Comprising 727 square miles and situated just west of Portland, Washington County is one of the fastest growing and most prosperous areas in Oregon. Beaverton is the largest of 12 incorporated cities in the county, with a population of 53,310. With approximately 80 percent of the land used for agriculture, forestry, and natural resource-related purposes, Washington County has a rural-urban dichotomy typical of many suburban areas. Oregon land use laws establish an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) to facilitate orderly development and protect farm and forest resources. The UGB restricts development to the urbanized area and is the subject of complex and impassioned discussion regarding demand for (and cost of) limited land, particularly in light of projected growth patterns through the year 2040.
Washington County and the City of Beaverton will receive the following HUD entitlement grants in 1995, the initial year covered by this Consolidated Plan:
Washington County CDBG $2,435,000 HOME (County Consortium) $ 974,000 Emergency Shelter Grants (County) $ 79,000 Beaverton CDBG $ 498,000
A Coordinating Committee, representing a broad range of citizens including
the Washington County Board of Commissioners, cities, county advisory
committees, community organizations, nonprofit groups, private sector/business
groups, and citizen participation organizations, was appointed to direct
preparation of the Consolidated Plan. Assisted by a Technical Advisory
Committee, comprised of representatives of all cities, county departments, and
regional and state governments, as well as county and city staff and limited
professional services consultants, the Coordinating Committee synthesized
existing plans and programs, identified community-wide needs, and reviewed
strategies and actions. Following publication in local newspapers, a series of
four public hearings, two each on needs and strategies, were held in different
parts of the county. A housing and community development needs assessment and
the draft consolidated plan were both made available for 30 days of public
comment. The finished plan was adopted by the Beaverton City Council and the
Board of County Commissioners on April 17 and 18, 1995.
Washington County had a total population of 311,554 in 1990, an increase of nearly 27 percent since the 1980 Census. It is anticipated that the county will grow by another third in this current decade. While the minority population essentially doubled between 1980 and 1990, it is still quite small, comprising just under 10 percent of the total, with Hispanics making up nearly one half of that number. Service providers and population researchers agree that the 1990 Census figures undercounted the minority population, particularly agricultural workers.
With a median household income of $42,700, Washington County's relative
affluence may hide the fact that the percentage of persons with incomes below
poverty level rose 37 percent between 1980 and 1990. An estimated 31 percent of
the total population has an income below 80 percent of the median.
The county's job base has expanded at a rate twice that of the population, with the majority of new jobs coming in services and trade industries. The increase in lower-wage service sector jobs is significant, in that in 1994-95 anyone employed at an hourly wage less than $10.64 generally could not afford housing in the county.
Given the extreme upward pressure from population growth, as well as the relative lack of older housing stock, the most critical need in Washington County is increasing the supply of affordable units, both for renters and buyers. Efforts to modernize existing publicly assisted housing and preserve affordable rental units also will be pursued to address the high priority assigned to housing for low-income households experiencing cost burdens or unable to locate affordable housing.
In keeping with the county's suburban growth patterns, 59 percent of the county's housing stock is owner-occupied, and less than 37 percent of the housing units in the county were built before 1970. Average single family home prices rose over 62 percent in ten years (1983-1993). During those same ten years, the number of homes sold more than tripled. Expanded demand due to in-migration and high employment rates has pushed the rental market upward. Rents charged for new and existing units are currently on the rise, and vacancy rates are dropping to nearly 3 percent.
Families of any size who make less than the 80 percent of median income-31 percent of the households in Washington County-cannot afford market rate rents. Seventy percent of renters with incomes at or below 30 percent of the area median income pay more than half of their income on rent and utilities, and less than 5 percent (or 2,457) of all rental units are affordable at that income level. Hispanic renters are disproportionately low- and moderate- income, and are far more likely to experience housing problems than other groups. Large minority-headed (especially Hispanic) renter households are far more likely to have low incomes (25.9 percent compared to 7.7 percent of all large-family renters). Of 5,827 elderly renters, 3,057 are low- or moderate-income and pay more than 30 percent of their income for rent and utilities. Over half of low-income elderly renters pay more than 50 percent of their income on housing costs.
