Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice in Abilene, Texas

Transcription

1 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice in Abilene, Texas A report prepared for the City of Abilene by the Urban Studies Program School of Social Work Abilene Christian University Abilene, Texas September 2015

2 Table of Contents SECTION I. INTRODUCTION AND STUDY SUMMARY... 1 A. Who Conducted... 2 B. Participants... 2 C. Methodology Used... 2 C.1. Study Activities... 3 D. How Funded... 5 E. Conclusions... 5 F. Community Impediments... 6 G. Actions to Address Impediments... 7 SECTION II. JURISDICTIONAL BACKGROUND DATA... 9 A. Demographic Data B. Income Data C. Employment Data D. Housing Profile D.1. Persons with Disabilities D.2. Older Adults D.3. Persons who are Homeless E. Maps F. Other Relevant Data SECTION III. EVALUATION OF JURISDICTION S CURRENT FAIR HOUSING LEGAL STATUS A. Fair Housing Complaints or Compliance Reviews B. Fair Housing Discrimination Suits Filed by the Department of Justice or Private Plaintiffs IV. ASSESSMENT OF IMPEDIMENTS TO FAIR HOUSING CHOICE A. Assessment of Impediments Involving the Public Sector B. Private Sector Lending Policies and Practices C. Public and Private Sector D. Determination of Unlawful Segregation or Other Housing Discrimination i

3 V. ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FAIR HOUSING PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES IN THE JURISDICTION A. Resources for Job Training and Preparation B. Resources for Education C. Resources for Persons with Disabilities D. Resources for Homeless Persons E. Financial Lending Institutions F. Resources for Housing G. Advocacy Resources H. Other Community Resources SECTION VI. CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CITY RESPONSE SECTION VII. SIGNATURE PAGE 122 APPENDIX ii

4 ALAPHABETICAL LISTING OF ACRONYMS (A-H) AAA: ACU: ADA: ADAAG: ADRC: AISD: AHA: ANI: BCAA: CCC: CAPER: CDBG: CHDO: CIS: DADS: DOJ: DCOA: DRI: FHEO: FMR: FSS: FFIEC: HCV: HFH: HOT: HOME: HMA: HMDA: HUD: Area Agency on Aging Abilene Christian University Americans with Disabilities Act ADA Accessibility Guidelines Aging and Disability Resource Center Abilene Independent School District Abilene Housing Authority Abilene Neighborhood Initiative Big Country Apartment Association Connecting Caring Communities Consolidated Annual Plan and Evaluation Report Community Development Block Grant Community Housing Development Organization Communities in Schools (of the Big Country) (Texas) Department of Aging and Disability Services (U.S.) Department of Justice Development Corporation of Abilene Disability Resources, Inc. Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Fair Market Rent Family Self Sufficiency Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Housing Choice Voucher Program Habitat for Humanity Heroes of Tourism Home Investment Partnerships Program Housing Market Area Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Department of Housing and Urban Development iii

5 ALAPHABETICAL LISTING OF ACRONYMS (I Z) I-CAN: Interested Citizens of Abilene North IRC: International Rescue Committee LMI: Low to Moderate Income LRPH: Low Rent Public Housing LULAC: League of United Latin American Citizens MFI: Median Family Income MFP: Money Follows the Person Program MSA: Metropolitan Statistical Area NAACP: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ONS: Office of Neighborhood Services PHA: Public Housing Authority SAD: Standards of accessible Design SEMAP: Section 8 Management Assessment Program TAPR: Texas Academic Performance Report TAS: Texas Accessibility Standards TDI: Texas Department of Insurance TDLR: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations THAI: Texas Housing Affordability Index TREC: Texas Real Estate Commission VASH: Veterans Administration Supportive Housing VAWA: Violence Against Women Act of 2005 WCTOG: West Central Texas Council of Governments iv

6 Transmittal Letter v

7 Section I: Introduction and Executive Summary Of the Analysis 1

8 A. Who Conducted The City of Abilene, Texas (City) through its Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) contracted with the Abilene Christian University (ACU) Urban Studies program to complete an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) study for the period 2009 through B. Participants The five-member ACU study team was directed by Thomas Winter, MSSW, Ed.D., Professor and Director of the School of Social Work, with members Bill Culp, MSW, Emeritus Associate Professor of Social Work, Leticia Cisneros, MSSW, Terra New, MSSW and Danielle Todd, BA. C. Methodology Used Use of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards in effect in October 2014 were approved as the study requirements through a City request to HUD. In keeping with the study parameters approved by the City and HUD, the Urban Studies program reviewed HUD guidelines and requirements for AI reporting as published through the Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Office, Fair Housing Planning Guide, volume 1, third printing, To assure that the study focus reflects accountability to HUD developments since the publication of the 1998 Planning Guide, Urban Studies has reviewed documents available on the HUD Fair Housing Assessment Tool, Tool-2014.pdf, published memoranda to guide AI studies, and the Guideline for Evaluating Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing published by the National Fair Housing Organization, to serve as a reference materials for gathering data. In presenting its AI study proposal to the City, the ACU team indicated its intent to replicate the methodologies used for the 2010 AI study as a means to compare perceptions of the public and providers of housing resources and basic human needs on matters of fair and affordable housing in the two studies, with the additions of (1) a community provider focus group on persons with disabilities, (2) benchmarking data on the State of Texas and communities with selected parameters similar to Abilene, and (3) review of City actions since the 2010 study to provide continuing attention to housing issues. 2

