Midwest City is a city of 52,267 in central Oklahoma. It is a suburb of Oklahoma City, the State capital. Tinker Air Force Base is located immediately to the south of Midwest City.
In its Consolidated Plan, Midwest City describes its housing and community development needs and priorities, and a 5-year strategy for addressing these needs. For the first year of the plan, Midwest City is requesting $645,000 in Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. This money will be used to finance 16 housing, community development, and service activities.
Midwest City's Consolidated Plan was developed with considerable input from the community. Advertisements (larger than standard legal notices) published in the Midwest City Sun and Daily Oklahoman in October 1994 preceded a Citizens' Advisory Committee public meeting on October 24, 1994. A 30-day comment period extended to April 23, and a public hearing was held on April 25, 1995, prior to approval of the Consolidated Plan.
MAP 1 depicts points of interest in the jurisdiction.
Fewer than half of the 7,400 military personnel on active duty at Tinker AFB are quartered on the base because onbase housing is limited. A large but unknown number of military personnel and their families live in Midwest City. Others live throughout the metropolitan area.
Median family income (MFI) for Midwest City is $30,909. Of the 20,493 households in Midwest City, 38 percent have annual incomes of less than 81 percent of MFI ($24,750). Census data showed the following levels of low- and moderate-income households in 1990:
According to the 1990 Census, Midwest City's population was 52,267, an increase of 5.2 percent from 1980. Of the total residents, 77 percent were white. Racial or ethnic minorities tallied in 1990 include:
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.
One critical need of the Midwest City housing market, strongly voiced by real estate brokers, is the need for higher priced housing. Families moving up and new moderate- and upper-income families find a shortage of available and desirable housing in Midwest City. Better housing is available, with more being built, just outside the city. Therefore, Midwest City may be losing much of its base of middle- and higher-income households to areas outside of Midwest City.
Midwest City has 20,390 occupied housing units: 12,842 owner occupied and 7,548 renter occupied.
Owner-occupied housing makes up 63 percent of all Midwest City housing. Of the 12,842 owner-occupied units, 53 percent are valued at under $50,000 and 43 percent between $50,000 and $99,000. Only 4 percent are valued at over $100,000. During the 1990 census, there were 506 vacant units for sale.
In 1990, the median contract rent for the city's renter-occupied housing was $300 a month. Forty-six percent of rental stock consisted of single-family homes. The rental vacancy rate was 14.9 percent, compared to 8.2 percent in 1980.
In general, there is an oversupply of affordable housing. For the 3,689 households with incomes of 0 to 50 percent of the median, there are 8,479 units considered affordable, representing a surplus of 4,790 units for this income category. For the 4,099 households earning 51 to 80 percent of median, there are 9,642 affordable units.
There are 12,708 households with incomes of 81 percent of the median and above, but only 4,725 housing units in the price range normally associated with incomes of this level. Including units in excess of the needs of lower- and moderate-income households (0 to 80 percent of MFI), there are 15,058 units affordable to middle- and higher-income households. It is evident that the majority of housing units in Midwest City are very affordable to the families living in them.
The only identified group for which there does not seem to be an excess of affordable housing is renters with incomes of 0 to 30 percent of MFI. There are 1,099 households in this extremely low-income category, but only 771 units of existing housing with cash rents affordable to households at this income level. However, households in this income bracket are the most likely to be receiving rental assistance, such as Section 8.
There are 630 private rental units in Midwest City where Section 8 certificates are in use; these are leased at fair market rents and do not represent housing that is affordable without a subsidy by households earning only 30 percent or less of MFI. There are another 385 units of federally assisted housing that may also house families or individuals in the extremely low-income category.
There is currently no homeless shelter operating in Midwest City and no documented homeless population. The 1990 census reported 27 homeless persons in the city. During the census enumeration the Ark Family shelter was in operation in Midwest City; it closed in 1991.
The city estimates, however, that many residents are at risk of becoming homeless. Rental households with incomes below 30 percent of MFI are considered the most at risk of homelessness. Those with children represent a more serious segment because of their additional child-related living expenses. This income group includes 1,099 households, 84 percent of which are experiencing housing problems.
Midwest City has no public housing agency and there are no public housing units in the jurisdiction.
The Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) manages a Section 8 rental assistance program throughout the State. In Oklahoma County, in which Midwest City is located, OHFA currently provides 1,068 Section 8 certificates, and the Oklahoma City Housing Authority currently has 2,672 cases of Section 8 certificate assistance. As of February 1995, there were 630 individuals or families in Midwest City receiving Section 8 rental assistance through OHFA. Tenant-based Section 8 certificates are portable; holders have the prerogative of living anywhere within the state. An unexplained increase in the number of certificate holders with addresses in Midwest City may represent families issued certificates in other parts of the state moving to this city. The city seems to be experiencing concentrations of assisted households, in contradiction to objectives of the Section 8 program.
There are two federally assisted apartment projects in Midwest City. One is Section 202 congregate housing for the elderly and handicapped, with 185 units. The other, with 200 units of family housing, was built using Section 236 funding.
Midwest City has not identified any public policies that would be considered barriers or disincentives to the development of affordable housing.
The Consolidated Plan recognizes the need for fair housing counseling to promote and support equal opportunity in all housing programs.
Lead-based paint (LBP) was banned for residential use in 1979. Consequently, it can be assumed that all residential units built before 1980 may contain LBP hazards. About 71 percent (16,219 units) of the 22,846 residential units in Midwest City may contain LBP.
There is a need for housing with supportive services such as cleaning, laundry, and shopping assistance; some meals; and van transportation for 831 elderly households. Of these, an estimated 371 are older and frailer, and in need of a higher level of support (such as help arising in the morning, dressing, and bathing).
There is a lack of appropriate housing for persons who are severely and persistently mentally ill.
Nonhousing community needs include construction and improvements to the city's park and recreation facilities. Water line projects (replacing older pipe with larger diameter lines), sanitary and storm sewer projects, and street improvements will be needed during this 5-year plan.
Public service needs include crime awareness and child care programs, and an outreach and counseling program for at-risk youths and their families.
Midwest City's community priorities include:
The highest housing priority is rehabilitation of some of the 799 substandard owner-occupied residential properties.
For community development, high priority is assigned to construction or improvements to infrastructure (water lines, sanitary and storm sewers, streets, and park and recreation facilities) in areas targeted for revitalization.
For public services, high priorities go to meeting the needs of senior citizens, crime awareness programs, child care services, and counseling for at-risk youth and their families.
The city will continue discussions and networking with service providers and community organizations providing job training and other services in the metropolitan area. One objective is to develop collaborative programs to help expand economic opportunities.
Resources available to help fund Midwest City's 5-year strategic plan include Community Development Block Grant entitlement funds and a variety of other Federal, State, and privately funded programs.
The Grants Management Division of Midwest City is designated as the agency to lead and coordinate Consolidated Plan activities. To do so, it will continue contacts with assisted housing providers and with private and governmental health, mental health, and service providers. To improve coordination, the city will network with organizations that provide services on a local or metrowide basis. Discussions will continue with the State of Oklahoma, Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, and governments of adjacent jurisdictions.
MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 6 is a map, sectioned by neighborhood, which depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 7 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within one of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 8 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within another of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 9 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded project(s) from a street level vantage point; as well as, provides a table with information about the project(s).
For 1995 Midwest City plans to use its CDBG funds on 16 housing, community development, and public services activities.
For housing efforts $255,000 is allocated. Activities include a housing rehabilitation deferred loan program ($200,000), an emergency repair program, a fund for materials to be used by volunteers to repair seniors' homes, and downpayment assistance for lower-income homebuyers.
Community development projects are allotted $302,000. Planned efforts include water line replacement ($150,000), development of a new Head Start facility ($68,000), park improvements, and cleanup (including graffiti removal) in a neighborhood targeted for housing rehabilitation and other improvements.
For community services $96,446 is budgeted for scholarships to a before- and after-school child care program, community policing overtime, a coordinator for a targeted neighborhood, and counseling for at-risk youths.
Four activities will be funded with unexpended FY 1994 funds. These include citywide slum blight work including demolition and clearance, "Operation Paintbrush" for materials provided at no cost to low-income individuals painting their own homes, transitional housing, and urban homesteading programs.
Planned activities will take place at a variety of sites in the city's low-income neighborhoods.
Projections are that the activities in the 1995 Action Plan will improve the housing or community conditions for 618 persons (including 50 designated as elderly), and benefit 4,265 people (including 225 elderly persons).
