The City of Sheboygan is situated along Lake Michigan between the Milwaukee and Green Bay metropolitan areas. The City of Sheboygan has one of the lowest crime rates of cities involving a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States. The City of Sheboygan has had robust employment levels over the past several years. Total employment increased in the City from 22,777 in 1980 to 23,941 in 1990, an increase of 5.1 percent.
The One Year Action Plan is predicated upon receiving a 1995 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) of $1,259,000 and program income of $562,000 for a total of $1,821,000. The Action Plan also considered that there is a carryover of unexpended CDBG funds from the 1993 and 1994 program years of $758,000, primarily in housing activities.
All meetings at which the Consolidated Plan is discussed are open to the public and proper notice is given as required by the Wisconsin Open Meetings law.
The Citizen Advisory Committee for Community Development conducted hearings
at 7:00 p.m. on December 20, 1994, and January 4, and 11, 1995. The meetings
were held at the Department of City Development office which is handicapped
accessible. Notices for the hearings were published in English, Spanish and
Hmong. Further, meeting notices were displayed in the City's fleet of 34 buses.
Final hearings by the CACCD on its draft Consolidated Plan were held at 4:00
p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 31, 1995, in the Department of City
Development. The final public hearing on the CDBG Program was held at 7:00 p.m.
on Monday, February 20, 1995, at a regular City Council meeting. Agencies and
interested individuals are informed of the process of developing the plan and
the CDBG submission.
The City of Sheboygan has been and is completing several projects which will improve the economic vitality of the community, including a new business park and a marina. The central business district has experienced a vitality not experienced in decades. Office and commercial development flourish at the City's riverfront, and additional development of the City's "Harbor Centre" is expected to continue over the next several years. Manufacturing employment showed an increase between 1982 and 1992. The City is an attractive place for manufacturing employment with a skilled labor force, and the City is diversifying its employment base through its Harbor Centre development.
The City of Sheboygan increased in population between 1980 and 1990. The population of the City was 48,085 in 1980, and was 49,676 in 1990, an absolute increase of 1,591 persons, and an increase of 3.31 percent over the 1980 figure. This reversed a population decrease with occurred from 1970 to 1980. Housing starts and annexations led to above average population growth in many peripheral portions of the City of Sheboygan between 1980 and 1990, including the far north, northwest, southwest and far south portions of the City.
A general look at the City of Sheboygan indicates that 94.41 percent of the City's population is white, while 5.58 percent involves minority racial groups. The most significant racial minority in the City is Asian and Pacific Islanders, who constitute 3.88 percent of the population. This group increased greatly in population since the 1980 census, primarily because of the large influx of Hmong residents into the City and elsewhere in the upper midwest. Persons of "other" race constituted 1.06 percent of the population in 1990, while Native Americans constituted 0.43 percent of the population that year. African Americans constituted about 0.21 percent of the City's population in 1990. All racial minority groups increased in population between 1980 and 1990, but whites experienced a slight decline in percent of the City population during the same period. About 2.52 percent of the City's population is of Hispanic origin. The broad ethnic category is found in nearly all racial groups previously identified.
In 1990, the City had 2,775 minority residents (5.0 percent of total population) and 2.5 percent Hispanic (all races) residents out of a total population of 49,676. There are only three block groups where non-white residents are more than 15 percent of the population (CT 5 BG 1, CT 6 BG 2, and CT 8 BG 1). The City only has three block groups (CT 7 BG 2, CT 8 BG 1, and CT 8 BG 2) where more than 6 percent of the residents are Hispanic. The City of Sheboygan has 13 Block Groups with 22,480 persons in which more than 50 percent of the population has incomes below 80 percent of the Sheboygan County median income. The housing units in these 13 Block Groups are evenly split between rental and owner units. This area has 8,900 units of which 4,408 or 49.5 percent are rental units and 4,492 or 50.5 percent are owner occupied.
The unemployment rate in the City and County is one of the lowest in
Wisconsin. In December, 1994, the rate was 2.9 percent in the County. Despite
the overall strength of the economy, high unemployment persists in some of the
central city block groups. According to the 1990 census, three block groups had
unemployment rates over 10 percent: CT 5 BG 2, CT 6 BG 1, and CT 6 BG 2.
There is expected to be an increase in the number of very low income, other low income and moderate income households in the City of Sheboygan over the 5 year period between 1995-1999. There is expected to be an increase of over 150 households in these income categories during the period covered by this Consolidated Plan. The greatest amount of projected increase in household needs for affordable housing is expected with the elderly, Asians, and to some degree Hispanics. Employment projects in the Sheboygan area over the next 5 years could have some impact upon decreasing these anticipated changes in housing need, since employment demands are expected to outstrip population growth.
