The City is the 10th largest in the nation and as the largest city west of Houston and south of Dallas, it serves as the primary urban center for south central Texas and northern Mexico. During the 1980 decade, San Antonio experienced a 19.9% population increase, growing from 785,410 to 935,927 residents. Approximately 46% of this population gain resulted from annexations resulting in a total land mass increase to 338 square miles from 263 square miles.
The Plan for Fiscal Year 1995-1996 is supported by four separate HUD formula programs totaling $28.8 million. These programs are Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnership Grant (HOME), the Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) and the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA). The $28.8 million combined with $1.2 million in available resources from prior year projects and anticipated program income will be used for activities described in the Action Plan. The City also received $3 million in Title XX funds as a federal designated Enterprise Community.
The Plan was developed with active citizen participation through 15 neighborhood meetings held throughout the City, 4 special meetings focused on the special needs of the homeless and persons with AIDS, and a city-wide public hearing. The complete Consolidated Plan was made available for public review on June 13, 1995, with notice of availability and a brief summary published in the local newspaper. Copies of the Plan were made available at strategic public locations throughout the 30-day public review.
San Antonio is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic community, where 55.3% of its population is Hispanic, 36% is Caucasian, 7% is African- American and over 1% characterized as other. In 1990, approximately 44% of all City households had incomes below 80% of the City's median income. As reported in the 1990 Census data, of the 15 largest cities in the nation, San Antonio's poverty rate of 22.6% was exceeded only by the City of Detroit's 32.4%. During the 1980-1990 decade, the service industry was the largest and fastest growing, which represented 27% of the employment market. This was followed by the trade-retail/wholesale industry, which represented 26% of the market. The
City's average annual pay was the lowest of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the nation and its total employment pool represented a large segment of the "working poor". The average unemployment rate for the 1980-1990 period was 6.6%, ranging from a low of 5.8% in 1980 to a high of 7.9% in 1989 to 7.3% in 1990.
A substantial percentage of housing is deemed to be in substandard condition. There is a severe shortage of decent rental opportunities available to low and moderate-income households. Vacancy rates have dropped to an average of 4% and rents have increased over two years by about 26%. Despite a condition where many lower-income renters are expending the same amount on rent as would be needed to support a monthly mortgage payment, these renters are prevented from becoming first -time homebuyers because they are unable to come up with the necessary downpayments and closing costs needed for home purchase.
Community development needs were expressed by citizens as an urgent need for public infrastructure improvements, community facilities and human services, such as child and elderly care. They also want more done to support activities involving education, health and youth recreation.
In 1990, approximately 69,429 units or 19% of the City's housing stock was determined to be in substandard condition with 50,320 of these units considered to be prime candidates for rehabilitation. The City also determined that 167,712 lower-income residents resided in inadequate housing units in terms of cost, size and/or uninhabitable conditions. Currently, there are approximately 86,695 City households who fall into the extremely low or low income groups.
Extremely low-income is defined as a household earning less than 30% of the median income and low income is defined as a household earning between 31% and 50% of median income. Of these two groups, 67% expend more than 30% of their gross monthly incomes for housing expenses and 51% expend more than 50% of their monthly income for housing. In addition to the significant housing cost burden, 94% of the two income groups experience at least one housing problem, such as overcrowding, lack of kitchen facilities, insufficient plumbing.
According to the 1990 Census, the City has a total of 365,400 existing housing units with 48.3% being owner-occupied, 41.1% are renter-occupied and 10.6% are vacant. Of the vacant units, 13.7% are for sale, 52.6% are for rent and 33.7% are defined as "other" (e.g. home elsewhere, migrant workers or are boarded-up).
The early 1980's construction boom created an oversupply in rental housing as evidenced by the 18.2% vacancy rate in 1986. This over-supply, a contracting economy and the Savings and Loan failures resulted in a sharp downturn in the construction of new housing. Since 1987, only 373 units were added to the rental housing market which produced the current vacancy rate of 4%.
A recent news report suggests that apartment occupancy rate has dropped slightly from 96.1% to 94.4% making more units available to low and moderate-income renters and lowering rents, other reports indicate that the new units and new building permits are for "high end" apartments. Therefore, the building permits issued for the 1,267 new apartments in 1993 are mostly for upscale, luxury units, suggesting that low and moderate income renters are not significantly impacted by the slight decline in occupancy rates due to recent private sector development.
