Apply for planning and construction funding from the
State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and other
fundings sources to support adequate water and
wastewater infrastructure for new and existing lowincome housing development. Apply for funding by January 2026 and every time a notice of funding
availability is released. If funded, support the
development of at least one water or wastewater
infrastructure project in Central or Southeast Bakersfield by the end of the planning period.
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SP-60 Homelessness Strategy – 91.215(d)
The City is a participating member of the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative (BKRHC), the region’s Continuum of Care. BKRHC is made up of Kern County nonprofit homeless assistance providers, victim service providers, faith-based organizations, governments, businesses, advocates, public housing agencies, school districts, social service providers, mental health agencies, hospitals, universities, affordable housing developers, law enforcement, and organizations that serve veterans and homeless and formerly homeless individuals. Members collaborate on a region wide approach to homelessness through the BKRHC Strategic Action Plan, from which much of the information included in this section is adapted.
Reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their individual needs
Street outreach is a core supportive service in the Kern County Region. The City of Bakersfield uses ESG funds as well as local funds to support outreach efforts through collaborative efforts with outreach partners, city rapid response teams, city park rangers, kern county behavioral health outreach teams and medical outreach providers. The City has also been a partner in State funded Encampment Resolution projects that focus on placing those outreached to on the street directly into permanent supportive housing. In complying with the HEARTH Act, BKRHC also administers a countywide SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) program to improve benefit assistance for at-risk and homeless residents.
Addressing the emergency and transitional housing needs of homeless persons In the last five years, the region has drastically increased shelter beds by more than 500 beds in the City of Bakersfield. The BKRHC Strategic Plan lays out further strategies to focus on sub-populations of the homeless community to help define more tailored approaches to take in the future. Although much has been done to expand shelter, there remains a need to still increase transitional housing especially those for larger families, and persons with high behavioral health needs.
The BKRHC Strategic Plan outlines the following actions that the collaborative will take to address this need:
• Develop plans for interim, non-congregate, medical respite, detox, skilled nursing, and alternative models for the following subpopulations: youth, seniors, families with children, and those with intensive needs.
• Secure funding for additional emergency shelter models to be implemented and advocate for greater funding flexibility to support emergency shelters.
• Advocate for stable state and federal funding for emergency shelters. • Use data to ensure bed capacity meets the need for people coming into emergency shelter. • Analyze data to evaluate the utilization of emergency shelter to ensure equitable access 135
Helping homeless persons (especially chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth) make the transition to permanent housing and independent living, including shortening the period of time that individuals and families experience homelessness, facilitating access for homeless individuals and families to affordable housing units, and preventing individuals and families who were recently homeless from becoming homeless again.
The Housing First model has proven to be the most effective solution for addressing homelessness.
While it is the most effective model, it is also the most resource intensive, requiring hundreds, if not thousands of new permanent and affordable homes. During the last 5 years, the City has assisted in the development of 271 affordable housing units including:
• 6th Street Apartments (40 units)
• Brentwood Crossings (58 units)
• Sagewood (72 units)
• Residents at East Hills (81 units)
• 22nd Street Lofts (20 units)
Still, much more is to be done to house homeless neighbors in permanent housing. Reflecting this is the BKRHC Strategic Plan plan’s Objective #7 – : Increase the inventory and access to affordable, permanent housing. To achieve this BKRHC expects to take the following actions to achieve this:
• Encourage and support local efforts to increase affordable housing. • Increase the number of Rapid Rehousing beds
• Coordinate and incentivize developers to increase affordable housing. • Increase landlord engagement to create more available units Help low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely low-income individuals and families who are likely to become homeless after being discharged from a publicly funded institution or system of care, or who are receiving assistance from public and private agencies that address housing, health, social services, employment, education or youth needs
BKRHC has taken a two-pronged approach to prevention: preventing evictions, and preventing people residing in institutions from being discharged into homelessness. Included in the BKRHC Strategic Plan is Strategy 5.B which seeks to strengthen referral and discharge between service providers to prevent unsheltered homelessness. The BKRHC will develop a task force to review and monitor referral and discharge policies by service providers. Other actions include:
• Create discharge planning for post incarceration individuals. 136
• Create discharge planning for foster youth exiting the care system and a tangible, resource based action plan to support youth transitioning into adulthood. • Create discharge planning for those exiting acute inpatient hospitals and healthcare facilities The City of Bakersfield regularly funds homeless prevention through the ESG and State and local grants.
