U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Community Planning and Development

CITIZEN'S SUMMARY

The City of Texarkana, Texas is located on the state line between the states of Texas and Arkansas. Texarkana is legally and physically two cities, the City of Texarkana, Texas and the City of Texarkana, Arkansas. The state line runs through the middle of the cities. The economy is based on government (Red River Army Depot), agriculture, timber, and manufacturing. The city is also the medical and retail center for northeast Texas and southwest Arkansas.

Action Plan

The Consolidated Plan for the City of Texarkana, Texas represents a strategic plan to improve the condition of this city with emphasis on redevelopment of the Rosehill neighborhood, located in the central section of the city. Redevelopment includes construction of new single family homes for sale to low-income families, demolition of substandard buildings, and street improvements including installation of curbs and gutters. The one-year action plan specifies the projects to be undertaken with $615,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to be received by the city from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Citizen Participation

The first step in the citizen participation process was to involve the public and representatives from various agencies and institutions in the development of the Consolidated Plan. Letters were sent to 23 agencies and institutions on January 12, 1995, and 13 agency representatives attended a meeting on January 24, 1995. A public hearing was also held on January 24, 1995, to solicit public input about the city's housing and community development needs. Public notices were published and a public hearing was conducted prior to the City Council adoption a citizen participation plan for the Consolidated Plan on March 27, 1995. On June 28, 1995, a notice was published in the Texarkana Gazette newspaper making the public aware of two public hearings to be held about the Consolidated Plan. The notice was published on June 22, 1995 in the Guardian newspaper, a local minority-owned newspaper. Two public hearings were held on July 12, 1995, in the City Council chambers at City Hall and in the community room of Stevens Courts, a public housing development. A notice was published in the Texarkana Gazette newspaper on July 13, 1995, and on July 26, 1995, in the Guardian newspaper making the public aware of the availability of the draft of the Consolidated Plan. A 30 day public comment period extended from July 13, 1995, to August 13, 1995. On July 18, 1995, the City Council discussed the budget and projects for 1995 Community Development Block Grant funds. On August 14, 1995, following a public hearing, the City Council approved Resolution No. 288-95 adopting the Consolidated Plan.

COMMUNITY PROFILE

The City of Texarkana, Texas can be characterized as a stable city as far as population change is concerned. During the period from 1970 to 1990, the city's population increased from 30,497 to 31,656. That increase of 1,159 people over 20 years represents an increase of only 3.8 percent. Significant changes in the racial composition of the city did occur between 1970 and 1990, with a 35 percent increase in the black population while the white population decreased from 72 percent to about 67 percent of the total population. During the decade from 1980 to 1990 significant changes also occurred regarding the age of the city's population. Persons in the age group under 20 years of age experienced a decrease in population of 4.3 percent. Persons from 45 to 74 years of age decreased by 7.4 percent while the group of persons 75 years and older experienced a substantial increase of 21.7 percent. In regard to home ownership, there has been a significant increase in renter- occupied housing units, while the percentage of owner-occupied housing units has decreased.

A significant percentage (28 percent) of the city's households have incomes classified as very low-income, that is, 50 percent or less of the city's median family income. For Black households, there is a disproportionate percentage of households whose income is classified as very low-income. Forty-eight percent of black households have very low incomes, compared to 19 percent of white households. Conversely, 59 percent of white households have incomes above 95 percent of the city's median family income level but only 29 percent of black households have incomes above 95 percent of the median family income. A significant number of families, due to limited income, expend a high percentage of their income on housing costs. One of every 15 households (823 households) renting a housing unit is a very low-income household expending in excess of 50 percent of their income on housing costs. One thousand three hundred thirty-six very low-income households whose income is 30 percent or less of the city's median family income expend more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs.

HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NEEDS

Conditions

As a result of a substantial percentage of the city's population being low income persons, there are a number of housing problems being experienced by significant numbers of persons, including paying a high percentage of income for housing costs, residing in substandard houses, and not being able to afford the purchase of a home. Additionally, there are ever increasing numbers of elderly people age 75 years and older, in need of housing assistance.