9 As in 2010, qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed through three primary methodologies: public forums, interviews with community housing resource organizations, and archival data on patterns of Abilene characteristics and activities related to the community s demography, economy, and housing. Data received and summarized in working drafts through the three primary methodologies were reviewed with representatives of the City Planning and Development Services Department in its four program areas: Planning Services, Building Inspections, ONS, and Community Enhancement. Data from tables and other exhibits referenced, but not included, in the narrative of the report are provided as appendices. C.1.Study Activities C.1.a. Public Forums Twenty-six Abilene citizens and representatives of community service organizations participated in five community forums. Four of the forums were for the general public and held in community locations to promote participation from residents in low and moderate income (LMI) areas of the community. One forum was specifically designed to gather perspectives on issues of housing for persons with disabilities. A Hispanic community leader attending one of the forums observed that if problems in housing were a significant Abilene issue, public participation in forums would have been higher. All forums were conducted by using a set of questions presented to participants using a digital projection of questions on a screen and read aloud one at a time. Participant responses were recorded by computer and projected on the screen to provide participant awareness of the notes being recorded. Participants were also provided with a form to allow for additional comments and were provided with opportunity to visit individually with team members and City ONS staff following the structured focus activity. C.1.b. Community Resource Reviews Interviews were conducted with representatives of fourteen Abilene community organizations identified as resources for housing information and assistance: the United Way of Abilene and 211 Call for Help, Abilene Housing Authority (AHA), Habitat for Humanity (HFH), First Financial Bank, Coleman County State Bank, Connecting Caring Communities (CCC), Legal 3

10 Aid of Northwest Texas, Hope Haven transitional housing program for homeless, International Rescue Committee, Abilene Association of Realtors, Abilene Apartment Association, Interested Citizens of Abilene North (I-CAN) representing the African American community, the Abilene Independent School District Board, and a representative of the Hispanic Leadership Council and Hispanic Business Council. C.1.c. Archival Data Archival data sources consisted of published data by both governmental and non-governmental organizations, selected by the study team as the primary reference points for establishing an overall picture of Abilene housing, economic, and demographic characteristics. The primary data sets used in the study are for the year 2013 to allow for optimum cross-checking across data sets, since not all sources had 2014 data sets available during the analysis period of the study. Where identifiable in each data set, Abilene data was compared with the data for Texas as a whole and for six Texas communities comparable to Abilene in number of housing units and/or presence of a significant mobile population by virtue of institutions of higher education and military installations: Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, San Angelo, Waco, and Wichita Falls. The use of comparison communities was adopted by the study team to provide a benchmark as an additional means of evaluating local patterns of housing and recorded instances of housing complaints. Each of these communities shares one or more community parameters with Abilene: location, size, presence of a mobile population of military and/or students in higher education institutions. Comparative analysis of community factors is included in Section II of the study. Where available, the study includes Abilene comparative data for 2013 and prior periods from 2009 through Years used in comparison summaries are noted by source and date ranges to account for differing numbers among summaries and the nature of the data estimates for the years covered. The following data sets were reviewed for the study: Fair Housing Complaints filed and actions taken through the HUD Fair Housing Enforcement Office for the years ; Demographic, economic and housing characteristics from the U.S. Census Bureau 2013 American Community Survey. Different prior year benchmarks are noted as a result of 4

11 the time frames reported in the data sets. Data for Taylor County, rather than for the Abilene community, are used when specific data for Abilene are not reported in the source document; The 2013 Federal Financial Institutions Examinations Council (FFIEC) community census tract summaries and reports on lending practices by Abilene-area mortgage lenders as part of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA); Real estate data from the Texas A&M Real Estate Center; Texas Homeless Network 2013 Point-in-Time Results for Abilene; Texas Academic Performance Report for the Abilene Independent School District (data identifying students at risk, economically disadvantaged, and student mobility); City data from reports on housing-related planning and actions contained in the Consolidated Plan and annual reports published in the Annual Plan for Housing and Community Development and in the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report [CAPER]; Abilene Housing Authority (AHA) data on subsidized public housing and voucher programs; Reports from State of Texas regulatory departments with responsibility for real estate and insurance; and Web-based materials from community organizations reviewed in the study as community resource organizations. D. How Funded The study was funded through a contract between Abilene Christian University and the City of Abilene ONS. E. Conclusions In presenting conclusions, the study team acknowledges the limitation of conclusions to the methodology used. To provide attention to validity and reliability, identifiable paths to methodological source are provided in the body of the report, with a focus on those conclusions that can be traced to multiple data sources. The study conclusions reflect a combination of both. 5

