burden on local governments to meet increased needs without increased tax revenues. The majority of Hillsborough County's 1990 population is white (82.8 percent), 13.2 percent were African Americans and 4 percent were other minorities.

The median family income in 1998, for a family of four is $42,000. Approximately 30% of all households in Hillsborough County had incomes below 80% median family income (MFI) in 1990. Over one in four (28%) White households are represented in this income category. Nearly half of Black (44%) households have incomes below the 80% MFI, followed by Hispanics at 41% and Asians at 38%.

A. Conditions

Population increases projected for unincorporated Hillsborough County will occur. Unincorporated Hillsborough has been rapidly growing. In 1980 the population was 347,201, but by 1986, the unincorporated County's population had increased by 35% to 469,701. The anticipated 2015 population is 782,600 persons. Federal, State (University of South Florida) County Governments and the Hillsborough County School Board the are the largest employers in the County. Hillsborough County unemployment rates continue to remain below the state average and the County consistently averages well below much of the northern United States in terms of "Housing Affordability" and "Cost of Living" indices.

B. Housing Needs

In providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, Hillsborough County has identified the following areas as priority housing needs in the Consolidated Plan: reducing the housing cost burden to very-low and low income small, large and elderly households who pay between 30 to 50 percent of their household income towards housing; rehabilitating owner occupied and rental housing that is in substandard condition and reducing overcrowding in both owner occupied and rental housing.

1. Housing Market Conditions

Affordable, decent housing is becoming scarcer across the United States with every metropolitan area having rents too high for low and moderate income people. Half of all renter households need a two bedroom unit, but 40% of renter households cannot afford the rent. Affordable housing is a problem for many residents of Hillsborough County. The problem is most prevalent among low and moderate income households. Many households spend more than 30% of their monthly income on shelter cost. Housing cost are increasing as land values, materials, labor, land use restrictions, government regulations and an aging housing stock all add to the cost of housing.

A related problem to affordability is the condition of the housing stock. A study conducted by the University of South Florida provided data on the number of standard and substandard housing units which when compounded with low wage growth and rising cost of living equates to many units not being maintained as they should. While most of the units that have been neglected are still structurally sound, a continued lack of maintenance may result in substandard housing which will impact the welfare of the occupants.

The cost of housing is expected to increase at a faster rate than wages. In this environment lower income families may not be able to keep pace. This will result in an increased number of families becoming homeless or living in less than adequate housing conditions.

2. Affordable Housing Needs

The demand for family housing will continue to remain high. In 1985, 61% of the housing stock in unincorporated Hillsborough County was single family. Building permit data indicates that single family is still the preferred housing type. Preservation of existing housing isnecessary because of increasing costs of new housing. New housing construction is becoming increasingly unaffordable to moderate income persons. The resale home market offers a viable housing option for those with low and moderate incomes. The decreasing household size over time will result in an increased demand for housing to serve the population. US Census data from 1920 to 1990 shows a decreasing trend in household size. With smaller households, more housing units are needed to accommodate the same number of people.

A major problem facing many Hillsborough County residents is the growing lack of affordability of housing. This problem will be most prevalent among low and moderate income households. The lower-income households spend greater than 35% of their income for housing. This leaves little income available for other necessities to this segment of the population. The types of housing supplied depend upon market forces such as profitability, land costs, construction costs and government regulations. Such units are allocated economically, that is, by the consumer's ability to pay at the lowest end of the economic scale. Some families can find only substandard housing while others are homeless.

There are several underlying causes of this housing affordability crisis. They include rising costs for land, materials and labor, land use restrictions, slow regulatory processing time which increases interest carrying charges, and the lack of sufficient funds for maintenance and rehabilitation of the housing stock.

3. Homeless Needs

Because of its geographic, demographic, and economic diversity, the Tampa-Hillsborough Area represents a "snapshot" of American homelessness. Hillsborough County spans 1,051 square miles, within which live 879,069 persons. It includes inner cities and sprawling suburbs, farmland and parks, commissioned and decommissioned military bases, decaying factories, and thriving computer industries.