Housing Needs

The housing needs of the citizens of the City of Texarkana, Texas include:

Assistance for families to become homeowners instead of having to rent housing.
Assistance in paying rent for very low-income and low-income residents who are paying a high percentage of their income on housing costs.
Assistance to meet the housing needs of elderly persons.
Assistance for rehabilitation of residences, both owner-occupied and renter-occupied, which are substandard and in need of repairs.
Assistance in developing homeless shelters and transitional housing for the homeless.
Assistance in providing supportive housing for persons with various types of disabilities.
Assistance in the construction of new homes which are affordable for low- income persons to purchase and, through such construction, to revitalize low-income neighborhoods.

Housing Market Conditions

Currently, the supply of homes and apartments barely meets demand, causing difficulty for persons to find quality apartments or houses to rent or quality homes to buy. Another housing market characteristic is a substantial increase in the percentage of housing units which are renter-occupied. Within the city, the cost of housing varies greatly between neighborhoods. The median value of owner-occupied homes range from $31,400 in the central section to $199,800 in the northern part of the city. Likewise, the median rent increases sharply between the northern section ($631 median rent) and the central section ($167 median rent) of the city.

Affordable Housing Needs

Among the most pressing housing needs in the city is the need to reduce the housing cost for very low- and low-income families. One in 10 households (1,281 households) is a very low- income family renting a dwelling unit and spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing. One of every 15 households (823 households) is a very low-income family renting a dwelling unit and spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing. Thirty-nine percent of the households (2,006 households) residing in rental properties are renting units that have housing problems. For very low-income households who own their residences, 51 percent have housing problems and 27 percent pay more than 50 percent of their income on housing. Nine percent of renters with very low incomes are living in overcrowded housing units.

Homeless Needs

The 1990 U. S. Census for the Cities of Texarkana, Arkansas, and Texarkana, Texas, indicated there are 18 homeless persons in these two cities. Local agencies involved with providing services to the homeless believe there was an undercount of the homeless and instead estimate about 80 homeless persons in the two cities. There are two existing shelters for the homeless: the Salvation Army's transient lodge and the Battered Women's Shelter. These two facilities are unable to meet all the housing needs of the homeless.

Public and Assisted Housing Needs

The public housing units as a whole are structurally sound and are in a state of reasonably good condition. During the recent lead abatement effort at Covington Homes and Stevens Courts, work was done to not only remove lead based paint but to also undertake necessary repairs to walls, plumbing and electrical systems, and to paint each unit. With the completion of lead abatement at Covington Homes and Stevens Courts, there is no lead paint in any of the housing authority's family sites. Other restoration needs to be accomplished at Covington Homes, Stevens Courts, and Griff King Courts are upgrading of electrical receptacles in bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens, and upgrading the power panels to meet the National Electric Code. Another restoration need is to replace all gas-fired water heaters with electric water heaters. The housing authority's strategy to improve the living environment of persons living in the public housing units includes development of plans to install air conditioning in all the family sites. Laundry facilities are in the process of being installed at Griff King Courts, Covington Homes, and Stevens Courts. Recent improvement efforts have involved the installation of picnic tables and gazebos and landscaping at the public housing sites.

Barriers to Affordable Housing

The city has not identified any public policies that serve as barriers to affordable housing and, as a result, there was no need to develop a strategy to remove or lessen negative effects of public policies.

Fair Housing

The city has certified in the Consolidated plan that it will affirmatively further fair housing, prepare an analysis of impediments to fair housing, and maintain records pertaining to carrying out this objective.

Lead-Based Paint

The city's proposed lead-based paint hazard reduction effort is centered on:

Establishing a public-private task force to determine appropriate programs and activities to reduce the hazards of lead-based paint.
Ensuring that all existing publicly supported housing programs are operated in compliance with regulations governing lead-based paint hazard reduction.
Investigating the capability of local and state supported health departments to institute a program to screen children to identify if they are affected by lead-based paint poisoning and provide medical assistance for poisoned children.

