The Consolidated Plan: FY 1995-96 through FY 1997-98 is the City's comprehensive method for addressing the needs of low and moderate income persons in the community utilizing U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant funds. These funds include the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA), and the Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG).
The City of Dallas is the eighth largest city in the U.S. and has a population of more than 1 million people. Voted as the "Best-managed large city in Texas" (Texas Business magazine), Dallas is the business center of the Southwest and the number two convention center in the country. It is the hub of a thriving metroplex area offering a wide variety of economic, social and cultural opportunities. Dallas has an active planning process for guiding the City into the twenty-first century and is committed to maintaining and improving the quality of life in neighborhoods.
The City of Dallas Action Plan for FY 1995-96 utilizes a total of $31.7 million in HUD funds, including $22.9 million in CDBG funds, $6 million in HOME funds, $2 million in HOPWA funds, and $685,000 in ESG funds. Additionally, $50 million in previously approved Section 108 loans for the Intown Housing and Neighborhood Renaissance Partnership Programs continue to be an important source of funds for providing housing opportunities for low and moderate income persons.
Other private and non-federal sources of funds expected to be available to address a variety of identified needs include $1.5 billion from Fannie Mae, $2 million from the State of Texas, and $1 million from Dallas County; as well as the City's local bond and general fund dollars. Negotiations are also underway with a private donor for the provision of two-thirds of the cost of a new recreation center to be built in a CDBG eligible area.
In preparing this Plan, the City has networked and consulted with over 40 nonprofit agencies. These consultations took place through surveys, meetings, and discussion groups. The City networked with local nonprofit and for-profit corporations to assess citizen needs in order to develop a plan that would address the highest priority needs. The City also networked with communities by way of the 40 Community Advisory Councils housed at City recreation centers. More than 1,200 notices were mailed to businesses, advocacy groups, and nonprofit agencies to advise them of scheduled focus group meetings and to invite their participation. Additionally, advertisements of notices of public hearings and the proposed Plan were placed in several major newspapers and the paper of official record.
The Dallas City Council adopted the Citizen Participation Plan for the
Consolidated Plan on January 11, 1995. The Citizen Participation Plan
identifies the process and multiple opportunities by which citizens may
participate in the consolidated planning and budget development process. In
January 1995, the City conducted 14 public hearings as part of the process of
identifying the needs of low and moderate income persons, homeless individuals
and families, and persons with AIDS/HIV. More than 300 citizens attended the
public hearings and were provided with an overview of the new procedures that
had been established by HUD. In total, more than 50 meetings and budget
workshops were held by the Council-appointed Community Development Commission
(CDC) between January and June.
In 1990, Dallas had a population of 1,006,877. This represents an increase
of 11 percent in the decade from 1980 and 1990, an increase slightly larger than
the 9.8 percent increase of the United States population during the same decade
and smaller than the population growth rate of 13.4 percent in the South Region.
Growth rates varied across ethnic groups, with Asian-Americans increasing in
population in Dallas by 168 percent and an 8 percent growth in the Hispanic
population. The Native American population increased 21 percent, the
African-American population grew 10 percent, while the White population
decreased by 7 percent. The total population in Dallas in 1990 was 30 percent
African-American, 20.9 percent Hispanic, and 49.1 percent White and other ethnic
groups.
The overall condition of the housing stock in Dallas is very good. These conditions, however, vary by location, with some of the worst housing stock being in southern Dallas and the newest and best being in northern Dallas. Only 1% (3,400 units) of the housing stock is in such poor condition that it could not be rehabilitated. Approximately 12% (55,000 units) of the housing stock is in substandard condition but could be rehabilitated. The total cost to bring all housing units to standard would be $906 million, with single family renovation costs accounting for 86% of the total costs. (Housing Condition Survey, Bruton Center, UTD.)
The single family proportion of the total housing stock has decreased during the past four decades -- in 1960, 76% of all housing units were single family homes as compared to 50% in 1990. Homeownership rates have also decreased since 1960 when 60% of all households were homeowners as compared to 44% in 1990.
Affordable housing needs in the Consolidated Plan have a very specific context. Affordability is the predominant housing problem for low and moderate income persons in Dallas. Approximately 61% of all Dallas low/moderate households identified as having housing problems live in structurally sound and adequately sized housing units but pay more than 30% of their incomes on housing costs. The extremely low income are especially hard hit -- 53% pay half or more of their incomes on housing.
