The City of Reading's Consolidated Plan represents the initiatives which will be undertaken in order to carry out the City's Community development objectives and the funding allocations under three major HUD programs: the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the HOME program and the Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) program. These funds will be spent on economic development activities, neighborhood and housing activities and public services.
The City involved citizens in the planning process in a number of different
ways. Two community housing conferences, Enterprise Community meetings, a
citizen review committee for public service funding, televised public hearings
and collaborative efforts with the United Way and Berks County highlighted our
citizen participation efforts and resulted in a more complete and responsive
plan.
The City of Reading is the historic urban center of Berks County. As the County increases in population and housing growth, the city has experienced population loss and loss of identity as the retail and social hub of the County. The suburbs are rapidly expanding and the viable economic and tax base of the City is shrinking.
The city has experienced growing numbers in the Latino population and a modest increase in the African American populations. These populations are disproportionately represented in the low income populations and neighborhoods.
Like national trends, there has also been a shift from a manufacturing base to an increased reliance on the service sector for employment. There is disinvestment in the downtown and many of the city's older factory buildings are obsolete and creating a blighting influence on surrounding residential neighborhoods.
The City places priority on homeownership and programs are geared to rehabilitating the existing housing stock. The City also recognizes the importance of establishing a continuum of care within the affordable housing community. Moving families toward economic stability and independent living is a priority and need for many of the city's subpopulations from the very low income to the physically challenged.
The suburbanization of Berks County has impacted the City's housing market by driving down housing values and rents. In fact one of the attractions to the low income community is the housing price. The 1990 median housing value for the City is $37,700.
The predominant housing type in the City is single family attached units comprising 53% of the housing stock. No significant change was seen in the City since 1980 between owner occupied and renter occupied units. The percentage of owner occupied units remains at 56%. The City's housing stock is also comprised of a greater percentage of older units than Berks County. About 70% of the City's housing stock was built in 1940 or earlier. Because of the age of the City's housing stock 29% of the units are determined to be in substandard condition.
It would appear that even those families at 50% of median income could afford the 1990 census median priced house in Reading of $37,700. However, this does not mean that the average family can afford the downpayment and closing costs in order to make housing attainable.
Renter households comprise 68% of the low income housing need, particularly small related renters. These households in particular are cost burdened. Low income elderly owners and renters also comprise a significant percentage of those with housing needs
The homeless population in Reading and Berks county has been treated as one and the same since the inception of the Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) program. The city and county have both received allocation through the Stewart B. McKinney Act. These funding programs have proved critical in addressing the needs of the homeless and near homeless populations of Berks County.
According to the S-night count conducted as part of the 1990 census there are approximately 172 homeless persons. It has been determined that at the present time there may be an adequate number of beds to house the homeless population but their needs are complex. Many of the shelter facilities now operate day programs and provide specialized case management services to the population.
There are also numbers of persons being served who are threatened with homelessness. Financial counseling and assistance is being provided to assist very low income persons and households.
There are 1,610 public housing units in the City consisting of 926 family units and 684 elderly units. There are also 435 Section 8 tenant based assisted units currently under contract in the City with another 428 project-based units.
The majority of persons on the waiting list for public housing are female headed households, both with children and the elderly. There are 500 applicants on the Section 8 housing waiting list as of march 1995 and the estimated average wait for assistance is 3 years.
The City does not anticipate losing any Section 8 units from the assisted housing inventory. Some public housing units are temporarily vacant due to modernization and lead paint abatement efforts. They will again be fully occupied upon completion of these efforts.
The City has determined that tax policies, land use controls, zoning and building ordinances, subdivision regulations and fees do not pose a significant barrier to the provision of affordable housing. The City Engineer will be working through a sewer moratorium placed on the City by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. This could affect an affordable housing project's ability to move forward and is beyond the control of the Bureau of Development and Inspections.
The City is working as part of the Berks Community Housing Council to address affordable housing issues on a regional and comprehensive basis. This effort is supported by the corporate sector, banking institutions, public service sector and government.
At the present time, the most frequently identified barrier to affordable housing is education and lack of money. Prospective homeowners must be educated with the skills and information necessary to make them homeowners and tenants must be educated in order to secure their rights and responsibilities.
The City completed an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing in late 1990. The City has been following an Affirmative Action Monitoring Plan since April 1986. This Plan outlines the process which is used to encourage minority participation in employment, development and occupancy. The City also utilizes the Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan for rental development projects to insure that a diverse community will be provided the information for affordable housing opportunities.