While most programs serving the homeless are located within the Tampa city limits, homeless persons in significant numbers are found in all parts of the County, urban, suburban, and rural. According to a recent homeless count by the Homeless Coalition, 2,300 persons find themselves without a permanent address on any given day, living on the streets or in an emergency shelter. As detailed later, this homeless population includes the one-time homeless, the chronically homeless, single adults and/or families with children, unaccompanied youths, seniors on fixed-incomes, veterans, victims of domestic violence, and those with problems of physical and mental health, alcohol, drug abuse, and/or HIV/AIDS.

Many pieces of a Continuum of Care system are already in place as a result of efforts by a Coalition of organizations and individuals formed specifically to address the area's geometric growth in homelessness -- the Hillsborough Coalition for the Homeless. The Coalition developed a Long Range Strategic Plan in 1987, which has been updated annually, including a comprehensive progress review in 1994. It provides an important foundation for this year's Continuum development work. Current services are provided in shelters, in transitional living facilities, in supportive permanent housing, and in mainstream social service settings. The basic issues contributing to homelessness in the Tampa-Hillsborough Area are poverty due to lack of skills needed to earn a living wage, the lack of appropriate affordable housing, and a shortfall in resources needed for disabled persons (mentally ill, chronic substance abusers and dually diagnosed disabled) to achieve their highest level of independence. Even with the efforts of numerous organizations and individuals, both within and without the formal structure of the Coalition, gaps still exist in the Continuum of housing and services needed to assist individuals and families achieve their highest possible level of self-sufficiency and permanent housing.

Current planning activities are directly derivative of extensive previous efforts of the past 11 years. They are designed to: (1) diagnose the gaps in the Continuum of Care, as it presently exists; (2) prescribe short and long term strategies; and (3) develop programs and resources to fill those gaps in the fulfillment of the goals of preventing, reducing and, ultimately, ending homelessness.

4. Public and Assisted Housing Needs

Hillsborough County is not a Public Housing Authority and therefore is not directly involved in Public Housing. The City of Tampa Housing Authority handles all of the public housing within Hillsborough County. The City's Public Housing Program has gained national recognition for their innovative programs they have developed and administer.

The Tampa Housing Authority does have franchise rights to operate public housing within 10 miles of the City limits. Currently the Tampa Housing Authority operates 4,936 units of public housing of which 170 are in the unincorporated County. These are the Moses White and Seminole Park units. Plant City also owns and operates public housing and manages 200 units within its jurisdiction for a total of 360 public housing units

Regarding Housing Opportunities for People with Aids, the City of Tampa, Florida was first designated as a HOPWA program grantee in fiscal year 1992. This designation included the Tampa -St. Petersburg -Clearwater Eligible Metropolitan Statistical Area (EMSA) which includes Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties. Since the inception of the HOPWA program, grant funds totaling $5,795,000.00 have been allocated throughout the area providing housing and supportive services to the HIV population and their families. Although our primary goal has been to provide funds to build and construct facilities specifically designed for the HIV population, there has been a recent emphasis in providing more housing assistance allowing for greater continuum of care. Working with eleven separate project sponsors throughout the EMSA, we have provided 177 rental housing units to date with an anticipated 26 more units in FY 97. During the last year and a half over 1,500 individuals and their families were assisted through categories such as housing units, rental assistance, informational services and supportive services.

Other goals have been to provide case management and Support services to the AIDS victims and families, and to inform eligible persons through various referrals and announcements. To ensure implementation of this goal Project Sponsors such as Operation PAR, Inc, Gulf Coast Jewish Family Mental Health Services, Inc., and Hillsborough County's Ryan White Programs work together to facilitate appropriate referrals, improve the delivery of services and ensure that all age groups, those who are substance abusers and those who are not, will have access to appropriate housing.

The Project sponsors and recipients of HOPWA housing services are monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that eligibility criteria continues to be met and that services are appropriate to the individual's needs. It should also be noted that due to client confidentiality, client unwillingness to provide personal information, personnel turnover, project amendments and changing regulation requirements, much of the information is not always reliable. The recent addition of a HUD form (HUD HOPWA Annual Progress Report Worksheet) should assist efforts to report as accurate information as possible.

The primary organizations dealing with AIDS within the City are Tampa AIDS Network, Family Enrichment Center, ACTS, Francis House, and Catholic Charities. These four HOPWA providers account for 64 (36%) units. Supportive housing is a need among this population. The age group with the highest incidence (number of new cases for the period April, 1994 to April, 1995) of AIDS is 30-39. Women aged 20-29 have the second highest rates. The incidence among adolescents aged 15-19 years is increasing. Projected cumulative AIDS cases in Florida by 1998 are estimated at 125,573, which is four times as many cases as in 1992.

