The city of Auburn, Washington, is located south of Seattle in King County. Auburn is part of the King County HOME Consortium, but the city has submitted its own Consolidated Plan for the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.
In its first program year, Auburn has $418,000 in CDBG funds to implement its Consolidated Plan. Projects to be undertaken in the first year include purchasing a facility that will provide counseling and services to at-risk youth and families, repairing sidewalks, and renovating 20 single-family homes.
To ensure the widest range of public participation in the development of its Consolidated Plan, Auburn used a multifaceted approach to soliciting public involvement. This approach included neighborhood meetings, special presentations on planning issues to neighborhood groups, and articles published in Auburn's community newsletter, which was distributed to all postal customers within the city.
Auburn's Department of Planning and Community Development served as the lead
agency in the development of the Consolidated Plan. The Planning and Community
Development Committee and the Human Services Committee hosted workshops
regarding the Consolidated Plan, and the city conducted two public meetings to
elicit citizen input. Copies of the Consolidated Plan were made available for
public comment at the Department of Planning and Community Development office on
West Main Street.
In 1990 Auburn's population was 33,650, which made it the 17th largest city in Washington. Since the 1950s, the city population has increased steadily. From 1960 to 1980, its population increased an average of 8 percent annually. However, from 1980 to 1993, this figure decreased to 2.7 percent annually.
Like most of King County, Auburn is a family-oriented community where 54 percent of its households include children. While most of these households are married couples, 35 percent are single-parent families. The population of school-age children has grown faster than any other segment of the population over the past decade.
Nearly 90 percent of the population are white. Asian Americans constitute the largest minority group at 7.7 percent of the population, followed by Hispanics at 3 percent, Native Americans at 2.1 percent, and African Americans at 1.2 percent.
The 1990 median household income in Auburn was $30,007, compared to $36,179
in King County. In Auburn 1 out of 10 residents and 2 out of 10 children under
age 5 lived below the poverty threshold of $9,885.
As a blue-collar community, over one-fourth of Auburn's resident labor force earned its living from manufacturing jobs in 1990. The number of manufacturing jobs in Auburn increased 33 percent between 1980 and 1990. However, out of 7,233 new jobs, only 280 went to Auburn residents. In 1990 one out of five Auburn residents did not have a high school diploma. This lack of educational attainment may explain partially why a disproportionate number of the new jobs in the city are held by non-residents. Of the 16,756 Auburn residents who were employed in 1990, 23 percent held jobs in manufacturing, 16 percent held jobs in retail, and 7 percent held construction jobs.
While the industry on the west side of Auburn became more prosperous between 1980 and 1990, the east side of the city did not experience growth.
Of the 13,977 city housing units in 1990, 42 percent were single-family homes, 42 percent were multifamily units, and 15 percent were manufactured housing. Because Auburn is a newer city, most of its housing stock is less than 20 years old. From 1980 to 1990, the construction of multifamily units greatly exceeded the construction of detached, single- family housing units.
In 1993 the average cost of purchasing a home in Auburn was $137,066, which reflected a 50-percent increase from the 1990 median cost. The 1990 median rental price was $395, compared to $491 in 1993. The city's average vacancy rate was just over 4 percent in 1994.
The median monthly cost for a rental unit in Auburn continues to be lower than the King County median. In addition, the median cost of owning a home in Auburn is lower than the median cost in King County. As a result, Auburn remains one of the leading cities in the county for providing affordable housing opportunities. Approximately 77% of Auburn's total households pay less than 30% of their family income for housing.
Low-income Auburn residents (households with incomes below 80 percent of the area median family income [MFI]) are more likely than other segments of the population. Out of 6,660 low-income households in the city, 2,846 or 43 percent spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development considers a housing cost greater than 30% of a houshold's income an unaffordable burden.
While it was difficult to obtain accurate data on Auburn's homeless population, a recent survey of emergency shelters throughout King County found that 99 percent of homeless persons outside of Seattle were in families with children, with the majority being single women with children.
