The City of Plano is one of the fastest growing cities of its size in the United States. It is located north of Dallas in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Plano was named an all- American city in 1994. The city is home to the headquarters of several international corporations. Because Plano has grown from a small town to the eleventh largest city in Texas in only 20 years, the city combines the advantages of city life with the charm of a small town.
The Plano Consolidated Plan includes a one-year action plan for spending an anticipated $3.9 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership, Emergency Shelter Grant, Section 8, and Comprehensive Improvements Assistance Program funding. The majority of these funds will be spent on housing assistance.
The Community Relations Commission held two public hearings to obtain citizen input on housing and community development concerns. The Consolidated Plan was prepared on the basis of these comments, approved by the Commission and referred to the City Council. Before the City Council's public hearing on the plan, a summary of the plan was published in the local newspaper, and copies of the complete plan were made available at the public libraries and the Municipal Building. The City Council approved the plan on March 27, 1995.
Plano has an estimated population of 167,070, a median family income of $61,796, a median age of 31.5 years, and a homeownership rate of 70.1 percent. Even though Plano's median income is high, 6.4 percent of the population is at the moderate-income level, and 16.2 percent of the population is considered to be low income. Of these, 6.9 percent is very low, and 9.3 percent is low income. In addition, 3.3 percent is below the poverty level. The highest concentrations of low-income residents are in the older sections of the City, east of U.S. 75.
Ethnically, Plano is 88.5 percent white, 4.1 percent black, 6.2 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Asian, and 3.3 percent other. Only two census tracts have a high minority concentration, both of which are in the oldest parts of town, east of U.S. Highway 75.
Plano is a fast-growing city, whose growth began in the early 1960's. The infrastructure and housing built in that decade are over 25 years old and beginning to show their age. Thus, housing rehabilitation and infrastructure repair and replacement are becoming of greater importance. The tax base remains strong, as corporations continue to locate in Plano, and the unemployment rate is below 3 percent.
The primary housing need for the City of Plano is standard, affordable housing. To address this need, existing lower-cost housing must be rehabilitated, and additional affordable housing units must be created.
The City of Plano has 47,386 dwelling units, with a 6.4 percent vacancy rate. Rental units constitute 28 percent of the housing stock, with an 8.6 percent vacancy rate. Of the vacant rental units, 1,184 are priced such that they are affordable to low-income families, and only 603 of these are affordable to extremely low-income families. Of the vacant owner-occupied units, only 174 are affordable, 23 of which are affordable to extremely low- income families.
For extremely low-income families, there is a great shortage of affordable housing. Only 30 percent of these families can find housing they can afford; the rest are faced with a housing cost burden. They need rental assistance and more affordable housing. There is an adequate supply of affordable housing for low-income families, but the vacancy rate, especially for owner-occupied homes, is extremely low. A large proportion of these families also reported housing cost burden. They also need rental assistance and additional housing choices. Moderate-income families have an adequate supply of affordable rental units, but there is a shortage of units for purchase.
Homelessness is not extensive in Plano. Very few homeless persons can be seen on the streets, and there is no designated homeless shelter or day center for the homeless. We estimate that no more than 50 homeless persons are in Plano. Of these, about 50 percent are single individuals, and 50 percent are white.
Housing for the homeless is provided by the Samaritan Inn, a county homeless shelter in the City of McKinney; Collin County Mental Health/Mental Retardation (MHMR); Collin County Women's Shelter, and Collin County Intervention to Youth. Among these four organizations, there are 156 beds available for homeless persons. There are no transitional housing programs and no permanent supportive housing, other than through Collin County MHMR.
The Plano Housing Authority (PHA) has 26 public housing apartments and 24 scattered-site units. In addition, it owns 8 non-HUD assisted apartment units. The PHA also administers 117 tenant-based Section 8 certificates. All units are in good condition, and there is no vacancy rate, as the waiting list exceeds 300 households.