Of the 11,638 substandard nonrehabilitated units, 85% are occupied, with 9,380 of these units being owner-occupied and 2,258 being renter-occupied.
The drop in rental vacancy rates to an average of 4%, and a two year rental increase of approximately 26% has created a severe shortage of decent rental opportunities affordable to low and moderate-income households. There is a need to alleviate the cost burdens for the 67% of those low income households who currently expend 30 to 50% or more of their incomes on housing. There is also a need to assist the low income renter, currently paying the same amount in rent as would be needed to support mortgage payments, but who are excluded from the first-time homebuyer market because they do not have the necessary funds for downpayments and/or closing costs.
Based on the City's annual growth rate of 2.1%, approximately 1,066,227 persons will reside in the City by 1998 and the City estimates that 378,653 households will require adequate housing by 1998. This represents an increase of 51,892 households over the 1990 count of 326,761. San Antonio estimates a total demand for 401,372 housing units by 1998. The City believes that an additional 35,958 units will be required to meet this demand, which will result in the production of 7,191 units per year over the City's five-year Consolidated Plan.
During Fiscal Year 1993-1994, a total of 11,751 homeless persons were identified through service requests. There were 10,576 homeless persons served in the City's 19 emergency shelters and transitional housing facilities. However, there is the need to serve the estimated 262 families, 12 youths and 376 adults or the estimated 10% of the identified homeless population who have remained unsheltered.
Currently, there are no voucher programs specifically reserved for the homeless. Housing assistance specifically designated for use by the severely mentally ill is limited. Throughout the City, there are approximately 514 supportive units existing for the mentally ill. The 1993 Texas Legislature, in actions to balance the State budget, reduced state funding to the San Antonio State Hospital resulting in its client capacity being reduced by 78 beds and financial support for 14 units for mentally ill probationers not being renewed. Moreover, care home providers report that the new State licensing standards for Personal Care homes are extremely restrictive and expensive to meet. As a result of these factors, it is estimated that as many as 260 existing clients will be displaced due to the closure of existing Care Home facilities not being able to comply with the new standard.
San Antonio has 8,218 units of conventional public housing of which 2,181 units or 26% are designated for the elderly. The City has 6,101 Section 8 Certificate subsidies, 1,211 Section 8 Voucher subsidies, 175 are family self-sufficiency certificates and 143 are vouchers that are continuing under the former Operation Bootstrap Program. The conventional public housing units operate at a 0% vacancy rate and the certificate and voucher programs maintain an occupancy level of 98.5%.
City estimates that over $145 million is required to completely modernize and rehabilitate the public housing inventory. Additionally, HUD has ruled that installation of central air conditioning in public housing units may be initiated if warranted by local conditions and if it can be accomplished within the confines of existing Comprehensive Grant Program budget allocations. If the City decides to implement central air conditioning in its housing units then this work component will significantly increase current modernization estimates.
The City's Section 8 authority totals 7,630 certificates and vouchers. The current waiting list for this assistance exceeds 7,000 applicants representing a critical backlog, resulting in the Housing Authority suspending the application process for any new clients requesting certificate assistance. The Authority recently applied to HUD for an additional 403 Section 8 Certificates. The existing Section 8 program occupancy level is 98.5%. The City estimates the identified population of very low income renters requiring affordable housing assistance is in excess of 55,000 households.
San Antonio is currently under no court orders that directly impact the provision of affordable housing nor has HUD issued any sanctions affecting the City's ability to provide such housing. Further, the City states that it continues to review and update its development standards to mitigate potential barriers to affordable housing. The City also states that it does not have growth control ordinances and allows developers direct appeal to the City Council in cases involving the enforcement of the City's Historic Districts and Landmarks Ordinances. The City is currently operating under two Zoning Ordinances, one of which was enacted in 1938 and has an ongoing process to rezone areas still exhibiting 1938 classifications.
The City has certified that it will affirmatively further fair housing and comply with Anti- Discrimination requirements.
The City states that because of the suspected level of lead-based paint hazards in residential structures located throughout San Antonio, it will undertake strategies requiring lead-based paint testing and abatement activities in all of its housing activities. Currently, housing providers are only required to test for lead-based paint in homes built before 1940 in which a child under age seven lives or will be living. However, most City housing providers are already testing all government-assisted homes for lead-based paint.
