The City of Garland is located in northeast Dallas County, which is one of the most rapidly growing areas in Texas. Garland is the second largest city in the county, the tenth largest in the State, and ninety-first in the Nation (1990 US Census). The affordability of Garland's housing, the excellent school system, and the proximity of Garland to the other cities of the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex all combine to make Garland a desirable community in which to live.
The City of Garland Consolidated Plan presents a five-year strategic vision of how the city will manifest itself in the future as it relates to housing and community development. It includes a one-year plan of action for spending approximately $2.4 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and $635,350 under the federal HOME Investment Partnership program, as well as $150,000 in program income. A large percentage of these funds will be spent on housing and infrastructure improvement projects.
The City of Garland's Department of Neighborhood Services, acting as the lead agency, coordinated and drafted the Fiscal Year 1995 Consolidated Plan. Citizen participation was solicited in a number of publicized community and specialized task force meetings. In total, two community meetings, one City Council-sponsored public hearing, and six specialized task force meetings were held. Following adoption of the Consolidated Plan by the Garland City Council on July 20, 1995, the plan was then made available for a 30-day public review period. Comments received from the public were incorporated into the document throughout the process.
Garland is located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, which in 1990 had an estimated population of 4.5 million people. According to the 1990 Census, the population of Garland was 180,650 persons. The majority of Garland's population is White (79.8 percent), 9 percent are Black, 11.3 percent are Hispanic, and 11.2 percent are other minorities.
In 1980 median household income (MHI) was $22,675, but by 1990 it had risen to $37,274. Thirty-three percent of all persons in Garland were low- and moderate-income in 1990. Of the 14,062 Garland residents living in poverty, 21.4 percent were minorities. The breakdown is as follows: Black, 24.9 percent; American Indian, 13.0 percent; Asian, 8 percent; Hispanic, 28.5 percent; and Other, 39.6 percent. Two census tracts, 182.01 and 190.13, in Garland contained majority concentrations of minorities. These areas are located in east and west Garland and both are in older sectors of the city.
The industrial and economic base of Garland is quite strong. Major employers include Kraft Foods, E-Systems, IMO Varo, Inc., Intercontinental Ceramics, Tyson Foods, and Sears, Inc., to name just a few. As of May 1992, the unemployment rate in Garland was 5.4 percent, which is significantly lower than the county-wide unemployment rate of 7.1 percent (Source: TEC). According to the 1990 Census, 28 percent of Garland's total resident work force works in Garland.
Two major housing needs are identified in the Consolidated Plan: 1) increasing the supply of affordable housing opportunities; and, 2) rehabilitating existing deteriorated housing stock. In addressing affordable housing opportunities, the Consolidated Plan highlights first-time homebuyer programs and infill housing as activities of priority. Under rehabilitation, the city's single-family rehabilitation and minor home emergency programs for the disabled and elderly are of priority.
Of very low-income (0-30 percent of MFI) owner households, a full 70 percent have been identified as having housing problems. Of very low-income (0-30 percent of MFI) renter households, 68.6 percent have been identified as having housing problems. Of these, 95.1 percent of the households were identified as large families. Thirty-two percent of all households in Garland, irrespective of income, have reported housing problems.
According to the 1990 U.S. Census, the City of Garland had 69,590 housing units. Of these, 90.8 percent were reported as occupied. Owner-occupied housing accounted for 40,586 of these units. In 1994, the estimated vacancy rate for multi-family units was 6 percent. Though the vacancy rate has started to decline, this rate has remained fairly constant over the last several years.
According to estimates derived from a housing conditions survey conducted in 1991, as much as 24.32 percent of all Garland housing units may not meet minimum housing codes. In addition, the survey revealed that approximately 5,495 renter-occupied units are in possible need of rehabilitation to bring them into compliance with minimum city housing codes, while an estimated 9,873 owner-occupied units are possibly in a similar condition.
