Lubbock is a major regional center for business and industry, located in the heart of the vast Southern Plains of West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. Lubbock's location provides easy access to the Southwest, the Rocky Mountains, and the Great Plains region. The City of Lubbock serves as a wholesale and retail center that is transitioning from agribusiness to a more diversified economic base. Growth has been noted in areas such as government, educational institutions, and health-related facilities.
The Consolidated Plan and strategies are a collaborative process, led by the city, whereby a community establishes a unified vision for community development actions. It allows for more effective coordination and use of resources by consolidating federal requirements, submissions and planning, particularly for Lubbock's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) program, and Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) program. It includes a one-year action plan for spending approximately $5.5 million of the above-mentioned grants. These funds will primarily be spent on housing and economic development.
The Consolidated Planning process began in October 1991 with the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS). From 1991-1994, the CHAS brought together the input of public agencies, concerned community groups, non-profit organizations, governmental entities, and the general public in the development process. The Community Development Department staff initiated the CHAS development process for the first time in July 1991. Realizing that the coordination of various relevant groups and individuals would enhance the effectiveness of data collection and strategy formulation, the staff identified major participants and established the following groups: (1) city departments; (2) special needs and homeless subcommittees; and, (3) housing professionals (private and public).
The Special Needs and Homeless Subcommittees and the Committee of Housing Professionals became the Homeless Consortium and the Housing Consortium in 1994. The staffs of the City of Lubbock and the Lubbock Housing Authority worked together to research the necessary statistics required for the community assessment and market inventory. This included compiling data from the Housing Assistance Plan, the 1980 and 1990 Census', and internal work. The Lubbock Housing Authority reported on the status of public housing in the city.
The Special Needs and Homeless subcommittees worked to identify the city's priority populations and their unique characteristics and needs, both current and projected. The members also reviewed existing programs designed for these populations in an effort to determine gaps in the delivery systems. The committee used this information to recommend goals and strategies to address the needs of these groups. The Community Development staff utilized these recommendations and incorporated them into the strategies of the CHAS.
Private housing professionals were contacted on an individual basis to determine how the past, present, and projected economic and real estate market trends have impacted availability and affordability of housing in Lubbock.
In 1991, the first CHAS public hearing was held. Other public hearings were held in 1992 and 1993 to update and formulate annual plans as well. Special populations have continued to be a key input throughout planning and strategy development and are included in the Consolidated Plan as well. In 1994, the City of Lubbock applied for the Enterprise Zone/Enterprise Community grants and early in the year two public hearings were held. One public hearing provided a needs assessment while the other provided strategies and plans for meeting those needs. The input from these meetings were taken into consideration with the Consolidated Plan as well.
One other planning effort was "Goals for the 21st Century," an endeavor started by the Lubbock City Council and the Planning Department late in 1994 to put together both a needs assessment and investment plan on a city wide basis to cover the next 5 years. A committee of 100 Lubbock citizens from a cross section of the entire city participated on nine subcommittees: (1) economic development; (2) education; (3) health, safety, and human services; (4) intergovernmental coordination; (5) land use and urban design; (6) neighborhood and citizen involvement; (7) recreation, parks, entertainment, and cultural affairs; (8) transportation; and (9) utilities.
Their initial efforts resulted in developing a list of issues which set the foundation to create visionary, imaginative, and challenging goals for our city. This list of issues was produced in a tabloid. The tabloid was then distributed through area newspapers and at drop off sites throughout the city. The responses to this tabloid were returned to subcommittees and all nine subcommittees held a public hearing where direct input from citizens was taken in November 1994. Information in total was then incorporated in the nine subcommittee reports and submitted to City Council, County Commissioners, school districts, and all other concerned citizens. We have used this process and material within the Consolidated Plan.
Finally, the Community Development staff followed a citizen participation plan particularly intending to reach low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, non-profit agencies, public entities, and private investors. Interpreters were on hand for Spanish-speaking citizens and accommodations were made available to citizens with special needs. Residents of public and private housing were invited by the respective neighborhood associations. All input was included in the plan in some form. Neighborhoods debated their needs and prioritized them, as did the non-profit group, and the private investor group. When bringing all the information together, the city used "Goals for the 21st Century" city-wide prioritization to break ties.
