The Metropolitan Tulsa HOME Consortium is comprised of four contiguous counties, Creek, Osage, Tulsa, and Waggoner and 15 cities. The strategy for meeting needs in its area includes supporting rental assistance, development of in-fill rental and owner occupied housing, improving analysis of homeless needs, particularly in rural areas, new construction of congregate housing for the elderly, and repair and improvement of sewer systems, drainage systems, and streets. The consortium also has a goal of educating various agencies on the concept of "consortium" and the coordination of funds and services provided by a number of agencies. The action plan details seven projects which are funded with $882,900 of HOME funds and $483,000 of Community Development Block Grant funds.
Each participating city or county was invited to appoint a representative to
serve on the Consortium's Policy Committee along with other member
representatives from business and various other interest groups. The citizen
participation plan called for three public meetings held in the cities of
Skiatook, Bristow, and Broken Arrow during the week of March 27, 1995.
Notification of these meetings was announced in six of the local and regional
newspapers. Flyers were sent to the offices of the City and County Clerks, all
identified social service providers, Public and Indian Housing Authorities, and
existing tenant and homeowner associations. The Consolidated Plan was prepared
by the Indian Nations Council of Governments. In May, 1995, a draft document
was made available to the public for a 30-day comment period and were available
at 35 locations. A draft of the Consolidated Plan was also circulated among
the surrounding local governments to provide them with an opportunity to respond
to the identified needs of the area. These agencies included the cities of
Tulsa and Bixby, Waggoner County the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the
Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency. After reviewing and incorporating changes, a
final copy of the Consolidated Plan was submitted to the Tulsa County Board of
Commissioners on June 6, 1995 for approval.
The Tulsa county Consortium consist of the four counties and 15 cities covering 4158 square miles located in the northeastern corner of the State of Oklahoma, but not including the City of Tulsa. According to the 1990 Census, the Consortium population is 266,829 persons living primarily in Broken Arrow or in unincorporated portions of the four counties. Several of the cities, Broken Arrow, Glenpool, Owasso, and Catoosa, increased in population by more than 50 percent. These cities are located in Tulsa County or are immediately surrounding the City of Tulsa. Outlying cities such as Bristow, Hominy, and Pawhuska saw a minor loss in population.
The racial composition of the area is over 80 to 90 percent white, and the
Catoosa and Waggoner County population is, respectively, 12 to 17 percent
American Indian. In general, the Consortium lies with the Tulsa MSA which has
an average of eight percent African American, seven percent Native American, two
percent Hispanic, and one percent Asian.
There are a total of 100,151 households earning a median income of $28,963 in the Consortium's jurisdiction. Ten percent of the Consortium's population and eight percent of its families fall below the 1990 national poverty level. Concentrations of poverty in Creek, Osage, and Waggoner Counties lie farthest from the urbanized areas and are in the smaller communities. Within Tulsa County, the areas of concentration lie primarily in unincorporated areas between the cities north and west of the City of Tulsa.
Between 1980 and 1990, the State and the Tulsa MSA have experienced dramatic decreases in the construction, agriculture, mining, and local government fields. The State began to diversify its economy in the late 1980's, resulting in a significant increase in the managerial and professional, transportation and service-oriented fields. Current employment rates are 5.5 percent for the Consortium with 10.8 percent and 8.9 percent among African American and Native American populations respectively. Unemployment rates have been declining since 1986.
There is a high priority to address needs of low income renters in families and the elderly paying over 30% of their income in rent. The Consortium also identified assisting very low income home owners in housing with physical defects.
The construction of housing has not been immune to economic changes. A strong surge of construction in the early to mid-1980's was offset by a dramatic decline after 1986. Lower interest rates in the early 1990's and a stronger economy have created a slow but steady increase in the development of housing, specifically of single-family units.
For the Consortium as a whole, there are 115,387 housing units. Eighty-nine percent are owner occupied. Only 15 percent were build before 1940, and Less than one percent of the occupied units lack plumbing. Creek County has a total of 22,470 occupied units with a vacancy rate of 3.1 percent. Many of the units are three-bedroom, owner-occupied units. The median value of owner-occupied housing is $44,500. Twenty two percent of all hosing units are rental property, and the median rent is $223. In Osage County, there are 15,806 housing units, and a vacancy rate of 6.4 percent. Twenty percent of the units are rental and the median rent is $168. The median value of owner housing units is $43,300. Out of 54,013 housing units in Tulsa County, 76 percent of the housing is owner and 24 percent rental. The vacancy rate is only 2.8 percent. Most of the housing is owner-occupied with large bedrooms. The median value of owner housing is $60,000, and the median rent is $296. In Waggoner County, 79 percent of the total housing units are owner and 21 percent renter. Of the total 19,262 housing units, the vacancy rate is 3.7 percent. The median value of home owner housing is $58,300, and the median rent is $244.
