St. Petersburg is the largest of 24 municipalities in Pinellas county, covering 60 sq. miles with a population of 238.629 in 1990. Among St. Petersburg's principal attributes are its waterfront and climate. The "Sunshine City" is located on the southernmost tip of the Pinellas Peninsula-at the approximate mid-point of the west coast of Florida. In 1998 the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, an expansion major league baseball team will begin their inaugural season at the ThunderDome in St. Petersburg. The consolidated plan is an effort to implement the "St. Petersburg vision" which in part aspires to: "A St.Petersburg in which every resident has access to the necessary resources to allow them to achieve their quality of life expectations...."
St. Petersburg's Consolidated Plan presents the city's strategic vision and the resources that will be used to achieve this vision. During fiscal year 1995/1996 the city anticipates that there will be a total of $7,792,000 available to implement the Consolidated Plan components. These resources are committed to addressing the following overall objectives:
The development of the Consolidated Plan is an on-going process involving constant interaction with citizens, neighborhood associations, advocacy groups and consumers, as well as with supportive housing and service agencies, to identify housing and community development needs - including those of the homeless and those who need supportive services; and to discuss ways and means of addressing those needs. The Consolidated Plan is the culmination of this interaction.
Specific actions taken to inform the public about the Consolidated Planning Process and Plan included the following efforts. Two public meetings were advertised in local newspapers, and post card notices were mailed to: representatives of city neighborhood associations; interested citizens; advocacy groups and stakeholders that participated in prior collaborative planning efforts; and to all non-profit agencies that have, or might be expected to apply for funding under various Consolidated Plan programs.
Funding applications were also mailed to all of the non-profit housing and support service agencies having expressed interest and these funding opportunities were advertised, along with an invitation to attend a technical assistance workshop to assist in the preparation of grant applications. The technical assistance workshop provided city staff the opportunity to gather information about the applicants and their clientele.
The St. Petersburg Neighborhood Housing Festival, held in May, 1995, furnished the opportunity to provide information about affordable housing assistance programs and to obtain the perceptions of attendees and participants - primarily home owners, homebuyers, realtors and lenders, regarding the city's critical housing needs and issues. This information was also used in preparing the Plan.
The St. Petersburg City Council approved the Consolidated Plan on August 10,
1995.
After decades of rapid growth, the 1980s saw an abrupt halt to St. Petersburg's population surge; but an increase in household formation. In 1980, the city's 238,647 citizens were distributed over 104,487 households. By 1990, there were 238,629 residents, but 105,907 households - 18 fewer residents, but an increase of 1,420 (1.3%) households. Changes in family type explain the increase in the number of households. The number of single parent families, those living alone and non-family households have increased, while the number of married couples, with or without children has decreased.
The median age of the city's residents has been declining since 1970, dropping to 42.1 in 1980, and to only 38.6 in 1990 - lower than the county's (42.1); but higher than the nation's (32.9), and the rest of the nation's 100 largest cities. The percentage of those over 65, while down from 25.8% in 1980, still accounted for 22.2% of the city's population. However, those persons that might be expected to be most active in the housing and labor markets - aged 25 to 44, increased from 21.8% to 30.3% over the same period.
The percentage of families, unrelated individuals and persons below the poverty level in St. Petersburg has been declining over the past several decades - from 10.8% to 9.5% for families, from 38% to 20.9% for unrelated individuals and from 15.9% to 13.6% for all persons between 1970 and 1990. At the same time, median income almost doubled for families, and increased at the even more rapid pace of 142% for unrelated individuals, from 1980 to 1990. Still, the city's median income for all categories, remained lower than that of Pinellas County, by $2,000. Only 6.2% of the county's families were below the poverty level vs. 9.5% for the city; and, while the city had only 28.2% of the county's population, it was home to approximately 40% of the families, and 35% of the individuals that were below the poverty level in the county in 1989. In 1990, a 26% of St. Petersburg's households were earning less than 51% of the median family income, i.e. were "very low-income" and one-half of those households were actually earning less than 30% of the median family income.