After all information was collected, a citizen's guide was developed and
applications for funding were made available along with listings of the goal
priorities. Technical assistance was availed and final selections of projects
were made by the Community Development Advisory Committee with the help of
neighborhood representatives. The recommendations of strategies and projects
were then submitted to the City Council and a public hearing was held to hear
direct citizen input. During this time, public notices requested comments for
the Consolidated Plan and strategies, environmental assessments, and the citizen
participation plan. The Community Development staff found that many of the
goals and strategies remained the same over the years which indicated to us the
shortage of resources to handle the diverse needs of our community and the only
moderate progress being made to take care of the larger and more apparent
problems.
Lubbock is a home-rule city and has operated under a council-manager system of government since 1917. The council consists of the mayor plus 6 members elected from single member districts for 4-year terms. Lubbock is the ninth largest city in the State of Texas and the largest city in West Texas. Lubbock is projected to have an annual growth rate 0.6 percent in the 1990's.
In 1990, the total population for the city of Lubbock reached 186,206 which was 84.9 percent of the county population. This was an increase of 7.6 percent from the previous decade (173,979 in 1980).
The racial mixture of the city is 67.2 percent white, 8.6 percent black, 22.5 percent Hispanic, and 1.7 percent other (including Native American, Asian, and Pacific Islander). The Hispanic population, following the national trend, is projected to increase to 25.4 percent by the 2000, while the black population is projected to increase slightly to 8.8 percent, with whites decreasing in proportion to 65.8 percent.
Lubbock's generally has one of the lowest unemployment rates for
metropolitan areas in Texas and is estimated at 4.5 percent for 1994. The
median family income (MFI) in 1990 was $30,826 which was approximately 2.2
percent below the Texas median of $31,533. Lubbock's all item index, according
to the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association, indicates a rather
bright outlook: that is, Lubbock's index is currently 6th lowest in the State
at 92.2 percent, and ranking 56th in the nation. The grocery index is the
second lowest in Texas at 91.2 percent, and ranks 7th in the nation. The
housing index also compares well with other major U.S. cities at 85.1 percent.
For more information see the city's homepage @www.c1.lubbock.txus.
Governments, hospitals, and Texas Tech University are the top employers in the area. Unemployment levels in Lubbock have decreased over the years since the 1990 census.
Increased attention to the problems of minorities is important as low-income households are unevenly distributed in each racial category. The black population has the highest number of very-low income households at 49 percent, followed by Asians at 42 percent and Hispanics at 39 percent. This fact severely restricts their housing choices.
Focus on the problems of female-headed households is necessary as they make a substantial portion of the below poverty level population and their numbers continue to increase.
More concentration on the problems of the elderly is needed as this population rises at an average of 3.4 percent per year. This population, dependent upon fixed incomes and faced with high medical expenses, is often incapable of maintaining their housing units.
Attention to the housing problems of the disabled are important as their incomes most often fall in the very-low and low-income categories.
An increased supply of housing which is affordable and meets the size demands for households in all income categories is obligatory.
In order to address these problems, funds are needed to help low-income persons maintain and repair their homes and funds are needed to create more affordable housing units. Another high priority need is transitional housing for the homeless.
In 1990, 89 percent of the total single-family housing units (77,852) were occupied, including rental units. Approximately 38,203 units or 55 percent of the total occupied housing were occupied by homeowners. There are approximately 8,709 vacant housing units. It is estimated that about 66.5 percent (5,792) units are previously owner-occupied; 3,457 are in need of repair, and 620 are not suitable for rehabilitation. In 1990, it was estimated that 5 percent or 3,457 of the total occupied inventory were owned by very-low income households, 9 percent or 6,223 by low-income households, and 14 percent by moderate-income households.