12 (1) impediments to those at risk for having safe and affordable Abilene housing and (2) community assets that can be used as a strength for addressing impediments that are, or hold the potential for being, a barrier for households in having safe and affordable housing. Conclusions supported by study methodology are: The City of Abilene operates with attention to, working knowledge of, and actions to maintain HUD standards for fair and affordable housing. No systemic issues are found in the nature of, or administration of, City ordinances and codes; Continuing efforts of proactive education and support outreach to engage residents, especially those in low/moderate income households and in racial and ethnic minority populations, can further enhance the ability to guard against the development of systemic issues in housing and allow preventative and/or remedial actions as needed. Abilene has a strong resource pool of community organizations that includes businesses, nonprofit organizations, the religious sector, and funders that can be used more effectively as City partners in monitoring housing and neighborhood needs and developing action strategies. The City can increase opportunities for joint planning with these community resources to provide a knowledge base for response to emerging needs in housing and basic needs for its at-risk populations. Available and affordable housing and other basic needs for LMI households in Abilene is influenced by a socioeconomic reality that affects Abilene and other communities in West Central Texas. F. Community Impediments To be identified as an impediment within the parameters of the study, indicators of the impediment must have appeared in two of the three elements of the study methodology: public forums, contacts with community resources, archival data. Acknowledgement is made that different methodologies could identify a different pattern of impediments. The team also notes that impediments related to the overall economy of the Abilene community cannot be attributed solely to community actions or inactions. Using the conclusions found through study activities, the study team determined that four impediments to fair and affordable housing choice exist in the City of Abilene jurisdiction: 6

13 Community Defined Impediment 1: There is a shortage of available LMI housing due to a combination of housing costs and incomes of LMI households; Community Defined Impediment 2: LMI households, racial/ethnic communities, and persons with disabilities lack basic information on how to find and utilize resources that lead to safe and affordable housing through home ownership and environmental quality of neighborhoods; Community Defined Impediment 3: Financial and in-kind resources available through public and non-governmental resources are not sufficient to provide consistent support for LMI families; Community Defined Impediment 4: There is a public perception of issues around housing code enforcement and available remedies for code violations. G. Actions to Address Impediments: In identifying impediments, the study team believes that each of the identified impediments is addressable through existing community strengths of government and community resources. The key will be to develop and enact strategies of correction through collaborative attention and action among community resources identified in Section V of the report. The study team commits to eight interrelated recommendations for the City, acting in collaboration with community resources, to adopt: Include a forum on Fair and Affordable Housing as part of preparation of the City Annual Plan for Housing and Community Development, including participation with community housing resources and programs, African American and Hispanic leadership, and providers of disability services, to address basic household needs; Conduct an annual City Council public hearing on Fair and Affordable Housing to provide an open forum for citizen participation in decision-making; Strengthen the effectiveness of the -ONS- as the Single Point of Contact adopted by the City in response to the 2010 Fair and Affordable Housing study in addressing public concerns/complaints related to housing and neighborhood conditions.. Avenues of strengthening ONS services include, but are not limited to: 7

14 o Proactive outreach information to the public on means of identifying and addressing issues of housing and neighborhoods through media, churches, human service providers, neighborhood associations and other means, with attention to those means that would reach low/moderate income households and persons with disabilities; o Procedures for all City departments to involve ONS as a partner in addressing matters of housing and neighborhood conditions that come to the City s attention through any departments; o A procedure within ONS for recording, tracking, and actions taken in response to, public concerns with housing and neighborhood conditions brought to the attention of any City department through any reporting source; Examine infill development issues and identify strategies to use infill development to address the shortage of affordable and healthy housing for LMI families, including opportunities for both home purchase and renting. Establish a Fair Housing Network with quarterly networking meetings to enhance existing ONS partnerships with community organizations in information sharing to identify and address issues of housing and neighborhood conditions. The network would include representatives of City departments involved in planning, addressing and enforcing activities affecting housing and neighborhood conditions; Respond to public perspectives on housing and environmental code policies and practices through public information and discussions with community resources on collaborative means of addressing correcting Code violations; Establish a Mayor s Council on Disabilities, or similar forum, to assure continuing attention to the needs of individuals with disabilities, including, but not limited, to housing; and Proactively maintain attention to the broader socioeconomic and sociocultural limitations that create barriers for LMI households in finding safe and affordable housing, e.g., low wages, workforce stability, other contributing socioeconomic factors. 8

15 Section II: Jurisdictional Background Data 9

16 Abilene lies in the northeast corner of Taylor County, Texas. The U.S. Census Bureau 2014 Quick Facts: estimated the city s population as 120,099, approximately 91% of the county s population. Abilene s population resides in 47,855 household units. A. Demographic Data The Census Bureau QuickFacts for (Table 1) estimated that the Abilene population increased by 2.2% from an estimated 117,473 in 2010 to 120,099 in Demographic characteristics of households by age, gender, racial/ethnic identity, mobility, language spoken at home, education, and veteran status are shown along with selected housing and economic variables. The study team compared selected demographic characteristics of the Abilene community for comparison with the State of Texas to provide an indication of demographic influences potentially linked more to the local area than to the state in general. Differences of 5% to 9% between Abilene and the State of Texas are found in: (1) Abilene racial/ethnic composition with a 5.1% larger White population, (2) greater mobility with 8.2% less population living in the same house 1 year or over, and (3) 6.7% lower homeownership rate. Differences of 10% or greater between Abilene and State were found in Abilene having (1) 10.2% fewer foreign born population, (2) 17.5% less homes where language other than English is spoken, (3) 10% less travel time to work, (4) 28.5% less median value of owner-occupied housing, (5) 20.2% lower per capita 1-year income, 18% lower medium household income, and (6) 13.1% less Hispanic/Latino population. 10