In Hillsborough County as of March 1, 1997, 3,577 people have been diagnosed with AIDS, and by the year 2000 that number could exceed 7,500. Currently, 90% of AIDS cases are between 20-49 years of age and over 85% of all cases are male. However, reported AIDS cases among females has increased by over 33% since 1994, while AIDS cases among males has increased by over 7% during the same period.

5. Barriers to Affordable Housing

Hillsborough County has not identified any excessive, exclusionary, discriminatory, or duplicative aspects in its statutes, ordinances, regulations, and administrative procedures and processes that may constitute barriers to affordability to date. Between Hillsborough County's Comprehensive Plan and the SHIP program, the County is addressing affordable housing needs.

The Hillsborough County Land Development Code was approved by the Board of County Commissioners in April, 1992. In reference to affordable housing, the regulations provide for incentives for farm worker and other affordable housing projects through density bonuses, relaxed development standards and streamlined procedures. The Impact Fee Relief program allows for relief from the payment of Transportation/ROW, Parks and Fire impact fees for income eligible persons. The Community Improvement Department also provides developers and providers of affordable housing with planning, regulatory and technical assistance. In an effort to streamline the review and permitting process, Hillsborough County has established a "Permit Services Center." A developer can begin the rezoning process here and pull all permits during construction. This reduces the amount of time a developer is paying interest on the money borrowed and helps to cut costs to the consumer. Also, under the Florida State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program, which Hillsborough County participates in, local governments were mandated to adopt and Affordable Housing Incentive Plan (AHIP) which addressed barriers to affordable housing and adopt plan to reduce those barriers. The AHIP was adopted in February 1994, and the County must provide the State with annual updates as to the progress of the Plan.

6. Fair Housing

Hillsborough County currently has a Fair Housing program which is administered by the Human Resources Department. A complete explanation of the County's Fair Housing Practices can be found in the "Hillsborough County - Human Rights Ordinance, Section 6". This section deals with such subjects as: Unlawful Discriminatory Real Estate Practices; Unlawful Handicap Discriminatory Real Estate Practices; Interference, Coercion and Intimidation; Residential Real Estate - Related Transactions; Brokerage Services; and Exemption and Exceptions.

7. Lead-Based Paint

Hillsborough County works with the Environmental Services Division of the Hillsborough County Health Department to detect and handle cases of lead abatement. Lead-Based Paint Hazards may not be as serious a threat in Hillsborough County as in other parts of the nation due to the relatively new housing stock and the lower incidence of lead-based paint in the southern states. The actual number of facilities with Lead Based paint is much lower than the following estimate, which is based on the methodology described in the Technical Assistance Bulletin 1, lead-based paint hazards and the comprehensive housing affordability strategy, how to respond to Title X: recommendations for addressing lead- based paint hazards in housing to reduce childhood lead poisoning, published by The National Center for Lead-Safe Housing, a joint venture of The Enterprise Foundation and The Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning.

C. Community Development Needs

The Hillsborough County CPD is based on the following principals, the County:

• Recognizes that individuals and families have a right to be treated with respect and dignity and to participate in decisions affecting their lives.
  
• Values community partnerships and shall promote collaborative efforts that bring together families, service providers, consumers, neighborhoods, and community members in developing solutions to address changing housing, human service, education, and community development needs.
  
• Recognizes the need to channel resources, opportunities, and services to those individuals and communities who experience greater economic and/or social needs.
  
• Believes that all individuals within our community should have knowledge of and access to the services for which they are eligible; and we are committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities and those with cultural or language differences get that knowledge and access.
  
• Recognizes that there are gaps and shortfalls in the capacities of local and regional systems to address current and emerging human and community development needs. We shall continue to give human services high priority for the use of City discretionary funds, and we are committed to working with other funding and service providers, both public and private, to develop, expand, coordinate, and target the base of resources available for these purposes.
  
• Is accountable to the public trust. We hold ourselves accountable for fair and efficient administration of public resources and for supporting responsive and effective services which strive to achieve positive outcomes for individuals, families, neighborhoods, and the broader community.

