Housing Affordability Copyright 2014
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 38.
ITEM TITLE: Housing Affordability
SUMMARY: City Manager providing information on the housing affordability in Dubuque
as compared to other cities in Iowa, including Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids,
Davenport and Iowa City.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
❑ Housing Affordability-MVM Memo City Manager Memo
❑ Staff Memo Staff Memo
THE CITY OF Dubuque
UBE I
erica .i
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007-2012-2013
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Housing Affordability
DATE: July 2, 2015
Housing and Community Development Department Director Alvin Nash has provided
information on the housing affordability in Dubuque as compared to other cities in Iowa,
including Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Iowa City.
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Micliael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Alvin Nash, Housing & Community Development Department Director
THE CITY OF Dubuque
AII11-America CiI.ty
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Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007-2012-2013
TO: Mike Van Milligen
FROM: Alvin Nash
DATE: June 17, 2015
RE: Housing Affordability and Cost Burden in Iowa Cities
Introduction
This memorandum provides information on the Housing Affordability of Dubuque as
compared to other cities in Iowa. The affordability of Dubuque was compared to Cedar
Falls, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Iowa City.
Background
Staff from the Housing & Community Development, Legal, and Human Rights
Departments conducted a work session with City Council on June 15, 2015. The
session reviewed the progress on the Voluntary Compliance Agreement between the
City and HUD, the Analysis of Impediments, consistency with the Consolidated Plan,
and the Action Plan to Remove Barriers to Fair Housing. Council Member Resnick
requested additional information demonstrating how Dubuque compares to other cities
in Iowa with respect to Affordable Housing. Housing & Community Development Staff
Erica Haugen did not have the information during the work session, but stated the
information on affordability and cost burden was available for any entitlement City in
Iowa. Staff Haugen stated she would provide that information for Council.
Information
Attached for your review are four charts presenting Comprehensive Housing
Affordability Strategy (CHAS) Data provided by HUD. This data represents the most
current CHAS data available from the 2008-2012 American Community Survey. Data
presented to the Council during the work session was used to prepare the 2016-2020
Consolidated Plan and was based on the 2007-2011 ACS because the 2008-2012 data
was not available at the time the housing analysis was conducted. The 2007-2011 and
the 2008-2012 data varies only slightly. In an effort to provide Council with the most
updated information, the 2008-2012 data was used for this memorandum.
Affordability is often determined by assessing the number of households that are cost
burdened. Cost burdened household pay more than 30 percent of their income to meet
their housing needs. Severely cost burdened household pay upwards of 50% of their
income for housing. Exhibit A shows the percentage of households that are cost
burdened, or paying over 30% of their income for housing. This data includes figures
for both renters and homeowners. The data shows the percent of cost burdened
household in Dubuque is 27%. Higher than Cedar Rapids (24%), close to Cedar Falls
(28%) and Davenport (28%), and lower than Iowa City (41%).
Exhibit B shows the number of severely cost burdened households, or household that
are paying over 50% of their income for housing. 12% of Dubuque households are
severely cost burdened. This is higher than Cedar Rapids (10%), but lower than
Davenport (13%), Cedar Falls (15%), and Iowa City (25%).
Exhibit C shows the percentage of homeowners living in housing they can afford (less
than 30% of income going towards housing), cost burdened, and severely cost
burdened households. Most homeowners in Dubuque (83.05%) live in housing that is
affordable for their income level. This is higher than Iowa City (78.30%) and Davenport
(79.60%), about the same as Cedar Rapids (82.50%), but lower than Cedar Falls
(87%).
The number of cost burdened homeowners in Dubuque is 12.02%. This is about the
same as Cedar Rapids (11 .51 %), Davenport (12.43%), and Iowa City (13.11 %). Cedar
Falls has a lower number of cost burdened homeowners at 8.59%.
The number of severely cost burdened homeowners in Dubuque is 4.64%. Slightly
higher than Cedar Falls (3.77%), slightly lower than Cedar Rapids (5.86%) and lower
than Davenport (7.39%) and Iowa City (8.10%).
Exhibit D shows the number of renter-occupied households that are living in housing
they can afford, cost burdened, and severely cost burdened. In Dubuque, 53.12% of
renters pay less than 30% of their income for housing, similar to Davenport (52.48%).
Iowa City (37.29%), and Cedar Falls (40.66%) have lower numbers of renter-occupied
households living in housing they can afford. Cedar Rapids has a higher number of
renters living in affordable housing at 57.72%.
Rental households experience cost burden at similar rates, from lowest to highest is
Iowa City (18.40%), Davenport (19.38%), Cedar Rapids (20.10%), Dubuque (20.13%),
and Cedar Falls (21 .95%).
Dubuque has 25.65% renter-occupied households experiencing severe cost burden.
This is higher than Cedar Rapids (20.10%) and Davenport (23.82%), but lower than
Cedar Falls (34.73%) and Iowa City (41 .43%).
Prepared by: Erica Haugen, Community Development Specialist
Attachment
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CHAS DATA 2008 2012 A�
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Raw labek Cetlarralk Cedar Rapkis Davenport Dubuque Iowa City
Affordable Hourng 87.SW< 8250% 79.fi0% 83.05% 78.30%
rust Burdened 8591a ll.51% 1243% 1202% 19.11%
Severely Cost Burdened 377% 5.86% 739% 664% 0.10%
CSI Burden not available 0.54% 0.12% 0.58% 0.29% 0.49%
Grand Total 10.00% 100.00'M IW.W% SDD.W% 100.m
Cosi Burden Amang Horneoymem
CHAS DATA 2008-2012 AGS
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Exhibit D
_Row Labe6 fMarnalls: fetlar RapIds Davenport Dubuque Iowa CRy
Hong In Afforrable Housing 40.6616 57.72% 52.60% 53.12% 37,29%
Cost Burdened 21.95% 20.1056 19.38% 20.13% 18AM
Severely Cost Burdened 34.73% 20.10% 21.82% 25.65% 41,13%
Cost Burden not available 2.66% 2.08911 4.31% 1.09% 2.89%
Grand Total YWIp% IW.0 SWAG% 100.00% IW.W%
Cost Burden Among Renters
CHAS DATA 2008-2012 ACS
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