St. Petersburg is racially diverse with 23.9% of its population made up of racial ethnic minorities, of which African-Americans constitute 19.4% and Hispanics account for 2.6%. With increasing ethnic diversity, the trend toward income disparity between the various racial/ethnic minorities has continued to increase. By 1990, with 42% of all households and only 38% of white households earning less than 80% of the median family income of $30,505; 63% of all black households found themselves in this same category, as did 51% of Asian/pacific islander, 43% of Hispanic and 41% of native American households. Similarly, 41% of all black households earned less than 50% of the median family income, as opposed to 24% for all households, and only 21% for white households.
Of the city's households, 63.8% are home owners and 36.2% are renters. The rate of owner- occupancy dropped from 65.5% to 63.0% of total occupied units between 1980 and 1990; but stayed higher for white than black households - 66% of the former, and only 49% of the latter were owners.
Renters, however, account for over half of all households earning 50%, and
59% of those earning 30% of median family income or less. Minority households
accounted for less than 15% of all owners; but over 26% of all renters.
Over the last decade, 32 of St. Petersburg's census tracts actually lost population - particularly those in the older inner-city neighborhoods. The greatest growth was experienced at the city's northern and southern edges where most of the new housing has been developed over the past decade. This trend indicates that when financially possible, households may be abandoning existing homes in the older inner-city neighborhoods to take advantage of new housing opportunities in the city's outer suburbs. This flight may be attributed to substandard housing conditions, neighborhood decline or functional obsolescence - because many of the older retirement bungalows don't meet consumer expectations regarding features and size - in spite of household down-sizing. The market for these smaller units has also declined as a result of the reduced in-migration of retirees. Finally, more and more households are choosing, or are forced by economics and the lack of affordable housing, to rent rather than own; and the peripheral neighborhoods offer more contemporary rental opportunities. The flight of those that can afford to go has increased the concentration of low-income and minority households in the city's interior.
In the last ten years, housing stock growth out paced household formation at a rapid rate. The total number of housing units in St. Petersburg increased by 5,966 while the number of households increased by only 1,420. As a result, there is now an oversupply of available housing to meet the current demand, as well as to absorb anticipated future demand.
However, while a significant number of older units were demolished between 1980 and 1990, there remain over 25,000 units, or 20% of the housing stock, over 40 years old and much of this inventory may become obsolete due to the predominance of two bedroom/one bath units - both in single-family detached homes, and larger multi-family rental and condominium projects.
Two bedroom units now make-up 44.2% of the housing stock; with homes having three or more bedrooms comprising 30.3%, and efficiency and one bedroom units - mostly in multi-family structures, accounting for 25.5%, of total housing units. Larger units are predominantly owner-occupied with renters occupying most of the smaller units. Almost 92% of the larger homes are occupied - 86.5% by owners; while only 76.6% of the one bedroom and efficiency units are occupied - almost 66% by tenants.
While the need for decent, safe and sanitary housing is ever present, and continues to grow, housing demand is largely determined by two other overriding factors: affordability and the match between housing consumer expectations and the types, sizes, quality and location of units in the housing stock.
Many housing consumers lack the means to access vacant single family homes and apartments available on the market; and many of those housing opportunities, particularly in the city's older neighborhoods - with median house values below $40,000 and contract rents below $270 do not meet current standards and expectations, however affordable they might be. This gap between housing supply and demand will widen as the city's neighborhoods age, its housing stock grows more obsolete, and the supply of developable land in the city's peripheral areas is developed.
The following summarizes some of St. Petersburg's key housing needs.
Homeless surveys are conducted by the participating agencies of the Pinellas County Homeless Coalition in conjunction with the county's Community Development Department in order to determine the extent and nature of the homeless problem in the area.