17 Table 1: Abilene (city), Texas 2013 QuickFacts People QuickFacts Abilene Texas Population, 2013 estimate 120,099 26,505,637 Population, 2010 (April 1) estimates base 117,463 25,146,104 Population, percent change - April 1, 2010 to July 1, % 5.4% Population, ,063 25,145,561 Persons under 5 years, percent, % 7.7% Persons under 18 years, percent, % 27.3% Persons 65 years and over, percent, % 10.3% Female persons, percent, % 50.4% White alone, percent, 2010 (a) 75.5% 70.4% Black or African American alone, percent, 2010 (a) 9.6% 11.8% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent, 2010 (a) 0.7% 0.7% Asian alone, percent, 2010 (a) 1.7% 3.8% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent, 2010 (a) 0.1% 0.1% Two or More Races, percent, % 2.7% Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2010 (b) 24.5% 37.6% White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, % 45.3% Living in same house 1 year & over, percent, % 82.8% Foreign born persons, percent, % 16.3% 11

18 Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25+, Bachelor's degree or higher, percent of persons age 25+, % 34.7% 82.8% 81.2% 22.7% 26.7% Veterans, ,536 1,583,272 Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, Housing units, ,783 9,977,436 Homeownership rate, % 63.3% Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, Median value of owner-occupied housing units, % 24.2% $92,200 $128,900 Households, ,136 8,886,471 Persons per household, Per capita money income in past 12 months (2013 dollars), $20,762 $26,019 Median household income, $42,559 $51,900 Persons below poverty level, percent, % 17.6% Geography QuickFacts Abilene Texas Land area in square miles, ,231.7 Persons per square mile, , Source U.S. Census Bureau: State and County QuickFacts. Data derived from Population Estimates, American Community Survey, Census of Population and Housing, County Business Patterns, Economic Census, Survey of Business Owners, Building Permits, Census of Governments Last Revised: Thursday, 05-Feb :17:04 EST 1 12

19 Additional detail of selected Abilene demographic characteristics is shown in the US Census Bureau 2013 American Community Study 1-Year Estimates of Demographic Characteristics (Appendix Exhibit A), comparing Abilene demographic variables for the years 2010 and Age Overall population age ranges in Abilene for 2010 and 2013 remained similar, with a decrease in median age of 1.8 years from 32.7 years in 2010 to 30.9 years in For purposes of analysis, factors that influenced the median age by a change of more than 1% were noted: 5 to 9 year olds increasing from 5.0 to 7.5%, 25 to 34 years old increasing from 14.0 to 16,4%, 45 to 54 years old, decreasing from 12.6 to 11.4%, and 85 years and older decreasing from 2.5 to 1.4%. Racial/Ethnic Identity The overall pattern of the Abilene population by racial/ethnic identity remained similar for the years 2010 and 2013, with three racial ethnic groups having a statistically significant change. The Hispanic/Latino population (of any race) increased from 25.2 to 27.2%, the Asian population increased from1.1 to 1.9%, and those in Some Other Race increased from 3.4 to 6.3%. The Asian and Some Other Race increases may be attributable to the relocation of refugee populations through activity of the Abilene office the International Rescue Committee. Nonsignificant changes occurred in the White population, decreasing from 80.6 to 78.3% and Black or African American, decreasing from 9.8 to 9.6%. The American Indian and Alaska Native population remained the same at 0.4%. Household Size and Familial Relationships Abilene households compared for the years 2009 and 2013 in the year American Community Survey Comparative Social Characteristics data set (Appendix Exhibit B), indicated that average household size remained statistically similar, increasing from 2.49 to Families made up 64.4% of the households in 2009 and 61.7% in Significant changes within type of family between 2009 and 2013 were found in the number of family households with children less than 18 years, decreasing from 30.6% to 25.0%, married-couple families with children less than 18 years decreasing from 19.1% to 15.3%, and overall households (family and non-family) 13

20 with one or more people less than 18 decreasing from 33.9% to 28.7%. The majority of relationships in family households (92% in 2009 and 89.9% in 2013) were individuals related to the householder by marriage or blood. The remaining households consisted of individuals living alone, or were unrelated or an unmarried partner of the householder. In 2013, a total of 2,873 grandparents lived in households with grandchildren less than 18 years old, with 69.4% having responsibility for the grandchildren. The number of years of responsibility for the grandchildren in 2013 ranged from 31.4% with less than one year of responsibility to 26.3% with 5 or more years of responsibility. Significant changes were seen in the numbers of responsible grandparents who were female and those who were married between 2009 and Female grandparents with responsibility decreased from 70.0% to 51.1%; responsible grandparents who were married increased from 41.0% to 87.1%. Education Education levels for the population 25 years and older retained a similar pattern from 2009 to In 2013, 83.2% of the Abilene population had at least a high school education. The largest single category were high school graduates or had high school equivalency (29.1%), followed by those with some college, but no degree (24.1%), and those with a Bachelor s degree (16.9%). Of those with less than a high school education, 7.0% had less than a 9 th grade education and 9.8% had 9 th to 12 th grade education, but no diploma. School enrollment in 2013 for the population 3 years and over increased significantly, with increases in number enrolled in preschool (4.1% to 6.9%), in elementary grades 1-8 (32.0% to 38.5%). Those enrolled in college or graduate school decreased (44.2% to 34.6%). The Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) for the Abilene Independent School District (AISD): Page/11443, indicated an enrollment of 17,184 students, an increase of 333 students. This was an increase of 333 students from 16,851 students reported in the Texas Academic Excellence Indicator System report ( Enrollment by grade level was similar to State percentages in both years, with AISD slightly higher in pre-kindergarten through grade 4 and slightly lower in grades 5-12, with variations equal to or less than 1.3% differences across all grade levels. 14

