Springfield is known as the "City of Homes" and for the quality and diversity of its housing stock and community design. The City has one of most diverse populations in all of Western Massachusetts. Although Springfield is a very livable community, there are forces causing neighborhood destabilization. The City cites its designation as as an Enterprise Community and its strategic neighborhood plans as two important factors in advancing its consolidated plan.
The plan is primarily supported by three HUD grants, representing
The City's two-fold goal is to encourage citizen participation in the
development and implementation of its consolidated plan and to set into motion
steps for ensuring a high degree of citizen involvement. Specifically, those
steps include a schedule of six public hearings; commitments from the Mayor and
community development officials and department heads to attend all the public
hearings; an outreach campaign and the establishment of a system that fully
considers all citizen comments. To attract the best ideas, Springfield will
also consult with organizations, agencies and public departments on all the key
aspects of the consolidated plan.
According to the 1990 Census, Springfield's population was 156,983. By race
and ethnicity, Springfield residents fell into three major categories: White
63.3%; Black 18% and Hispanic 16.9%. From 1980 to 1990, the Hispanic population
nearly doubled from 13,804 in 1980 to 26,528 in 1990. Springfield's economy has
not experienced significant growth since the late 1980s. However, there was a
percentage decrease in the City's unemployment rate from its 1992 rate of 9.7% to its 1994 rate of 8.7%.
Also, the 1990 Census figures, also showed 20% of Springfield residents were in
poverty.
The HUD-adjusted median family income for Springfield is
Housing problems are especially acute for large, renter families across the income scale. Most in need are the 91% of large renter households. Additionally, the City's elderly, very low income, owner households are most likely to experience housing problems. Of the 1,434 households in this category, 71% have housing problems.
Springfield has an estimated 61,320 residential structures. Of that number, 1491 are considered substandard with three family structures topping the substandard list. In 1994, the City's median price of a single family home was $76,500, falling from a 1991 high sales price of $94,000.00. According to local data, 17% of Springfield's rental units are vacant; yet, the median gross rent of $495 appears not to reflect the high availability of housing.
Available data shows that of all the rental households, the very low income households have the highest cost burden. For example, of this income groups, households with incomes 0 to 30% of Springfield's median family income ($30,400.00), 53% expend more than 50% of their monthly income for housing, while 69% expend in excess of 30% of their monthly income for housing.
Data supports the need for more affordable and decent housing opportunities for low income households and is particularly so for both large and small families households. Those with incomes of 0 to 50% of the City's median family income also had the most housing problems with large households at the top of the scale. These households represented 91% of the City's total 677 large households with incomes from 31% to 50% of Springfield's median family income.
In 1989, the City conducted a two night survey "Point in Time", which resulted in a count of 701 homeless persons in shelters, and other locations known to enumerators, i.e. abandoned buildings, under bridges, bus and railroad station waiting rooms etc. Of that count, almost half of the homeless were youths under the age of twenty-two. Data also suggested a primarily unemployed population. The City has twelve shelter-based programs and operates an emergency shelter. This shelter provided 16,477 bed nights in 1993, representing an increase of 764 bed nights or 5% increase over the previous year. The City also receives assistance from the private sector in its homeless efforts.
Through Friends of the Homeless, Inc., Springfield has a new facility that houses emergency shelter and includes 57 single rooms designed for transitional housing. Supportive services are at this site are extensive. Last year, the City's Prospect House Shelter for children and their families served 42 families with 98 children. The City estimates the number and needs of individuals and families at-risk of homelessness by looking at the increase number of homeless in a given year. In 1992, Open Door, the social service arm of Open Pantry Community Services, Inc. saw 1,174 new clients.
According to recent estimates, 15.3% of all Springfield's housing stock is subsidized and includes housing authority units, elderly housing complexes, expiring use projects and other project-based forms of assisted housing. Springfield ranks fourth highest among all municipalities in Mass., well ahead of the 8.14% state average. The Springfield Housing Authority directly manages 2,387 family, elderly and handicapped conventional units throughout the City.
The City's Housing Authority, also, oversees 2,170 Section 8 rental assistance vouchers, certificates and new construction/substantial rehabilitation units as well as 436 State rental assistance vouchers. As of March 1995, there 3,562 persons on the Housing Authority's list for Springfield Housing Authority or voucher units and 1,910 City residents on the Hampden Hampshire Housing Partnership waiting list.