Pinellas County's greatest need is for additional emergency shelter beds for unsheltered individuals, and there is also a desperate need for additional beds and services for individuals and families in transitional housing. In many cases, the individuals and families in transitional housing may have a roof over their heads, but they are still struggling with underlying issues of substance abuse, mental illness, dual diagnosis, domestic violence or AIDS/HIV that caused or contributed to their homelessness. In this regard, and based on the 1995 Annual Homeless Survey and the Department of Veterans Affairs' Homeless Forum, the Coalition has identified the following as the county's, and by extension, the city's principal unmet needs:
St. Petersburg Housing Authority - Public Housing/Section 8 Needs
Another indicator of the housing crisis faced by extremely low- and low-income households is obvious in the Housing Authority's tenant composition in relation to its public housing inventory, and its waiting list. Most Housing Authority' clients are either single parent or elderly households; and almost all earn less than 50% of median family income. The Authority believes that the current demographic make-up of its existing public housing residents is the same in its Section 8 Program.
The Authority sees the greatest need for two and three bedroom units for families. When Jordan Park, the largest of the Housing Authority's public housing developments was constructed over 50 years ago, a large proportion of its units (over 40%) were one bedroom - which was the need that time. Now, in its three family oriented public housing developments, there are a total of 17 two parent families, and 466 single parent families. In all, there are 546 adults, and 951 children for an average of two children per family. As a result, many of the older, one bedroom units are overcrowded.
Some of the barriers to affordable housing are unique to St.Petersburg, some are not.
Flood zones: Unique to St. Petersburg is the prevalence of flood zones. Large portions of St. Petersburg's coastal and low lying areas have been identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as having special flood hazards. As a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program, the city was mandated to develop a Flood Ordinance that forbids renovation of properties in the flood zone that will cost more the 50% of the structure's appraised value. Many of the properties in the inner-city flood prone areas have exceedingly low values in relation to the cost of renovations that would be necessary to restore them to code compliance condition, therefore they can't be restored to productive use, and continue to deteriorate and blight their neighborhoods. Also, flood insurance, even if it remains available, represents a significant cost.
Land Availability: St. Petersburg is currently almost 90% built-out As of July, 1988, there remained only 137.17 acres of residentially zoned vacant land on sites of 5 acres or more in St. Petersburg. As currently zoned, these remaining sites could accommodate up to 1,352 new units. This is not sufficient to accommodate the 4,380 new units projected to be needed over the next 15 years unless substandard units that are demolished are replaced, and infill housing programs are developed to utilize the smaller scattered, single family lots that account for over 70% of the city's available vacant land.
Barriers to affordable housing development that are not unique to St. Petersburg but are present include, development regulations that increase per unit cost, few developers, a gap between appraised values and housing costs, consumer perceptions regarding neighborhood viability, and opposition to affordable housing.
The city assisted the Community Housing Resource Board (CHRB) to prepare and submit a Fair Housing Initiative Proposal (FHIP) which, unfortunately was not funded. The City of St. Petersburg is conducting an analysis of impediments to fair housing and will submit its Fair Housing Plan by February, 6, 1996.
The risk of exposure to lead hazards is significant since St. Petersburg is in an urban county in which the use of lead based paint is assumed to have been more prevalent than in the more rural parts of the south. The consequences of such exposure is greatest for children under 5 years of age. In 1990, there were 14,281 children under 5, distributed over 5,192 families - 962 of which were below poverty level, in the city - or 6% of the total population. While this is a smaller "at risk" percentage than Florida (6.6%) or the United States (7.4%); it is growing - up 1.2% since 1970. Also, since July, 1992, the Pinellas County Public Health Unit's Lead Intervention Team has identified 1,647 children with elevated blood lead levels in Pinellas County through December, 1994; and has developed a strategy for tracking such cases and identifying "at risk" areas of the city for program targeting based on many of the factors identified above, and test findings.
Overall, 85% of pre-1979 units are occupied by very low- and low-income tenants; while only 51% of such units are occupied by owners in these income ranges. A total of 43,362 units are expected to contain lead hazards.
