The City of Alliance 1995 Consolidated Plan and 1996 Plan Update presents a coordinated, community controlled approach to meeting the housing, community and economic development needs of the City of Alliance. With an annual CDBG allocation averaging over $900,000 per annum, the City of Alliance is in a position to respond to the needs of the community as expressed in the attached summary. In addition to CDBG funds, as a member of the Stark County H.O.M.E. Consortium, the City of Alliance receives over $l80,000 from this source which is used to further the rehabilitation and development of available low to moderate income housing within the City.
The participation of all segments of the community is encouraged in determining the allocation of housing and community development funds as outlined in the Citizen Participation Plan (CPP). Particular attention is paid to involve the low-, very low-, and extremely low income residents, and residents of public housing programs in the decision making process. The input of minorities, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, non- English speaking residents and other special needs populations is served in a manner that assures their participation at every stage of the consolidated planning process. The assistance of the Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority (SMHA) and various social service agencies represented in the City is incorporated in creating and implementing the CPP. The City makes every effort to facilitate public input through public hearings and meetings, and promotes the involvement of citizen advisory committees and small, issue oriented groups. Once completed, the CPP is presented for public comment prior to its implementation to assure adequate input from all interested parties regarding its content and purpose.
To facilitate citizen and social agency participation, a Community Resources
Committee has been formed to more effectively organize community input in the
planning process. Representatives from governmental, social service,
not-for-profit and private organizations and individual citizens populate this
committee which meets regularly conducted throughout the year to monitor the
Consolidated Plan progress, and plan for future needs.
Alliance is a city of 23,376 (1990 Census), located in northeastern Stark County, 27 miles southeast of Akron and 15 miles northeast of Canton. The total population within a 15-mile radius is approximately 270,000.
Alliance's proximity to the large industrial concentrations in Akron, Canton, and Youngstown, and its development as a rail center created early industrial growth. Local manufacturers supply such products as traveling cranes, steel castings for the railroad industry, mill machinery, drop forgings, and tubing to the surrounding industrial community. Consumer-oriented products range from garage door openers and antenna rotors, to rubber bands and rodenticides. The Research Division of Babcock & Wilcox, located in Alliance, continues to develop new and better product lines for this major company.
A prosperous agricultural area surrounds Alliance. This and the influence of Mount Union College, a liberal arts school, complement the community's well-developed industrial complex and provide a balanced community atmosphere.
Mount Union and the many other colleges and universities within driving distance of Alliance augment an excellent public school system. Alliance High School's extensive vocational education department provides training in many industrial skills.
Transportation facilities in the Alliance area are very good. U.S. 62 is a four-lane limited access highway and provides good east-west access, with I-77 just 15 miles west and S.R. 11, 20 miles east. State Routes 183 and 225 provide good north-south access and link up with I-76, 15 miles north of town. Rail transportation is provided by Conrail. Commercial air passenger and freight service is available at Akron-Canton Airport, 18 miles west which boasts the presence of a Foreign Trade Zone. The City of Alliance also is developing a Municipal Airport three miles outside of the City. This facility will have a 4200 foot paved runway and be surrounded by industrially zoned property.
The many cultural and recreational opportunities available in Alliance and nearby Akron and Canton round out the good living conditions of the area. New area residential developments, together with available units in older neighborhoods, provide a good choice of housing.
Interest in orderly growth and future development prompted the formation of the Greater Alliance Development Corporation, which cooperates with the Chamber of Commerce and other interested groups. Planning, zoning, and acquisition of land for industrial sites are the primary goals of this organization.
Alliance is one of the three largest cities in Stark County, and the largest city in the northeastern part of the county. Significant for its relationship to the railroad (the town was actually named by railroad executives), Alliance is the union of four villages: Williamsport, Freedom, Liberty and, later, Mount Union. The junction of the Cleveland & Wellsville and the Ohio & Pennsylvania railroad lines was the impetus for much of the industry that began in the second half of the l9th century.
While development of the town was unique due to the influence of the
railroad, once Alliance was platted and incorporated, its l9th century growth
and cultural development was typical of most Ohio industrial cities of its size.
Its many diversified industries created for Alliance a stable economic base
well into the 20th century. Alliance remains remarkably homogeneous--most of
the early ethnic influences were Irish, Welsh and German workers who had been
assimilated into the population by the second generation. Although there was
some eastern European immigration in the late 19th-early 20th centuries, the
influx was not as great as in other industrial cities.
The City of Alliance has a stable population occupying both an aging housing stock and an expanding, "high end" new residential market. The economic base while based on heavy industry, it is well diversified and continues to evolve. City owned sewer and water systems have excess capacity, are engineered for expansion potential and available for commercial, industrial or residential development. The City is developing a Municipal general aviation airport with a planned 4200 foot hard surface runway, and is well served by active north/south, east/west rail lines through the City.