There are 6,315 low-income (at or below 50 percent of median) owner households in the county, and 2,629 owner households pay more than half of their income for housing costs. Both small and large families in this income category were more likely to experience unaffordable, overcrowded, or substandard housing. Over 60 percent of low-income homeowners are elderly. Owners of mobile homes also have faced rapid increases in pad rates over the past 5-10 years.
Assisted housing needs clearly include the thousands of agricultural laborers who live and work in the county. The demographics of this population have changed drastically, with increasing numbers of families and full-time, year-round residents. It has been reported that 68 percent of employer-provided farm labor camp units are occupied by families instead of single adult males. Washington County off-camp housing units rented to agricultural workers have an occupancy average of 7.11 persons per unit. Average household income within this group is estimated at between $8,200 and $9,000 annually.
The issue of homelessness remains largely unrecognized in Washington County although service providers know that the county's homeless population is growing rapidly. Between 3,000 and 6,000 individuals per year are in need of shelter or support services to deal with homeless issues. In 1993-94, the county's four overnight and day shelter facilities received a total of 7,299 requests for shelter service, but were able to provide temporary housing to only 569 households (1,863 individuals). Children represented 52 percent of the total individuals served. The county's general shelter facilities can serve up to 55 people between the months of October and April and only 41 beds can be used during the remainder of the year, none of which are available to single homeless men. At present, there are only seven transitional housing units in the county targeted to serve homeless families.
With 3,059 households on the Department of Housing Services' unified waiting list, almost 80 percent of whom earn at or below 30 percent of area median income, most applicants for housing assistance wait from two to four years before being housed. Serving as the countywide Housing Authority, the department owns and operates less than 300 units, and provides rental assistance through certificates and vouchers to 1,700 households. About 780 units in privately owned rental developments receive Section 8 subsidies. No assisted units are considered deteriorated or scheduled for demolition or replacement. The Department of Housing Services operates a successful Comprehensive Grant program to modernize older public housing units.
Of the 5,060 county residents in special needs populations, 354 are in residential treatment facilities and 320 in public housing or receiving Section 8 rental assistance. There are also some 397 HUD-subsidized Section 202/811 housing units in the county, but these primarily serve the elderly. There are no residential facilities dedicated to the AIDS population in Washington County. Residents with AIDS who need a supportive service environment generally apply to programs in Multnomah County, which are at capacity and have waiting lists.
The cost of housing in Washington County, and the incentives to provide affordable housing, are impacted, directly and indirectly, by zoning, fees, and tax determinations made by local jurisdictions. Broader decisions, such as the Urban Growth Boundary and future growth patterns in the region, have far reaching consequences that affect housing and community development priorities. The county supports affordable housing by utilizing CDBG funds to purchase land for nonprofit development and directing that appropriate public benefit uses such as affordable housing should be considered for publicly owned surplus property whenever possible. In spite of the limited scope of such efforts, land acquisition activities are of critical importance in light of the escalating cost and finite supply of buildable, residentially zoned land in the county.
The Community Action Organization reports about 700 to 750 housing discrimination calls per year to their Fair Housing program, with the largest number of complaints made by families with children, persons with disabilities and Hispanic households. Community Action's program findings indicate that the issue of housing discrimination has additional negative impact on housing affordability in Washington County.
Like overcrowding, lead-based paint hazards are more prevalent in units occupied by lower income households. While all homes built prior to 1980 may contain lead-based paint, housing built before 1940, comprising only 4.9 percent of the units in Washington County, is far more likely to present problems with lead-based paint. Looking at low- and moderate- income renter households, about 27,953 units may have high potential for lead-based paint hazards; of low- and moderate-income owner-occupied homes, 21,057 homes may present a higher risk of lead-based paint problems. While the number of homes at risk for lead-based paint hazards appears substantial, the aggregate number of housing units in Washington County with some form of substandard condition is relatively small. However, some residents of the County, due to combinations of factors involving both income and housing conditions, are experiencing a disproportionate share of adverse conditions, including possible lead-based paint hazards.