While excessive housing costs are the predominant affordable housing problem in Dallas, low and moderate income households also have other housing problems. Many live in apartments or homes that are in need of either minor repair or major rehabilitation. Many extremely low-income families need emergency minor home repairs just to be able to stay in their homes. Many low/moderate income homeowners, especially the elderly, need assistance with minor home repairs.
Overcrowding is another problem faced by many large, low and moderate income families. Eleven percent of Dallas households have five or more members and many live in homes or apartments too small for their needs. Approximately 17,800 large, low-income families in Dallas live in homes or apartments too small for their needs. Dallas does not have an adequate inventory of affordable three and four bedroom homes and apartments.
The number of homeless persons in the City of Dallas who are living in public places and in shelters has been estimated to be from 3,500 to 5,000. A single point enumeration in February, 1993 that was conducted by the City and carried out using City staff and homeless persons produced an actual count of 2,099 persons. This count does not include persons living in abandoned buildings throughout the city.
The profile of the homeless population in Dallas is similar to that of the homeless population across the country. The largest portion of the homeless population is, and has been for the last several years, single minority males. These men account for 77% of the sheltered homeless and 86% of the non-sheltered homeless. By self admission, alcoholism and drug addition is rampant among this population. A growing group among the homeless is single women accompanied by small children. Many of these women move from shelter to shelter with their children and fail to access needed services.
In surveying homeless persons, those surveyed stated that the major services in which they had unsuccessfully attempted to access at some point were shelter, transportation employment assistance, and drug treatment.
In Dallas, as throughout the nation, there exist many individuals and families that earn meager incomes, just enough to pay the rent, utilities, and buy food. Families and individuals in this category, those not living in public housing or other assisted housing, will be at risk of becoming homeless because they are very low skilled and work in poor paying jobs that usually do not offer much permanence. The non-elderly singles need affordable single-room occupancy (SRO) units to help alleviate their pressing housing needs and assure them of permanent housing. Families with children need two, three, and sometimes four-bedroom housing units with rents ranging from $200 to $400 a month (depending upon family size) in safe neighborhoods and close to schools, jobs, parks, and transportation.
The Dallas Housing Authority (DHA) owns and manages over 7,000 public housing units. These units are scattered throughout Dallas in 23 developments. Four of the developments (726 units) are specifically designated for the elderly and disabled. The majority of the units are in apartment complexes of more than 100 units. Some of these units are single family houses grouped together as small developments of 25 units or less. Other single family homes are individually scattered throughout the city. All of these units have been modernized since 1983 (except 2,600 units in the Lakewest housing developments) and are in very good condition.
The DHA's strategy for improving the management and operation of public housing includes physical improvements to the structures and properties, management improvements, and resident initiatives. (Improvements are included in DHA's Five Year Action Plan found in the Comprehensive Grant Program.)
The strategy for improving the living environment of families living in public housing include increasing the ratio of housing managers to residents, better screening of applicants for criminal history (especially drug related activity), and continuing the successful programs underway at selected developments. Programs include: employment and training assistance, child care, family self-sufficiency, stepped-up apprenticeship, home study centers, youth sports, and midnight basketball.
The Consolidated Plan identified the following areas which may constitute barriers to affordable housing:
The City will continue to affirmatively support fair housing programs. These programs include activities such as the investigation and conciliation of housing discrimination complaints; education for citizens, housing providers, and providers of related services; and housing referrals.
The housing stock of the City of Dallas contains roughly 350,250 housing units built prior to 1980. While no firm estimate of the number of low income or moderate income families living in units with lead-based paint exists, it is known that 47.7 percent of all Dallas households earn incomes below 80 percent of the area median income. A large number of these households, especially those living in inner-city neighborhoods, reside in homes built prior to 1980. The exception would be younger households that live in new apartment units in the northern areas of town. It is possible that 75 percent (143,967) or more of the city's low and moderate income households live in housing units that could have lead-based paint hazards due to the propensity of these households to live in older housing units.
The City of Dallas has not conducted lead-poisoning studies other than in conjunction with smelter contamination investigations.
