The Consolidated Plan identifies housing and community development needs in the City of Neenah, Wisconsin, for which there is one formula program, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The City is expecting program income and new funding in the total amount of $373,000 in CDBG funds for 1995.
In its preparation of the Consolidated Plan, the City of Neenah consulted
with citizens, nonprofit agencies, for-profit entities, and government
organizations. In addition, there were three public hearings held which were
advertised, both newspaper and direct mailing.
The City of Neenah is located in Winnebago County, in northeastern Wisconsin. It was incorporated in 1873 on the Fox River, making it a center for transportation and power. Neenah's early industries of lumber, milling and paper formed the base of a manufacturing economy that continues to include paper, related industries of printing and packaging, as well as the development of plastics and computer products.
Neenah is the second largest city in a larger metropolitan area (known as
the Fox Cities) that had a 1990 population of 317,656 and a 1994 population of
326,054. The City's 1990 population was 23,219, while the 1994 population was
23,598. As a result of census tract review, the City of Neenah does not
consider there to be racial/ethnic concentrations in the community. The City's
present incorporated area is 7.99 square miles.
1990 U. S. Census statistics were reviewed for low and moderate income renter and owner households reporting housing problems in the City. Among small, large, elderly and all other renter households, the small related renter households with extremely low and low incomes (0-50% HAMFI) most frequently reported having a housing problem, whether it be affordability or a problem related to the housing itself. Elderly renters and all other renters with incomes 0-50% HAMFI followed closely, with an average of 67% having housing problems. Large related rental households with extremely low or low incomes, though small in numbers, had a higher percent (82%) of households reporting a housing problem. There were a total of 672 renter households in this income category who had a housing problem.
Among homeowners, extremely low and low income households most frequently reported having housing problems, a total of 323 households. Elderly households in this income category had the greatest number of households reporting housing problems, while as a percentage, all other homeowners in this income category had 75% reporting housing problems.
The greatest number of renter households reporting a cost burden, having housing costs between 30 and 50% of their income, were those with incomes between 31-50% HAMFI. Of those having a severe cost burden, housing costs over 50% of their income, the greatest number had incomes between 0-30% of HAMFI.
Of owner households, households with incomes between 0-30% HAMFI had the greatest cost burdens, spending between 31-50% of their income for housing. Households with incomes between 0-30% HAMFI most frequently reported a severe cost burden, spending over 50% for housing.
The overcrowding of renter units, whether the units contained more than one person per room, was also reviewed. Of all renter households, 2.6% reported that they had overcrowded conditions. Of the large family households, 22.7% reported overcrowded housing conditions. The 51-80% income category most frequently reported this condition. Of owner households, .8% reported overcrowded housing conditions. Of owner households other than elderly, 1.1% reported overcrowded conditions. The income category 51-80% HAMFI most frequently reported these conditions, in both types of households.
The community sees a growing need for affordable housing for frail elderly households in the City because of its aging population and increase in numbers of those aged 75 and over. Needs include accessible and affordable housing, household and personal care, nutrition sites and home delivered meals, companionship, home health care, transportation and adult day care outside of the home.
Needs of mentally disabled, physically disabled, and developmentally disabled households include accessible and affordable housing, supportive care, and transportation. As the emphasis continues to be deinstitutionalization, community based employment and small- scale living situations, we can expect to see increasing needs for housing arrangements to meet these needs. Residents who need alcohol and other drug abuse services frequently need affordable housing after treatment, and persons with AIDS require affordable as well as supportive care, and perhaps specialized housing to meet advanced illness care.
The City's vacancy rate of between 1 and 3% for units for sale and for rent make choice and competition difficult in the housing market. Rates of household formation have exceeded population growth, resulting in increasing growth in one-person and couple households. This may result in difficulty when seeking appropriate and affordable homes for larger households. Per capita income may also demonstrate a need for more moderately priced housing. The City's growth in per capita income as compared to the surrounding urbanized area may show that there is not a balanced housing market here.
Overall, the City's housing market can be said to be regulated by which types and numbers of households stay or move into a community. The demand may be for large single family homes in the future, but demographic and employment trends indicate a demand for moderately priced homes or rental units, including retirement housing.
Homeless takes varying forms in the City of Neenah. The homeless or those threatened with homelessness may be unemployed or underemployed, experiencing domestic violence, have mental illness or alcoholism/drug abuse, or left homeless after a fire, among other causes. In 1994, there were 93 persons with a previous Neenah address who sought shelter at the Emergency Shelter in Appleton, the only general homeless shelter in the surrounding urbanized area. The Neenah Police Department, Red Cross, St. Vincent DePaul Society, and Regional Domestic Abuse Services also assisted homeless persons and those threatened with homelessness with shelter, food, clothing, and financial assistance.
The public housing units in the City of Neenah have been constructed in the last 5 years, and are in good condition. Most of the assisted units in the City, owned privately, are in decent condition, though about a quarter of the inventory is in poor to fair condition and does not provide the most effective living situation for families. There are waiting lists for public and assisted housing, with at least 1 year waiting periods for families.
Land development costs have an effect on the ability of the community to provide a full range of housing opportunities, and in particular, housing for low and moderate income households. Suggestions to lower development costs that the City will examine include restructuring fees for infrastructure improvements and development, reducing the required width of residential streets, and reducing the depth of building setbacks.
The City of Neenah has a low rental vacancy rate, and higher rents in turn. These factors may cause the rental market to be more susceptible to fair housing problems.