In preparing the three-year Community Development Plan for Washington County, needs statements submitted by local jurisdictions, service providers and other potential project sponsors identified high priority community development needs as follows:
In its second full year as an independent entitlement community, the City of Beaverton also participated in the Consolidated Plan effort. Priority community development needs for the city were identified as neighborhood facilities, street improvements, and fair housing and other public services.
The key partners in implementation of the Plan will be the Washington County
Department of Housing Services and Office of Community Development and the
Beaverton Community Development Department. In addition to these lead
departments, a wide ranging network of county and city agencies, private
nonprofit organizations and private sector representatives will continue to
contribute their ideas, resources, and influence toward achievement of the
objectives stated in the plan. Several means to improve coordination were
identified in the plan, including a standard fiscal year for all activities
beginning July 1; an annual consolidated application for funds; using fund
setasides to provide incentives for identified priorities; using project rating
criteria, where appropriate, to support program coordination; and encouraging
joint investments in affordable housing and infrastructure through public-
private partnerships.
As the underlying policy for the Consolidated Plan, the following statement addresses major elements of the entitlement-funded programs, as well as the priorities of the county and cities to stabilize communities, foster partnerships, and promote citizen participation:
It is the policy of Washington County to establish an overall strategy for the coordination of housing and community development resources, in order to provide decent housing, establish and maintain a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunity, particularly for low- and moderate-income persons. In achieving these goals, the County will work to extend and strengthen partnerships among all levels of government and the private sector and to encourage effective citizen participation.
Programs and services in the areas of affordable housing, homelessness, and other special needs categories were addressed by Washington County in its 1993 Affordable Housing Study, which was undertaken to establish a basis for housing policies and to identify far- reaching strategies for all housing-related activities. The Affordable Housing Study identified eight specific populations whose housing needs and the recommended strategies to address those needs?were considered individually. These are renters, first-time homebuyers, homeowners, minority populations, the elderly, special needs (physical or developmental disabilities, mental illness, alcohol or other addictions), agricultural workers, and the homeless. Four underlying policy recommendations from the Affordable Housing Study serve to establish the Count's housing priorities to be pursued in the Consolidated Plan. They are:
Applying these four principles to the data on needs serves to emphasize those critical areas in which the county (including the City of Beaverton) must concentrate available federal resources. A second tier analysis of needs, based upon availability of financial resources and the capacity of the community's institutions and agencies, results in the final determination of priorities, objectives, and proposed accomplishments over the upcoming five years.
Washington County's community development objectives mirror the three national statutory objectives of the CDBG program: " (1) provide benefit to low and moderate income persons; (2) aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight; or (3) be designed to meet other community development needs having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious or immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community where other financial resources are not available to meet such needs." Adopted in July 1993, the Washington County CDBG Plan, 1994-97, provides the basis for funding projects over a three-year period. The plan includes a community development needs assessment; goals, strategies, and policies; and specific project selection criteria tailored to the individual objectives in each competitive funding category.
The City of Beaverton's community development priorities are derived from its Three-Year Spending Plan and 1994 Final Statement, as well as the city's Capital Improvement Program. Activities to be funded by Beaverton's CDBG program meet the following local objectives:
Housing activities determined to be high priority include:
The county's priorities are weighed toward housing production, through acquisition of land (and existing units in fair condition) and new construction. The county also aims to maintain and, where necessary, supplement existing programs and services for the homeless. Particular efforts will be made to fill gaps in the continuum of care to assure that all priority needs are addressed. Finally, the county's strategy for special needs populations is to allocate resources and services to residents having the greatest need and to emphasize programs that foster greater self-sufficiency.
Among high priorities for the county's CDBG program are neighborhood facilities, parks and recreation facilities, street and/or sidewalk improvements, youth services, health services, fair housing counseling, and energy efficiency programs. The City of Beaverton has designated public services, neighborhood facilities, and street improvements as its highest priorities for community development activities over the upcoming three years.