Extremely low income households are those households with a total household income that is less than or equal to 30 percent of median family income. There were a total of 2,231 extremely low income households in the City of Sheboygan in 1990. Some 1,559 of these are rental households, while 672 are owner households.
A disproportionate amount of overcrowding occurs in extremely low income renter households in Sheboygan. While the overall overcrowding rate for renter households in Sheboygan is 2.9 percent, extremely low income renter households have a 5.9 percent overcrowding rate. The problem is even more severe for large related renter households with very low income: while the citywide average for large related renter households is 26.2 percent, large related renter households with extremely low income have a 41.3 percent overcrowding rate. There are insignificant levels of overcrowding in extremely low income owner households in Sheboygan, including non-elderly owner households.
Very low income households are those households with a total household income that is between 30 and 50 percent of median family income. There were a total of 2,397 very low income households in the City of Sheboygan in 1990. Some 1,362 of these are rental households, while 1,035 are owner households.
Extremely and very low income households reported disproportionately high levels of housing which was physically inadequate to meet their needs. All categories of extremely and very low income renter and owner households report percentages of physically inadequate housing that exceed the incidence of such housing by the same peer group (such as other elderly renters) throughout the City. All categories of extremely and very low income renter and owner households also have percentages of physically inadequate housing which exceed the citywide average of 20.9 percent. This should be considered in the prioritization of housing needs over the next 5 years.
Other low income households are those households with a total household income that is greater than 50 percent of median family income but less than 80 percent of median family income. There were a total of 4,083 other low income households in the City of Sheboygan in 1990. Some 1,793 of these are rental households, while 2,290 are owner households.
Census data for the City of Sheboygan in 1990 indicated that there were 16 sheltered homeless persons in Sheboygan that were discernible when the count was taken. Seven of the sheltered homeless were children: two were between the ages of 0 and 5, while two others were between the ages of 6 and 12, and three others were adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17. Nine of the sheltered homeless were adults. No sheltered homeless persons of any age were reported in shelters for runaway, neglected and homeless children, shelters for abused women or were visible in street locations in 1990.
There were three families involving 10 individuals (three adults and seven children) among the sheltered homeless, along with 6 sheltered homeless individuals, all adults.
Needs of the sheltered homeless are met by the Salvation Army in Sheboygan, including social services, a medical clinic, a food pantry and medication. Seasonal and transitional services also are available. The Salvation Army occasionally teams up with governmental agencies such as the Sheboygan Housing Authority and the Sheboygan County Human Services Department to provide services to the homeless. Many of the services can be provided to residents and non-residents of the Salvation Army shelter.
One housing option that is open for abused spouses and their children is the Safe Harbor shelter. This shelter has seven beds available, as well as many of the services offered by the Salvation Army and social service agencies, but with a focus on the abused person and their family.
Unfortunately, there is a shortage of such specialized housing in Sheboygan, as 54 adults and 102 children were turned down for housing at Safe Harbor last year due to a lack of capacity. Some of these individuals and their children turn to the Salvation Army when they cannot find shelter at Safe Harbor, while others find alternate housing arrangements, such as temporarily living with friends or relatives. Additional options which Safe Harbor explored for such individuals and their children in 1994 included providing shelter in motels (involved 11 adults and 16 children from 10 families in 1994), as well as referring these parties to domestic abuse shelters in neighboring communities.
The waiting list for public housing is closed due to lack of openings. This list has been open 1 day per year for the past 4 years. There is a need for additional public housing units in Sheboygan. An inventory of those households desiring to be on the waiting list over the past 4 years indicates that there remains a need for additional large family public housing rental units, as well as for additional Existing Section 8 Vouchers for three or more bedroom rental units.
The City of Sheboygan Public Housing Authority owns 238 units of low income public housing which it acquired with assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Some 208 of the units (87.4 percent) involve zero or one bedrooms, while 26 units (10.9 percent) have two bedrooms and 4 units (17 percent) have three or more bedrooms. These low income public housing units are located in five buildings on four sites. These sites are located at 919 Niagara Avenue, 611 North Water Street, 2201 Erie Avenue, and at 2640 and 2706 Georgia Avenue. There are no rehabilitation needs for these properties other than minor disabled accessibility improvements which are needed for some units; such improvements are low in cost. There are no units which are expected to be lost from this inventory due to conversion or demolition or for other reasons over the period covered by this Consolidated Plan.
