The City of Medford Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development presents a strategic vision for housing and community development for this small urban city. It includes a One-Year Action Plan for spending $992,700 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds in 1995. These funds will be spent on housing and public facilities improvements.
The Housing portion of the Consolidated Plan relies heavily on the 1994 CHAS. Preparation of the CHAS involved extensive consultation with representatives of many public and private organizations which are involved in providing affordable housing and services to low income people in Medford. Three public workshops were held to identify needs, strategies and priorities. In 1995, it was felt that conditions had not changed that much from those identified in the 1994 CHAS. So these needs and concerns were simply reviewed in a public meeting and incorporated in the Consolidated Plan.
The Community Development portion of the Plan was developed through a close working relationship with a local group known as the West Medford Coalition. This group is comprised of local citizens and agency representatives. It was formed in mid-1994 to begin working to improve conditions in the predominantly low-income west side of Medford. The partnership formed between the Coalition and the City has led directly to the inclusion of several Community Development projects in the Action Plan.
Two public hearings were held in March, 1995, after being publicized in the
local newspaper. A draft of the Plan was prepared and was available for review
during a 30-day public comment period. The City Council reviewed the Plan at a
study session on July 13, 1995, and formally adopted it on August 3, 1995.
Medford is the county seat of Jackson County and is located in the southwest
part of Oregon. According to the 1990 census the population has grown from
39,603 to 46,934, an increase of 19%. 93% of is white with the most populous
minority being Hispanics (5%). The elderly made up 17% of Medford's population
in 1990 compared to 10% in 1950. Also, 47% of the population falls under HUD's
definition of low-income, with 22% being "very low-income". Three of
the sixteen census tracts in Medford have significant concentrations of
low-income households. Most of these are located on the west side of Medford.
See Map No.s 1, 2 and 3.
Medford is experiencing a rapidly shifting economy that is moving away from production- based forest and agriculture to a regional retail and service-oriented center. As a result, the per capita income for Medford has declined.
Unemployment rates here have historically been above the average for the State of Oregon. While dipping to a low of 6.4% in the late ?80's, they had climbed back up to around 8.4% in 1993. See Map No. 4.
Two important housing needs which have been identified are: increasing affordable rental housing for all levels of low-income, and rehabilitating the existing housing stock. Focusing on these two areas of need also helps in the prevention of homelessness. Transitional and supportive housing has also been identified as an important need in Medford.
In 1990, there were 19,684 total housing units, of which 51% were owner-occupied. Vacancy rates at that time were 4.5% for rental housing and 1.2% for sales housing. Since that time the rental vacancy rate has declined to about 1%. Rental costs have increased approximately 66% between 1980 and 1990 and another 66% since then. . Only about 1% of rental units are substandard.
Affordability is the primary housing problem for low-income households in Medford. For all Medford households, one out of two renters (48%), and one out of five (21%) owners have excessive cost burden (pay more than 30% of their income for housing). The very tight housing market with low vacancy rates, the increasing costs of housing, coupled with the shrinking availability of well-paying jobs increases the affordability problem for low-income households.
As of November, 1994, Medford has between 350 and 500 homeless persons. There is no ethnic or demographic data available on them.
There are three agencies which provide emergency shelter to up to 72 men, 67 women and 12 families. One of the most prominent of these, the Salvation Army, has been force to close for all but only five months during the winter because of funding shortages. There are seven agencies which provide supportive and other emergency services to the homeless. There is also one transitional housing facility for single, homeless men and two for homeless families. In addition, there are a couple of transitional programs that are geared specifically toward special needs populations such as persons with AIDS or substance abuse problems. Shelter and service for homeless persons remains a need in Medford.
The Housing Authority of Jackson County manages all public housing in Medford. There are currently 77 public housing units, 626 Section 8 units and 111 Moderate Rehabilitation units in Medford. 43 of the 77 public housing units were completed in 1994. The number of applications for public and assisted housing far outnumbers the available units. The Housing Authority estimates a 12-month waiting list. Twenty-five more public units are going to be built in 1995 for the elderly. All Housing Authority units are for very low- income.
