The 1990 U.S. Census recorded the population of Appleton at 65,695. Now ranked sixth in size of Wisconsin communities, Appleton has achieved this stature through a combination of natural growth, annexation and migration. While the 1980-1990 increase of 6,655, or 11.3%, reflects a continuation in population growth evident since Appleton's incorporation in 1857, it is lower than the historical average of 31.5% growth per decade. However, it indicates a recovery from the all-time lowest increase of 3.3% between 1970 and 1980.
For the first year of their Consolidated Plan Appleton is requesting $772,000 in new entitlement funds and $50,000 in expected program income to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. These funds will be used to finance 10 housing community development and service activities.
The City of Appleton has assigned CDBG oversight responsibility to the Commercial, Industrial and Economic Development (CIED) Committee of the Common Council. The Committee and its subcommittee jointly conduct a "community needs" hearing before the application period for Consolidated Plan allocations. The hearing is advertised in the Appleton Post Crescent. At a minimum all recipients of Consolidated Plan funding from the previous year are encouraged to attend. Additionally, many public service agencies are contacted to invite their participation. The Committee seeks to receive community opinion and perspective ahead of the application process to better understand the needs and challenges facing the community. The process has been well received and the forum has encouraged considerable discussion and information-sharing. This assessment will be continued in the future.
The Consolidated Plan does not rely solely upon the community needs hearing
to find out the needs of the community. The program also uses information
gathered daily in the operation of the Consolidated Plan funded projects,
information that includes data about the beneficiaries of services, the nature
of demand for services, the satisfaction of users with services, and the
perspective of advocates speaking for these groups.
According to the 1990 U.S. Census, the population of the City of Appleton was 65,695 persons. The 24,915 households averaging 2.57 persons per household lived in 8,393 rental and 16,428 owner-occupied units, and 1,882 persons lived in either institutional or non-institutional group quarters. Seven hundred nine housing units were vacant. Twenty thousand five hundred sixty of the rental and owner-occupied units (82.8%) were built before 1980. Fifteen thousand sixty-four of all the occupied housing units (60.7%) have three or more bedrooms (17.2% of the rental and 82.9% of the owner- occupied); 7,217 of all the occupied housing units (29.1%) have two bedrooms (54.4% of the rental and 16.1% of the owner-occupied); and 2,540 of all the occupied housing units (10.2%) have one or zero bedrooms (28.4% of the rental and .10%) of the owner-occupied.
It is when income is interjected that one begins to understand the difficulties encountered by some segments of the large family population in their search for affordable housing. The HUD - Adjusted Median Family Income (HAMFI) was $37,201 for the Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah MSA in 1990. Extremely low income is zero to 30% of HAMFI ($0-$11,160), very low is 31 to 50% of HAMFI ($11,532-$18,600), other low income is 51 to 80% of HAMFI ($18,972-$29,760), and moderate income is 81 to 99% of HAMFI ($30,132-$36,829).
Only 4.9% of the 1,823 owner households with incomes below 51% of the HAMFI (extremely low and very low income), or 89 households, are large while 2,476 of the three or more bedroom single family units were affordable to households with incomes below 51% of HAMFI. Eight percent of the 2,540 renter households with incomes below 51% HAMFI, or 203, are large size households while 681 of the rental units with three or more bedrooms were affordable to households with incomes below 50%.
The 1990 U.S. Census data does not specify the number of single person households, either renter or owner, with incomes below 51% HAMFI but it does show that 278 zero and one bedroom rental units and 20 zero and one bedroom owner units are affordable to households with incomes between zero and 30% HAMFI (extremely low income). Very low income households can afford 1,423 zero and one bedroom rental units and 46 zero and one bedroom owner-occupied units.
Thirty-one percent of the 2,540 extremely low and very low-income renter households (incomes below 51% HAMFI), or 808 households, are elderly. Seventy percent of the 1,823 extremely low and very low-income owner households (incomes below 51% HAMFI), or 1,276 households are elderly. Since the exact number of persons in each elderly household in uncertain, both zero/one and two bedroom units could be suitable. There are 4,255 zero/one and two bedroom renter units and 812 zero/one and two bedroom owner units affordable to households with incomes below 50% HAMFI.
