Springfield's 1995 Consolidated Plan constitutes a strategic vision for housing and community development in the city. This document summarized the plan so that citizens in the community can have a quick overview of Springfield's housing and community development problems; the 5-year broad goals, strategies, and actions proposed to deal with those problems; and specific projects for carrying out this strategy during 1995.
The Consolidated Plan also includes an action plan constituting an application for funds under two different HUD formula programs for a total of $2.3 million: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program - $1.7 million, and HOME Investments Partnership Program - $.6 million. These funds and the previously unprogrammed prior year's income of $1.0 million will support activities for the 1995 program year.
The plan was developed through an active citizen participation process that
included public hearings, survey, and organizational and committee meetings.
Announcement of the public hearing was published in two newspapers, The State
journal-Register and the Springfield's Voice. Over 95 agencies having an
interest in economic development and community development activities were
invited to the public hearing. Other business, organizations and community
groups participating in the consolidated planning process included Springfield's
Homeless Coalition, the Enterprise Community Team, Neighborhood/Community Based
Organizations, financial institutions, and local government agencies.
The population of the City of Springfield is expected to continue to grow steadily throughout the 1990's at about the same rate of growth (5.6%) as experienced during the past decade. The 1990 population stands at 105,227 persons. Housing assistance needs during the next five years are expected to be met at about the same rate and to the same extent that housing assistance needs are currently being met.
According to 1990 Census Data, 13,065 persons or 12.6% of the City's
population had incomes below the poverty level. 2,587 families or 9.78% of the
total 26,803 families in Springfield had incomes below the poverty level.
Census data for 1990 places the total number of year-round housing units in Springfield at 48,534. Of this number, 45,006 housing units were occupied and 3,528 units or 7.27% were vacant. The rental vacancy rate in 1990 was 8.5% with 1,743 units for rent, while the owner vacancy rate was 1.8% with 485 units for sale. The remaining 1,300 vacant units were not available for rental.
The median value of owner-occupied housing in the City was $59,000, an increase of 33% from the 1980 medium value of $44,400. Median contract rent for 1990 was $314, an increase of 60% from $197 in 1980. The average purchase price of a home sold during 1990 was $70,100.
Census tracts 8,9,14,15,17, and 24 have less than 85% of their housing units in sound condition. These are tracts in which; code enforcement, rehabilitation programs and demolition should be concentrated. Fourteen years after the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission Report cited this problem, the housing dilemma still continues.
Homelessness in Springfield is addressed primarily through the efforts and facilities of a coalition of private, not-for-profit organizations. As a result of the City's March 1995 homeless count, the City contends that the percentage of homeless individuals is remaining fairly constant and that the private, not-for-profit organizations providing emergency shelters are achieving their goal of providing shelter to those in need and bringing people in off of the streets.
The Springfield Housing Authority (SHA) owns and manages 1,456 public housing units within the city and a total of 1,159 Section 8 project-based assisted housing units Another 574 units are assisted through tenant-based rental certificates and vouchers under SHA's Section 8 Finders Keepers Program. Renovation of the John Hays Homes housing project has been proposed as well as the completion of a 50-unit single-family scattered-site project using CDBG funds.
The City's average cost for the purchase of a home in 1994 was over $75,000. Economic limitation, rather than racial discrimination, is the primary impediment to fair housing ownership. It is also a fact that the City lacks good quality housing units for its low- and moderate-income residents.
Public policies which operate within the City of Springfield have the potential of affecting the community's ability to increase the supply of affordable housing for extremely low-income, low-income and moderate-income families. Examples include a reexamination of land use, zoning, and building code policies and regulations to determine the effect, if any, of increasing the costs of providing affordable housing.
Accurate, inspection-based data is not available for Springfield which would
document comprehensively the of households that are at high risk for lead-based
paint hazards and lead posing in children under six years of age. However, based
upon cross-tabulated data, the City estimates that 24,763 very low-income
households, with a plus or minus 10% margin of error, occupy housing units in
Springfield that contain some amount of lead-based paint. Of this total,
11,034, or 44.6%, are very low-income or other low-income households in
renter-occupied housing units.
The strategic plan lays out a long-term strategy to deal with housing needs.
The City of Springfield intends the following strategic purposes and objectives to be accomplished by using available resources toward meeting the housing needs of the city's very low-income and low-income families and individuals:
In addition, the City of Springfield has identified the following three housing priorities:
The greatest problem for renters is a lack of affordable housing in Springfield. Extremely low-income renter households, whose incomes are at or below 30% of the area median income, suffer the most with rental cost burdens that place their housing costs above 30% of their total household income These severe cost burdens include paying more than half of their total income for rent and utilities, overcrowding and exposure to substandard housing. Renters as a group are almost twice as likely to encounter housing problems, particularly in terms of cost burden and substandard housing conditions. The City, in conjunction with private and public not-for-profit organizations are working to increase rental housing stock.
Affordability is a major problem for extremely low-income and low-income first-time homebuyers. The cost of purchasing a home in Springfield is often Prohibitive for these income groups due to down payment requirements even though monthly payments are not higher than rent. For these reasons, some form of governmental homebuyer assistance is necessary to enable low-income renters to become first-time homebuyers.
Services available to the homeless include emergency shelter, transitional housing, job counseling and referral to other services. The greatest need is for programs that enable the homeless to move from emergency or transitional housing, and this ultimately requires a greater availability of affordable standard housing.
The elderly population account for a lager increasing segment of the City's population. In order for the frail elderly to remain in their homes or avoid the more costly alternative of critical care facilities or long term nursing homes, support services and more subsidized housing are needed. Further, there is a need in Springfield for supportive housing for non-elderly special needs populations. These include persons with mental, developmental or physical disabilities. Greater accessibility in affordable housing is a primary interest, especially in the City's public housing and Section 8 assisted housing.
The City's priorities for this program area have been developed in response to census data, designation of five census tracts as a Federal Enterprise Community, and awarding of a SHA HOPE VI grant.
In an effort to address these areas, the City proposes to:
In FY 94 the City designated $225,000 in grants for various services including employment training, emergency food and shelter, transportation services, day care, health care, senior citizens programs and programs directly affecting youth. Approximately $200,000 has been designated in FY95 for similar program supports.
The Department of Community and Economic Development will coordinate and
monitor the strategic plan activities between the public and assisted housing
providers; private and governmental health, mental health and service agencies;
and Enterprise Community coordinating committee.
The City of Springfield has identified the following as its priorities for FY 95:
In addition, the following five categories of activities have been identified for meeting the housing needs of the City's extremely low, low, and moderate income citizens:
Fourteen neighborhoods have been identified for the above cited project priorities. These areas which have concentrations of low-income and moderate-income persons consist of the following census tracts: 3, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 28, and 38.
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.
