U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Community Planning and Development


Consolidated Plan Contact

CITIZEN'S SUMMARY

Action Plan

Warren's entitlement grant consists of $1,672,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, $1,136,000 in HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds.

The Consortium member's allocation of CDBG and HOME funds to homebuyer assistance programs, and economic development activities will leverage private resources from private equity, businesses and local lending institutions. The Consortium will provide over $240,000 in HOME funds to low and moderate income homebuyers for closing cost assistance. These HOME funds should leverage at least 2 million dollars in private mortgage financing provided by local lending institutions. The funds that the city provides to businesses through its economic development programs to fund new and expanding businesses will leverage million dollars in private equity funds and private bank financing.

In addition, the CDBG funds that the city will be providing to several social service agencies for public facilities improvements and the provision of public services will leverage private and State funding resources.

Citizen Participation

The city of Warren and Trumbull county Planning Commission developed this plan utilizing consultation and citizen participation process that involved public meetings, advisory committees, a needs assessment survey and consideration of all comments submitted to the city. The city and the Home Consortium (City and County) built upon the completed FY-96-98 Comprehensive Affordability Strategy (CHAS and the City's Enterprise Community Application to develop the Housing and Community Development Plan (HCD Plan) and l995 Action Plan.

This HCD Plan will be reformulated and published each year of the five year cycle. These projects, programs and goals were established through a lengthy process of citizen input, needs identification, evaluation and review by a representative group of citizens functioning as the Citizen's Advisory Committee as well as by the representatives of the public and private agencies and citizens on the CHAS Review Board.

The Citizen Participation Plan guides the public in the development of these plans for the future to benefit low and moderate income persons. Citizens are encouraged to participate and comment on all aspects of the Consolidated Plan, Action Plan and the Citizen Participation Plan.

COMMUNITY PROFILE

The consequences of the economic changes in the region are reflected in population trends. Many people chose to leave the area to find new opportunities. Between l970 and l990, the region lost 8 percent of its population, and the city of Warren lost 20% of its l970 population. The l990 population of Warren was 50,793. There was a decline of 5,5656 people from the l980 population of 56,629. This amounted to a 10% decline in population during the l980's. The rate of decline was almost twice the county's rate of decrease. The population of Trumbull County decreased from 241,863 to 2227,813 between l980 and l990. This represents a 5.8% decline. During the same decade, the household population increased by 10.5% to 225,553. The city of Warren contains 20,405 households l8.5% of these are Black, less than l.0% are other non-white. Trumbull County has 79,589 households of which 6.4 are Black. Thus, the city of Warren has the majority of the county's Black Population.

The l990 Census found 31, 465 households in the Consortium area (Trumbull County) to be low-income and 8,808 of these were concentrated within Warren (the largest city in the county) The city of Warren is home to about 30 percent of all low income households in Trumbull county. The county low-income population represents about 37 percent of total county households, whereas the low-income households in Warren comprise about 45 percent of the total number of households in the city. Within the city, almost 50 % of all persons were living below the poverty level. In Warren low-income households are nearly evenly split percentage-wise between the black and white racial groups. In the county, however, low-income with households amount to 36% of all white households, whereas low-income block households comprise almost 53% of all back households.

Housing and Community Development Needs

According to the l990 Census, approximately 21% of all households in the County have incomes below 51% of the Median Family Income. Nearly 37% of all homeowners in Trumbull County have low to moderate incomes and 64% of all elderly homeowners in the County have low to moderate income. In addition, 43% of all elderly renters in the County have housing needs.

Housing Market Conditions

l990 Census found 22,683 housing units in the city. There wee 567 fewer housing units in l990 than in l980, representing a decline of 2.5. The l990 census is the first to record a decline in the number of housing units in the city.

In l990, there were 20,314 occupied housing units and 2,369 vacant housing units. Vacant units comprised 6.8% of all units. Owner-occupied housing units were 54.6% of all housing units and totaled ll,904. Renter occupied housing units totaled 8,410 or 38.6% of all housing units. Rental units increased by 334 during the last decade, but owner-occupied units declined by l,088 units during the same period to ll,904. The number of vacant housing units increased over the last decade by l87.

The l990 census found that there were 9,892 year-round housing units in Trumbull County and 86,056 were occupied. There was a continuation of growth, but at a slower pace than in recent decades. There are 23,157 renter occupied units which represent about 25.6% of the total. Owner-occupied housing units number 62,899 or 69.5% of total occupied units. Vacant units in Trumbull County numbered 6,836 or 4.9% of the total.

Affordable Housing Needs

The local housing assistance needs of low and moderate income households are large. Those households whose income is between 0 and 30 percent of the median family income (MFI) have the greatest need. This group of extremely low income households represents 42% of all low income households. The l990 Census found that l,562 extremely low-income elderly and one or two member households have housing problems. The largest number of these paid more than 30 percent of income of housing and 738 suffered a cost burden for hosing that amounted to greater than 50 percent of their income. Small family low income households number 5,2000 and of these 3,070 had housing related problems, especially the ll,889 households that paid greater than 50 percent of income for housing. There were 6,749 renter households and 4,988 owner households, with extremely low incomes, that had housing problems.

