Pascagoula's 1995 Consolidated Plan constitutes a coordinated approach to identify the housing, homeless, supportive service, and non-housing needs of the City. This document summarizes the plan so that citizens in the community can have a quick overview of the housing and community development problems; the 5-year broad objectives and actions proposed to meet those goals; and specific strategy for carrying out these activities.
The Consolidated Plan includes a 1-year action plan for four projects. Pascagoula expects to receive its annual Community Development Block Grant Entitlement allocation of $470,000 and anticipates program income in the amount of $17,735. The City will have surplus funds from previous years allocations totaling $215,354. A grand total of $703,089 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds will be available. These funds will be spent on public facilities designed to alleviate drainage problems, upgrade infrastructure which will include replacement and upgrading of existing water lines, installation of storm drains, and street reconstruction.
The City of Pascagoula adopted a new Citizens Participation Plan on July 5,
1995, in compliance with HUD regulations, that sets forth the City's policies and
procedures for citizen participation in an effort to maximize opportunities for
citizen involvement in the planning process. In the planning and development of
the Consolidated Strategy and Plan, the City relied heavily on citizen's input,
and consultation with public agencies, non-profit agencies, private groups, and
citizens' groups. The City of Pascagoula sponsored a number of meetings and
held one public hearing on June 19, 1995, with the agencies and groups to insure
maximum involvement in the planning and development stages. The draft plan was
made available for review at various locations and public comment was accepted
for a 30-day period.
Pascagoula, Mississippi, is located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and is in the State of Mississippi's most industrialized county, Jackson County. Pascagoula has one of the most accessible ports in the Gulf of Mexico. Even more successful than the port industry, shipbuilding has played a key role in the economic vitality of Pascagoula. Today, Ingalls Shipbuilding continues to build and to overhaul many of the Navy's finest ships and is the State's largest employer, providing approximately 13,500 jobs.
The City of Pascagoula is the County Seat of Jackson County and had a
population of 26,151, according to the 1990 census. The City's racial
characteristics include a population that is 76 percent white, 21 percent
African-American, and 2 percent Hispanic or other races. Of the 9,656
households in Pascagoula, about 51 percent are considered to be low and moderate
income.
Pascagoula contains approximately 19.28 square miles of the Jackson County's approximately 736 square miles. The median income for Pascagoula is $24,000. The unemployment rate in Pascagoula has remained fairly constant since 1993. However, in February 1995, the unemployment rate declined, moving the average rate from 7.1 percent to 6.6 percent. Based upon this figure, 28 percent of all households have incomes between 0-50 percent of median and 15 percent are between 51-80 percent and qualify as low and moderate income persons. Since 1980, the City's population has decreased 12 percent from 29,721 to 26,151 in 1990.
The housing needs that are identified in the Consolidated Plan include:
Of the very low income (0-30% median family income), the elderly have the greatest housing need, followed by small families, and large families. Among renter households in the same income category, the elderly have the greatest need, followed by the small family households.
Pascagoula's housing market is changing. For the first time in several years it has a tight rental market and a low vacancy rate. The vacancy rate has dropped significantly from 11.4 percent in 1989 to 3.2 percent in a 1994 survey. The City has 5,547 occupied single-family residential structures according to the survey. Of this number, 91.02 percent were in standard condition, 8.06 percent were in deteriorated condition and only .92 percent were in a dilapidated condition. Although there is considerable demand for housing in the City, new construction of housing is not necessarily keeping up with the demand. A total of 714 assisted apartment units are located in Pascagoula.
While the nature and extent of homelessness has not been quantified, agencies providing shelter and other facilities for the homeless state unequivocally that the demand for facilities far exceeds the capacity of those currently in operation. Although the majority of the homeless population are single adults, the fastest growing segment of the homeless is families with children.
Homeless facilities are very limited in the Gulf Coast area. The Bacot Home for Youth provides services to females (ages 12 to 17 years) who are abused or have emotional problems. The Salvation Army Domestic Violence Shelter provides shelter, food, clothing, counseling, etc., to victims of domestic abuse and their children. The Eden House provides complete supervised living for chronically mentally ill males. The Homes of Grace provides five shelters for addressing a variety of needs for the homeless or persons threatened with homelessness. South MS Aids Task Force provides a comprehensive program to address the needs of persons with HIV/AIDS and their families. Transitional housing facilities available to serve Pascagoula's homeless families with children are limited. Existing agencies providing support services to the homeless provide clear evidence that there is a need to expand facilities and to increase the capacity of existing agencies to address the support service needs of the homeless.
The Pascagoula Housing Authority and the Mississippi Regional Housing Authority No. VIII manage two assisted apartment complexes. The two complexes have a total of 654 assisted apartment units, 208 and 446 respectively. In the 208 units Carver Village complex, 68 are vacant and undergoing substantial rehab work with a $1.6 million 1995 HUD-funded Flexible Subsidy Grant to bring vacant units up to code standards and to improve security. The Regional Housing Authority reports that 16 of the 446 units are vacant. There is a total of 61 families on the waiting lists for both.
There are 495 families in Pascagoula who are assisted under the Regional Housing Authority's Section 8 Existing, Voucher, or Moderate Rehab Programs. There are approximately 931 persons on the waiting list for Section 8 housing, of which 773 are female-headed households.