HUD and USDA's Farmers' Home Administration support other assisted units. There are no emergency shelters or day centers for homeless adults, but there are women's shelters and emergency and transitional housing for youth.
Extremely low income and low income renters experience high cost burdens. The tightest housing markets are in Bristow, Coweta, Sapulpa, Skiatook, Bixby, Jenks, and Owasso. With decreasing vacancy rates, aging housing stock and increasing population, a need exists for new rental and owner occupied units. Overcrowding, from two to 14 percent, is experienced by extremely low income, low income, and moderate income renter households.
Nine nonprofit organizations, four mental health clinics, and three Community Action Agencies provide services and housing for the homeless in the area. Homeless youth can be identified in the Consortium area. As of April, 1995, 13 youth were staying in emergency shelters and 50 in transitional housing. Housing providers recognize the needs of an increased capacity with the youth shelters serving the counties within the consortium. The absence of women's shelters outside the City of Tulsa has been identified as an area of great need. The recent relocation to Sand Springs and increased capacity of the Baptist Women's Shelter may minimize the need for additional shelters. The true number of homeless outside of the central city of Tulsa is undetermined. There is a need to improve information on the extent of homelessness and its subpopulations within the Consortium.
Within the jurisdiction are three local Public Housing Authorities. Three local Public Housing Authorities and the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency provide a total of 498 assisted units and 922 housing Certificates and Vouchers within the Consortium's jurisdiction. Three Indian Housing Authorities administer approximately 1,046 Mutual Help units.
Although no significant barriers to affordable housing were identified, most communities expressed a concern over the lack of a mass transit system that could make the smaller communities accessible to each other and the city of Tulsa.
Cities and communities in the Consortium all participate in the promotion of fair housing within their communities. All 19 governments are current or former recipients of CDBG funds and have conducted activities to promote fair housing. Such activities have included promoting April as Fair Housing Month, adopting or updating local Fair Housing Ordinances, adopting discrimination and fair housing complaint procedures, and making a Fair Housing brochure. In addition to such activities as these, The City of Broken Arrow has placed a fair housing message on water bills. Other cities have distributed fair housing letters to realtors.
Approximately 81,924 of the Consortium's housing stock was prior to 1979 and have the potential for having lead-based paint. By income group, 29,753, or 36 percent, are occupied by extremely low and low income households (both renter and owner). Moderate income households (both owner and renter) occupy 26,958, or 33 percent, of the units.
Between January, 1994 and February, 1995, the Department of Human Services, Child Health Division, report 12 cases of blood level elevations within Creek County, four in Waggoner, and 38 in Tulsa County (including the City of Tulsa). None were reported for Osage County. Lead based testing is required of all Medicaid recipients as of October 6, 1994. Private doctors can electively test for lead-based paint poisoning and report their results to the State.
There are no known hospices set up specifically for HIV/AIDS patients within the Consortium's jurisdiction. The Oklahoma State Department of Health, HIV/STD Services, reports that the available information shows 657 cumulative AIDS cases have been reported throughout the Consortium. The HIV Resource Consortium in Tulsa is available to provide information, counseling, and referral services. For the elderly, twenty Certificates out of 264 units of assisted housing are specifically available. The elderly are eligible to apply for the remaining publicly subsidized units, certificates, or vouchers.
The City of Broken Arrow, located in Tulsa County, is the only entitlement community within the Consortium. Non-housing community development needs have been identified only for the city of Broken Arrow. The existing sanitary sewer system is over 50 years old and is prone to stoppages, which result in overflows in structures and yards. the sanitary sewer lines are very susceptible to storm water inflow and ground water infiltration, which compounds the overflow problems. Many of the storm water drainage areas are not covered by easements and the proximity to existing structures makes correction of drainage problems difficult. The City's water distribution system is also over 50 years old and constructed of various types of materials including lead. The existing system does not meet current fire protection code requirements and in many areas the flow rate is extremely low due to corrosion of the pipes.
Many of the streets were built prior to the City establishing design and construction standards. These streets require repairs ranging from simple overlay to complete reconstruction. Construction of a good pedestrian traffic system would be the final step in improving the infrastructure in the low and middle income areas. The City also recognizes the need to provide continued support to the Social Service providers, who provider services to their special populations, primarily the seniors, disabled, and youth.
