St. Louis Consolidated Plan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Consolidated Plan is a new description of housing and community development problems in St. Louis, and recommendations for dealing with them. The Plan is both a look at priorities that should be addressed over the next five years, and an application for almost 37 million dollars to be received in 1995 through four federal programs:

• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
• HOME Investment Partnership (HOME)
• Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG)
• Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA)

The Consolidated Plan is a requirement of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for all communities that receive funding under the Four Formula Entitlement programs listed above.

WHY?

In past years each of the four programs required a separate annual application, and separate reporting requirements, even though they are all concerned with housing and community development issues. Moreover, each program was on a different fiscal calendar.

The Consolidated Plan is an attempt to streamline the application process. It is also an attempt to encourage communities to select projects for the coming year based on a detailed examination of priority needs that exist today and that are likely to intensify in the future.

WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT?

The Plan builds on concerns expressed by St. Louis residents from all walks of life. Meetings, focus groups, a workshop and survey have all been used in order to better understand the priority needs and ideas expressed by ordinary citizens, neighborhood leaders, and those who are homeless, disabled or have other special needs. The needs are widespread and serious:

• Neighborhoods that are safe, stable and enjoyable
• Housing that is affordable and in good condition
• Jobs that pay decently, are accessible, and for which training is available
• Constructive activities for young people and the elderly
• Access to information about current programs and activities
• Opportunities to define and shape a better life for ones self, family and neighborhood.

CONDITIONS AND TRENDS IN ST. LOUIS

• The Convention Center Expansion, Kiel Center and Metrolink all represent major investments designed to maintain the City as the economic and symbolic center of the region.
• Overall unemployment rates are down as more people are employed (164,000) than has been the case in the last five years.
• Significant industrial, retail, and institutional investment continues to occur at places like the Union 70 Center, Pepsi Plant, University Hospital Complexes and more.
• New sources of revenue, both local and national, hold out the promise of additional police and other services, and attention to long deferred capital improvements.

• St. Louis continues to lose population, reflecting a pattern that has been in effect for more than forty years.
• Despite improvements in the rate of unemployment, the Missouri Division of Employment Security (M.D.E.S.) still reports about 14,000 City residents who are looking for work.
• Many residents are extremely poor; 40 percent of the City's households have annual incomes below $15,000 which is less than half of the median income in the region.
• Aggravated assault and other violent crimes have increased, just as they have in most American cities.

STRATEGIES, NEEDS AND OBJECTIVES

In the face of these very difficult challenges, the City of St. Louis is committed to an aggressive set of Community Development strategies that will meet the most pressing concerns.

HOUSING

• Implementation of a Residential Redevelopment Strategy that improves stability by encouraging rehabilitation, new construction and homeowners assistance though out the City.
• Continuation of housing support programs geared both to renters and home owners who do not have sufficient income to find or maintain decent shelter.
• Major renovation and/or transformation for the public housing complexes which have not been satisfactory places to live in recent years.
• Improved assistance for the homeless, those with disabilities and those who are victims of AIDS.
• Renewed efforts to encourage people from throughout the metropolitan area to consider the City of St. Louis as a place to live.

PUBLIC FACILITIES

• On-going support for the 18 public recreation centers and outposts, the 104 public parks and the many non-profit centers that provide valuable opportunities for St. Louis citizens, especially young people and the elderly.
• Continuing oversight and support for child care facilities which currently include 182 home day care facilities, 113 licensed day care centers, and 3 group homes.
• Identification of churches, civic groups, and other organizations that may have meeting or recreational space that could be shared with groups needing space.
• Attention to the maintenance responsibilities associated with all publicly owned parking lots and garages.

INFRASTRUCTURE

• Active efforts to increase recycling, composting, separation of yard waste and other practices that will enable us to meet the state mandates for reduction in bulk refuse.
• Review of systems to deal with future floods based on the lessons learned during the flood of 1993.
• Adoption of equitable ways to implement sewer improvements which have been estimated to have a five year cost for the City of more than 100 million.
• Construction of major water improvement projects over the next five years made possible by the voter approved bond issue.
• Acquisition of funding for the 67 streets ($12 million) and the 21 bridges ($32 million) in the City that need to be repaired.
• Increases in the efficiency and cost reimbursement for regulating asbestos removal associated with building renovation and demolition.

PUBLIC SERVICES

• Investigation of new ways of helping the elderly, especially the 21 percent of elderly households that live in poverty, recognizing that cumulative cutbacks since 1992 have amounted to $600,000.
• Emphasis on new programs for youth employment, leadership, entertainment, skills development, counseling, and all the other services that are necessary to reduce alienation and violence among young people.
• Work with the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council, Bi-State Development Authority and other organizations to improve transportation services, especially for those who are elderly, poor, homeless and/or disabled.
• Exploration of ways to improve job training and job placement services, including help for those who exceed the income and educational constraints imposed by the federal Job Training Partnership Act.
• Expanded programs that help with the prevention of crime, and help the victims of crime, using resources from the federal, state and local levels of government, and private and non-profit contributions.
• Consideration of initiatives that could improve Fair Housing Counseling, Tenant/Landlord Counseling, Substance Abuse Control, Health Care and related social services.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Continuing work with City Business Associations and private investors to increase the quality and variety of retail shopping opportunities.
• Definition of alternative solutions to current environmental clean-up requirements, working in consultation with business groups, and state and federal officials.
• Purchase, preparation and sale of commercial and industrial land when that is the best way to get these sites back into productive, job intensive use.
• Expanded business finance and technical assistance programs that are available to promote business development throughout the City.

OTHER NEEDS

• Implementation of the American Disabilities Act by creating a Barrier Buster program and related initiatives to be coordinated by the St. Louis Office of the Disabled.
• Search for resources that would allow an active Lead Based Paint testing and remediation program, working in concert with the Lead Poisoning Prevention Task Force.
• Consideration of new approaches for encouraging Energy Efficiency in all new construction and renovation projects, and for helping low income households to cope with utility costs.
• Support for cost effective historic preservation programs, and neighborhood oriented planning programs that help citizens find solutions that work.

PROPOSED USE OF FUNDS - 1995

During 1995, funds received from the four entitlement programs will go towards almost 100 projects and activities throughout the City. These will be carried out by City Departments and by non-profit organizations and for-profit developers under contract to the City.

Outlined on the attached Table and Map is a list of the specific projects by name, and proposed dollar amount. Note that many of the projects are not reflected on the map. In some instances the funds have not yet been allocated. For example, the Request for Proposals process is not yet complete for the 1995 Housing Production monies. In other cases, such as the Senior Home Security Program, a Citywide service is provided that cannot be easily portrayed on a Map.

In five years, the City will enter its third full century, ending a period in which much has been accomplished in the face of huge problems. In just the past few years, significant gains have occurred. Despite a devastating recent recession, most citizens of St. Louis have retained hope for the future as evident in passage of recent electoral issues relating to capital improvements, schools and Metrolink.

Given this progress, serious long term challenges remain. The Consolidated Plan describes these problems and suggests solutions, many of which have been recommended by citizens during the planning process. Additional creative solutions will be necessary. Those with further ideas are encouraged to bring them to the attention of the Community Development Agency staff and/or the Citizens Advisory Committee.