This trend becomes even more pronounced with unit age, as 91% of the apartments over 50 years old - most all of which are assumed to contain lead based paint, are occupied by very low- and low-income tenants; and of these, 55% are occupied by very low-income tenants even though such tenants represent only 35% of total lower income tenants occupying apartments built before 1980. The reverse is true for apartments built between 1960 and 1979 - only 62% of which are estimated to contain lead based paint. Only 25% of the 81% of such units that are occupied by lower income tenants, are occupied by very low-income tenants - indicating that the poorest renters are obligated, by circumstances, to occupy the oldest structures.
Homeowner occupancy of older homes is more ambiguous, with the highest
percentage of lower income homeowners, and the lowest percentage of very
low-income homeowners, occupying homes built between 1940 and 1959 - 80% of
which are estimated to contain some lead based paint.
The city's overall vision is as follows:
A ST. PETERSBURG IN WHICH EVERY RESIDENT HAS ACCESS TO THE NECESSARY RESOURCES TO ALLOW THEM TO ACHIEVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE EXPECTATIONS.
The city's mission statement for affordable housing is:
PROVIDE DECENT, SAFE AND SANITARY HOUSING IN SUITABLE NEIGHBORHOODS, AT AFFORDABLE COSTS, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PRESENT AND FUTURE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG.
The over-riding priority of the Consolidated Strategic Plan is to reduce the cost burden of all extremely low-, low- and moderate-income tenant and owner households to within affordability parameters, and eliminate overcrowding and substandard conditions for all such households over the next 20 years. It is proposed that this goal be accomplished through rent supplements, creative refinancing, home buyer assistance, and the rehabilitation of existing substandard tenant and owner occupied housing, and the restoration to productive use of vacant and off- market units for homebuyers.
A second priority is to accommodate the housing needs of new residents, including a need for new apartments for 147 small, 17 large and 246 elderly households, and 724 new homes for those in the extremely low-, low- and moderate-income ranges, over the next 5 years.
As stated above, housing is the city's major priority. In conjunction with this overriding goal, the City intends to revitalize neighborhoods thorough private and public space improvements and neighborhood amenity development, to expand construction jobs coupled with employment skills training, community preference and hiring policies; and to expand the number and capacity of for and non profit development entities to carry out housing and community development programs.
In 1990, approximately 9.5% of the City's families were living below the poverty level. Some of these families and individuals are already homeless, and many more hover on the brink of homelessness. Because shelter costs absorb such a large percentage of their income that little remains for food, clothing, health care or transportation most are dependent on public assistance. As a result, it is almost impossible for such families and individuals to break the cycle of poverty to become self-sufficient and independent without substantial support and assistance. In addition, surveys indicate that, while most are unemployed, a significant number were either employed on a part time basis, or in marginal, low paying jobs - the underemployed "working poor". For these persons, the lack of a functional education and the skills required to access steadier, higher paying jobs, remains a major cause of poverty. In this regard, the two keys that offer the most promise for reducing the number of households living in poverty are: the creation and retention of viable employment opportunities, and re-education and skills training to enhance access to such opportunities. To this end, funds have already been budgeted to implement Achievement Centers and Opportunity Clusters.
Achievement Centers will provide a full range of human and family support (shelter, food, medical services, counseling) while job skills are being obtained so that residents can wholly concentrate on learning the skills they need. Opportunity Clusters are a type of incubator, a center for industry and commerce where residents can practice their newly obtained job skills and "earn while they learn" before becoming independent.
The city anticipates receiving the following federal funding, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funds, Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) funds, and a portion of Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) funds from the City of Tampa to support transitional and permanent housing and services for persons with AIDS in Pinellas County.
In addition, the city anticipates receiving State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds and intends to allocate its own Housing Capital Project Fund (HCPF) funds.
Also, based on FY 1994 funding allocations, over 130 agencies providing housing and supportive services to the homeless, those at risk of homelessness, and non-homeless persons with special needs county-wide, will receive funding from a variety of sources including city and county CDBG and Social Action allocations, and the Juvenile Welfare Board, United Way, Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, and Federal Emergency Management Administration, McKinney Act and Job Training Partnership Act funds.