21 Ethnic distribution of AISD and State students in both 2009 and 2013 showed similar differences in percentages of Hispanic and White students. In both years, AISD had approximately 10% fewer Hispanic students and 10% more White students. Hispanic students were 39.1% of AISD in 2009 and 48.6% of State. By 2013, Hispanic students increased to 41.9% of AISD and 51.8% of State. White students were 43.9% of AISD students in 2009 and 33.3% in State. By 2013, 40.1% of AISD students were White compared to 29.4% in State. The percentage of African American students differed by less than 1% between AISD and State in both years: 14.1% AISD and 14.0% State in 2009; 11.8% AISD and 12.7% State in AISD students in all other ethnic groups increased from 2.7% in 2009 to 6.2% in State students in all other ethnic groups increased from 4.1% in 2009 to 6.1% in The increase in AISD students of all other races may be attributable to the role of the Abilene International Rescue Center relocating families to Abilene. In 2009 and 2013, economically disadvantaged students were the majority of both AISD and State students, with AISD slightly above the State in 2013, where economic disadvantaged is defined as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or eligible for other public assistance. In 2009, 60.4% of AISD and 59.0% of State students were identified as economically disadvantaged. In 2013, the percentage of AISD economically disadvantaged students increased to 65.6% compared to 60.2% of State students. In 2009, 3.3% of AISD students and 16.9% of State students were identified as Limited English Proficient. In 2013, 4.0% of AISD students and 17.5% of State students were English Language Learners. In 2009, 37.6% of AISD and 47.2% of State students were At-Risk of failure to continue enrollment for graduation. In 2013, 33.9% of AISD students and 49.9% of State students were At-Risk. An AISD school board member cited student mobility related to household transitions and housing as a contributor to issues of continuity of student progress. In the school year, 23.9% of students either moved into the district or changed schools within the district. No data were available on the students who changed schools more than one time during the year. Mobility of State students was 12.1% during the school year. Common curriculum schedules have been established across all AISD campuses to facilitate both teacher and student ability to adapt to school changes within a given grade level. 15

22 Population Mobility The majority of Abilene s population in both 2009 and 2013 lived in the same house as the previous year ( %; %), with a significant increase in the number who may have moved, but stayed in Taylor county (13.5% in 2009 to 20.3% in 2013). A total of 26.8% of the Abilene population in 2009 and 31.1% in 2013 moved into Abilene from different counties in Texas, from different states or from abroad. Language Spoken at Home Among people five years of age and older living in Abilene, 19.1% spoke a language other than English at home. Of those speaking a language other than English at home, 4.9% spoke English less than very well ; 80.6% of those speaking a language other than English at home spoke Spanish and 19.4% spoke some other language. Persons with Disabilities The estimates of Abilene population by age, sex, race and Hispanic/Latino origin, and type of disability is shown in Appendix Exhibits C1 and C2, with comparisons to the State and six comparison communities similar to Abilene. Disabilities are recorded as difficulties in hearing, vision, cognitive ability, ambulatory ability, self-care and independent living. The Abilene estimate of persons with any type of recorded disability during was 16.8% of the total population. Measured with statistical margins of error, comparisons of Abilene disabilities with data available for the communities of Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, San Angelo, Waco, and Wichita Falls suggest that Abilene has a significantly higher percentage of total persons with disabilities: Abilene 16.8%, Texas 11.6%, Lubbock 13.7%, Midland 12.0%, Odessa 12.7%, San Angelo 13.2%, Waco 12.4%, Wichita Falls 13.0%. This difference occurs primarily in ages 18 to 64 (for cognitive and ambulatory difficulties) and 65 and over (for hearing, vision, ambulatory difficulties). Disability among the Abilene Hispanic/Latino populations (13.9%) is similar to Lubbock and significantly higher than Texas, Lubbock and Waco. Disabilities among the African American populations were similar for Abilene (18.5%) and all communities and significantly higher than Texas. 16