The 1994 occupancy rate for single family residences was 92 percent. The Lubbock Association of Realtors reported that there were 1,495 properties listed through June 1992 with 1,259 sales during the same period. These figures indicate that the availability of housing is not sufficient to meet the demand--driving up market prices.
The city had approximately 32,487 renter-units available in 1990, representing 29 percent of the total housing stock. In 1995, it is estimated that the vacancy rate is 4.17 percent. According to the Blosser Appraisal, the market demand increased at a rate of 5.05 percent in 1993 and the supply remained steady. Because of the increasing demand, many rental units have not been rehabilitated in the past years. It is estimated that 13.3 percent or 4,324 of the renter-occupied units are in need of repair and that 599 renter-occupied units are not suitable for rehabilitation. The Blosser Appraisal of 78 complexes states that unit rents increased an average of 5.05 percent for 1993 as a result of steady demand, low supply and a lack of new construction.
Although the majority of families in Lubbock can well afford an apartment, the housing affordability gap, as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), states that a family should not spend more than 30 percent of its gross annual income for housing costs, including heating, air, and utilities. In 1990, the average rent excluding utilities in Lubbock was $404. Considering average utility costs per family run about $100 per month, total housing costs on the average is roughly $505, which is 83.5 percent of the median household income. This can be interpreted to mean that approximately 15,472 households (the lower half of the total renters) or 57.8 percent of the total renters are paying a large share of their income for housing.
Consensus among local social service providers was that this number was surprisingly low and failed to reflect the true extent of hopelessness (both literal and marginal) in the community. There was agreement that action was needed to demonstrate the inaccuracy of the findings and resulted in a 1992 needs assessment conducted by the Lubbock Homeless Consortium and sponsored by Lubbock United Way. This study resulted in a shelter count of 206 literally homeless persons and a street count of 28. Thus, the number of literally homeless persons identified by the study totaled 234, as opposed to 49 reported by 1990 Census figures. City staff agree that this study was more comprehensive and is likely to more closely reflect the true number of homeless in Lubbock.
Literal homelessness is not as pressing a problem as marginal hopelessness according to the Census and Consortium data. The group most in need is the marginally homeless whose numbers are continually rising for many reasons. Reasons for marginal homelessness identified in a 1992 survey conducted by the Lubbock Homeless Consortium include: job-related, income-related, family-related, rent/housing-related, health-related, personal issues, crowded or substandard housing, customary (non-problematic reasons), and other reasons. As defined above, the sheltered or marginal homeless live in a residence they do not own or rent, usually living with a relative or friend. They report a high level of precariousness about their living arrangement because they believe it to be temporary, last no more than one year. In addition, they have no prospects for a similar or better arrangement.
The aforementioned study by the Lubbock Homeless Consortium indicates that a substantial percentage of the local population had recently experienced marginal homelessness. It also determined that a higher incidence of marginal hopelessness occurs in lower income neighborhoods. Among the 50,000 residents of the study area (north and east Lubbock), between 11,500 to 19,500 different individuals reported being marginally homeless at some time during the 12 months preceding the survey. The study also reports data on the literally homeless stating that 206 individuals sleep in shelters nightly with Lubbock Mental Health Mental Retardation serving 57 nightly and Women's Protective Services accommodating 65 nightly. Through the Lubbock Continuum of Care, there is a strong need for funds to address transitional shelters.
The City of Lubbock currently has 637 public housing units in five different locations, owned and managed by the Lubbock Housing Authority (LHA). These units are dispersed throughout the city limits. Each location has units available for both small and large families, approximately 15 percent (90 units) are vacant and substandard. Ninety -two substandard units are scheduled for demolition due to functional obsolescence and infrastructure problems. However, these units will be replaced by new construction (48 units for the elderly and 46 units for small and large families).
The waiting list for public housing can be 2-3 years long at any given time. LHA also receives Section 8 certificates (361) but has a waiting list from 1 to 2 years long at any given time.
The special needs populations include: 11,017 disabled individuals between 16 and 64 years of age; battered women/victims of domestic violence; persons living with AIDS; persons under drug abuse/alcohol treatment; persons with mental illness and retardation; single mothers; and, middle-aged persons too young to qualify for social security benefits. These groups of individuals need affordable housing as well as support services.