The Dallas Eligible Metropolitan Statistical Area (EMSA) is approximately 4,000 square miles and includes eight counties. According to 1990 census data, the area has a total population of 2,678,551. The overall population is 49 percent male and 51 percent female; 15.5 percent African-American, and 14 percent Hispanic. Sixty-nine percent of the EMSA's population resides in Dallas County. The 1994 data from the Texas Department of Health shows the cumulative number of AIDS cases in the Dallas EMSA was 7,180. Of that number, 69 percent are White, 20 percent are African-American, and 10 percent are Hispanic. In the outlying counties, 85 percent are White, 9 percent are African-American, and 6 percent are Hispanic. As of November 1, 1994, the number of persons with AIDS estimated still to be living, was 2,902. Males represented 95.3 percent of the reported cases, while females represented 4.7 percent -- a substantially higher proportion of male cases over their percentage of the EMSA population. There are approximately 1,800 persons with AIDS estimated to need supportive housing. There is a growing need for supportive housing for this population. Supportive services needed include medical treatment, care services, nutritional and psychosocial support, and financial assistance. Providers are concerned that there be sufficient financing to provide the service component of the housing program.
The consolidated planning process began with a series of public hearings to receive input from citizens on the needs in the community. Other available data and statistics on the needs of low/moderate income persons, homeless individuals and families, and persons with AIDS/HIV were also compiled and analyzed to produce a comprehensive assessment of prioritized projects.
Some of the major non-housing community development priorities include
public services, economic development, public facilities, infrastructure
improvements, accessibility needs, historic preservation, planning, and adequate
monitoring and administrative oversight to ensure programs address priority
needs and comply with federal requirements.
Once the City's community development needs were identified, priorities were established to address the identified needs for 1995-96 through 1997-98. Those priorities are as follows:
| Priority #1: | Walker Legal Commitments | |
| Priority #2: | Homeownership Opportunities | |
| Priority #3: | Homeowner Repairs |
| Priority #1: | Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment | |
| Priority #2: | Child Care | |
| Priority #3: | Vocational Training | |
| Priority #4: | Expansion of Day Resource Center Hours | |
| Priority #5: | Mobile Outreach | |
| Priority #6: | Shelter for Special Needs |
| Priority #1: | Neighborhood Revitalization | |
| Priority #2: | Youth Programs | |
| Priority #3: | Clinical Health Services | |
| Priority #4: | Senior Services | |
| Priority #5: | Homeless/Temporary Housing | |
| Priority #6: | Housing Services | |
| Priority #7: | Other Public Services activities such as outreach for victims of teen violence, youth job training, employment assistance programs, and anti-drug programs. |
| Priority #1: | Construct, Renovate, or Expand City Facilities | |
| Priority #2: | Renovation/Acquisition of Nonprofit Facilities |
| Priority #1: | Ensure that City Facilities Comply with ADA | |
| Priority #2: | Construct Curb Ramps to Facilitate Wheelchair Use |
| Priority #1: | Section 106 Review | |
| Priority #2: | Mitigation | |
| Priority #3: | Facade Improvement Program | |
| Priority #4: | Landmark Designation |
| Priority #l: | Financial Assistance to Small and Minority Businesses | |
| Priority #2: | Technical and Professional Assistance to Small Businesses | |
| Priority #3: | Commercial/Industrial/Acquisition/Rehabilitation/Infrastructure |
| Priority #1: | Revitalize and Preserve Neighborhoods by Enhancing Code Enforcement Activities | |
| Priority #2: | Successfully Relocate all Governmental Displacees |
| Priority #1: | Area Wide Environmental Review | |
| Priority #2: | Urban Main Street Program | |
| Priority #3: | Land Use and Urban Design Study Projects |
The basic anti-poverty strategy is to use available resources in innovative ways to address the current needs of extremely low-income persons, while providing opportunities for self-empowerment and escape from the inter-generational cycle of poverty. Achieving this goal will be neither quick nor easy.
All aspects of community life need to be involved: housing, economic development, public facilities, health and social services delivery systems, elected officials, neighborhood organizations, educational institutions, the private sector, nonprofit agencies, citizen volunteers, etc. Financial and human capital resources throughout the community will need to be used in a coordinated manner if more than marginal net improvements are to be made, not only to the life circumstances of poverty-level persons, but to the underlying factors that perpetuate poverty. Inter-jurisdictional and inter-agency cooperation will be an important key in a successful anti-poverty strategy.
Enhanced coordination between the City and the private sector will be
pursued through increased formal dialogue between private financial
institutions, developers, social service providers, and the City staff. Efforts
to better coordinate with other governmental entities and avoid duplication of
service delivery will be made.
Some of the key projects proposed in the City of Dallas Action Plan are:
Total allocation for all programs -- $31,739,121
Maps
MAP 1 depicts points of interest in the jurisdiction.
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 depicts information about the project(s).
MAP 6 depicts additional points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects; as referenced in the table under MAP 5.