Homeless Prevention is also a focus of the BKRHC Strategic Plan. The plan lays out the following actions to help with homeless prevention:
• Identify sub-populations associated with diversion and prevention funding. • Identify additional funding sources for diversion with a focus on sub-populations. • Identify additional funding sources for homeless prevention with a focus on sub-populations. • Implement mediation strategies with landlords to keep renters housed. • Identify a cohort of staff (from healthcare, schools, human services, and other partner agencies) who focus on problem-solving with people before they enter the homeless system of care. • Provide one-time financial assistance to keep individuals or families housed. • Identify and utilize strategies for reunification with family members or support systems. • Provide regular training for all homelessness partners in problem-solving techniques and motivational interviewing to promote prevention and diversion. • Support legal assistance to prevent eviction.
• Develop early interventions for those experiencing severe mental illness, behavioral health and substance use that put them at risk of homelessness.
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SP-70 Anti-Poverty Strategy – 91.215(j)
Jurisdiction Goals, Programs and Policies for reducing the number of Poverty-Level Families According to the latest ACS data, approximately 19% of families in Bakersfield live below the poverty line, which is more than five percent greater than the national rate. The City of Bakersfield alone cannot end poverty. Efforts at all levels of government are needed to bring forth better life outcomes for all residents.
Nonetheless, the City will make every effort to decrease the number of residents living in poverty. First and foremost, it will work with the many regional and local partners to carry out and achieve the goals of the many plans discussed throughout this report – Making Downtown Bakersfield, Transforming Climate Communities, the Economic Opportunity Areas Plan, B3K Regional Plan and the BKRHC Strategic Plan.
The City will also continue to administer the entitlement program funds to address the needs highlighted in this report. Reducing housing costs, adding affordable housing, addressing homelessness, and improving infrastructure are among the greatest needs.
How are the Jurisdiction poverty reducing goals, programs, and policies coordinated with this affordable housing plan
The City will continue to assist in the development of affordable housing through the usage of HOME funds, as well as state and local funds. In addition, the City has initiated a Local Housing Trust Fund that will help create a sustainable avenue for more affordable housing development. Fifteen percent of the HOME funds go to the Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) and additional funds for new housing construction assistance. In addition, CDBG funds will be used to rehabilitate homes to accommodate persons with disabilities through the implementation of the Home Access Rehabilitation program. These programs help individuals in poverty reduce the cost of housing and maintain a decent living environment while trying to improve their economic situation.
In addition, the City, through the ConPlan, will directly invest in community and economic development and public infrastructure and facilities, which will encourage the retention and attraction of new businesses and jobs. Further, some public service programs receiving CDGB, HOME and ESG funds will provide job training programs to non-homeless and homeless individuals. 138
SP-80 Monitoring – 91.230
Describe the standards and procedures that the jurisdiction will use to monitor activities carried out in furtherance of the plan and will use to ensure long-term compliance with requirements of the programs involved, including minority business outreach and the comprehensive planning requirements
The City uses various methods to track and monitor the progress of HUD funded projects and activities.
The goal is to ensure that such programs and activities are being carried out in accordance with federal regulations and other statutory or regulatory requirements. The primary monitoring goals of the City are to provide technical assistance, identify deficiencies, and promote corrections in order to improve, reinforce, or augment the performance of the community's ConPlan.
Staff from the City’s Economic and Community Development Department provide technical assistance as needed to sub-recipients. All Requests for Proposals (RFPs), agreements, and contracts are scrutinized to ensure compliance with HUD and local procurement requirements, including equal employment opportunity, and nondiscrimination. Subrecipient contracts require verification of eligibility and substantiation of all pertinent information and activities. Project agreements contain language requiring periodic and annual monitoring of activities for financial and programmatic compliance.
Reviews of applications incorporates an evaluation of the following: timeliness in delivery of performance goals, appropriate and prompt expenditures, federal program eligibility of those benefiting from the project, Davis-Bacon requirements, and Housing Quality Standards. Findings and results for federally funded projects are reported to HUD annually in the City's Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). In addition, other reports dealing with federal requirements such as Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Section 3 compliance are submitted to HUD annually.
Other efforts include ongoing communication with subrecipients through the provision of onsite fiscal and technical assistance. Frequent telephone contacts, written communications, analysis of reports and annual audits, administrative and environmental guidance by City staff provide a basis for review and monitoring. All subrecipients must comply with various Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circulars and Single Audit Act requirements as applicable. Single audits must comply with federal auditing requirements, which dictate extensive reporting of financial resources, schedules, and internal controls. Any deficiencies identified are reviewed and resolved by the agencies involved prior to project closeout.