The lack of affordable housing is a high need in Lubbock. We have studied our zoning, subdivision, and building codes and have found need for improvement but do not find significant barriers. However, the Consolidated Plan identified fair housing practices as a more prevalent barrier.
One of the leading barriers to providing decent, safe housing for low-income minorities is the wrongful practice discrimination in sale or rental with regard to race, color, sex, origin, religion, and more recently, disability and family status. The City of Lubbock cooperates with federal and State agencies, as well as the Attorney General of the United States, in the enforcement of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 through referrals to the appropriate agents for immediate investigation. If the complaint involves the legality of local zoning or other land use ordinances, the city will appropriately examine and explore any avenues to correct the problem.
Of all the housing in Lubbock, 80 percent was built prior to 1980, when lead-based paint was still in use. There have been no cases of lead poisoning reported in Lubbock; however, testing of children of approved applicants for rehabilitation and reconstruction programs has been undertaken. If houses are determined to have lead content, the city uses an interim control to reduce lead hazards by intensive cleaning, wet scraping, repainting, and in-place management strategies to stabilize the surfaces.
Community development needs identified through service providers, residents
of neighborhoods, and the general public include: economic development
(assistance for businesses), job training, retraining, job opportunity, family
support services, affordable childcare, transportation, capital improvements,
and special population support services.
Lubbock has established a 5-year development plan to span from the year 1995 through 2000. It will help prioritize the allocation of federal and other resources. This plan includes both a general community vision and more specific community strategies for the next 5 years.
Lubbock has two overarching goals for the upcoming 5 years--to create communities which are livable and sustainable.
Livable communities are environments in which the streets are safe to walk, the air and water are clean to breathe and drink, housing units are affordable and secure, human services are available and accessible, and recreational and cultural activities are at hand.
Sustainable communities are those, which after receiving some public funding, are able to sustain revitalization. Because public resources are limited, the creation of self-sustaining neighborhoods is essential in solving common urban problems. When creating sustainable neighborhoods, it is hoped that public resources merely serve to stimulate neighborhood growth and aid private and communal investment. The expectation that public funds are combined with funds and participation from other community agencies such as non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, community groups, health and social service groups, and other community institutions is fundamental in building self-sustaining neighborhoods. In an attempt to create livable and sustainable communities, Lubbock has moved to a targeting concept. The current administration would like to emphasize long term goals for the community and for the target areas through comprehensive development by targeting a limited number of areas.
Census tract areas are considered eligible by HUD if over 51 percent of their population is below 80 percent of the median income for the City of Lubbock. Target areas are chosen through a process which coordinates recommendations of the Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) members, neighborhood associations, city staff and city council.
Neighborhood associations play a vital role in the targeting concept. HUD-defined eligible areas, with neighborhood associations, are the only areas considered for targeting. The following areas were evaluated for the 1995-96 fiscal year: Arnett Benson, Blue Sky, Chapel Hill, Chatman Hill, Cherry Point, Clapp Park, Clayton-Carter, Harwell, Heart of Lubbock, Jackson, Manhattan/Dunbar, North Overton, Slaton/Bean, Skyview and South Overton.
As part of the evaluation process, the CDAC and City staff meet and tour the eligible neighborhoods. Needs and conditions regarding housing, neighborhood facilities, code items, neighborhood improvements and neighborhood anchors are considered, ranked and prioritized.
A "mixer" was held for the first time in 1995, with CDAC members, neighborhood association representatives, and city staff in attendance. The "mixer" allowed CDAC members to gain information on more subjective criteria from the neighborhood associations and city staff, including: neighborhood participation and strength, past year's community development expenditures in the area, demographic and population information, other investors in the area, crime and external area impacts (i.e., East-West Freeway). The rankings and prioritization regarding these subjective criteria are combined with the tour evaluations to produce a final CDAC recommendation regarding targeting.