Several Section 8 new construction properties exist within the City of Sheboygan. All of these are private properties. Some 80 one bedroom units and 1 two bedroom unit exist in a Section 8 new construction property at 909 Ontario Avenue. Some 100 one bedroom units exist in a Section 8 new construction property at 916 Huron Avenue. Some 15 two bedroom units and 6 three bedroom units exist in a Section 8 new construction property on Eisner Court. Some 28 one bedroom units exist in a Section 8 new construction property at 820 North 9th Street. Some 48 two bedroom units exist in a Section 8 new construction property located at the intersection of South 12th Street and Parkwood Boulevard. Some 70 three bedroom and 6 four bedroom units exist in a Section 8 new construction property at 2300 Carmen Avenue. Finally, some 48 to 56 one bedroom units exist in a Section 8 new construction property located at 2119 Erie Avenue.
A Section 202 property is located at 3212 Saemann Avenue. This property involves 48 one bedroom units. None of these units are vacant at this time.
Policy changes suggested in the 1992 CHAS included the elimination of asset limits for homeowners to qualify for rehabilitation activities, elimination of interest charges for rehabilitation activities, and changing the 80 percent debt to equity rule to 95 percent debt to equity in cases where the equity estimate is considered very sound. Asset limits were eliminated, and interest charges were eliminated for extremely low and very low income households. However, interest charges of 0 to 4 percent are assessed on rehabilitation loans for other low income households. The debt to equity rule has not changed for renter and owner properties, but the rule is occasionally waived under certain hardship circumstances. In addition, a small number of landlords are refusing to participate in the Section 8 program.
Continued consultation with the general public, the Community Housing Resources Board and the Sheboygan commission on Fair Housing Practices will lead to analytical data on fair housing, and to documented analysis of impediments to fair housing. The Community Housing Resources Board continues to be funded for the upcoming program year as part of the CDBG program to address fair housing issues through distribution of its fair housing booklet, low cost advertising as indicated and through conducting seminars for housing providers on fair housing compliance. The City of Sheboygan will continue to promote fair housing initiatives in the future.
It is estimated that 4,417 to 5,707 of all renter households rent properties with some degree of lead-based paint. This is 68.5 percent to 88.5 percent of all renter households living in structures built prior to 1980.
It is estimated that 7,534 to 9,806 of all owner households own properties with some degree of lead-based paint. This is 66.3 percent to 86.3 percent of all owner households living in structures built prior to 1980.
Over 90.4 percent of the housing stock in the City of Sheboygan was built prior to 1980. Approximately 72.2 percent of all housing units in the City of Sheboygan are estimated to have some degree of lead-based paint. Census block groups were determined to have significant lead-based paint problems in the housing stock when lead-based paint incidences in housing were more than 15 percent above the city average, or involved at least 83 percent of the housing stock in an individual census block group.
There is a need for additional rental housing units for the developmentally disabled in the community.
There is also a need for modifications to rental housing units for the disabled in order to make such units more accessible. Unfortunately, such modifications lower the value of housing in the market.
Priority non-housing community development needs were evaluated by the citizens Advisory Committee for Community Development (CACCD), and the Sheboygan Redevelopment Authority and the City staff.
Two types of public facility needs had multiple priorities, depending on the circumstances or geographic area involved. Child care centers were a medium priority public facility need for the city as a whole, but were a high priority public facility need for third shift workers residing in the City. Parks and/or recreation facilities were a medium priority public facility need for the city as a whole, but were a high priority public facility need for the City's "target area." The need for a senior center was viewed as a medium priority by the CACCD.
Three types of public service needs involved multiple priorities, depending
on the circumstances. Services to the handicapped (disabled) and transportation
services were seen by the CACCD as currently having a low priority, but having
the potential to be a high priority if transit operating funds continue to be
cut by the federal and state governments. Child care services were viewed as a
medium priority for the City as a whole, but as a high priority for third shift
workers residing in the City.
The Housing and Community Development Strategic Plan is a 5 year Strategic Plan for the City of Sheboygan that brings needs and resources together in a coordinated housing and community development strategy. The strategy has been developed to achieve the following statutory goals, principally for low-, very low-, and extremely low-income residents:
The Consolidated Plan process has identified housing and community development needs that should be addressed by the City through its Block Grant Program. A summary of some objectives and programs developed to address these needs is as follows:
The estimated 5 year cost of housing and community development activities is $16.8 million.
Estimated expenditures on housing activities will be $5.8 million over 5 years. Among the priority activities are the following:
The Housing Technical Advisory Committee for this Consolidated Plan believed that the following programs were high priorities in addressing homeless needs in the City of Sheboygan: emergency shelter for families (especially abused women and their children) and for person with special needs (defined as those with severe mental illness, those suffering from alcohol or other drug abuse, those with a combination of severe mental illness and alcohol or other drug abuse, those fleeing domestic violence, homeless youth, an those suffering from AIDS or related diseases), transitional housing for families, individuals and persons with special needs, permanent supportive housing for families, individuals and person with special needs, and permanent housing for families, individuals and persons with special needs.