23 Looking at Abilene only, estimated percentages of the Abilene population with disabilities by age were: 0.5% of ages under 5 years, 7.6% for ages 5 to 17 years, 14.9% of ages 18 to 64, and 47.7% of ages 65 and over. Hearing difficulties in Abilene accounted for all recorded disabilities of ages under 5 years. Cognitive difficulties were the most common among ages 5 to 17 (5.6%). Ambulatory difficulties were the highest among those 18 to 64 (8.0%) and those 65 and over (32.1%). B. Income Data Household economic capability creates risk due to the income potential of wage earners to find and maintain safe and affordable housing. Estimates of Abilene economic indicators for compared with estimates for taken from the Census Bureau American Fact Finder 3-Year Estimates (Appendix Exhibit D) identify employment characteristics, income and benefits, health insurance coverage, and characteristics of individuals and families with income below the poverty level. The summary of each area includes those changes that mark a statistically significant difference between the two comparison years. Household Income and Benefits The median income for all households ($41,470) remained consistent with that of ($42,360). Significant changes in household incomes were seen in (1) households with less than $10,000 annual income increasing from 7.8% of all households to 10.0%, (2) households with $100,000 to $149,000 annual income decreasing from 9.3% to 7.5%. Changes also occurred in households by source of income and benefits. The number of households with wage earners decreased significantly from 80.8% to 78.4% of all households, with a mean estimated income of $53,186. The number of households with Social Security benefits remained statistically the same at 27.2% of all households, but increased significantly in mean benefits from $14,973 to $15,954. Retirement income remained the same with 18% of households receiving a mean income of $22,000. Households with benefits from Supplemental Security Income increased significantly from 3.3% to 6.0% with mean benefit income increasing from $7,479 to $9,064. Households receiving cash public assistance remained the same at 2.0%, with mean benefits decreasing significantly from $3,139 to $1,528. Households receiving Food 17

24 Stamp/SNAP benefits increased significantly from 11.0% to 14.4%. Households receiving multiple sources of public benefits are not indicated, but are probable. Overall 2009 to 2013 income and benefits to families changed significantly for families in three benefit/income categories: less than $10,000 an increase from 3.0% to 6.5%; $15,000 to $24,999 a decrease from 11.8% to 5.9%; $25,000 to $34,999 an increase from 8.7% to 15.1%. Median family income/benefits in 2013 were $54,504, down from $58,318 in Per capita income remained consistent at $21,032 in 2013 and $21,837 in The median income for nonfamily households decreased significantly from $27,883 to $22,380. Families and People below the Poverty Level The number of family units below the poverty level did not change significantly during the two comparison periods, remaining at approximately 13.5% of all families. Individual categories of families below poverty line also remained statistically similar. Percentages for all people in Abilene below the poverty line had a non-significant increase from 18.1% to 20.5%. However, when people in poverty were grouped in different combinations, significant differences are seen. The total of those in poverty 18 years and over increased from 16.0% to 19.0%. Within that overall age group, those 65 years and over increased from 9.7% to 13.8%. The percentage of unrelated individuals 15 years and over increased from 29.8% to 34.7%. C. Employment Data As Abilene s population 16 years and over increased from a estimate of 93,356 to a estimate of 96,268, significant changes took place. The percentage in the total labor force decreased from 63.1% to 58.2%. Of those in the labor force, the civilian sector of the labor force dropped from 55.0% to 52.1% and Armed Forces employment dropped from 4.6% to 2.5%. Those 16 years and over not in the labor force increased from 36.9% to 41.8%. The unemployed percentage of the civilian labor force remained constant at 3.7% to 3.5%. Significant changes took place in three other categories of employment. Females 16 years and older decreased from 60.6% of the labor force to 57.7% of the labor force. 18

25 Parents of children under 6 years increased from 58.1% to 60.6%. Parents with children 6 to 17 years decreased from 75.9% to 68.2%. Among workers 16 years and over, an estimated 92% drove alone or carpooled in car, truck or van to work. Of the remaining 8%, estimated equal percentages walked, used other means, or worked at home. 1% or less used public transportation other than taxi. The mean travel time to work for all workers was 14.8 minutes. By occupation, in both and , workers in management, business, science, and art (31.7% and 29.2%) were the largest single occupation category, followed by sales and office (27.4% and 27.1%), service (20.4% and 23.7%) Natural resources, construction and maintenance (9.8% and 10.5%), and production and transportation (10.7% and 9.6%) make up the remainder of the labor force. Only the increase in service worker was a significant change. Three industries each with more than 10% of the labor force were the majority of the labor force (51% in and 53.4% in ): education, health care and social assistance (30% and 27.4%), retail trade (12% and 13.5%), and art, entertainment, recreation, accommodations and food services (9.0% and 12.5%). The remaining 10 industrial categories combined to complete the labor force. Significant changes were seen in professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste management decreasing from 7.9% to 5.6%, art, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services increasing 9.0% to 12.7%, and public administration increasing from 5.2% to 8.1%. No changes were seen in classes of workers: 76% wage and salary workers, 16.8% to 18.0% government workers, and 5.1% to 6.2% self-employed or in non-incorporated businesses. Health Insurance Coverage Of the total Abilene civilian population, 81% had health insurance across the comparison periods. The type of insurance coverage changed significantly, with a decrease in private insurance (62.9% to 59.5%) and an offsetting increase in public insurance (30.9% to 33.5%). That left 18% of Abilene s population with no health insurance coverage during both periods of time. 19