Based on the age of the housing stock, it is estimated that 75% of the units in the City of Reading contain lead-based paint which results in an estimate of 25,707 units. Many of these units are occupied by low income households. The City estimated the number of units with lead-based paint which are occupied by low income households and determined that that would be 16,317 units. The City conducts lead paint inspections and case manager employed by Northeast Vector Control works with families whose children have elevated blood lead levels. The City also provides lead information to owners and occupants about mitigating the effects of lead- based paint.
The City maintains several general objectives for the CDBG program. These
include: reducing slums, blight and blighting influences, offsetting the
deterioration of property, mitigating conditions which are detrimental to public
health and safety, conserving the City's housing stock, reducing the isolation
of income groups, promoting diversity and vitality of neighborhoods, stimulating
private investment, creating new job opportunities and retaining existing jobs
principally for persons of low income, and addressing an urgent need as it may
arise.
The City will involve greater citizen participation in the planning processes. The form of government in the City will change and be more representative of the geographic needs of the City. As participation increases, the priorities of the federally funded program may better reflect the needs and desires of the residents.
The City has designated a Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area in which to target funding and programming. This area represents the poorest areas of the City and those that are in greatest need. The City will be utilizing the efforts of two Community Outreach workers to incorporate knowledge about the neighborhoods and residents into program planning and activities.
The City's housing stock will be rehabilitated through existing programs, particularly the owner- occupied stock. Other rehabilitation programs will be targeted to specific areas and designed with neighborhood resident involvement.
Priorities for Affordable Housing includes addressing the housing needs of the very low income populations, the elderly and improving the safe, decent condition for low income residents, providing homeowner education and rehabilitation, and coordinating supportive services with affordable housing projects.
Priorities for Homelessness alleviation includes continuing to support the operations of existing shelters, case management and homeless prevention activity.
Priority for non-homeless persons with special needs is coordinating rehabilitation activity with the supportive social service network which must be put in place to support the occupants of these new projects.
Neighborhood initiatives and economic revitalization are two priority areas for funding. Preserving public health and safety through recreation and park improvements, fire equipment and code enforcement efforts are also a priority for activities.
Specific programming includes community outreach workers, coordinating public improvements and rehabilitation on a block by block basis, public service funding, and revolving loans to businesses who create jobs for the low income population and technical assistance to the entrepreneurial business community.
Affordable housing initiatives provide a supportive service component to address low income families' complex client needs. The City believes that by ensuring a continuum of care that the very low income will have opportunities to move to economic self-sufficiency and end the cycle of poverty. This recognition in conjunction with the City's neighborhood initiatives will begin to address poverty as a root cause of many other neighborhood problems.
The City receives CDBG, HOME and ESG funds through HUD. These are the primary programs which are used to implement the housing and community development efforts within the City. There are also several quasi-public and non-profit agencies which administer programs which receive federal and or state funds to implement economic development, fair housing and public service activities.
The Bureau of Development and Inspections is primarily responsible with
carrying out the procedures and processes set forth in the Consolidated Plan.
This Bureau works in conjunction with all other City Bureaus to ensure that the
City can adequately meet its community development objective and tap into all of
the resources that are available to implement programs.
The action plan for the City for FFY 1995 outlines activities as part of an approximate $13.5 million budget of CDBG, HOME, ESG and program income. Some of these funds will be spent on the following activities:
The projects that are undertaken on a city-wide basis will be targeted to the City's Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA). The majority of the projects that are site specific are located with the NRSA. The Community Outreach Workers will be working within this area to determine specific neighborhoods to receive targeted funding.
The lead agency for carrying out these activities is the Bureau of Development and Inspections. This Bureau is presently comprised of three offices: the Office of Economic and Community Development, the Office of Housing Rehabilitation and the Office of Code Services. It is this Bureau's responsibility to administer the federal funds on behalf of the City and coordinate with all other Bureaus.
The City proposed to assist about 150 homeowners through first time homebuyer initiatives and or housing rehabilitation during FFY 1995 and a total of 350 renters during FFY 1995 - 1999. It is difficult to breakdown some of the assistance due to the complicated nature of rental development and the lengthy development period. The City will also propose to assist 1400 homeless families and individuals during this period.
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, and proposed HUD funded projects; in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).
Pamela Shupp Straub, AICP
Assistant Director, Development and Inspections
Phone: (610) 655-6023