The condition of the Housing Authority's units is good. The number of accessible units is in line with that which is required.
Lack of affordable housing is a critical housing problem in Medford. There are many factors which constitute barriers to affordability. In Medford, a major reason is the changing economy from higher-paid skill jobs to service and retail positions. In addition, the high cost and limited availability of land, low vacancy rates, and just recently, neighborhood opposition to group and multi-family projects are obstacles that make affordable housing more difficult.
English and Spanish language brochures are available to the public which describe what housing discrimination is, how and when to file a charge, and where to get more information about it locally.
Sixty-nine percent of all low-income households live in housing units which have a potential lead-based paint hazard (based on national averages.) However, based on the testing which was done by the Jackson County Health Dept., the incidence of reportable lead-levels in the blood of children is about 4%. This is below the national average. While there is always a need to address anything which has toxic potential, the relatively low incidence of elevated lead-levels in the blood of Medford children does not appear to be serious.
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There are many community development needs which have been identified in Medford. The City's partnership with the West Medford Coalition has brought several of these to light. One of the most significant is the need for a community center to help enhance the feeling of true community among the residents of west Medford. There are also five parks located in west Medford which have safety and recreational needs.
West Medford is also the oldest part of the city. There are still some unpaved residential streets, badly broken and deteriorated sidewalks, poor street lighting and old, deteriorating sewer and water lines in this area.
Providing accessibility for the disabled is another community development need as well as assisting local public service agencies.
The City of Medford has established a good working relationship with
organizations striving to meet affordable and special needs housing. To
continue and enhance this relationship, the City is proposing the formation of a
Housing Advisory Council which will focus on the objectives of the five-year and
action plans.
Although specific supgroups (special needs populations, homeless) may have problems that are unique to their populations, housing problems in Medford are primarily related to low- income and an aging housing stock. Housing priorities and strategies reflect those concerns. Housing objectives focus on the supply of affordable housing.
Community development objectives are primarily focused on continuing to improve public facilities.
Priorities for affordable housing include:
Priorities for homelessness include:
Priorities for other populations with special needs includes:
Priorities for non-housing community development includes:
The City of Medford has limited influence on many of the factors that affect poverty. For example, the city does not directly affect wages or income assistance such as Social Security or Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Similarly, education, which is a major factor in developing a high-skilled work force, is the responsibility of other entities including Medford School District and the Rogue Valley Community College. Anti-poverty efforts are addressed by ACCESS, Inc., CERVS, the West Medford Coalition, as well as other local, nonprofit organizations.
The City of Medford is an entitlement city for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. HOME funds are available to interested agencies through the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department. Several agencies have been successful in obtaining grants since that program began. Low-Income Energy Assistance and Weatherization funds are distributed locally through ACCESS. FEMA funds are available through CERVS.
The City of Medford is responsible for overall coordination of the elements
of the Consolidated Plan and must report annually on accomplishments. In
establishing the Housing Advisory Council, it is hoped that a more coordinated
effort can be made toward effecting the housing element of the Plan.
The One-Year Action Plan for the City of Medford proposes to use $992,700 in CDBG funds. Most of these fund will be spent on the following projects:
The public improvement projects are all located on the west side of Medford, the area of highest concentration of low-income households. The other projects are at various locations throughout the City. See Project List and Map No. 5.
The City of Medford is the lead agency in carrying out the Action Plan. Grants have been awarded to: the Housing Authority of Jackson County for the homeowner rehab, OnTrack, Inc for the 7-unit transitional facility and the treatment facility and to CERVS for the facility rehab.
Implementation of the Action Plan will repair and rehabilitate 45 owner-occupied homes and place 7 homeless women with their children in transitional housing.
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; in addition, a table describes information about the project(s).
MAP 6 depicts Neighborhood Segments and proposed HUD funded projects, as described in the table under MAP 5.
