Understanding the Unmet Housing Needs of Low Income Asian Households in San Francisco and San Jose C

1
Understanding the Unmet Housing Needs of Low
Income Asian Households in San Francisco and San
JoseClient Asian Inc.               

• Researchers Marites Alvarez,
• Lehua Asher, Jessica M. Look,
• Matt Neuebaumer

2

• A technical assistance and nonprofit research
  organization incorporated in 1971
• Aids in the empowerment of Asian American
  communities to achieve social equality and obtain
  full use of their material civil rights
• Programs include Small Business Assistance,
  Housing Development and Rehabilitation and Social
  Programs and Research

• Asian, Inc. Logo demonstrates
• Its three major resources
• A highly trained technical staff
• Extensive library
• Computer technology

3
Housing Division

• Purpose is to develop and provide safe, decent
  and affordable housing for households making 50
  - 80 of area median income
• Programs include Affordable Housing Development,
  Single Family Rehabilitation Program, and a First
  Time Homebuyers Assistance Program
• A successful example of an organization that has
  succeeded in improving the housing conditions of
  low-income ethnic communities

479 Natoma Street (above) and 450 Ellis St.San
Francisco (senior housing to the right)
4
Race and Housing A Background

• Segregation of communities of color and its links
  to the housing process
• Redlining
• Direct and Indirect Racial
  Discrimination
• Studies have shown that immigrant status,
  education and income determine housing tenure
  choice
• SF Housing Element regarding Low-Income Ethnic
  Communities
• 32.6 Asian in San Francisco
• 27.5 Asian in Santa Clara County
• Asian homeownership has increased statewide,
  however has decreased in San Francisco
• Source Census 2000

Source www.aamovement.net
5
Problem Defined

• Task To identify concentrations of low-income
  Asian households in San Francisco and San Jose
  and explore their unmet housing needs
• How By analyzing current housing and social
  conditions, we can infer unmet housing needs
• Why To assist Asian, Inc. in the development of
  future housing products and services that will
  aid these communities

6
Research Methods

• ArcView GIS to provide a geographic analysis
  using census 2000 variables
• Informal Telephone Interviews to access
  information from nonprofit and government
  agencies who work directly with these populations
• Policy and Background Research exam current city
  housing policies and relevant research regarding
  the housing needs of low-income ethnic
  communities

7
Census 2000 Variables

• Total Number of Asian Households by Tenure
• Place of Birth by Asian Households
• Number of Occupants per room by Asian Households
• Median Gross Rent by Asian Households
• Median Gross Rent as Percentage of Household
  Income by Asian Households

• Breakdown of Asian Populations
• Sex by Age Asian Alone
• Age by Ability to Speak English-Asian Alone
• Plumbing Facilities
• Year Housing was Built
• Average Household Size by Asian Household
• Family Type by Asian Household

8
HUD 2003 Income Limits
Source HUD-DATA SETS- http//www.huduser.org/data
sets/il/fmr03/
9
How did we choose the study areas?
10

• Determined average Asian household size
• Looked at concentration of Asian households
• Used HUD numbers to determine low-income
  households
• Selected study area based on concentration of 20
  or more Asian within income range

11

• Determined average Asian household size
• Looked at concentration of Asian households
• Used HUD numbers to determine low-income
  households
• Selected study area based on concentration of 20
  or more Asian within income range

12

• Determined average Asian household size
• Looked at concentration of Asian households
• Used HUD numbers to determine low-income
  households
• Selected study area based on concentration of 20
  or more Asian within income range

13

• Determined average Asian household size
• Looked at concentration of Asian households
• Used HUD numbers to determine low-income
  households
• Selected study area based on concentration of 20
  or more Asian within income range

14
GIS FINDINGSSAN JOSE
15
Vietnamese Filipino Population
16
Renters
17
Seniors
18
Percent of Income Used For Rent
19
Overcrowding
20
GIS FINDINGS

• SAN FRANCISCO

21
Asian Population and Median Income
22
Chinese Filipino Population
23
Renters
24
Rent Burden
25
Housing Conditions
26
Seniors
27
Conclusions- San Francisco

• Social
• Chinese populations concentrated in north of
  Market
• Filipino populations concentrated south of Market
• 31 65 seniors in Chinatown South of Market
• Over 50 Seniors in study area speak little or no
  English

• Housing
• Poor conditions
• old buildings
• significant overcrowding
• lack of adequate facilities
• 75 100 rental units
• 25 - 50 of income spent on rent

28
Conclusions- San Jose

• Social
• Vietnamese communities are concentrated in SW
• Filipino communities are concentrated in the East
• Language Barrier for Seniors
• 80 speak little or no English

• Housing
• Overcrowding
• Exists everywhere, but most prevalent where 0-17
  year olds live
• Rent Burden
• 33 of the census tracts studied

29
San Jose Study Area
Income in Relationship to Affordable Housing
Source www.nlihc.org
According to the National Low Income Housing
Coalition, none of the San Jose household median
Asian incomes are adequate to afford the Fair
Market Rent of rentals in that area.
30
Results Informal Interviews

• Need for Low-Income Housing Assistance provided
  by other agencies than the government
• Housing affiliated with cultural identity
• Language Assistance
• Senior Care

31
Recommendations

• Overall Affordable Housing
• Multifamily housing (SJ)
• Language Assistance
• Senior Housing affiliated with a cultural setting
• Rehabilitation of substandard housing units (SF)
• Rental Assistance for those households who are
  rent burdened

32
Deliverables

• Assessment of housing needs of low-income Asian
  households in study areas
• Tables of pertinent census variables for San
  Francisco and San Jose
• Step-by-step guide how to download variables from
  the census to use in ArcView
• Results from informal telephone survey
• ArcView maps

33
References

• New Images Emerging for Bay Area Households,
  Anne Martinez, The Mercury News,
  http//www.bayarea.com/mld/bayarea/news/2813656.ht
  ml. 2002.
• Sommerville, P, Steele, A, Race, Housing and
  Social Exclusion. London. Metropolitan
  University, 2002.
• The State of the Nations Housing 2002, The
  Joint Study for Housing Studies of Harvard
  University, http//www.jchs.harvard.edu/publicatio
  ns/markets/Son2002.pdf.2002.
• Painter, G, Gabriel, S Myers, D, Race,
  Immigrant Status, and Housing Tenure Choice
  School of Policy, Planning, and Development,
  University of Southern California, Los Angeles,
  California.2000.
• Census 2000-U.S. Federal Government. 2000.
• HUD 2003 Income Limits- Data Sets
• Final Draft -Housing Element of the General Plan.
  The San Francisco Planning Department. February
  2003.
• Housing Element of the General Plan. The San Jose
  Planning Department. April 2003.

34

• Thank You!!!