Community Development Needs

A high priority has been established for allocating funds to redevelop the Rosehill neighborhood through the city's new Housing Construction Program. An effort to allocate housing funds for the rebuilding of this neighborhood will be a focus of the city's affordable housing plan included in the five-year strategic plan component of the Consolidated Plan. To augment the revitalization of this neighborhood through construction of new single family residences, it will be beneficial to undertake other improvements to make it a more desirable place to live. Other improvements will be the construction of street improvements and park and recreational facilities.

Although the Rosehill neighborhood is identified as the area of the city with the highest priority for the expenditure of funds, the central and southern sections of the city have the next highest priority for the expenditure of funds. These areas need street improvements, senior centers and youth centers, transportation services, crime awareness and crime prevention programs, health services, and drug and alcohol prevention services.

Coordination

The city's main focus on activities to enhance coordination between public and assisted housing providers and private and governmental health, mental health, and service agencies will be to encourage the Texarkana Housing Coordinating Board to take the initial steps in coordinating housing efforts among these agencies. At first, the Board will have to become familiar with the services and programs offered by the various housing agencies. After that initial step, the Board will have to assess areas where services and programs are adequate to meet housing needs and where there are deficiencies in the level of services and programs that need to be addressed. The Board may have to determine where additional resources should be sought to provide more services and programs, as well as assessing if there is duplication of effort among agencies that should be eliminated.

HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Vision for Change

The overall goal of the Consolidated Plan is to improve the opportunity for persons and families to live in affordable and decent housing, to provide expanded social services to the citizens of this city, and to redevelop neighborhoods of the city which have experienced urban decline over the years.

Housing and Community Development Objectives and Priorities

The city's housing and community development priorities are listed below.

To provide financial resources to assist extremely low-income, very low-income, low- income and moderate-income persons and families to meet their rent obligations.
To provide financial assistance for extremely low-income, very low-income, low-income and moderate-income persons and families to purchase new single family residences.
To provide financial assistance to enable extremely low-income, very low- income, low-income and moderate-income persons and families to rehabilitate their own homes.
To provide financial assistance to the owners of rental properties to aid in the rehabilitation of those properties.
To provide housing facilities to enable the elderly to live in decent housing.
To provide financial assistance for down payment and closing costs to assist low- and moderate-income persons to become first-time homebuyers by purchasing homes.
To provide financial assistance to enable extremely low-income, very low- income, low-income, and moderate-income persons to weatherize their own homes.
To provide financial assistance to develop facilities for emergency shelters, transitional shelters, and permanent housing for the homeless.
To provide temporary housing of persons with special needs during crisis periods.
To provide transitional housing facilities for persons with special needs after the crisis period but before locating permanent housing.
To provide permanent housing facilities for persons with special needs.
To provide transportation services, food and clothing, training and counseling, and employment opportunities.
To construct street improvements.
To develop senior centers and youth centers.
To foster crime awareness and crime prevention.
To improve health services and drug and alcohol prevention services.

Housing Priorities

The city's housing priorities, as contained in the Consolidated Plan, are listed below.

To provide financial resources to assist extremely low-income, very low- income, low-income, and moderate-income persons and families to meet their rent obligations.
To provide financial assistance for extremely low-income, very low-income, low-income, and moderate-income persons and families to purchase new single family residences.
To provide financial assistance to enable extremely low-income, very low- income, low-income, and moderate-income persons and families to rehabilitate their own homes.
To provide housing facilities to enable the elderly to live in decent housing.
To provide financial aid to owners of rental properties to rehabilitate those properties.
To provide financial assistance for down payment and closing costs to assist low- and moderate-income persons to become first-time homebuyers by purchasing homes.
To provide financial assistance to enable extremely low-income, very low- income, low-income, and moderate-income persons to weatherize their own homes.

Non-Housing Community Development Priorities

Non-housing community development activities which have been given a high priority are street improvements, senior centers and youth centers, transportation services, crime awareness and crime prevention, health services, and drug and alcohol prevention services.