There are three racial subpopulations that appear to have a disproportionately greater need for any income category in comparison to the needs of that category as a whole. The percentage of the City's Black, Native American, and Asian and Pacific Islander very low income (0-50% HAMFI) populations exceed the overall City very low income average by more than 10%. This statistics from the 1990 U.S. Census are as follows:
East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission recently prepared population projections through 2020 that show Appleton's population will continue to grow. Most of Calumet County's growth should occur in cities. The portion of the City of Appleton located in Calumet County will continue to grow rapidly in the future, adding almost 7,100 persons in the next 25 years. The Outagamie County portion of the City of Appleton will experience an increase, but only 1,933 additional persons by 2020. However, Appleton's Outagamie County residents will continue to be the largest portion of the City's population. Although the Winnebago County area in the City of Appleton will have one of the highest growth rates of cities between 1990 and 2020, the actual increase will be 808 persons. So the overall East Central Regional Planning Commission estimate of Appleton's population in 2020 is 75,530. A shorter range estimate for 2000 is 71,170 persons.
According to an article in the local newspaper in November 1994 "a strong demand for existing homes in the Fox Cities ... has driven their price up 25% since 1991..." Among the forces creating the demand are low interest rates, pent-up demand and a strong regional economy. It is predicted that continued desire to become homeowners and creative financing methods will keep the demand strong in 1995.
The median price for an Appleton-Neenah-Oshkosh home was $83,300 in September 1994 as compared with $66,400 in September 1991. The strongest demand is for existing homes in the $50,000 to $120,000 price range. "This year to date, 1,349 of the 1,729 homes sales were in that range, with more than half of the 1,349 in the $60,000-$80,000 price range." Compared to the median cost of homes in Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay, the cost of area housing is lower. It is also less than the Midwest and national median price.
The number of housing starts fell 5.2% in October 1994 for the first time in 4 months. This decline occurred in all regions of the country and is attributed to an increase in the mortgage rates.
The rental housing market has experienced some weakening due to the surge of homebuying in the past year. However, lately there has been an increase in the demand for apartments and duplexes. The supply of rental housing has appeared to keep pace with demand as new units continue to be built. It is estimated that the general vacancy rate is below 3%.
Severe cost-burden occurs when more than 50% of a household's income is spent on housing. This occurs in 89 extremely low income and 13 very low income large renter households according to the 1990 U.S. Census. No other low income or moderate income large household is severely cost-burdened.
Two hundred twenty-nine (229) extremely low income, 104 very low income, 28 other low income and six moderate income elderly 1 and 2 member renter households are severely cost-burdened.
Among the small related renter households, 283 extremely low income, 54 very low income and eight other low income households are severely cost-burdened. No moderate income small related household is severely cost-burdened.
Two hundred sixty-five (265) extremely low income and 44 very low income households in the all other renter population are severely cost-burdened. No other low income or moderate income households in the all other renter population are severely cost-burdened.
There are 190 extremely low income, 55 very low income, 15 other low income and 10 moderate income elderly owner households who are severely cost-burdened. Among all other owner elderly owner households, there are 141 extremely low income, 50 very low income, 23 other low income and 33 moderate income households that are severely cost- burdened.
According to a report based on information from 12 area agencies in 1989, there were 170 single men, 39 single women and 29 families with children (including seven female head of households) homeless between January, 1, 1989, and September 30, 1989. No distinction was made between the homeless from Appleton and other jurisdictions. More recently, data from 18 local agencies show that on any given night between April and August 1994 there were between 14 and 51 (unduplicated) homeless persons in shelters. The profile of the typical group member was a single unemployed male or a woman with a young children abused by her husband/boyfriend. Homeless persons in Appleton generally share the following characteristics: they are white, their last permanent address was in one of the Fox Cities, they are usually less than 40 years of age, and they spent the previous night in their own home or with a friend/relative. Since the City is entirely urbanized, there are no rural homeless.
Nearly 100 service agencies in the region operate programs that may help homeless persons in one or more of their needs. Agencies serving the needs of the homeless consist of those actually providing shelter and those that provide auxiliary services, such as food or clothing.
Between the Appleton Housing Authority and the Outagamie County Housing Authority there are 1,103 applications for housing assistance. The Appleton Housing Authority has 799 on the waiting list for Section 8 assistance, 139 for scattered site units and 66 for Oneida Heights units.
The Outagamie Housing Authority has a total of 99 applications for units in Appleton. The largest number of applications (38) is for one bedroom units. There are 36 applications for two bedroom units. Sixteen applicants are requesting three bedroom units and nine households have applied for four bedroom units. Forty-five of all the households have federal preferences.