Estimated expenditures on these activities will be approximately $11 million over 5 years. Among the priority activities are the following:
Senior Center: City allocated $500,000 of CDBG funds over a several year period, to construct a new facility.
Parks and/or Recreational Facilities: A major strategy to improve the living environment in the target area is to acquire and improve open space along the Sheboygan River.
Flood Drain Improvements: The City intends to reconstruct the storm sewers in the historic neighborhood east of the downtown. A storm water retention pond is planned for the area west of the downtown and for the Reiss Coal (South Pier) property south of the Sheboygan River. At this time costs are not known but $200,000 is budgeted.
Street Improvements: The City budgeted $1,712,000 to reconstruct all of the streets in the target historic neighborhood east of the downtown. The neighborhood is entirely within CT 7, BG 2 where 65 percent of the residents are LMI.
Asbestos Removal: As the City renovates homes or clears blighted structures asbestos will be removed as required. A 5 year budget of $50,000 is allocated for this activity.
Youth Services: The City does not currently offer many youth programs but $50,000 is allocated. The City has offered to fund a Big Sisters/Big Brothers program for the first time in 1995.
Fair Housing Activities: The City intends to continue to fund its Community Housing Resources Board (CHRB) and its Fair Housing Commission. The City also funds outreach services through the Hmong Mutual Assistance Association and the Partners for Community Development organizations. A total of $50,000 is budgeted over the next 5 years.
Child Care Services: The City has funded several day care operations in the City. The greatest need now is for 3rd shift care and the City will finance an operation through its Business Development Loan Program when and if there is an opportunity. A total of $100,000 is allocated.
Commercial-Industrial Rehabilitation: The City has established a revolving loan fund to assist businesses to renovate and expand existing commercial-industrial buildings. The City loans money where it is appropriate, leverages private investment and creates job opportunities for LMI persons. The plan allocates $1,000,000 for this purpose.
Social service organizations involved in the provision of affordable housing examine barriers preventing low income households from overcoming poverty, and work with adult members of these households to overcome these barriers. Job search and financial management assistance are two ways in which the Sheboygan County Human Services Department and the Salvation Army social workers assist these adult household members to overcome poverty.
Some of the major public resources available to the City of Sheboygan for implementation of this strategic plan include the following:
Some of the resources currently available through the State of Wisconsin include the following:
Private resources include the following:
Among public institutions, the major actors are the Department of City Development and the Housing Authority of the City of Sheboygan and the Human Services Department of Sheboygan County. The Department of City Development is an extremely active and effective participant in providing affordable housing in the community: activities it is involved with include rehabilitation of housing units, down payment assistance for low income first time homebuyers, new housing unit creation and lead-based paint hazard reduction. The City Housing Authority administers the Section 8 Voucher program, as well as operating the public housing stock in the City. The Sheboygan County Human Services Department offers counseling and other services to members of low income households in need (particularly households with special needs), housing facilities for special needs groups and a lead-based paint hazard reduction program in conjunction with the Department of City Development.
The City maintains ongoing communication with nonprofit organizations
through its Housing Technical Advisory Committee and through almost daily
contact with the staff of the entities constituting that committee.
The One Year Action Plan is predicated upon receiving a 1995 CDBG of $1,259,000 and program income of $562,000 for a total budget of $1,821,000. The Action Plan also considered that there is a carryover of unexpended CDBG funds from the 1993 and 1994 program years of $758,000, primarily in housing activities.
Of the $1.8 million total budget approximately $1 million will be spent in acquisitions and public facilities. Among the projects are the following:
Special Economic Development Assistance is allocated $250,000 of CDBG funds. This activity continues the revolving loan fund created by the City to stimulate business expansion. Projects can be City wide but the Sheboygan Redevelopment Authority gives priority to projects in Harbor Centre or the new industrial park.
The locations of major projects are in the downtown area or its proximity.
The Department of City Development is the lead agency for most of the activities proposed for 1995. The public facility projects will be designed and supervised by the City's Engineering Department.
The City will be involved and coordinate with groups that are funded through the Block Grant Program, e.g., the Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, Partners for Community Development, Habitat for Humanity, Safe Harbor, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Sheboygan Rehabilitation Center, and the Sheboygan County Interfaith Organization.
The City anticipates the following households will be assisted this year: 63 owners via homeowner rehabilitation, 13 rental households via rental rehabilitation, 2 households via new unit construction, 15 homebuyer via down payment assistance, 5 households via lease purchase programs, 18 households via a scattered site project, and assorted other 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.
TABLE (without associated map) provides information about the project(s).
CITY OF SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN
Mr. Robert Peterson
Director of City Development
PHONE: 414/459-3377
FAX: 414/459-3967