The goal is to insure that for every family assisted with housing, the home has been tested and, when necessary, approved lead-based paint abatement completed. The City will also increase the level of education and knowledge regarding lead-based paint so that health care providers, as well as parents, will be more likely to recognize the symptoms of lead paint poisoning.
The City cites the needs of the elderly and disabled as other issues to be addressed. Approximately 26% or 243,477 of San Antonio residents are disabled and it is estimated that less than 3% of the private rental housing stock is minimally accessible.
Based on comments and project requests from citizens during the citizen participation process, there is an urgent need for improvements to streets and drainage systems and for public services and neighborhood facilities.
The City's Department of Housing and Community Development (H&CD) is responsible for administering, monitoring, planning and the oversight functions of the Consolidated Plan. The City specifically lists the names of a substantial number of State and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, neighborhood agencies and financial and educational institutions and business groups through which the City will implement its plan.
The team responsible for the development of the Consolidated Plan was H&CD, the lead agency, and other city agencies including the Community Initiatives Department, Metropolitan Health District, Planning Department, Housing Authority, Development Agency and Housing Trust.
In summary, the City's goal is to develop viable neighborhoods by providing decent, affordable housing through retention, conservation and the expansion of the residential stock, expand economic opportunities for low income residents, increase and stabilize small business, reduce income group isolation within neighborhoods and geographic areas, provide public services including education, job training and child care.
Based on the data and assessment provided in the Consolidated Plan, it is evident that the identified housing and community development needs cost far more than the available public resources provided through the City's receipt of federal resources and General funds. Therefore, the City will pursue known federal, state and local providers and their resources which may also be accessed to address the City's housing and community development strategies.
The City will support occupancy and preservation of the existing housing stock and prevent the risks of becoming homeless due to the continued deterioration of its housing stock. The City will also increase the availability of homeownership opportunities by assisting 1,000 households to become responsible first-time homebuyers, undertake rehabilitation of 500 owner-occupied residences and assist 100 owner-occupants to remain in their homes by alleviating severe deterioration conditions. The City will assist low income renters by increasing the number of low-income rental units through the rehabilitation of 1,500 units and the construction of 500 units.
The City will also assist 50 elderly/disabled homeowners to remain in their homes through rehabilitation activities and provide an additional 300 affordable barrier-free rental units for the elderly and/or disabled persons. Moreover, the City will rehabilitate an additional 150 units and construct 150 units for the elderly and physically disabled.
The City's priorities are to improve neighborhood environments and facilities, to increase economic development opportunities through the provision of downpayment assistance for eligible low-income first-time homebuyers, through public service programs providing education, literacy and job training assistance. The City will also provide assistance to qualified neighborhood non-profits to develop the capacity to attract and/or retain appropriate businesses serving the needs of the neighborhood and to increase job opportunities.
The City has a three-fold strategy by which it will diversify the local economy to increase the availability of higher paying jobs, increase the educational level of the City's population, and expand the availability of affordable child care services. In support of its strategies, the City will undertake activities that improve residents' education and job skills. San Antonio will also provide quality child care by increasing its general fund budget allocations for daycare services and will match parents up with approved licensed local providers and will support with additional funds, the San Antonio Housing Authority's cooperative agreements with child care providers and the Residents Initiatives program.
The City anticipates receiving federal and state funds from several sources to initiate the Consolidated Plan strategies for Fiscal Year 1995-1996. Significant resources include the CDBG, HOME, ESG and HOPWA. In addition, the City will encourage other eligible applicants to apply for and obtain additional program resources when made available such as HOPE II and HOPE III, Section 202 Supportive Housing for Elderly Persons and Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The City also received $3 million as an EC.
For FY 1995, San Antonio expects to receive from four separate HUD formula programs a total of approximately $28.8 million in CDBG, HOME ESG and HOPWA funds. The following are examples of the activities that will be undertaken with these funds:
Projects have been designated as serving citywide or low/moderate income benefit areas.
Housing Goals
Approximately 905 residents would be served through housing activities that include assistance to first-time homebuyers, rehabilitation of rental and owner occupied units, new construction and improvements. The total amount of funds budgeted for these housing activities is $10,829,269.00 which also includes administrative costs of the San Antonio Development Agency and San Antonio Housing Trust Administration in carrying out the City's various housing programs.
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, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 6 depicts Neighborhood Segments and streets with proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 7 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within one of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 8 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within another of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 9 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).
Margi Gant, CD Coordinator
City of San Antonio
PH: (210) 220-3600