Members of the Consortium will pursue the education of various agencies, especially in the rural areas, on the concept of a "Consortium" and the leveraging of funds and activities that can take place. Both public and assisted housing providers will be invited to apply for funding through the program or to participate on the Policy Committee. Members of the Policy Committee and staff will continue to meet with mental health and social service providers in an effort to better understand the challenges facing those agencies and their clientele. The information gathered will be used to update the Annual Plan and better tailor proposed programs to meet identified needs.
The various State and local public entities that participate, either
directly or indirectly, with the Consortium will continue to meet in "round
table" information sharing discussions, which are held periodically
throughout the year. Through the sharing of Consolidated Plans and staff and
policy level discussions, consultations and coordination will be achieved with
adjacent governments and public agencies. The private sector is an integral
part to the successful implementation of the Consortium's housing strategy.
Banks and members of the private sector will be involved in the implementation
and monitoring of proposed projects.
The Consolidated Plan represents a collaborative process, whereby a State or locality assesses its housing and community development needs and establishes a vision and develops a strategy for future action. Priority needs were determined through input from public meetings and the Policy Committee of the Consortium. Private lending institutions have identified the need and the benefit to support housing efforts in the smaller communities. Several institutions have opened branch offices or formed Community Development Corporations to assist in pursuing their commitment to a lack of and an aging housing stock. The partnerships between the lending institutions and the cities - couple with the funding available from public programs - has created an environment conducive to the development of new housing, preservation of existing housing for renters, home owners, and potential home owners.
Priority needs are Consortium wide except needs very specific to the cities. The distribution of investment will be available throughout the jurisdiction. However, priority will be given to those areas who have not recently received program assistance through the State of Oklahoma and who express an interest in pursuing specific type programs.
None of the existing Public Housing Units are expected to be lost within the next three years. To maintain a steady inventory of Indian Housing Authority available units, new units are built to replace those that have been sold through the Mutual Help program. The
The Consortium will support efforts to secure additional tenant-based rental assistance for eligible households in the area through the Section 8 programs. Many cities in the Consortium have decreasing vacancy rates and of the current vacant units approximately 20 percent are uninhabitable. Strategies to address this include demolishing substandard property, rehabilitating vacant substandard housing, and new construction of in-fill rental and owner-occupied housing. The Consortium will support the new construction of congregate rental housing for the elderly. In order to accurately address homeless needs, the Consortium will coordinate with the State's Department of Human Service and Social Service to strengthen efforts for counting the homeless outside the City of Tulsa. To address the needs of special needs populations, the Consortium has a goal of setting aside 15 percent of the annual CDBG allocation for social service providers.
To address the sewer and water line problems, the Consortium will repair, replace or construct sanitary sewers. Related to solving those problems is the construction of better drainage systems for storm water after the completion of a drainage study.
Several agencies within the Consortium's jurisdiction are implementing anti-poverty programs. The programs include Head Start, Weatherization, Community Outreach and Development to increase the level of self-sufficiency, youth employment and training, homeless case management and counseling, emergency food, utility, and shelter assistance, economic development, and senior nutrition.
To address the needs of elderly households the Consortium will allocate $480,000 in HOME funds to a nonprofit sponsor (Community Housing Development Organization, CHDO) for the construction of elderly congregate housing. HOME funds will be leveraged with other funds, including private financing, tax credit proceeds, and Affordable Housing Funds through the Federal Home Loan Bank.
The Consortium will allocate $52,900 in HOME funds to assist approximately 35 low to middle income home buyers. These funds will also go to a nonprofit CHDO based on a competitive process to serve cities and counties within the Consortium.
Sewer, street, and drainage projects will be funded through $407,100 of Community Development Block Grant funds.
The congregate housing for the elderly would consist of 40 households of very low, low, and moderate income. No location has been identified. The housing rehabilitation project would consist of 25 single residential units to be identified after award of funds through a competitive process. Similarly, other homeownership assistance would be directed for 35 households, the location to be determined later. The sewer, street, and drainage projects would occur in the city of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Sewer construction will occur in Census Tract 74.07, and street repair will occur in Census Tracks 74.02, 74.03, and 74.04.
The Consortium anticipates contracting with the Indian Nation Council of Governments will administer these funds. Other governments involved include the City of Broken Arrow and the State of Oklahoma, and area community action agencies.
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.
TABLE (without associated map) provides information about the project(s).