26 Insurance coverage remained unchanged for the employed population between 18 and 64 years. 75% of employed workers had either private or public coverage, leaving 25% uninsured. The majority of those unemployed shifted from having coverage to having no coverage. The number with insurance coverage dropped from 57.2% to 47.4%, with a significant shift from private to public coverage. D. Housing Profile Abilene Housing Market The 2013 Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis for Abilene, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development, as of July 1, 2013: is presented in summary: The Abilene Housing Market Area (HMA), which consists of Callahan, Jones, and Taylor Counties in west central Texas, is approximately 180 miles west of Dallas. The HMA has an estimated population of 167,700 and is home to Dyess Air Force Base (AFB) and six institutions of higher learning. Economy During the 12 months ending June 2013, nonfarm payrolls in the Abilene HMA increased 1.8 percent, or by 1,200 jobs, surpassing the 0.9-percent growth rate recorded during the previous 12-month period. The largest employment sectors are the education and health services and the government sectors, which account for approximately 39 percent of all jobs in the HMA. During the forecast period, nonfarm payrolls are expected to increase 1.1 percent, or by 710 jobs, annually. Table DP-1 at the end of this report provides employment data for the HMA. Sales Market The sales housing market in the HMA is slightly soft, but improving. The current estimated sales vacancy rate was 1.7 percent as of July 1, 2013, which was down from 2.0 percent as of April Single-family home sales during the 12 months ending June 2013 increased 11 percent, and the average home sales price is up more than 9 percent from 1 year earlier. Demand is expected for 760 new homes during the forecast period as shown in Table 1. A portion of the estimated 4,350 other vacant units currently in the HMA may reenter the market and satisfy some of the forecast demand. Rental Market The rental housing market in the HMA currently is soft but improving. The current rental vacancy rate, which includes renter-occupied single-family homes, mobile homes, and apartments, is estimated to be 8.7 percent, down from 10.0 percent in April The average rent in the HMA currently is $690, an increase of $50, or 8 percent from 1 year earlier. The current number of available vacant units and the 210 multifamily units currently under construction will more than satisfy all the demand for new rental units during the forecast period. 20

27 Housing Affordability Appendix Exhibit E compares Abilene housing characteristics in the American Community Study year estimates with Texas and the six communities used as a data base for the study. Similar patterns across all categories are seen, with observable differences in specific categories when compared to the median for each category and by applying the statistical measure of error in the estimation for each category to indicate significant differences in the measures. Using a standard of 30% of household income as a benchmark for affordable housing costs, the study team used data from Appendix Exhibit E to calculate an overall median percentage of units across the seven communities, including Abilene, to compare Abilene with the State and the region. Abilene was below the overall community median percentage of units for home owners with a mortgage equal to or over 30% (Abilene had 21.9% of households equal to or exceeding 30% compared to a community median of 25.6%), significantly below the State median of 30.5% of households equal to or above 30% of income, and 1 of 6 of the other communities. 12.9% of Abilene households without a mortgage had housing costs equal to or above the 30% cost/income ratio, consistent with state and overall community ratios. The findings for Abilene rental units were a reverse of those for owner homes, with 50.6% of gross rent costs being equal to or above the 30% income to cost threshold. This put Abilene renters above the overall community median of 46.9% of those with cost/income equal to or above the threshold. No significant difference was found among communities with a range of cost/income ratios of 30.0% to 34.9%; significant differences were found for those renters with a ratio of 35.0% or more cost to income. Housing Affordability data for home purchase as published in the Texas Housing Affordability Index (THAI) by the Texas A&M Real Estate Center for 2013 and 2014 (Table 2) reports the 2013 THIA ratio for Abilene as 2.50, interpreted to reflect the Abilene median family income being 2.50 times greater than the qualifying ratio for a conventional purchase mortgage in the Abilene market. This compares favorably with the State of Texas 2013 THAI ratio of 1.90 and the ratios of comparison communities used as a baseline for this study: Lubbock (2.44), Midland (1.57), Odessa (1.77), San Angelo (2.15), Waco (2.16), and Wichita Falls (2.86). The higher the 21

28 THIA ratio, the more favorable the median family income is to purchase the median priced home in the local market. The 2014 ratios were lower for Abilene (2.13), Texas (1.72), Lubbock (2.29), Midland (1.49), San Angelo (1.93), Waco (2.07), and Wichita Falls (2.71). The Odessa ratio (1.79) remained consistent with No statistical tests for changes were available in the report to determine the significance of the changes, although the Abilene market experienced the largest drop in affordability. Table 2: Texas Housing Affordability Index (THAI) Of Selected Communities Source: Real Estate Center, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Local Realtor Boards Note: The Housing Affordability Index is the ratio of median family income to the income required to qualify for an 80 %, fixed-rate mortgage to purchase the median-priced home. The MLS Area represents the local reporting Realtors association's geographical coverage area. For additional information or questions contact Jim Gaines. MLS Area Abilene Lubbock Midland Odessa San Angelo Waco Wichita Falls Texas USA Total The 2013 THAI ratio for first-time home buyers (Table 3) shows the Abilene ratio (2.06) also compared favorably with Texas (1.32) and the comparison communities: Lubbock (1.63), Midland (1.02), Odessa (1.15), San Angelo (1.59) Waco (1.64), Wichita Falls (2.29). The 2014 Abilene ratio (1.80) was lower than 2013, yet retained a favorable comparison to Texas and the other communities, being second to Wichita Falls (2.34) for the highest ratio. 22