Homeless Needs

Warren will provide $12,091 in CDBG funds to Christy House, the County's homeless shelter, for operating costs. Warren will provide $10,000 to Change & Renew to provide food and clothing at a shelter.

The Consortium member will also provide $320,000 in CDBG funds and $271,054 in HOME funds for housing rehabilitation programs. These programs are designed to eliminate substandard physical, health and safety conditions in approximately 41 homes occupied by low and moderate income owner occupants. Without this assistance, many of these homeowners could be forced to move out of their homes eventfully because of deteriorated structural conditions and many of them could become homeless.

Public and Assisted Housing Needs

The Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority needs to decrease the number of vacant units in family complexes located the city of Warren.

Barriers to Affordable Housing

There are no structural governmental or zoning barriers to low income housing in most cities and townships in the county. There are no controls on growth because this areas has suffered decline in recent decades. The city zoning ordinance presents no real barrier to housing . The zoning ordinance allows manufactured housing. The proposed in-fill housing may be manufactured housing units. The provision of single room occupancy house units are permitted in the city and in most of the county. The Consortium is prepared to work with any viable developer, agency, or organization to stimulate new development. The city recognizes that it is necessary for the municipality to work harder than its suburbs of new housing and everything else.

Fair Housing

The Consortium (City of Warren and Trumbull County) both contract with the Warren/Trumbull County Urban League to manage our Fair Housing Program and to resolve tenant/landlord problem.s The Consortium supports the Urban league through CDBG funding and coordinates the application of federal laws that apply to Fair Housing.

Lead-Based Paint

The Consortium will encourage the city of Warren's Health Department and the Trumbull county Health Department to purchase the necessary equipment to test for lead based paint and to train personnel in the proper use of this process by passing the Ohio certification for this area of expertise. The city plans to purchase lead testing equipment and train staff in the certified operation and testing procedures for lead. All city housing programs will include lead-based testing of structures and the city is planning to start to a school based testing program for children.

Community Development Needs

Priority #1 - Economic Development

Objectives

  1. Bring new businesses the city of warren to create jobs for residents.

  2. Assist existing businesses, particularly small business with expansion plans to create jobs for residents.

  3. Provide public financial resources and leverage private resources to make adequate and affordable credit more readily available to successful small businesses in Warren/Trumbull area.

  4. Encourage new and existing businesses to rehabilitate and re-use existing commercial and industrial facilities in the City.

  5. Encourage and maximize the participation of local commercial banks and savings and loan institutions in the city's economic development programs.

  6. Expand existing funds sources, and identify additional funding sources, incentives and programs to assist businesses and provides technical assistance.

  7. Manage the city's loan portfolio prudently and professionally so that the capital base of the portfolio grows over time and is made available to future borrowers.
Priority #2 - Neighborhood Infrastructure Improvements in Target Areas

Objectives

  1. Assist City Engineer in identifying needs infrastructure improvements in the City's CDBG target neighborhoods, and in the neighborhoods targeted for housing rehabilitation or first-time homebuyer assistance through the CDBG or Home program.

  2. Assist public and non-profit agencies with expanding or establishing adequate and accessible public facilities and parks in the city's low and moderate income neighborhoods.

  3. Provide the highest priority improvements to neighborhood parks and recreation facilities in the city's six target neighborhoods, based upon needs established by the Parks Department.
Priority #3 - Public Service

Objectives

  1. Assist those neighborhood social service agencies which are identified by the Citizens Review Committee as providing the highest priority services, and/or are experiencing a significant increase in demand.

  2. Utilize CDBG funds to help agencies operating in the low and moderate income neighborhoods and working to decrease dependency, decrease drug use, and provide positive activities for youth provide new or expanded services.

  3. Assist neighborhood social service agencies in identifying other funding sources for their programs and apply for those founds.

  4. Expand the City Police Department's Community Policing Program that was implemented in November l993, and staff a neighborhood outreach center.

Housing and Community Development Strategy

The Consortium plans to put emphasis on the provision of affordable rental housing for those at risk of becoming or who are homeless and those in need of transitional housing; to acquire, rehabilitate single-family homes for rental and/or sale to low and moderate income families; to expand existing housing rehabilitation programs for owner-occupants; and to expand homeownership programs including the Home Ownership Loan Program and lease-purchase programs. The Consortium is also committed to implementing a new housing construction demonstration project in the city's older neighborhoods.

Housing and Community Development Objectives and Priorities

Priority #l - Emergency and Transitional Housing

Individuals and families who are homeless or have special needs and are in need of transitional housing will have top priority for the housing units acquired and rehabilitated by Sunshine over the next 5 years through its Rental Rehabilitation Program. These individuals will be referred to Sunshine by various social services agencies and organizations. Home funds will be utilized to acquire and rehabilitate the housing units.