Springfield lists rapidly declining home ownership rates, reduced investment and upkeep in rental property, increasing abandonment of multi-family housing and a desperate need for debt restructuring in investment properties as symptoms of a critical need. Such symptoms adversely affect the development of affordable housing. Moreover, the City cites federal restrictions that make it difficult to advance local housing projects. The City states that overly conservative banking practices have resulted in significant numbers of mortgage requests being denied. High rates for automobile insurance presents a further impediment to affordable housing in that such costs cause an additional burden to low income Springfield residents and take away income that could go be used for housing.
The City has certified that it will affirmatively further fair housing and comply with Anti-Discrimination requirements. Springfield has placed Fair Housing Counseling as a high priority and plans to allocate $ 170,000.00 for counseling activities.
The City and three neighboring cities in Hampden County have collaborated in an abatement program to eliminate lead hazards in residential housing. This program will affect approximately 150 housing units in Springfield. The City contracted with the Hampden Hampshire Housing Allowance Project, Inc. to take the lead in coordinating and implementing this program. The program has two basic activities involving abatement and community education and has received resources from HUD for lead paint abatement funding. The program also received $300,000 in local contributions as well from the communities of Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke and Westfield.
Springfield recognizes the provision of decent housing as fundamental to its goal of achieving a suitable living environment for all its citizens. Even so, the City also recognizes the need to include a strong emphasis on non-housing community development activities and sees it as an important factor in meeting its goal. Thus, Springfield's approach is to make its depressed neighborhoods more viable not only through improved housing but through economic development, public services and infrastructure improvements and public facilities.
The City's Office of Community Development (OCD) is the regular contact with Community Development Corporations and nonprofit housing agencies most directly involved in the delivery of housing and community development services to neighborhoods. The OCD oversees housing, public services, economic development and other community development activities and works closely with not-for-profit organizations, such as H, Inc., the Brightwood Development Corporation, Mason Square Development Corporation and the Springfield Housing Authority.
Springfield's Community Development Corporations capacity is limited. This
limitation has resulted in the City's commitment to work with its neighborhoods
to encourage the formation of additional CDC's to work on community issues.
Also, the City will continue in its successful record of working with various
State agencies, such as the Massachusetts Housing Partnerships, Executive Office
of Communities and Development.
As an federally designated Enterprise Community (EC), Springfield is involved in the most ambitious neighborhood strategic planning effort that has ever taken place in the last twenty years. As of May 1995, 50% of the plans for its 17 neighborhoods had been completed in locations involving the EC and its adjacent areas. These areas are the primary targets of federally assisted revitalization programs. Springfield's overall housing strategy is to undertake activities that address the need to assist current renters through first-time homeownership program, to assist low and very low income owners remain in their homes and to diminish neighborhood blight caused by housing abandonment. The City's strategy also includes activities that focus on the promotion of economic development and that increase public services and public facilities.
In meeting its goal to assist current renters through homeownership, Springfield will provide assistance that emphasis the preservation of two-and three-family buildings within designated neighborhoods. Over the next five years, the City proposes to spend $4.6 million or an estimated 58% of its affordable housing funds to expand opportunities for first-time homebuyers and renters in multi-unit buildings.
Twenty-five percent of Springfield's very low income households, and 46% of low income households are homeowners. In its quest to assist households to remain in their own homes, the City proposes to spend $1.7 million over the next five years for housing rehabilitation activities, including emergency housing grants and an exterior housing paint program.
Another $1.7 million in housing funds over the next five years will be allocated to combat housing abandonment. These funds will focus on leveraging additional capital necessary to acquire and renovate abandoned multi-family housing and to preserve housing in danger of abandonment.
The plan also addresses its homeless priority needs, such as the continuation of its outreach and assessments of Springfield's homeless families and the provision of transitional and permanent housing for its homeless population. The City's Coordinated Homeless Program will provide services for an estimated 884 individuals within 644 households over 3 years of Supportive Housing Program assistance and 10+ single adults over a 5 year period of Shelter Plus Care assistance, at a total program cost of $6 million or $11,718 for each of the 513 households to be served over the term of the two grants.
Springfield operates under severe financial constraints. Of the total estimated $119 million needed to address its priority needs, infrastructure improvements, such as street, sewer, flood drain and water improvements, have the highest priority and are the most costly to undertake. The next highest priority is public services, particularly those involving crime awareness and youth activities, and after infrastructure improvements, are the most costly to undertake.
Springfield is the center of regional economic activity in Western Massachusetts. It has established itself as the regional center for commercial, financial, health, cultural and industrial activities. A diverse community, Springfield boasts of a vibrant downtown, mature industrial base, emerging businesses and neighborhood commercial revitalization. The City's Central District (CBD) has been enhanced and transformed into a vibrant, attractive and affordable business location. Springfield's attractive skyline is indicative of available state-of-the-art Class A office space with half of the region's twenty largest employees located in Springfield.