29 Table 3: Housing Affordability of Selected Communities First-Time Homebuyers MLS Area Abilene Lubbock Midland Odessa San Angelo Waco Wichita Falls Texas USA Total In the housing affordability report for the historical period (Table 4), the Abilene housing affordability ratio averaged 2.34, compared with the Texas average of Only Lubbock (2.38) and Wichita Falls (2.75) had higher affordability averages during that period. The variation of Abilene affordability ranged from a high of 2.57 in 2012 to a low of 2.13 in Abilene s annual variation within the study period was consistent with all benchmark communities and the State of Texas, whose high and low indices were also in 2012 and All areas experienced similar variation during that period of time. 23

30 Table 4: Housing Affordability of Selected Communities Historical Source: Real Estate Center, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Local Realtor Boards Note: The Housing Affordability Index is the ratio of median family income to the income required to qualify for an 80 %, fixed-rate mortgage to purchase the median-priced home. The MLS Area represents the local reporting Realtors association's geographical coverage area. For additional information or questions contact Jim Gaines. MLS Area Average (Note 1) Abilene Lubbock Midland Odessa San Angelo Waco Wichita Falls Texas USA Total Note 1: Index Average added for purposes of this study Abilene median income during the period (Table 5) averaged $52,450, with a high of $54,900 in 2013 and a low of $50,500 in Median income increased each year from 2009 through 2013, before decreasing to $52,500 in While marking the first decrease during the period reported, the 2014 median income was still comparable to the Abilene average for the period. Compared to other communities, Abilene had the second lowest average median income, the lowest being Waco ($52,333). With the exception of Midland, all communities included in the current study experienced a average median income less than that for the State of Texas

31 Table 5: Housing Affordability of Selected Communities Median Income Source: Real Estate Center, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Local Realtor Boards Note: The MLS Area represents the local reporting Realtors association's geographical coverage area. For additional information or questions contact Jim Gaines. MLS Area Average (Note 1) Abilene 52,500 54,900 52,900 52,200 51,700 50,500 Lubbock 58,900 56,700 55,600 54,900 54,600 52,900 Midland 70,200 65,100 66,900 66,000 63,000 60,200 Odessa 60,300 52,300 56,500 55,700 53,200 49,000 San Angelo 56,100 55,300 55,700 55,000 51,800 52,400 Waco 51,700 50,000 54,700 54,000 51,900 51,700 Wichita Falls 54,900 54,400 55,800 55,000 53,200 50,300 Texas 60,300 60,100 60,300 59,500 58,600 57,400 USA Total 63,900 64,400 65,000 64,200 64,000 64,000 52,450 55,600 65,233 54,500 54,383 52,333 53,933 59,367 64,250 Note 1: Average median income added for purposes of this study Fair Market Rental For the purpose of this study, data on fair market rents are presented as only one side of the rental affordability equation. Without comparison to household income, fair market rents indicate the market value of rental units as any point in time, not affordability. The FY HUD 2014 Fair Market Rental (FMR) report of May 2014 was used in order to cover the entire 2013 year. Table 6 shows the Final FY 2014 FMRs by number of unit bedrooms for Abilene, TX, metropolitan statistical area (MSA). 25

32 Table 6: Final FY 2014 FMRs By Unit Bedrooms Efficiency One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four-Bedroom $510 $586 $790 $1,000 $1,276 Table Note: FY 2014 FMR areas continue to use the revised Office of Management and Budget (OMB) area definitions that were first issued in 2003 along with HUD defined Metropolitan areas (HMFAs) as described in the FY2011 FMR documentation, which can be found at (Abilene, TX MSA FY2011 FMR Documentation system). No changes have been made to these OMB-defined areas since the publication of Final FY2011 FMRs. The Abilene, TX MSA is comprised of the following counties: Callahan County, Texas; Jones County, Texas; and Taylor County, Texas. All information here applies to the entirety of the Abilene, TX MSA. Table 7 developed from the HUD 2014 FMR places the Abilene market in the midrange for the region. While no exact comparative measures are implied, Abilene is perhaps most closely comparable to the Lubbock market, higher than the Waco/Wichita Falls market, and lower than the Midland/Odessa market. The fair market rent percentile indicates that the values shown represent the point where 40% of the rentals in the market are less than the value indicated. Conversely, 60% of the rentals in the market are higher than the value indicated. Table 7: Final FY 2014 Fair Market Rent Community Comparison Final FY 2014 Fair Market Rent Documentation Metropoliltian Area Summary Efficiency One- Bedroom Two- Bedroom Three- Bedroom Four - Bedroom Fair Market Rent Percentile Abilene $510 $586 $790 $1,000 $1, Lubbock $505 $589 $774 $1,130 $1, Midland $556 $717 $935 $1,164 $1, Odessa $665 $771 $992 $1,263 $1, San Angelo $469 $547 $730 $1,013 $1, Waco $475 $558 $755 $989 $1, Wichita Falls $424 $570 $712 $1,009 $1,