An inventory of public housing in Appleton is as follows:
| Name of Project | Housing Program | # of Units | Population Served | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Randall Court | Section 8 New Construction | 100 | Very Low and Low Income Elderly |
| 2 | Outagamie County Housing Authority | Section 8 New Construction | 18 | Very Low and Low Income Family |
| 3 | Chateau Villa | Section 236 | 78 | Family |
| 4 | Rustic Woods | Section 8 New Construction | 158 | Family |
| 5 | Valley Housing Association | Section 8 New Construction | 70 | 66 Elderly/4 Disabled |
| 6 | Parkview Village | Section 8 New Construction | 84 | 64 Family/20 Disabled |
| 7 | Oneida Heights | Low Income Public Housing | 153 | Very Low and Low Income Elderly |
| 8 | Appleton Housing Authority | Low Income Public Housing | 24 | Very Low and Low Income Family |
| 9 | Appleton Housing Authority | Section 8 Voucher | 94 | Very Low and Low Income 46 Elderly/48 Family |
The family and disabled public housing units are in very good condition. The elderly public housing units are in good condition.
The City of Appleton's Municipal code, Section 23, Zoning Ordinance provides for high- density residential development. Minimum lot size for single-family residential list is 6,000 square feet. Minimum size for multi-family development is 3,000 square feet per unit.
Besides the already dense development allowed in Appleton, density can be increased through the Planned Development process. Planned development zoning requires preplanning the development and approval by the Common Council. This zoning technique allows residential density to be increased on a project-by-project basis.
The City of Appleton, recognizing the nature of discrimination, has undertaken to address this issue. For the past 9 years the City has provided support to those local private agencies whose primary mission has been to support and affirmatively further fair housing. This support has secured Appleton testing, investigation, referral and technical assistance services.
A housing stock study revealed that 98% of Appleton housing stock built before 1950 contains lead paint. This is consistent with national statistics. However, ongoing screening of children in these homes does not reveal consistently elevated blood lead levels. Screening of blood lead levels of children age 12 months to 6 years has been done since 1990 in cooperation with the Outagamie County WIC Program and through other outreach efforts. In 1993, 541 Appleton children were screened. Of these, 226 (42%) were from families with incomes below $15,000 per year and 502 (93%) were living in housing built before 1980. Of the 541 children tested, 29 (5.3%) showed blood lead levels exceeding 15 mg/dl.
An indication of the difficulty in finding adequate housing is illustrated by the fact that 66.5% of the 454 large renter households have a housing problem. In the elderly one and two member renter population, 804 of the 1,502 households have a housing problem. The small related renter household data shows that 818 out of 2,919 households have a housing problem. For all other renter households, 872 of the 3,259 households have a housing problem.
Among owner households, 821 (19.2%) of the 4,284 elderly households have a housing problem. Nearly 12 percent (1,500) of the 12,497 all other owner households also experience a housing problem.
The community development needs that have been identified will have allocations that tend to deliver services and resources to the entire City.
The Community Development Department has developed a working arrangement
with some nonprofit agencies that will be integral to carrying out the
Consolidated Plan, especially regarding homeless and housing needs. These
relationships will be nurtured as they are recognized as essential to the
delivery of services in Appleton. A Homeless Task Force has been created to
assess this concern in Appleton and the surrounding region. This group's
results will be considered when allocating future consolidated plan funds.
The federal programs must primarily benefit low income persons whose incomes are 80% or less of the area's median income adjusted by household size. In Appleton, for example, this includes households of one with incomes of $24,250 or less and households of four with incomes of $34,650 or less.
Priority Needs and Reasons: Staff conducted a survey of aldermen and department heads in May 1994, regarding Community Development priorities. The results of this survey are as follows, in order of priority.
The City has allocated approximately two-thirds of its CDBG entitlement toward housing activities in the 1990's. The allocations are targeted largely toward the goal of helping low and moderate income homeowners with repairs to their properties to allow them to continue to own and live in their homes. The Department of Community Development administers a Rehabilitation Loan Program for low and moderate income homeowners. As two-thirds of the housing stock in Appleton is owner-occupied, the primary emphasis will continue to be placed upon the preservation of this housing segment. The City recognizes that home ownership promotes family empowerment, neighborhood revitalization and stability.
In addition, CDBG allocations have been made to the Appleton Housing Authority and private groups such as The Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities that administer complementary programs to help the citizens of Appleton in their pursuit of affordable housing, both rental and owner-occupied. First-time homebuyer programs coordinated by these groups are important in meeting the City's housing goals. These programs will be encouraged and complemented by the City's homeowner rehabilitation program.
The Appleton Housing Authority has made efforts to provide tenant-based rent assistance. The Housing Authority has successfully completed for HUD fund allocations 10 different times.
The City, together with the Outagamie County Housing Authority, has placed a high priority on the development of a more permanent and suitable emergency shelter for the City's homeless. The demands placed upon the current shelter far exceed the facility's ability to serve. This very important point of initial assistance is in need of support for facility upgrade.