Most of the housing in the City of Neenah was constructed between the years 1960 and 1979, which means that 24% of the units are estimated to have existing lead-based paint. The City of Neenah Health Department has made an agreement with local physicians to check blood lead levels of all children in Neenah at their one-year check-up. When lead levels are found, the Neenah Sanitarian assesses the home, and recommends abatement action.
Public institutions including the City of Neenah and Winnebago County work
along with private organizations such as Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities,
Advocap, Habitat for Humanity, Doty Island Development Council, and Future
Neenah Development Corporation, and private lenders and contractors. Future
housing projects are expected to continue to require coordination among all of
these organizations.
A strategy for promoting affordable, safe and appropriate housing must include addressing gaps and advancing the continuum of housing choices in the community. This means developing or increasing housing services to meet the demand, as well as maintaining existing housing and services.
Non-housing community development needs include the creation of jobs in the community, handicapped accessibility to public and quasi-public buildings, support of nonprofit agencies that meet such needs as conflict resolution, domestic and sexual abuse, child care, and emergency needs for food and clothing; evaluation of needs of older adults in the community, community signage, and comprehensive land use planning.
The City of Neenah has as its housing priorities assistance to:
The means of meeting the needs of these households include:
Resources that may be available to meet the priority needs include:
It is through the coordination among these entities that many of the priority needs are expected to be met.
The City's goal to assist very-low income households with rehabilitation
loans and grants is an effort to reduce the number of households with incomes
below the poverty line. The City is also providing Community Development Block
Grant funds to assist and coordinate with nonprofit organizations to provide
housing and/or services to very-low income households. The City's Small
Business Loan Program, also funded by CDBG, is also a means to reduce poverty by
creating jobs for very-low income persons.
| Activity | Request | Approval | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neenah Historical Society, 336 Main Street, Neenah | $13,000 to make handicapped accessibility improvements in public facility. | $13,000 | Allocation will assist persons with special needs to access a public facility. |
| Winnebago Conflict Resolution Center | $5,000 to provide mediation services to low and moderate income persons. | $5,000 | Mediation services assist low income persons retain their rental housing. |
| Sexual Abuse Services, Inc. | $6,000 to provide prevention education to elementary and middle school students. | $6,000 | Purpose of the program is to assist low and moderate income children become aware of and take action to prevent sexual abuse and harassment. |
| Advocap Handyman Program | $5,000 to assist with materials and staff costs in making minor home repair assistance. | $5,000 | Program benefits elderly and disabled persons with low and moderate incomes. Assists these persons in making their homes safe and more affordable. |
| United Community Services, Inc. | $100,000 to assist with pre- development costs of construction of offices that will house agencies serving low and moderate income persons. | $97,200 | Project will assist agencies to operate at lower overhead costs, while providing a central office to assist low and moderate income households. |
| ADVOCAP, Inc. | $40,000 to rehab and make handicapped accessible improvements to 2 homes to be occupied by special needs persons. | $40,000 | Homebuyers will continue to be assisted with 1993 and 1994 grant funds. Rehab of two homes will assist persons with special needs live in affordable, and appropriate housing. |
| CAP Services, Inc. | $2,750 to continue assist 5 low and moderate income persons who began job training last year. | $2,750 | This assistance helps low and moderate income persons improve their incomes, become more independent, and prevent homelessness. |
| Emergency Shelters of Appleton, Inc. | $8,314 to continue shelter and food services, and support case management services for homeless persons from the City of Neenah. | $8,300 | Emergency Shelters provides direct services to homeless persons, and helps them achieve independent living. |
| Northeast Wisconsin Fair Housing Council | $5,500 to continue services to households encountering discrimination in the housing market. | $5,500 | Program prevents homelessness by helping to make more housing available to low and moderate income households, helping to avoid concentrations of racial/ethnic populations, and preventing discrimination towards protected classes. |
| Regional Domestic Abuse Services, Inc. | $7,500 to continue to provide shelter and counseling services to households experiencing domestic violence. | $7,000 | Program benefits persons without homes as a result of domestic abuse, and assists those persons to live more independently. |
| Habitat for Humanity | $20,000 to purchase a lot in the community in order to build lower cost housing for purchase by low and moderate income persons. | $20,000 | Assists low and moderate income persons gain more affordable housing, and prevents homelessness. |
| Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities | $23,000 to add to 1993 allocation of $17,000 to purchase another home for rehabilitation by volunteers, for sale to a low or moderate income household. | $23,000 | Benefits low and moderate income households, who may be threatened with homelessness, and improves City housing stock. |
| Senior Center Feasibility Study | Suggestion by citizens to develop a Senior Center in the City. | $1,000 | Before a Neenah Senior Center would be developed, it would be appropriate to undertake a study to determine the market and financial feasibility of such a venture. |
| Community Pathways Signage Program | Department of Community Development request. | $4,250 | Block Grant funds will be supplemented by private funds to complete the project, which was initiated in the central city in 1995. |
| Comprehensive Planning | $10,000 to support the development of a plan that will address long-term growth and community development issues, opportunities and priorities. | $10,000 | Housing and community development needs will be researched and reviewed, and prioritized within the context of a long-range City 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.
MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
TABLE (without associated map) provides information about the project(s).
Ms. Carol M. Kasimor
Community Development
PHONE: (414) 751-4665
FAX: (414) 751-4640