The overwhelming majority of new single-family housing built in recent years in Garland is beyond the price range of low-income households. This action has spawned a concentration of efforts on an infill housing program to make opportunities for low-income families more readily available. In addition, very low rates of new multi-family construction have resulted in slowly declining vacancy rates throughout the city. While units are still available for low- income families, the existing stock is aging.
Households with incomes at or below 30 percent of median family income (59.2 percent in Garland) have the greatest housing cost burden. Affordable housing for the elderly and disabled has also been identified as of need in Garland.
The best estimates of the traditional homeless population in Garland place the number at between 8 to 12 persons at any one time. Of these, two were identified as persons with severe mental illness. It is more likely that the homeless population in Garland is better categorized as "near homeless" or "at risk of homelessness." The Consolidated Plan focuses resources on this latter population in an effort to reach the potential client before they actually reach the point of homelessness.
There are no emergency homeless shelters in Garland. However, there are several in the City of Dallas and a couple in Collin County. Transportation to these shelters has posed a significant problem for clients seeking these services. One local social service agency does provide a transitional housing program for residents that are victims of domestic violence, but the agency's ability to help is severely limited due to lack of resources.
The City of Garland's assisted housing programs are aimed at assisting low-income families in finding decent, safe, and affordable housing in the existing housing market. Certificates and vouchers are issued to qualified families and are based on fair market rents and payment standards as established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Both of these programs provide families with the freedom of selection of rental units. This is important in that it allows families of all income levels to live wherever they wish, thus reducing the possibility of segregating families of the lowest income groups.
As of February 1995, there are 525 families receiving assistance through the Section 8 Voucher, Section 8 Certificate, and Moderate Rehabilitation programs. However, current waiting lists consist of 252 eligible families, and it may be as long as two years before all of those families may be assisted.
Currently, it does not appear that Garland is experiencing any institutional barriers to affordable housing. On the contrary, Garland has traditionally been a proponent of growth and of affordable housing development. For example, impact fees are limited to new development city-wide and are reasonable in rate; there are no "slow growth" or "no growth" ordinances in existence; and the city's zoning ordinance allows for residential construction of single family homes with a minimum dwelling size of 1,100 square feet and multi-family units with a minimum floor area of 500 square feet.
The City of Garland is in the process of drafting a fair housing ordinance. The ordinance, when adopted, will assist the city in enforcing fair housing goals and objectives. It is anticipated that the ordinance will be adopted no later than fiscal year 1996.
The city's housing programs are available city-wide, thus ensuring that potential home buyers or renters have a "choice" in seeking housing. Additionally, all of the housing programs are available to income-qualified citizens regardless of age, race, color, sex, religion, handicap status, or national origin.
Based on a HUD-approved formula, of the 47,118 housing units constructed through 1979 approximately 32,000 units are at highest risk of having a lead-based paint hazard present. The 1990 Census indicates that the city has 11,440 rental units occupied by very low- and low-income households. Using the formula provided by HUD, it is estimated that 7,594 rental units occupied by low-income households are at highest risk for these hazards. Additionally, the 1990 Census data indicates that there are 19,845 units owned and occupied by very-low and low-income households in the city. It is estimated that 13,618 units owned and occupied by low-income families are also at high risk for lead-based paint hazards. Therefore, as many as 68 percent of Garland's housing units may be at risk for lead-based paint hazards. The city will continue providing information to all program applicants regarding the hazards of lead-based paint and will initiate efforts to identify potential resources for abatement in Garland's housing stock.
Garland has been very fortunate to have a lower unemployment rate than does the entire county. However, developing the skills of low-income persons to meet the requirements of a constantly changing economy will remain an important long-term priority. Community development needs include gainful employment for the unemployed and under-employed, continuing access to adult education and vocational training programs, self-sufficiency programs for all clients of social service providers, emergency assistance for at-risk and/or homeless families, and improvements to public facilities and infrastructure.
Housing problems in Garland are primarily related to lower levels of income and to an increasing number of deteriorating housing units. The major housing objectives of the Consolidated Plan are toward the availability and supply of affordable housing. Community development objectives are focused on neighborhood revitalization and economic development in predominantly low-income areas of the city.