The City has also recognized the homeless continuum of care concept, and has been instrumental in assisting private providers to acquire and/or rehabilitate transitional housing properties. A former City fire station, operated under the guidance of the Salvation Army, accommodates 11 single men and a transitional housing facility for eight families, managed by the Housing Partnership, is due to open in early 1995. Both projects were public/private in nature. The private providers are responsible for ongoing operation of the facilities.
Redevelopment/Special Economic Development projects ranked second in relative priority for use of Consolidated Plan funds. Survey elicited responses are the target areas should be identified and both public and private proposals should be encouraged to address the target area(s). The City is currently undertaking the task of updating its Comprehensive Plan. Plan adoption is scheduled for mid-1995. Redevelopment activities funded through the Consolidated Plan will be addressed in the Comprehensive Plan. The City Comprehensive Plan and Consolidated Plan, adopted within the same relative period, should allow the City to focus on specific redevelopment priority areas.
Priority within this category will be placed upon projects that will provide or retain jobs in the community, particularly for those of low and moderate income. Additionally, new business development and expansion of businesses serving lower income neighborhoods will be encouraged. Technical assistance, especially to new businesses, will be supported to help in the goal of creating jobs and averting business failures.
The City's Business Parks have not traditionally been helped with Consolidated Plan funding, but the strong emphasis on job creation and retention is indicative that special projects to support new and existing business will be forthcoming and encouraged. The City is planning an expansion to its Northeast Business Park and development of a park southeast of the City.
Public facilities and Improvements ranked third. Activities in this category have been supported in the past, and will be supported in the future, when they serve a broad cross- section of the population or are targeted to help those of low or moderate income. Target census tract projects may also be proposed. Projects in this category may also be proposed together with redevelopment activities to help commercial, industrial or residential development.
Poverty is a national problem. It is the subject of major studies; a complete description of the causes and cures is beyond the scope of this document. Additionally, many causes of poverty are beyond the scope of any municipality. However, there are some things a community can do which can help reduce the number of households with incomes below the poverty level.
Several nonprofit agencies offer counseling to those in need of assistance as it pertains to locating affordable housing and/or budgeting assistance. These are offered in many forms, some are comprehensive, some on an as-needed basis.
A Consolidated Plan funded loan program will encourage employers to add additional employees. Emphasis will be given to those businesses adding jobs available to low income City residents to help them in becoming self-sufficient.
The community development and housing "systems" operating within the City of Appleton are complex. Some are regional in nature and vary in terms of entrepreneurial and/or institutional nature. These factors sometimes create obstacles to the achievement of affordable housing and community development strategies.
The City will continue to support efforts to build the capacity of the local developers and managers and community and private groups to preserve, maintain, and produce effective community development activities throughout the community. The City will place particular emphasis on the development of affordable housing initiatives throughout the City.
The plan explains that there are several providers of needed products and services. These will be encouraged to continue at existing or increased levels. Those with the ability to help in the accomplishment of the plan will be strongly encouraged to apply in subsequent years for Consolidated Plan funding. Where there are gaps in the Community's ability to provide needed resources to achieve Consolidated Plan goals, efforts will be made to bridge them.
Following the publication of the HUD Consolidated Plan guidelines in August
1994, the City assigned the lead responsibility for the development of the
Consolidated Plan to the Department of Community Development with the policy
oversight to be provided by the CIED Committee. The Department has solicited
comments on the process and has used the ideas from the various public hearing
to prepare this plan. Significant feedback was received at the January 23,
1995, public hearing devoted exclusively to the Consolidated Plan.
Additionally, several housing providers, governmental agencies and departments,
and social service agencies were asked to supply information for the Plan. This
information and the issues it raised were significant in the Plan's development.
This statement allocates $772,000 in new entitlement funds and $50,000 in expected program income to the CDBG program to support activities that further the goals of improving the City's housing, developing Appleton's economy, strengthening local community services, revitalizing select neighborhoods, and planning and administering the programs effectively.
Among the major programs are homeowners' Rehabilitation loan program at $294,000, the Housing Partnership Acquisition and Rehabilitation program at $70,000, and the development of a new emergency shelter at $200,000.
Although City-wide in scope, many programs tend to devote most of their time and money to the Central City area. It is the Central City area that tends to have many low income residents, the primary group the program is intended to serve.
The Department of Community Development, working with its various policy bodies, including the Plan Commission and the Commercial, Industrial and Economic Development Committee will take lead responsibility for accomplishment of the Plan. The Commercial, Industrial and Economic Development Committee will take responsibility for review and evaluation of the policy components of the Plan.
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.