Neither Washington County nor the City of Beaverton has adopted overall goals, programs, or policies specifically aimed at reducing the number of families in poverty. Washington County's Affordable Housing Study (1993), however, sets forth policies and actions designed to provide housing services "as part of an overall strategy to assist those in the community with the greatest need," and "link housing with supportive services in a way that empowers families and individuals toward greater self-sufficiency and independence." The Family Self-Sufficiency program operated by DHS in partnership with agencies throughout the county enables residents of assisted housing to achieve individual goals as part of an overall anti-poverty strategy.
The Consolidated Plan estimates that some $883 million is needed to address priority housing, homeless, and community development needs in Washington County. Clearly, multiple sources of financing must be combined with federal grant funds to even begin to address these needs. Both by federal mandate and local policy, the major entitlement programs in the county all require some level of "match" or "leveraging"?financing from other sources in addition to the requested grant funds. Locally adopted policies for the HOME program require that other sources comprise no less than 50 percent of the cost of an approved project. With regard to the CDBG program, the Washington County Office of Community Development reports that over fifteen years, the amount allocated for community development eligible projects ( neighborhood revitalization, community facilities, and public services) have attracted over $20.5 million in additional public and private investment. The resources utilized have included local capital improvement funds, foundation grants, private mortgage financing, and local, state, and federal public services funding. Program income is also received from some entitlement-funded activities
The City of Beaverton's plan represents $6.8 million in community development needs. Funding for these projects is expected to include a variety of public and private partners. In addition to grant funds, the city expects to utilize a wide variety of local resources to support its community development activities, including the capital improvement budget, the city social service fund, funded activities in partnership with the Unified Sewerage Agency, and city-owned property.
The Department of Housing Services is responsible for a large number of housing-related activities, programs, and services in Washington County. DHS prepared the 1993 Affordable Housing Study and had lead responsibility for preparation of the Consolidated Plan. The programs and services of the Housing Authority of Washington County are carried out under contract by the Department of Housing Services. DHS also administers the HOME Investment Partnerships program, which represents the efforts of both Washington County and the City of Beaverton under a Consortium agreement entered into between the two jurisdictions in 1993. Other programs administered by DHS include Emergency Shelter Grants, transitional and special needs housing units leased to nonprofit service providers, lease purchase housing for first-time home buyers, and CDBG funded land acquisition and housing-related public services setasides. Overall administration of the CDBG program in the county is carried out by the Office of Community Development. OCD and DHS staff work closely in the management of interrelated planning and program activities. The City of Beaverton administers its independent CDBG entitlement, working in partnership with DHS on housing issues and programs.
There are, in addition, a variety of governmental agencies, nonprofit
corporations, and private for-profit developers who are actively involved in
creating affordable housing opportunities or providing housing services.
However, even with the participation of many effective and dedicated
organizations, clearly there is a need to expand the capacity of current or
would-be participants, as well as to better inform Washington County's citizens
of what is happening in housing. The overall question of development capacity
is identified as one of the key obstacles to affordable housing development in
this strategic plan.
Washington County will invest approximately $5.4 million in new and reallocated entitlement funds (plus program income) to an array of housing and community development activities in FY 1995. These Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME, and Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) Program resources will be spent as follows:
The City of Beaverton's Action Plan outlines the proposed use of $498,000 in FY 1995 CDBG funds and $10,791 in program income for five different projects. The largest project expansion of the Beaverton Community Center will require approximately $243,791 in CDBG funds in the coming year. The center is a basic element of the revitalization program for the area and will be an incentive to continuing redevelopment. Other funded activities include street improvements, planning, public services, and program administration.
With few exceptions, all Washington County entitlement funds are available countywide to meet the housing and community development needs of low- and moderate-income families.
The City of Beaverton has elected to target its community development program in two neighborhoods, the light rail station areas in downtown Beaverton, and the Central Beaverton/Vose neighborhood. Both areas include a majority of low- and moderate-income residents and both have critical needs for revitalization activities.
The Consolidated Plan presents five-year objectives for the categories of rental and owned housing, homelessness, and special needs housing, and states proposed accomplishments for each objective according to the number of units that will be assisted or produced with federal housing and community development resources.
Average units per year are estimated to be as follows:
Rental housing: 270 Owned housing: 140 Homeless: 450 Special needs: 25
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 provides information about the project(s).