Anti-Poverty Strategy

The main components of the anti-poverty strategy are as follows:

Submission of annual requests to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for an addition 50 vouchers or certificates under the Section 8 rental assistance program.
Provision of no-interest loans to 40 very low- and low-income families to buy new houses built under the Housing Construction Program with CDBG and HOME program funds.
Provision of down payment and closing cost assistance for 50 low income first time home buyers to purchase existing homes.
Provision of loans or grants to 50 low- and moderate-income families to rehabilitate their own substandard homes.
Provision of assistance through the Emergency Shelter Grant and Supportive Housing Grant programs to improve facilities for the homeless.
Provision of no-interest or low-interest loans to owners of 100 rental units to rehabilitate their substandard rental properties.

Housing and Community Development Resources

It is anticipated that the financial resources from the Federal government listed below will be available to provide funds for various housing programs.

Section 8 vouchers or certificates from HUD to provide rental assistance payments
HOME Program funds to be provided through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Community Development Block Grant funds provided by HUD
Weatherization Assistance funds from the U.S. Department of Energy
Emergency Shelter Grant funds from HUD
Supportive Housing Program funds from HUD
Section 202 funds provided by HUD
Section 108 funds provided by HUD
Section 811 funds provided by HUD

Coordination of Strategic Plan

During this coming year, the city's main focus on activities to enhance coordination between public and assisted housing providers and private and governmental health, mental health, and service agencies will be to encourage the newly created Texarkana Housing Coordinating Board to take the initial steps in coordinating housing efforts among these agencies. The Board will assess areas where services and programs are adequate to meet housing needs, where there are deficiencies in the level of services, and programs that need to developed to address housing needs. The Board may have to determine where additional resources should be sought to provide more services and programs, as well as assessing if there is duplication of effort among agencies that should be eliminated. Monitoring of programs will be accomplished primarily by the City of Texarkana, Texas and the housing authority.

ONE-YEAR ACTION PLAN

Description of Key Projects

The fiscal year 1995 allocation of $615,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds, approved by City Council through the adoption of the Consolidated Plan, will be spent on the activities outlined below.

Housing Rehabilitation Program - $25,000
Housing Construction Program- $75,000
Demolition - $134,565
Rosehill Street Improvement Project - $180,135
South Ann Street Storm Sewer Project - $38,000
West 6th Street Improvement Project - $59,000
Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) - $15,000
Fair Housing Activities - $10,000
Administration - $78,300

Locations

The vast majority of Community Development Block Grant funds will be expended on projects located in the central and southern sections of the City of Texarkana, Texas. These are the areas with the highest concentrations of minority and low-income persons.

Lead Agencies

The City of Texarkana, Texas is the lead agency responsible for the development and implementation of this Consolidated Plan. Roger Burtchell, the city's Director of Community Development, is the staff member directly responsible for the implementation of the Consolidated Plan.

Housing Goals

The housing goals during the first year of the Consolidated Plan are listed below.

To provide rental assistance to an additional 50 families under the Section 8 program.
To provide no-interest or low-interest loans to the owners of 20 rental properties to rehabilitate their substandard rental properties.
To provide down payment and closing cost assistance for seven low-income first-time homebuyers to purchase existing homes.
To provide loans and grants to 10 low-income families and moderate income families to rehabilitate their substandard homes.
To provide funds to construct and sell seven new single-family homes to low- income families.
To develop additional facilities for the homeless through funding from Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) and the Supportive Housing Program funds.
To develop additional housing facilities for the elderly with Section 202 funds and to rehabilitate the Grim Hotel with Section 108 loan funds.
To develop housing facilities for persons with disabilities with Section 811 funds.

Maps

MAP 1 shows points of interest in the City of Texarkana.

MAP 2 shows points of interest in the City of Texarkana 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 by the City of Texarkana during its 1995 program year, with unemployment data shaded by block group and low- and moderate-income areas outlined.

For further information, contact Roger Burtchell at (903) 794-0404

Return to Texas' Consolidated Plans.