Priority #2 - Affordable Rental Housing

The core of the Sunshine program is a long-term rental rehabilitation strategy. Sunshine as the Consortium's designated CHDO, will be acquiring and rehabilitating vacant single family units for lease by al ow income family over the next 5 years. Units will be rehabilitated to meet housing codes. Sunshine will then offer an affordable rent to low income households. The acquisition and rehabilitation will be financed by HOME funds that will be loaned to the non-profit by the Consortium. A portion of the total units which Sunshine will control will be made available to those renters who are at-risk of becoming homeless due to high rent.

Priority #3 - Housing Rehabilitation Assistant to Homeowners

Of the low income owner households, approximately l,l69 households have housing problems, and l,l63 households are experiencing a cost burden of greater than 30%. Approximately ll,727 low income households lived in pre-l940 housing in l990. Many of these low income households are likely to need rehabilitation assistance in the next 5 years.

In order to address the needs of low income homeowners, rehabilitation is identified as a primary activity to be pursued over the next five years. The rehabilitation assistance provided by the city of Warren's housing rehabilitation program which is funded through the CDBG program and the Trumbull County Planning Commission's housing Rehabilitation program funded by CDBG and HOME funds will be continued. The city's CDBG Home Owners Rehab Program plans to rehabilitate 45 owner-occupied housing units to code in the next 5 years.

Priority #4 - Homebuyer Assistance Programs

The Consortium is committed to expanding existing homeownership opportunities in the City of Warren and Trumbull County over the next 5 years. Renters who earn between 51-80% of the area median family income will be targeted for downpayment assistance.

A prime provider of prospective owners be TMHA. The Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority will also be undertaking a Homeownership Opportunity Lease purchase Program. Under This program, public housing tenants who qualify would lease the unit that TMHA purchased for them setting lease payments in an escrow account. After three years, the tenant would purchase the unit using the escrowed funds towards the downpayment.

Priority #5 - New Construction

The city of Warren, in conjunction with a local non-profit organization and/or TMHA plans to construct one to two new houses in a target areas census tract next year as a neighborhood investment demonstration project. It is hoped that over the five year period a minimum of 15 new houses can be constructed in no more than 3 target neighborhoods to have an impact on those neighborhoods. These homes will be built using HOME funds, and possibly CDBG funds.

The Consortium supports new development as a long term strategy for infill development of the older neighborhoods in the city and county. Vacant building lots and abandoned housing offer an opportunity for affordable housing development. Housing which is beyond repair and vacant sites can be cleared for new development by the private and non-profit sectors, including sunshine.

Priority #6 - Services for the Homeless

Existing agencies such as The Urban League, County Board of Mental Health, and others will continue their services to the homeless through their existing budgets and programs over the next 5 years. Warren will continue to provide financial support to the emergency homeless shelter and the domestic violence shelter through its CDBG program. These programs may become more effective as more of the homeless are housed in facilities operated by Sunshine or others.

Priority #7 - Rental Housing Services

Existing agencies and organizations providing services and assistance to renters will be encouraged to continue over the next 5 years. For example, TMHA's rental assistance programs are expected to continue over the next 5 years, however expansion of the exiting programs is expected be minimal. The Urban League is a third party grantee of CDBG project funds to administer the local Fair Housing Program. This service will continue over the next 5 years and will become the basis for review of eligibility too participate in any CDBG Rental Rehabilitation Programs offered by the Consortium members.

Priority #8 - Programs and resources that offer funding for homeowners support services will be encouraged over the next five years. For example, support services to first-time homebuyers may include activities such as home maintenance training and household budgeting assistance. Existing homeowners will also benefit from continued support of existing programs such as the Fair Housing Program and the Warren Trumbull Community Services Agency Home Winterization Program.

Anti-Poverty Strategy

During the coming year, the Consortium's resources will be targeted to assisting very low income households in these areas. The Consortium will continually seek additional funding resources that would allow the existing agencies and organizations continue and expand their programs aimed at reducing the number of households with incomes below poverty. There are currently 3,998 persons in Trumbull County that participate in the Economic Independence and Self-Sufficiency Program. The agencies that are part of the Consortium will continue, whenever appropriate to refer clients to this program.

Housing and Community Development Resources

Specific resources to carry out the Plan include federal, state, local (City and County), non-profit corporations, schools, institutions and social service organizations.

Coordination of Strategic Plan

The process for developing the Consolidated Housing and Community Development Plan is an inter-jurisdictional effort coordinated by the city of Warren: Community Development Department. The institutional structure through which the city and county will implement the Plan includes a wide array of public, private and non-profit organizations.

Maps

MAP 1 depicts the Warren area region and selected points of interest.

MAP 2 depicts low and moderate income areas of the City.

MAP 3 depicts areas of higher unemployment in the City.

MAP 4 depcits the racial distribution within the City.

MAP 5 depicts the target area neighborhood.

For more information on the Warren, Ohio Consolidated Plan, please contact:

John C. Foley, Director
Department of Community Development
418 South Main Avenue
Warren, Ohio 44481

Telephone: 216-841-2595

Return to Ohio's Consolidated Plans.