Toa Baja's 1995 Consolidated Plan constitutes an effective tool to assess local needs and development activities; promotes citizen participation and coordinates efforts with State and Federal agencies to implement a wide variety of programs concerning housing and community development, child care, education, training and health, economic development, infrastructure and job creation.
The Consolidated Plan also includes an action plan constituting an application for funds under the three (3) HUD formula programs for a total of $3,964,000: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)($3,335,000), Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) ($129,000), and HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) ($500,000).
The methods employed to increase and assure citizen participation within the
Consolidated Plan completion process were: three (3) public hearings; a Needs
Assessment Study by Community and Public Interest Groups ; and a questionnaire
of opinion distributed to members of the community to obtain their input on
present and future infrastructure, services, and economic development needs in
their communities. Before the submission to HUD, and for a 30 day period,
copies of the Plan were published in a general circulation newspaper and made
available for public review and comment.
Toa Baja's total population was 89,454 according to 1990 U.S. Census
figures, showing a population growth rate of 1.35 percent between years 1980 and
1990; total housing stock was 28,008 housing units, 2, 178 of which were deteriorated. The percentage of
persons living under poverty level was 49.95 with an unemployment rate of
14.17%. Almost 100 percent of the population were Hispanic. The low to
moderate income households constituted at least 51 percent of almost all of the
census tracts within the jurisdiction.
The Municipality of Toa Baja has a fast-growing population of mostly low and moderate income persons. It is a jurisdiction with major need for expansion of the housing stock and of housing related infrastructure investments, as well as other general infrastructure investments for community and economic development. Its unemployment rate is around 8.0%, which compares favorably with the overall unemployment rate for Puerto Rico of 16%.
The housing demand between 1995 and the year 2000 will be around 2,946 housing units. The effective demand for housing will be of only 1,473 households who will need some type of subsidy to buy or rent a dwelling unit. There are about 400 homeowner housing units in need to be rehabilitated, and 16,195 renters and owner households with housing problems, mostly concerning housing related infrastructure. About 500 very low income households (30 percent below median income) will need certain type of rental assistance, and another 500 low to moderate income households will need some type of subsidy to buy a home, during the period of 1995-2000.
The City's homeless population is estimated between 12 to 22 individuals, but the actual number varies from day today. This population consists of mostly males, over 18 years old with drug or alcohol problems, some of them severely mentally ill and/or with AIDS.
There is no emergency shelter facilities operating in Toa Baja. To assist the homeless or those threatened with homelessness such as battered women, Toa Baja will open an emergency shelter facility to serve 6 persons and start a continuum of care program with them.
The condition of 160 existing public housing units barely complies with present Housing Quality Standards. In accordance with a study of the housing needs, there is a shortage of 160 new public housing units for very low income households.
Toa Baja provides Section 8 rental assistance to 216 low income households.
The lack of adequate land for development as result of flood prone areas and the economic disadvantage condition of almost 50% of the population , which fall under the poverty level are the most critical barriers for the development of affordable housing in Toa Baja.
Revisions are needed in the areas of zoning codes , reutilization of the drain flood and natural irrigation channels, and implementation of local tax incentives for new industries as part of a comprehensive economic development plan to address the poverty condition of the jurisdiction.
The Municipal Government is proposing to address the needs of income burden and economically disadvantaged persons through an economic development plan to be included in its Land Use Plan (Plan Territorial), which is in process. Most of the impediments that limit the selection of housing in Toa Baja, are related to the income levels.
There is a need for fair housing counseling services for the elderly and the handicapped population.
Lead-Based Paint was detected in two housing units out of 80 studied cases. Otherwise, poisoning caused by lead-based paint was reported by The Department of Health.
A study of lead-based paint hazards in the Section 8 rental assistance housing units will be conducted by the City.
There is a wide variety of community development needs, such as child care
centers, health centers, parks and recreational facilities; infrastructure
installations related to solid waste disposal, flood drainage improvements,
streets improvements, energy systems; public services' historic preservation
and economic development activities.
This plan is a layout for a long-term strategy to deal with housing and community development needs within the jurisdiction. It is geared to provide a complete vision of needs, resources and strategies to attain the expected housing and community development goals of the Municipal Government. It is a plan to build the city of the future.
The Municipality of Toa Baja Housing and Community Development objectives for the next five years are very ambitious. They include an investment of $233.1 million for housing, homelessness, public facilities, infrastructure, public services, accessibility , historic preservation, economic development and planning with the following leverage of funding: 35.51% of Federal Funds, 30.97% of State Funds, 25.46% of Local Funds and 8.06% of Private Funds.
Housing priorities for Toa Baja are:
The strategy to reduce the number of families living under the poverty line is focus on:
The Municipality of Toa Baja faces an enormous challenge in gathering the resources necessary to implement its plan. The Consolidated Plan contains an inventory of Federal, State and Local programs and funds available or potentially available to carry out the plan.
The coordination of this plan will be staged at various levels: the Mayor's
Office, the Department of Budget and Planning and the Department of Housing and
Community Development. The first two departments will be responsible for the
procurement and allocation of State and Federal funds for a variety of strategic
projects for housing economic and community development, while the Department of
Housing and Community Development will be in charge of the administration of
the Federal programs.
The one year action plan lays out the proposed use of $3,964,000 to be received from the HUD-CPD formula grants: CDBG, ESG and HOME . Funds will be used in a variety of housing and and non-housing activities for the benefit of the low and moderate income persons.
Toa Baja will allocate its HOME funds of $500,000 in an assistance program for homebuyers to help low and very low income persons purchase their own homes and for homeowners to assist them to rehabilitate their substandard housing units . A total of $100,000 will be use in a rental assistance program to increase the availability of affordable housing.
The CDBG entitlement grant of $3,335,000 will be dedicated to improve the facilities of a youth center and a health center ($500,00), homeowner moderate rehabilitation ($171,000), $50,000 for operational costs of a mobile health unit and $456,450 for the program administration.
Nearly $2.2 million in CDBG funds have been dedicated to meet the loan guarantees that support several non-housing urban center projects , including: construction and reconstruction of streets, drainage systems, recreational facilities in various sectors of the City, construction of a museum,; and improvements to a community service center and a public library.
The ESG of $122, 550 will be used for the operation of an emergency shelter facility including homeless prevention services.
The projects in the one year plan of Toa Baja are located on census tracts with residents of 51 percent or more of low and moderate income.
Goals for the first year include the increase of the supply of affordable housing for 308 low and moderate income households through rehabilitation, rental assistance and a homebuyer assistance programs.
The Department of Housing and Community Development is the lead agency for the implementation of the Consolidated Plan of the Municipality of Toa Baja, whose director is Mrs. Norma Santiago, (809) 784-0970.
MAP 2 display points of interest and low-mod income areas.
MAP 3 display points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and unemployment levels.
TABLE (without associated map) provides information about the project(s).
Mrs. Norma Santiago, Director (809) 784-0970
Fernando H. Rivera (809) 794-1135
Department of Housing and Community Development
