The City of Eau Claire (pop. 58,000) is located in West Central Wisconsin at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers. Its location had made this area a major timber and farming region; however, industry has expanded to include high technology and other product manufacturing, education, and regional health care.
Eau Claire prepared this consolidated plan for allocating housing and other funds that will become available from the federal and state governments. The Consolidated Strategy and Plan for Housing and Community Development Programs describes the needs for housing assistance and non-housing community development. The relative importance of competing needs is described and the five-year and one-year programs are presented. For 1995, the City is proposing activities to spend $969,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds, $408,000 in HOME, and $285,800 in anticipated program income, and $1,309,000 in 1994 Program Income designated for new 1994 CDBG projects.
While the City of Eau Claire Housing Division and Housing Authority are
designated as lead agencies in the coordination of the planning and submission
process, the process of assembling and completing the Plan was an effort joined
by over thirty five local organizations, including the nonprofit and private
for-profit sectors, educational and financial institutions, churches, and
neighboring jurisdictions. Planning for this process started at least six months
prior to submission, with a series of technical assistance workshops for
potential project applicants and letters to community leaders and agencies.
Several public hearings were held at various stages in the development process
with dates and pertinent information advertised in the local newspaper. The
final draft of the Plan was published and made available to the public through
the Library and other public locations on May 1 and was officially submitted in
final form to HUD on June 15. The City received approval from HUD on August 4.
The City of Eau Claire benefits from its location near good access routes
through Wisconsin and Minnesota, which has contributed to its growth as a major
health care and regional service center as well as educational center with the
presence of a branch of the University of Wisconsin. The economy has been
generally stable, although recent years have seen some losses to the employment
base resulting in some negative impacts on some of the older neighborhoods in
the community. The minority population is now over 4 percent, almost a 400
percent increase since 1980. Nearly half of the minority population is from
Hmong tribes of Laos, and the City has one of the highest proportional Hmong
populations in the nation. The elderly population is the largest growing segment
of the population; currently, approximately 13 percent of the population is over
65 years of age and this trend is continuing. The median income for a family of
four in the City is estimated at $31,612, and approximately 43 percent of local
households are considered low or moderate income based on 80 percent of County
median.
Housing and community development needs have been defined in the period from 1980 to 1990 by rising housing costs due to growing demand and low vacancy rates, increases in elderly and low income populations, aging housing in City neighborhoods, and transition from a heavy manufacturing employment base to a high tech and service industry. The negative impacts of some of these factors have been mitigated by a generally low unemployment rate of 4 percent, an aggressive infrastructure improvement program, up-to-date comprehensive planning, and a steady but slow rate of growth.
Eau Claire has determined that its housing needs fall primarily into four categories: affordability of housing for lower income residents, the need to assist the homeless and those threatened with homelessness, the rehabilitation of older housing stock, and the elimination of lead-based paint.
There are approximately 21,922 housing units in the City, 56 percent of which are owner-occupied compared to the State average for owner occupants of 67 percent. The vacancy rate usually averages around 3.5 percent. Sixteen percent of these units are considered substandard as defined by the City, but the vast majority of these substandard units are also considered suitable for rehabilitation. In the last decade there has been a surge in the development of multifamily units; 61 percent of new housing developed since 1980 is multi-unit. Most of this development has created smaller units, thereby increasing the demand for and therefore the cost of more substantial housing. The average price of single family homes has doubled since 1980 and the median rent has risen 63 percent.
Of the 43 percent of households classified as lower income (having incomes at 80 percent or less of median), approximately 45 percent of renters and 13 percent of homeowners report having housing problems which may include cost burdens (paying over 30 percent of income for housing), overcrowding, or poor conditions. Of those households considered very low income (incomes less than 50 percent of median), two-thirds report housing problems. Large households and renters are the most likely to report housing problems at all low income levels. Also, minority group, renter households are more likely to report housing problems than the overall group of households. Approximately 80 percent of this subpopulation group reports having housing problems.
While estimates of the homeless population range from 50 to 1200, the most accepted estimates appear to range from 50 to 100. There is agreement, however, that the homeless needs are increasing, especially in the area of transitional housing and services beyond the emergency shelter. There are a number of facilities and organizations in the community offering temporary shelter and supportive services; however, there is a need for greater coordination between the City, County, and various private housing and social service providers who serve this population.
Public housing in Eau Claire is in good condition and fully rented, with a waiting list of over 697. Vouchers and Section 8 certificates (rental assistance) are also fully utilized. Although the waiting list is open for additional families, there can be a significant wait for certain household types before housing assistance may become available. The greatest demand is for 1 and 2 bedroom units, with waits from 6 months to a year; and the longest wait is for 5+ bedroom units where applicants may wait for up to 6 ½ years for an available unit.
In total, there are approximately 1,428 units of assisted housing in the City, including all forms of public assistance such as public housing, rental assistance, privately owned assisted units, and HOME and CDBG supported developments. There is an estimated need for almost 3000 additional assisted units.