All of the above resources will be used to address the housing, homeless, and community and economic development needs identified in the Plan, and implement identified strategies to achieve the following objectives:
The city of St. Petersburg is responsible for the activities described in the Consolidated Plan, but the W.I.N. Coalition members, housing developers, the public sector through which development regulations are imposed and supplemental funding is provided, and housing consumers play integral roles as well. For the homeless and those who require support services, there is also a network of non-profit agencies that provide emergency, transitional and permanent supportive housing and supportive services. In St. Petersburg, most of the resources, and many of the participants in the affordable housing delivery system, are in position to expand the supply of affordable and supportive housing and services
There are some gaps in the system, related primarily to the capacity of various system components to meet the increasing demand for such housing and services. To improve the institutional delivery system structure, the city proposes the following:
The Annual Plan of the city's Consolidated Plan estimates that the city will have resources of $7,792,000 to implement the Plan components. The major fund sources and amounts are: $3,223,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), $ 1,160,000 HOME, $1,300,000 State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP Program-State funding) and $122,000 Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG).
The cornerstone of the city's efforts to deal with its housing problems is the spectrum of housing programs to assist households to obtain housing, as in home buyer assistance programs, or to maintain and retain housing through emergency repair and other rehabilitation programs. A total of 806 households is projected to be assisted.
The city will provide the following programs during this fiscal year.
Housing Rehabilitation-direct loans to home owners.
Housing Rehabilitation-loan guarantees to banks on behalf of home owners.
Painting Programs-provides paint and in some cases, labor to paint homes.
Home buyer Assistance-direct 2nd or 3rd mortgage loans to new home buyers
Police In housing-interest rate buy-downs for sworn police personnel.
Housing Recycling-development loans to for-and non-profit developers to rehabilitate and construct housing.
The Community/Economic Development key projects are; Neighborhood Plan Improvements in two of the city's target neighborhoods for $240,000 in CDBG Funds and the funding of the St. Petersburg Certified Development Corporation, a certified development company that makes loans to small businesses for $285,000,
Over $1 million will be spent to meet the needs of the homeless identified in the Consolidated Plan. Eleven non-profit agencies will receive over $1 million to provide shelter and services to homeless persons and families. Most of the projects involve acquisition and rehabilitation of both permanent and temporary supportive housing as well as emergency shelter.
Due to the city's policy of resource concentration, the majority of the programs described above will take place within the city's target neighborhoods.
The city of St. Petersburg will be the lead coordinating agency and will work with Pinellas county, the Working to Improve our Neighborhoods (W.I.N). Coalition banks and Realtors, neighborhoods and other partners and subrecipients to achieve the goals set forth in the Plan.
The overriding priority of the Consolidated Strategic Plan is the reduction of the burden of all extremely low-, low- and moderate-income tenants and owner households to within affordability parameters, and to eliminate overcrowding and substandard conditions for all such households over the next 20 years. During this fiscal year, the Annual Plan calls for a total of 806 households to be assisted as follows: direct and guaranteed home improvement loans to be made to 160 homeowners; emergency repairs in the interest of code compliance and the Paint St. Pete Proud Program for 80 home owners and Operation Paintbrush for 250 home owners. Funds have also been budgeted to assist 180 home buyers; and also to provide funds to assist developers to recycle 130 vacant and boarded homes, including 90 in the city's target areas.
The City of St. Petersburg has established specific standards and procedures to monitor all activities carried out under the Consolidated Plan. These standards and procedures have been implemented in order to ensure long-term compliance with the requirements of the programs involved, including minority business outreach and the comprehensive planning requirements. The City's monitoring efforts are specifically directed toward program objectives performance, financial performance, record keeping/reporting, and regulatory compliance for the City itself as well as for all subrecipients. Compliance with National Objectives and the eligibility of activities undertaken, as well as compliance with regulations that are specific to a particular activity is documented on a program level as well as at the project levels.
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).