In spite of the fact that Pascagoula's population decreased by 12 percent between 1980 and 1990, according to census data, the rental market for non-assisted apartment units is relatively tight and rental rates have increased significantly since 1992. Households with incomes at 0 to 30 percent of MFI have the greatest housing cost burden. They need rental assistance and affordable housing options, and home owners need rehabilitation assistance. Currently, there are no additional assisted apartments units under construction in Pascagoula.
The Zoning Ordinance of the City of Pascagoula relegates "mobile homes" to be located in mobile home parks. The Ordinance prohibits the location of "mobile homes" in any residential area except in the Mobile Home Residential District or mobile home subdivisions of at least two acres in size. This policy limits the opportunity for area residents to purchase and locate this affordable housing alternative in the City.
Pascagoula's Zoning Ordinance does not allow zero lot line developments. Zero lot line developments would reduce land costs in residential developments, thus making housing more affordable.
The jurisdiction certified that it 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.
It has been estimated that the City of Pascagoula has about 7,012 housing units likely to contain lead-based paint. These dwelling units were constructed prior to 1978 and present the highest risk of lead. While this is a large number of households with potentially hazardous lead, according to the District Health Agencies, there were no reports of lead poisoning in Jackson County in the last two years.
Public services and infrastructure will continue to be high priority in
providing long-term improvements for the low-income residents of Pascagoula.
The primary non-housing infrastructure needs will be street and drainage
improvements.
The 5-year strategic plan identifies specific objectives and desired accomplishments. The plan prioritizes the housing, supportive housing and non-housing community development needs of Pascagoula. The City has identified the very low-income elderly and small families as needing housing and supportive services more than other groups. The City will support other public and private agencies in assisting its low-income residents.
The City of Pascagoula identified housing needs that include the need for housing rehabilitation programs (includes lead-based paint abatement) and weatherization to assist homeowners. In partnership with private for-profit and non-profit service providers, the City would implement its strategic plan for development by leveraging the Federal funds it receives in the most advantageous manner.
Objective 1. Improve drainage infrastructure and streets in low- and moderate-income areas.
Among the proposed actions are: repair/replace deteriorated sanitary sewers on all CDBG street and drainage improvements projects.
Objective 2. Improve housing stock in low- and moderate-income areas.
Among the proposed actions are: giving support in providing housing rehabilitation loans and grants which include lead-based paint abatement; providing new construction, support services, homebuyer assistance, and day care; supporting Habitat for Humanity; and renovation of Shadowbrook Apartments.
Objective 3. Address the emergency shelter, transitional housing needs of the homeless persons, and reach out to the homeless persons and assess their individual needs.
Among the proposed actions are: supporting efforts to increase the number of emergency shelters and to expand the capacity of existing shelters; making efforts to enlarge and establish new shelters to meet the large unmet needs of the special needs categories; and helping the homeless persons make the transition to permanent housing and independent living.
Priorities for affordable housing include assisting the low-and moderate-income persons in obtaining and retaining affordable housing, providing a suitable living environment, and providing decent housing.
Priorities for homelessness include supporting applications for funding that will ensure continued and expanded assistance programs to reduce the cost burden on low- and moderate-income families to aid in keeping housing affordable. Also included is supporting applications for funding and continued and expanded services for programs providing food, clothing, utility assistance, counseling, job training, day care, and others that assist those in need and in crisis.
The priority for non-homeless persons with special needs is addressed by encouraging and supporting all the support agencies and programs by expanding services and facilities to meet the specific needs of the mentally disabled, frail elderly, persons with HIV/AIDS, and persons with special needs.
Priority non-housing needs focus on the utilization of CDBG funds to address infrastructure such as water, sewer, drainage, and streets in Pascagoula's low-and moderate-income areas.
The City is aware that its policies have a direct impact on the economic and social well- being of its citizens, while it has little control over their poverty status. Pascagoula officials are aware that by taking a proactive approach to economic development and redevelopment, its citizens will benefit both directly and indirectly from increased private investment and job creation efforts. The City has accessed funds through programs such as urban renewal and the CDBG entitlement programs to position the City to take advantage of development opportunities. The City will continue its policy of encouraging private investment in Pascagoula and will continue to encourage investors to employ local residents.
The City will support programs that provide support services which encourage residents to seek and keep employment. Also, they will continue to maintain existing infrastructure to serve business and industry to support expansions and business start-ups.
The City of Pascagoula is an Entitlement community only in the CDBG program and will receive approximately $470,000 in Fiscal Year 1995 funding. The City must compete on a statewide basis for funds from the HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) and Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) programs.
The City of Pascagoula Community Development Department staff is mostly
responsible for the implementation of the strategic plan. The City will
establish a Task Force that will be a working group of representatives from many
of these agencies to insure the highest priorities are identified and carried
out as resources permit.
The City of Pascagoula will receive its annual CDBG Entitlement 1995 allocation of $470,000 and expects program income in the amount of $17,735. The City will have surplus funds from previous years allocations totaling $215,354. The one-year "Action Plan" outlines activities to be undertaken to address priority needs. The lead agency for the administration and implementation of the projects and activities will be the City of Pascagoula's Department of Community Development. Action Plan activities will include the following:
Administration/Planning Activities costing $15,000:
Public Facilities and Improvements costing $688,089:
The projects in the One-Year Plan are dedicated to targeted residential areas to benefit the low-income residents.
The lead agency responsible for overseeing development of the Plan is the City of Pascagoula, specifically the City of Pascagoula's Office of Community Development.
The City is an annual recipient of CDBG Entitlement funds from HUD, and the City's Grant Coordinator administers and implements the CDBG Entitlement Program in compliance with applicable HUD regulations.
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.