Some of the barriers to affordable housing also serve to limit choices for housing among low income, disadvantaged and special needs populations. Housing development and rent costs are rising with demand while at the same time someavailable affordable housing is being eliminated through aging, deterioration, conversion of large homes to small apartments, and demolition to accommodate expansion and redevelopment. Capped fair market rents under certain federal programs also limit choices of lower income persons using rental assistance programs.
However, the City has attempted to eliminate other common barriers to affordable housing through its adherence to comprehensive planning, its flexible zoning policies which allow small lot and mixed-income developments, and streamlined approval processes for encouraging development.
A 1993 test of 184 children in three neighborhoods revealed that 24.5 percent showed elevated blood levels for lead. These indicators may be the result of ingested lead from dust particles, paint chips, and other debris present in older neighborhoods and homes. Eighty-two percent of housing in the City was built before 1980 and approximately 6,780 housing units with lead based paint are occupied by low or moderate income households. The extent of this condition and the results of these tests support the continuing priority placed on housing rehabilitation as a major activity funded by the resources covered in this Consolidated Plan and Strategy.
Thirty types of community development needs were identified within the broad
categories of public facilities, infrastructure, public service, preservation,
economic development, and redevelopment. Within those broad categories, primary
needs were identified for a social services center for the elderly; downtown
redevelopment; services for lower income residents including services in the
areas of youth, employment, nutrition, prevention of childhood abuse and
neglect, and homelessness; and park development, rehabilitation, and access
improvements in lower income neighborhoods.
The City's comprehensive plan describes the basic goals for the community as preserving the quality of life, empowering the individual, and transforming the local economy. Several policies emerge from these goals which form the basis on which certain spending decisions will be based: policies which promote neighborhood revitalization, downtown reinvestment, infrastructure improvements in older neighborhoods, and controlled planning and development of new neighborhoods.
Six top priority housing needs will be targeted during the 5 year period covered by this strategic plan. Within each of these areas, priority will be given to households having incomes less than 30 percent of the median. These six priorities are:
Seven priorities in rank order have been established for the purposes of evaluating and selecting proposals for funding primarily under the Community Development Block Grant program.
These are :
It is estimated that in order to address the needs reflected by these priorities, resources in excess of $75,295,000 would be required. Eau Claire's annual Community Development Block Grant is currently $969,000.
The City's strategy to reduce poverty focuses primarily on education and economic development. To be removed from poverty, a person must have not only skills but also the opportunity to use those skills. While the City acknowledges the benefits that public services provide, it also feels that all too often public services treat the symptoms rather than the problems. Therefore, efforts will be focused on education and employment rather than support-type programs.
As noted above, the resources needed to address non-housing needs alone exceed $75 million and those estimated to address housing needs and priorities are also well in excess of $42 million. The City expects to receive $969,000 in federal CDBG funds in 1995 and $408,000 in HOME as well as continuing federal support for its public housing and rental assistance programs. In addition Eau Claire intends to pursue and utilize State resources from the Division of Housing and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA). And, finally, the City will continue to seek partnerships with the local nonprofit and for-profit sectors to identify and coordinate resources which can be used to address local priority needs.
Many City agencies will be involved in the implementation of the above
strategy, with the Housing Authority having general responsibility for overall
administration. County agencies such as the Department of Human Services will
also be included in this effort because of their involvement in many supportive
service programs. Specialized program support will be coordinated through many
nonprofit organizations in the community. To the extent there are weaknesses in
the current institutional structure to implement this strategy, they may be in
the as yet informal coordination between governmental and private organizations
for delivery of services and programs. The City acknowledges the need to further
develop these relationships to avoid duplication of effort and to better focus
limited resources on high priority needs. Some proposals to accomplish this
include the development of certain advisory groups which will meet specifically
to review progress against goals and coordinate the delivery and awareness of
programs.
There are twenty-seven programs or projects that will be funded with CDBG or HOME funds this year. Eau Claire expects to receive $969,000 in CDBG, $408,000 in HOME, and $1,594,000 in program income for a total of $2,971,800 in federal resources (not including any continuing support for public housing and rent assistance). The largest of these programs are:
| City-wide housing rehabilitation (30 houses) | $407,000 |
| Development of a senior citizen center | 400,000 |
| Clearance in N. Barstow Street area | 400,000 |
| Clearance for Lakeshore Park | 200,000 |
| Access improvements to Carson Park | 138,000 |
| Clearance of vacant buildings on S. Dewey | 120,000 |
| Youth social services | 115,700 |
| Intensified housing code enforcement | 63,500 |
In keeping with the Plan's identified priorities and strategies, other activities include job training, nutrition/food programs, emergency shelter and case management for the homeless, and neighborhood planning activities.
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; in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).
MAP 6 depicts Neighborhood Segments and streets and proposed HUD funded projects, as described in the table under MAP 5.