Affordable housing priorities include: providing housing opportunities for first-time homebuyers; provide safe, secure, and affordable housing for the residents of Garland; and provide an adequate and affordable supply of rental housing.
The homeless priorities include: provide supportive services to retard potential homelessness; and to provide for an effective and efficient referral service to those persons identified as homeless.
Special needs population priorities include: to assure that all children, youth, and families in Garland are provided a safe and nurturing environment with access to resources that support and strengthen the educational, physical, and emotional development of families; and to assure that all elderly persons, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and persons that are at- risk of becoming homeless in Garland are provided a safe and nurturing environment with access to resources that enhance and strengthen their existing social, physical, and emotional support systems.
Priorities for infrastructure & public facilities include: the improvement or construction of streets and/or sidewalks in predominately low-income neighborhoods; the construction of sewer lines, water mains, alleys, and/or drainage projects in low-income neighborhoods; and the construction or rehabilitation of public facilities which will principally benefit persons of low- to moderate-income.
Priorities for neighborhood revitalization include: provide for the enforcement of the City of Garland's minimum housing code in low-income areas; and provide expanded opportunities for residents of low-income neighborhoods to improve the outward appearance of their neighborhoods.
Garland recognizes the need to provide an anti-poverty strategy for all citizens. Activities directed toward this end include: coordinating local resources to increase the formal and informal educational levels of low-income persons; promote existing programs that provide a variety of community education programs; promote tuition assistance programs; improve the linkage between job training and local job creation; provide day-care assistance; provide counseling; provide transportation; provide technical assistance to local social service agencies; and provide classes in self-sufficiency to low-income residents.
Primary federal resources include the CDBG program, HOME Investment Partnerships program, Section 202 Elderly Housing, and Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE 3). Primary state and local resources include the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and the Garland Housing Finance Corporation. Private resources include a whole host of initiatives on the part of nonprofit organizations.
The leadership responsibility for the success of the Consolidated Plan lies with the City of Garland and more specifically with the Department of Neighborhood Services. This department will coordinate the efforts of the other entities, make periodic progress reports to federal, State, and local governmental bodies, provide technical assistance to local nonprofit organizations, and encourage businesses to join in the community development process. Already centralized and focused in this department are the Garland Housing Agency, Division of Community Development, Community Resource Center, and the Office on Aging.
The varied objectives and programs embraced by other participating agencies has produced a comprehensive approach to the provision of services to the low-income population of Garland. While there is a small amount of overlap in the provision of these services, the City of Garland, as the lead agency and coordinator of the Consolidated Plan, feels confident in its ability to efficiently and effectively coordinate these efforts and resources.
The City of Garland's one-year action plan outlines the proposed use of approximately $3,035,000 million in CDBG and HOME funds, in addition to $150,000 program income. These funds will be spent on an array of activities, including:
The overwhelming majority of the projects budgeted in the 1995 Consolidated Plan will be located in either CDBG-targeted neighborhoods or in older areas of the city that have high concentrations of low-income persons. All of the funding will be spent to principally benefit low-income persons and/or families.
The first year housing goals of the Consolidated Plan include assisting 30 elderly or disabled homeowners with home maintenance; preventing homelessness for 500 households; rehabilitate 15 single family homes; assist with minor emergency repairs for 37 households; provide a safe house for the temporary housing of victims of domestic violence; provide continued housing assistance to 575 families; provide first-time homebuyer assistance to 80 families; and provide 5 new homes for homeownership to low-income families.
MAP 2 shows points of interest in the City of Garland with low- and moderate- income areas shaded.
MAP 3 shows areas of minority concentration with low- and moderate-income areas outlined.
MAP 4 shows unemployment data (1990) by block group, with low- and moderate- income areas outlined.
MAP 5 and MAP 6 show selected CDBG projects to be funded by the City of Garland during its 1995 program year, with unemployment data shaded by block group and low- and moderate-income areas outlined.