The Basketball Hall of Fame and the Riverfront Park are strategically located on a portion of 4.5 acres of land running along the Connecticut River. This area represents a development potential, connecting the CBD with the riverfront and is expected to attract travelers to the City. Future development along the riverfront would include recreational, commercial and tourist information. The City recently received $2,000,000.00 from the State for the development of a Riverfront Tourist Information Center. Additionally, the City is expanding its urban renewal area boundaries which will encompass 14 acres for development of a major tourist destination which should include doubling the size of the Basketball Hall of Fame, and adding restaurants and retail development. Work cooperatively with the Hall of Fame and the State, the City has allocated $7,000,000.00 for the relocation of a sewer line and pumping station to accommodate the proposed development.
Springfield has taken the forefront in establishing itself as a telecommunications center. Every major telecommunications supplier has established a point of presence in separate facilities. The City enjoys a comprehensive integrated high speed fiber optic cable network. In addition, the former DEC facility located adjacent to Springfield Technical Community College has received state funds to establish itself as the Massachusetts Telecommunications Center, which supports new and emergining high technology companies. Recent tenants to the Center include Springfield Board Technologies, Group 4 Tranducers, Info-Base and other companies of high technology products and the telecommunications industry. Many of theses businesses have been supported through CDBG economic development loans.
Industrial development is aided by two new State designated Economic Opportunity areas, where area businesses are eligible for economic incentives. These areas are the Wason North and the East Springfield/Memorial Industrial Park.
As part of its business creation plan, the City expects to fund Community Development Corporations as a way to expand its tax base and create job opportunities. To generate new and growing businesses, capital will be made available to these businesses through the Springfield Business Development Fund, HUD Section 108, SBDF Micro-Loan Program, Chamber of Commerce Micro-Loan Program, CDFC, Urban Initiatives, MIFA and MOBD.
Neighborhoods have also realized new investment through its commercial districts. Two new health centers representing a $5,000,000.00 will open this year in the City's North End and Mason Square neighborhoods. The City's small business loan fund has provided over $300,000.00 to an estimated twenty small businesses. A comprehensive business retention effort will be undertaken targeting commercial districts. Additionally the "X" business area will desingate a "Main Street Program" area encouraging investment. The Office of Community Development has capitalized a $2,000,000.00 Neighborhood Revitalization loan pool. Further development will be encourage in Springfield's federal Enterprise Community designated area, one of only sixty-five in the Country.
The City's strategy and its ultimate role in impacting poverty depends heavily on federal and state resources. Springfield continues to place a strong emphasis on economic development and job creation and retention as integral parts of its anti-poverty strategy. City specific efforts at breaking the cycle of poverty include Children's Study Home which works with homeless families and provides them needed support services; Job Training for the homeless, Pride Campaign which employs young people in clean-up campaigns and the implementation of the various Enterprise Community activities.
Springfield will use the estimated $19,601,529. made available in 1995
through the formula block grant programs of CDBG, ESG, HOME, Title XX and other
federal funds to fund consolidated plan activities.
The following are examples of the activities that will be undertaken with the
| $ 145,000 | Housing code enforcement |
| $ 200,000 | Rehabilitation of residential properties & homeownership assistance |
| $ 60,000 | Housing repairs relating to code violations |
| $ 40,000 | Exterior Housing Paint Program |
| $ 20,000 | Historic Preservation |
| $ 25,000 | Rehabilitation of single-unit problem properties |
| $ 40,000 | Vacant lot clean-ups |
| $ 100,000 | Demolition of abandoned structures |
| $ 422,300 | Neighborhood Sidewalk Program in eligible CDBG areas |
| $ 30,000 | Graffiti Removal Program |
| $ 31,500 | Technical Assistance to neighborhood businesses |
| $ 50,000 | Assistance to businesses for job creation/retention |
| $ 24,000 | Crime Prevention |
| $ 40,000 | Meals and day shelter for homeless |
| $ 45,000 | Youth & Family Support |
Projects have been designated as serving citywide or neighborhood benefit areas.
Approximately 4,354 Springfield residents would be served by the plan's housing activities. They include code enforcement and related repair programs to correct code violations; housing rehabilitation and homebuyer assistance programs, exterior paint program, vacant lot clean- ups and historic preservation.
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 offers information about the project(s).
MAP 6 depicts Neighborhood Segments and streets and proposed HUD funded projects, described in the table under MAP 5.