Auburn has two emergency shelters for its homeless population. The Young Women's Christian Association has six beds for homeless families, and Auburn Youth Resources has six beds for youth. Auburn does not have any day shelters, soup kitchens, or other daytime- only facilities. Supportive services are provided by the following organizations: the Auburn Community Supper Program, Catholic Community Services, the Auburn Respite Care Program, St. Vincent de Paul, Auburn Community Health Center, Northwest Mental Health Services, Valley Cities Mental Health Center, the Auburn Christian Action Program, the Apple Program, the Children's Home Society, the Domestic Abuse Women's Network, and the Washington Women's Employment and Education program.
Auburn's continuum of care for homeless families includes:
The King County Housing Authority owns or manages 5,999 public housing units throughout the county, of which 678 are located within the Auburn city limits. The public housing developments in Auburn -- Green River Homes I and II, Wayland Arms, Burndale Homes, Firwood Circle, Plaza Seventeen, Gustaves Manor, Auburn Square, and Tall Cedars Mobile Home Park -- serve families, the elderly, chronically mentally ill persons, developmentally disabled persons, victims of domestic violence, youth, and persons with HIV/AIDS. The housing agency administers 2,602 Section 8 vouchers and certificates in Auburn, and the city also has 346 assisted housing units.
A recent assessment identified the following needs for King County's public housing: protection of structural integrity, development of resident programs, increased tenant security, swift correction of unsafe conditions, and adherence to energy conservation standards.
The only identified barrier to affordable housing in the city is the high cost of homeownership for low-income residents.
The Auburn Municipal Code prohibits specific instances of discriminatory action in offering or providing housing. All discrimination complaints are referred to the Auburn Planning Director. In addition to enforcing the city's fair housing ordinance, Auburn will act to further fair housing practices by preparing an analysis of fair housing impediments. It will develop a fair housing plan, if necessary, that addresses any fair housing impediments which fall within the city's jurisdiction. The analysis of fair housing impediments will include public hearings and the solicitation of citizen input.
Officials have identified 1,659 housing units as having a high risk for containing lead-based paint hazards. The city will continue to reduce lead-based paint hazards in residential communities funded through the Home Repair Program and other publicly funded programs.
The Seattle King County Department of Public Health reported that school-age children in Auburn had one of the highest rates of hospitalization for substance abuse among children in the suburban communities. The Auburn public health service area also has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the county. Approximately 25 girls, or 1% of the total population of girls between the ages of 10 and 17, became pregnant each year. Both of these problems are of concern to the city.
The city's Department of Planning and Community Development, as the lead
agency for the Consolidated Plan, works with a variety of local non-profit
agencies in the implementation of the plan. It participates in the South King
County Housing Forum, which not only educates the community on pertinent housing
issues but also has established a cooperative network of housing professionals
to develop regional approaches to affordable housing and supportive services.
The city also works in collaboration with the King County Housing Consortium on
the allocation of the county's HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds.
In the development of its Consolidated Plan, Auburn seeks to address its three basic goals: 1) to develop programs that provide decent housing; 2) to create programs that provide a suitable living environment; and 3) to establish programs that expand economic opportunities.
The Consolidated Plan for Auburn identified the following housing priorities:
The Consolidated Plan for Auburn identified the following community development priorities:
In addition to federal fund appropriations of law enforcement, youth and senior programs, the city appropriates general fund revenues through its Department of Planning and Community Development for various housing and community development activities. Out of a FY 95 appropriation of $935,000, approximately 73% was earmarked for public health, 5% for the city's participation in various regional coalitions and associations, and 22% to help support the operation of several social service agencies. The city relies on several organizations for their in-kind support; for instance, Catholic Community Services, Auburn Community Fund, Children's Home Society, YWCA, YMCA, and the Auburn Coalition of Teenage Pregnancy Prevention.
Auburn will continue to coordinate its planning and programmatic activities with other local and regional agencies. For example:
The Consolidated Plan for Auburn identified the following key projects:
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, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 6 is a map, sectioned by neighborhood, which depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and 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).
Bill Mandeville
Human Service Division
25 West Main Street
Auburn, Washington 98001
Telephone: 206-804-5029
Facsimilie: 206-931-3053
