The City of Pawtucket, RI has prepared a consolidated plan outlining the city's priority housing and community development needs for the next five years. Specific attention is given to how the City of Pawtucket plans to make use of its federal funding (namely, the Community Development Block Grant, the HOME Housing Investment Partnership Program, and the Emergency Shelter Program) to address these identified needs. This citizen's summary presents a general overview of the entire plan.
The City of Pawtucket Action Plan for FY96 (July 1, 1995 - June 30, 1996) incorporates the actual federal funding consolidated plan application for the Community Development Block Grant ($3.4 million), the HOME Housing Investment Partnership Program ($535,000), and the Emergency Shelter Grant ($89,000). Total federal funding for FY96 housing and community development activities is $4,087,600.
The City of Pawtucket undertook extensive efforts to involve all segments of
the Pawtucket community in developing the consolidated plan. The three main
tactics employed by the City to elicit comment included: a targeted survey to
community development organizations, face to face consultations with housing and
community development "experts" in the community, and a series of
neighborhood input meetings held at locations throughout the City. The City
successfully utilized the local print media, both formally (display
advertisements) and informally (news releases), to inform Pawtucket citizens of
opportunities to be heard. Summaries of the consolidated plan were made
available to the public at public library and at the city clerk's office. A
formal public hearing on the consolidated plan was held on April 17, 1995.
The City of Pawtucket experienced some major changes in the decade between
1980 and 1990. First, it experienced a 2% increase in population when many
surrounding cities experienced a loss in population during this same time frame.
Second, its minority population more than doubled to represent 11% of the
population. And third, and regrettably so, the housing boon of the early and mid
nineteen eighties was followed by a period of a declining housing market,
subsequent disinvestment, credit union bank failures, and a decline in
manufacturing jobs. All of these factors have played themselves out in a variety
of ways which impact the City's housing and community development needs.
Not unlike other norteastern urban communities, Pawtucket has an older housing stock. with over half of housing stock built before 1939, the problems associated with aging structures (maintenance, lead paint) afflict many of the homes in the city. Approximately, two-thirds of the housing units in the city are part of multi-family properties, primarily two and three families.
The City of Pawtucket has the following identified housing needs: rehabilitation of existing housing stock, reclamation and reuse of properties that have been abandoned, a need to increase homeownership opportunities, and a need to provide safe, decent, and affordable rental units.
As mentioned previously, the housing market in Pawtucket remains out of reach for many of its residents. In addition, serious disinvestment has resulted in some 90 properties in the city which have been foreclosed, abandoned and boarded-up.
The affordable housing needs for Pawtucket residents break-down as follows: a need for a variety of decent, safe and affordable rental housing options and an increased effort to assist those individuals and families who are poised to make the leap to homeownership.
The City of Pawtucket's highest needs are not sheltering the homeless, for that objective appears to have been met, but providing those support services which prevent homelessness in the first place, and working toward transitional and permanent housing alternatives for those who are currently in shelters.
If the waiting list for public housing are an accurate indication, the overwhelming need in Pawtucket Public Housing is for Section 8 certificates and vouchers, with a waiting list that has been closed for over two years.
One barrier to affordable housing that is quite visible in the City is the number of vacant and abandoned properties. The housing units available in these properties could be used to expand the supply of affordable housing.
The City of Pawtucket recently formed a fair housing Committee to begin the task of educating the public as to the aspects of the law.
With the overwhelming majority of Pawtucket's housing stock built before 1978, lead paint hazards represent a signicant issue for the City.
Persons with special needs ( developmentally disabled, substance abuse, mental health) are in great need of housing options and corresponding support services.
The greatest non-housing community development needs can be categorized as follows: youth services, economic development initiatives, and neighborhood/facility improvements.
Coordination of efforts will continue to be a goal for the City of
Pawtucket. Through this strategic planning process, the City has hopefully
opened the communication process among housing and community development
providers.
The City of Pawtucket is cognizant of the enormous resources and coordination required to meet the housing and community development needs that have been identified as part of the consolidated planning process. However, by continuing to develop successful partnership with community based groups, the City is hopeful that real and measurable progress can be achieved.
The City of Pawtucket has adopted three overall goals to help guide its efforts over the next five years:
The following housing priorities were established as part of the consolidated plan process:
The City of Pawtucket is committed to a long term coordinated effort to provide permanent housing for the homeless. Specific priorities include:
With respect to persons who may require supportive services, the City of Pawtucket recognizes the following groups:
The City of Pawtucket has developed the following list of non-housing community development needs:
The three basic components of the City's overall anti-poverty strategy are:
The primary resources to begin addressing these priorities will come from three sources:
The coordination of the City's strategic plan shall be handled out of the
Pawtucket Department of Planning and Redevelopment. The Pawtucket Department of
Planning and Redevelopment has working relationships with many of the groups who
will be involved in addressing the plan priorities.
To meet the key housing and community development needs identified above, the City of Pawtucket has committed the following resources for FY 96:
The nature of the projects cited above are such that assistance for the most part will be available on a city-wide basis.
The City of Pawtucket alone can not effect change nor guarantee the success of its five year housing and community development plan. For that, it must rely, in part, on the cooperation, coordination and management of various partners. The overall lead agency in these efforts will be the Pawtucket Department of Planning and Redevelopment. Other agencies involved in aspects of the plan include: the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency (housing rehabilitation, downtown revitalization), the Pawtucket Local Development Corporation (business loan program), Blackstone Valley Community Action Program (HOME first-time homebuyer's program), the Pawtucket Citizens Development Corporation (abandoned housing restoration), and a host of social service agencies (CDBG public services).
The City of Pawtucket has set-out the following housing goals for the FY 96:
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 project(s) from a street level vantage point; in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).
Barney S. Heath
Community Development Program Manager
City of Pawtucket Department of Planning and Redevelopment
175 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860-4119
Phone: 401-724-5200
Fax: 401-726-6237
E-mail: citypawt@tiac.net