A. Vision for Change

Hillsborough County believes that through our comprehensive and consolidated efforts, affordable housing and community development\redevelopment doesn't just have to be vision, but can a reality for many of our residents. The County's commitment to safe, decent and affordable housing starts in the strategic planning process and is an ongoing process. Hillsborough County is constantly evaluating its current programs to see where improvements can be made and always looking for innovative ways of delivering our programs.

B. Housing and Community Development Objectives and Priorities

A priority for the Hillsborough County Community Improvement Department in responding to housing needs is to reduce the cost burden for small, larger and elderly households, whether for rental, home-ownership or rehabilitation of existing housing stock that is considered substandard. The Community Improvement Department has successfully created community housing partnerships to widen access to a greater range of funding resources. These partnerships include local government, for-profit and non-profit developers and lenders. Many examples of newly constructed rental housing have been developed as a result of these partnerships. For these achievements, Hillsborough County was the recipient of the John J. Gunther Blue Ribbon Practices in Community Development Award in 1997 from U.S. HUD.

C. Housing Priorities

Priorities for affordable housing include; reducing the cost burden for very-low to moderate income small, large and elderly populations by increasing the amount of available affordable housing through various programs, and rehabilitating those dwellings in the County which are classified as substandard to provide a safe and decent living environment.

D. Non-Housing Community Development Priorities

The County has developed an extensive revitalization strategy that includes the economic empowerment of low-income residents, especially in the CDBG University of South Florida Target Area. The County also encourages residential in-fill type of affordable housing. The County operates a Disadvantaged Minority/Disadvantaged Women Business Enterprise and Small Business Enterprise Encouragement programs originally adopted in 1984. The Minority/Women Business Enterprise program is tailored to business affirmative action strategies to gain access to the County's procurement programs. The Small Business Enterprise Encouragement limits participation to all small businesses principally domiciled in Hillsborough County and provides set-asides in capital construction, contractual services and commodities, credit assistance, and payment and performance bond waivers.

E. Anti-Poverty Strategy

The majority of programs to assist low income people are managed, staffed and funded under the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, through the Office of the County Administrator. All of the activities that are described below are under the same Assistant County Administrator. It is a comprehensive system for dealing with problems faced by the poor and for services to support individuals and families to experience as much autonomy as possible. These programs are a good foundation for dealing with poverty and the persons who are impacted by it. The Family Self-Sufficiency Program ties into most of these services, and will assist families on the road out of poverty and all the despair it brings. County programs work with residents of public housing in the City of Tampa and Plant City as well as non public housing residents, regardless of residency

F. Housing and Community Development Resources

For all of the activities outlined in the Hillsborough County CPD, the County will primarily utilize CDBG, HOME, ESG and HOPWA funds. In addition, the County will also use funds from such resources as; Special Purpose Grants awarded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State of Florida - State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program and State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) Program, the Low Income Housing Tax Credits Program, Section 8 funds, Local Single and Multi-family bond program, Local Lender funds through the County's First Time Home buyers Program, Impact Fee Relief and Density Bonuses. The County continues to actively seek other funding from all possible sources, to aid in our Housing and Community Development Programs.

G. Coordination of Strategic Plan

Hillsborough County regularly solicits information from non-profits, for-profits and governmental agencies that serve our jurisdiction. In implementing the actual objectives of the Action Plan, the County will coordinate resources, including CDBG, HOME, HUD Special Purpose Grant, ESG, HOPWA, State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP), State Agricultural and Consumer Services, and Rural Economic and Community Development fund sources with agencies and organizations that include but are not limited to the following: non-profit service providers and funding sub-recipients, other County Departments (Health and Social Services, Management and Budget, Human Resources, the Planning Commission, Planning and Growth Management, Public Works, Economic Development Department, and the Health Department), the City of Temple Terrace, the City of Plant City, the City of Tampa, the Housing Finance Agency, the Affordable Housing Steering Committee, and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.

The Hillsborough County Community Improvement Department serves as the lead agency for housing program administration and planning. This Department will continue to work with closely with the public and all of the organizations listed above to most effectively achieve the objectives described in the Action Plan.

The housing goals of Hillsborough County for the first year, include increasing the supply of safe, decent and affordable housing for approximately 1,000 households through rehabilitation, displacement & replacement of housing, acquisition, preservation, loan processing for First-Time Homebuyers and new construction.