Elderly persons are provided subsidized housing through the Plano Community Home, which has 60 units available and 61 additional units under construction. Other elderly reside in their own homes or local nursing homes, only one of which has a waiting list. Collin County Committee on Aging provides hot meals and transportation services for elderly residents. Virtually all elderly low- and extremely low-income households reported a housing cost burden.
At least 52 AIDS patients reside in Plano, none of whom are in need of supportive housing at this time. Housing can be provided for them through the City of Dallas' Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) grant.
Affordable single-family housing has not been built in Plano in this decade. The reasons for this are high land prices, and the fact that home builders realize a greater return on a high- cost house than they do on an affordable home. Since there is a very strong demand for expensive homes, this is the market the builders serve. In addition, the few modular home builders who have shown an interest in Plano in the last five years were unable to obtain bank financing for their products. The city has reviewed its policies and ordinances, and does not believe that they have enough of a negative effect to keep builders from developing affordable housing.
The City of Plano adopted a fair housing ordinance in March 1992. The city mails fair housing promotional material to each residence in April of each year. To date, the city has received only two complaints; one was dismissed as invalid, and the other was prosecuted as a hate crime, rather than a fair housing violation.
We estimate that as many as 5,656 homes and apartments have lead-based paint. No information is available to determine how many of these dwelling units are occupied by low- or moderate-income households. No cases of lead poisoning have been reported.
Community development needs, many of which are being addressed without federal funds, include an additional recreation center, drainage improvements, affordable youth services, transportation services for low-income persons, affordable child care, residential historic preservation, and neighborhood code enforcement.
To coordinate the various local social service agencies, the city conducts meetings of the various providers, at which information is exchanged about what each agency is doing. In addition, the Collin County Executive Directors of the various agencies meet regularly to exchange information.
The overall goals for the City of Plano for the next 5 years are as follows:
Housing problems in Plano are primarily the result of low income and inadequate supply of low-cost housing. The objectives of the Consolidated Plan are focused on these concerns. Community development objectives are to improve the quality of life for low-income households through city programs and programs sponsored by nonprofit service providers.
The highest housing priority for the City of Plano is the need for housing rehabilitation. A second priority is the creation of additional affordable housing units.
The highest priority in this area is maintaining a pleasant, attractive neighborhood environment, primarily through code enforcement. Secondary priorities are meeting the recreation and transportation needs of low-income families.
The anti-poverty strategy is linked to education, through the PHA's Family Self-Sufficiency program and through the library system and the nonprofit sector with English-as-a-second language, GED, and literacy classes.
Plano receives federal funds through the CDBG program as an entitlement city and from the HOME Investment Partnership program through the State of Texas. Emergency Shelter Grants are also received through the State. The Plano Housing Authority receives funding for Section 8 and for the Comprehensive Improvements Assistance Program.
The City of Plano is responsible for Consolidated Plan activities. The city prefers to utilize nonprofit organizations as much as possible to carry out these activities, particularly in the social service arena. Therefore, the city meets with local service providers to determine needs and priorities and to determine how best to achieve the goals of the plan.
The City of Plano's one-year action plan outlines the use of $1,030,280 in CDBG funds, in addition to program income. These funds will be spent primarily for housing needs, including the following purposes:
Most of the funds will be spent in the eastern portion of the city, east of U. S. 75, which is the oldest section of town.
The lead agency in carrying out the Consolidated Plan is the City of Plano Community Development Division.
Plano's housing goals for the first year are to rehabilitate 35 dwelling units and provide three affordable infill houses. The city also will support requests by private developers for the low- income housing tax credit, and the Plano Housing Authority will apply for 100 additional Section 8 certificates. The city will provide funds to help 30 families prevent homelessness and to help 40 first-time homebuyers with downpayment and closing cost assistance.
MAP 2 shows points of interest in Plano 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 shows selected CDBG projects to be funded during its 1995 program year, with unemployment data shaded by block group and low- and moderate-income areas outlined.