For FY 1995, the recommendation made by the CDAC and approved by the City Council was that all fifteen neighborhoods evaluated be permitted to participate in some funding for FY 1995 and that Harwell, Arnett Benson, Jackson, Slaton/Bean, North Overton, Heart of Lubbock and Chatman Hill be prioritized over the next 5-year period.
Investment plans for housing and community development will include but not be limited to the following:
Because federal grant funds are likely to diminish in the near future, the City of Lubbock intends to strategically utilize available resources for the highest priority needs. Housing is one of those needs. The city will gradually initiate programs which produce program income so projects sustain themselves. Additionally, participating subrecipients will be required to provide 25 percent matching funds to carry out their projects. Payback for these organizations will be incrementally determined.
In addition to CDBG funds, other sources such as HOME, HOPE 3, and private resources will be utilized in a coordinated fashion in order to minimize duplication of effort. With these resources collectively assisting low-income neighborhoods, the City of Lubbock anticipates being able to strengthen and adequately enforce property maintenance and conservation to mitigate negative impacts on low-income neighborhoods. Furthermore, the pool of various resources can expand CDBG efforts to ensure that all housing units meet building and maintenance codes and occupancy standards and develop mechanisms to provide economically integrated housing in all areas of the city. Most importantly, these resources will serve as a mechanism for cooperation among all government levels--local, State, and federal--and all housing-related agencies.
An anti-poverty strategy is an economic development plan aimed at increasing the income and job opportunities for low-income households. The anti-poverty strategy is focused around the most vulnerable groups in the city--primarily households whose incomes fall between 0 and 30 percent of the MFI, individuals in public or assisted housing, and the homeless (both marginal and literal). Implementation of the anti-poverty plan depends upon the coordination of the groups mentioned in the agency coordination section of this chapter.
Housing is a key component of any anti-poverty strategy as a secure affordable residence is a necessity for maintaining a steady income and job. Clearly, CDBG, HOME, and ESG funds are instrumental in the successful implementation of the anti-poverty plan. CDBG funds may be used for a variety of activities, including improving city infrastructure, housing rehabilitation, public service provision, and economic development. HOME funds enable the city to undertake housing reconstruction, housing rehabilitation, and tenant- based rental assistance activities. HOME is an essential component in empowering individuals and families through homeownership. ESG funds make it possible for the city to alleviate some of the needs of the marginal and literal homeless in the city.
In addition to the funds and programs of the city, the programs and
resources available through the Lubbock Housing Authority, such as the Section 8
voucher and certificate programs help prevent homelessness and generally solve
the housing problems of low- income individuals and families.
The City of Lubbock's one-year action plan outlines the proposed use of approximately $5.5 million in CDBG, HOME, and ESG funds in addition to program income. These funds are being spent mainly on housing and economic development activities. Some examples include:
Roughly half of the projects in the one-year plan are dedicated to targeted residential areas, Arnett Benson, Chatman Hill, and Chris Harwell neighborhoods. Funds allocated to these areas are primarily for housing, infrastructure, and economic development as suggested by the neighborhood associations and the Community Development Advisory Committee.
The City of Lubbock, as the lead agent, has assisted in the development of consortiums of service providers who are coordinating homeless, housing, and general services for the community.
The one-year action plan calls mainly for the rehabilitation of roughly 60 homes within the target neighborhoods and the construction of at least 10 homes within the target areas.
The plan also calls for the creation and retention of emergency and transitional shelters for the homeless and special needs populations, along with support services. Development and retention of businesses, particularly micro-businesses is a priority in the plan. Public facilities and capital improvements will also be undertaken with the target neighborhoods. Finally, public service funds have been allotted for the provision of support services, particularly within the target neighborhoods.
MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.
MAP 3 depicts low-moderate income areas and minority concentration levels.
MAP 4 depicts low-moderate income areas and unemployment levels.
MAP 5 depicts low-moderate income areas and proposed HUD funded projects.
Doug Goodman
Managing Director
Health and Community Services
City of Lubbock
PH: (806) 767-2900