The City of Alliance has a total of 9598 (1990 Census Data) housing units, 59% of which being owner occupied. Additionally, a large portion of the existing housing stock is over 60 years old and in need of continued maintenance. The primary housing needs are for rehab of both existing owner occupied and residential rental units throughout the City. Of the low income residents of the City, large families, minority households and elderly have the greatest housing needs. Both owner occupied and rental categories are targeted for assistance for each of the special needs populations listed above.
Of the 9,598 housing units available in the City of Alliance, there is a l.3% vacancy rate which demonstrates the high housing demand in the area. Much of the current new residential development is in the high end of the market; however, infill development and rehab of existing units in the lower income category is currently very strong.
Housing needs of low to moderate income families is a high priority for the City of Alliance. Toward this end, owner occupied and residential housing rehab programs are underway to address the needs of this special target population.
Additionally, infill development by Habitat for Humanity and Rural Opportunities, Inc., local housing resource agencies, is currently underway, and the redevelopment of existing structures within the City's CBD into low income housing units will help to address the area's affordable housing needs.
The City of Alliance has homeless and transitional housing needs proportionate to its size. Often serving as temporary housing source for many of the area's transient homeless, the City has resident emergency shelter as well. Domestic violence and transitional housing needs are high within the City, and efforts are being made through a coordinated City/not- for-profit collaboration.
The City of Alliance supports the efforts of the Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority (SMHA), and coordinates its affordable housing efforts with those of the SMHA.
The Stark County Regional Planning Commission (RPC) conducts the site testing on behalf of the City of Alliance to assure that fair housing practices are followed throughout the City. RPC also investigates any alleged violations and advises the City on all matters related to fair housing.
The majority of the housing stock in the City of Alliance was constructed prior to l977 which increases the probability of the existence of lead based paint. The City is very sensitive to the impact this potential presents to the residents of the City, and is working with the City Health Department, RPC, State of Ohio and other environmental and health oriented organizations to mitigate the effects of lead based paint on the City residents.
The needs of the City are many and varied. The primary needs of the
Community in general are: economic development, housing rehabilitation and a
coordinated approach to social service delivery. Through the combined efforts of
the City and the many involved community organizations, the needs of the City of
Alliance are being met in a systematic manner.
Housing related needs in the City of Alliance are primarily related to low income and an aging housing stock, and the housing priorities and strategies of the City are designed to address these conditions. The housing objectives focus on the supply of affordable housing, while the community development objectives are designed to revitalize residential and neighborhood commercial areas, remove blight in the central business district, and provide economic development opportunities for low- and moderate-income citizens.
Housing priorities for the City of Alliance are designed to increase the supply of affordable housing and reducing housing cost burdens for low-income households, improve the living environments of lower income residents, assist public housing residents to become more self-sufficient, increase housing choice for low-income and minority residents, and address the unique needs of the City's special needs target populations.
Priorities for homelessness alleviation include providing adequate emergency shelter, ensuring transitional and permanent housing alternatives for homeless persons, creating supportive services for homeless persons not capable of independent living, and providing support networks and services to persons at risk of homelessness.
Priorities for economic development activities include providing training and related supportive services to residents and offering loans to businesses that meet need or job creation requirements.
Priorities for other community development activities include public facilities improvements (parks and recreation, and youth centers), infrastructure improvements (streets, sidewalks, and sewers), and public services provision (including fair housing counseling and planning).
The City of Alliance recognizes the need for reducing those who fall below the poverty level. Activities designed to create employment and training opportunities are the focus of the Community's anti-poverty efforts and are reflected in the City's economic and community development funding priorities.
Specific resources to carry out the plan include Federal, State, County, City and educational institutions. There also are numer-ous nonprofit organizations involved in housing and community development activities, as well as nonprofit financial institu-tions, builders and developers, and service providers. Contribu-tions from these sources are more fully detailed in the City's Consolidated Plan.
The process of developing the Consolidated Plan for the City of Alliance was
conducted with substantial public input, with the active support of the social
service and nonprofit organizations serving the community, and with the
input and support of surrounding and overlapping political subdivisions.
The City of Alliance One-Year Action Plan outlines the proposed use of $905,000 of CDBG funds and $l2,000 of anticipated program income to fund 25 projects devoted to housing, economic develop-ment and social service purposes, as summarized below:
MAP 2 depicts low-moderate income areas and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 3 depicts minority concentration levels and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 4 depicts unemployment levels and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 5 depicts neighborhood streets, points of interest, and proposed HUD funded projects.
TABLE (without associated map) provides information about the project(s).