To ensure adherence to HOME and CDBG Program guidelines governing project monitoring during the affordability or restricted use periods, the City conducts various on-site inspections and residency verifications. To ensure adherence to HOME Program guidelines for Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), the City assesses the experience and technical ability of the CHDO and staff to determine organizational capacity. If necessary, the City offers technical assistance to those organizations that demonstrate the need for assistance before the project begins. 139
During a project, the City reviews the project description and evaluates whether activities undertaken by the CHDO are consistent with the description; and housing that is being acquired, developed, and/or rehabilitated meets the standards the City sets for housing projects. At the completion of a project, the CHDO reports its accomplishments to the City, and shows how these accomplishments meet the objectives of the project description; all funding used by the sub-grantees is required to be expended under program guidelines. Any discrepancies are noted and addressed with the CHDO. Additionally, regarding HOME funded rental projects, an Annual Performance Report (APR) is required by the developer during the affordability period which reflects the HOME monitoring regulations at 24 CFR 92.
To aid City staff in their attempts to monitor sub-recipients in their compliance with federal regulations, a monitoring handbook for federally funded recipients has been established. The handbook contains information for sub-recipients regarding monitoring strategies and procedures. The handbook outlines systems and procedures for tracking sub-recipient progress and sub-recipient monitoring follow-up. 140
Expected Resources
AP-15 Expected Resources – 91.220(c) (1, 2)
Introduction
The City of Bakersfield anticipates $6,879,591 available for projects through entitlement grant programs and program income. Specifically, the city anticipates the following breakdown by grant source:
• CDBG: $3,921,593
• HOME: $1,507,909 (includes $80,000 program income)
• HOPWA: $1,109,894
• ESG: $340,195
Priority Table
Table 1 - Expected Resources – Priority Table
Program Source of
Funds
Uses of Funds Expected Amount Available Year 1 Expected Amount
Available
Reminder of
ConPlan $
Narrative
Annual Description
Allocation: $
Program
Income:
$
Prior Year
Resources: $
Total:
$
CDBG public -
federal
Acquisition
Admin and
Planning
Economic
Development
Housing
Public
Improvements
Public Services 3,921,593 0 0 3,921,593 15,686,372
Prior year
resources used
as estimate for
FY 25-26.
HOME public -
federal
Acquisition
Homebuyer
assistance
Homeowner
rehab
Multifamily rental
new construction
Multifamily rental
rehab
New construction
for ownership
TBRA
1,427,909 80,000 0 1,507,909 6,031,636
Assumes
$80,000
program income
for the current
action plan year.
Prior year
resources used
as estimate for
FY 25-26.
Includes 10%
reduction
estimate.
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Program Source of
Funds
Uses of Funds Expected Amount Available Year 1 Expected Amount
Available
Reminder of
ConPlan $
Narrative
Annual Description
Allocation: $
Program
Income:
$
Prior Year
Resources: $
Total:
$
HOPWA public -
federal
Permanent
housing in
facilities
Permanent
housing
placement
Short term or
transitional
housing facilities
STRMU
Supportive
services
TBRA 1,109,894 0 0 1,109,894 $4,439,576
Prior year
resources used
as estimate for
FY 25-26.
ESG public -
federal
Conversion and
rehab for
transitional
housing
Financial
Assistance
Overnight shelter
Rapid rehousing
(rental assistance)
Rental Assistance
Services
Transitional
housing
340,195 0 0 340,195 1,360,780
Prior year
resources used
as estimate for
FY 25-26.
Explain how federal funds will leverage those additional resources (private, state and local funds), including a description of how matching requirements will be satisfied Applicants for CDBG, HOME, and ESG funds are rated on the percentage of assistance they are requesting from the City of Bakersfield. The City of Bakersfield gives preference to applicants that have other funds available to complete the project, and preferably, federal funds comprise less than 50% of the total project budget. The lower the percentage required from federal funds, the more points the proposal receives.
The CDBG Program does not require matching funds, although in most instances, additional funds are required to make a project feasible to implement. Both the HOME and ESG programs require a match.
There is no federal match requirement for HOPWA, however, project sponsors report leveraged funds. Due to the nature of the program, leveraged funds are typically nominal.
During the five-year period from 2020 to 2025 of the City’s ConPlan, the City reported leveraging approximately $2.55 for each dollar of HUD funding.
In addition, the City of Bakersfield anticipates funds to be leveraged from other non-entitlement resources that include, but are not limited to:
142
• Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) – New housing construction or residential rehabilitation programs funded in part with City of Bakersfield entitlement funding can leverage LIHTC. Federal 4% and 9% LIHTC are a likely principal source of funding in the construction or rehabilitation of affordable rental housing units, and are a dollar-for-dollar credit against federal tax liability for the tax credit investor.
• Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers – The Housing Authority of the County of Kern administers the Section 8 program within the City of Bakersfield. Section 8 funds provide rent subsidies to assist in housing affordability within the rental housing market. • Continuum of Care Funding (CoC) – The Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative, acting as the Continuum of Care for Kern County, receives funding directly from HUD to support efforts to end homelessness by providing housing and support services to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. In Fiscal Year 2024 HUD awarded the CoC $6.821 million in funding.
• State of California Affordable Housing Programs – In response to the affordable housing crisis in California the State government has opened up multiple funding sources for affordable housing development. These sources provide leveraging opportunities to create more affordable housing units with our HOME funds. Sources such as No Place Like Home (NPLH), Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities (AHSC), and Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) are a few examples of funding sources which the City intends to leverage with its HOME allocation in order to create more affordable housing units.
• State of California Homeless Grant - The Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention is a onetime block grant in 2020 that provides local jurisdictions with funds to support regional coordination and expand or develop local capacity to address their immediate homelessness challenges.
If appropriate, describe publicly owned land or property located within the jurisdiction that may be used to address the needs identified in the plan
As the housing crisis has worsened in California, using publicly owned land for affordable housing development has become an increasingly popular policy solution. In January 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an Executive Order directing State agencies to inventory and assess surplus State properties for their development potential. Unfortunately, the State owns just two surplus properties in Bakersfield, resulting in 1.99 total acres. For its part, the City regularly reviews its real estate portfolio and assesses if properties are being put to best use. Below includes a list of City owned properties:
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Source: City of Bakersfield, 2025
Streets, curb, gutter, sidewalks and drainage systems are part of the City’s infrastructure that require improvements for FY 2025/26. This Action Plan has identified the following 2 right-of-way infrastructure improvement projects funded through the CDBG program:
• Alta Vista Area Curb, Gutter, Sidewalk and ADA Improvements • Oriole Street Area Curb, Gutter, Sidewalk and ADA Improvements In addition to public infrastructure improvements, the City will install lighting along the East Truxtun Area.
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Annual Goals and Objectives
AP-20 Annual Goals and Objectives - 91.420, 91.220(c)(3)&(e) Goals Summary Information
Table 2 – Goals Summary
Sort
Order
Goal Name Start
Year
End
Year
Category Geographic
Area
Needs Addressed Funding Goal
Outcome
Indicator
1 Decent and
Affordable
Housing
2025 2026
Affordable
Housing
City of
Bakersfield
Affordable housing and
supportive services for
low-income
households.
HOME: $1,150,932.23 40 units
Affordable
Housing
HOME: CHDO:
$214,186
Part of units
above
Housing
Services
CDBG: $100,000 Fair
Housing Services GBLA 150 persons
Special Needs
Housing
CDBG: $50,000 Home
Access 5 persons
2 Services for
Homeless
2025 2026
Homeless
City of
Bakersfield
Housing and Shelter
services and rent for
persons experiencing
and at-risk of
homelessness
ESG: $57,341 Rapid
Rehousing 10 persons
Homeless ESG: $ 57,340 Homeless
Prevention 10 persons
Homeless ESG: $175,000 Shelter
Operations 600 persons
Homeless ESG Outreach: $25,000 60 persons
Homeless
HOPWA STRMU 80 persons
HOPWA TBRA: 40 persons
HOPWA Facility Based
PSH: 5 persons
HOPWA Short Term
Housing: 20 persons
3 Economic
Development
Opportunities
2025 2026
Non-Housing
Community
Development
City of
Bakersfield
Small Business
Assistance or Job
Creation and Technical
Assistance
CDBG: $100,000 Upwards 10 businesses
4 Public
Infrastructure
and Facility
Improvement
2025 2026
Non-Housing
Community
Development
City of
Bakersfield
Improve and create
public
infrastructure/facilities,
rehabilitation of aging
public facilities and
infrastructure to
support the population
CDBG: $100,000 GBLA
ADA Improvements 150 persons
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG: $600,000 East
Truxtun Lighting 580 persons
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG: $600,000 Oriole
Area CGS
1,000
persons
145
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG: $600,000 Alta Vista
Area CGS
1,175
persons
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG: $750,000 Catholic
Charities
1,385
persons
5 Services for
Special Needs
Population
2025 2026
NonHomeless
Special Needs
City of
Bakersfield
Housing and Support
for Special Needs
population, including
individuals with
HIV/AIDS
CDBG: $90,000 Bakersfield
Senior Center 200 persons
HOPWA Supportive
Services
100 persons
HOPWA Housing
Information Services 100 persons
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Goal Descriptions
Table 3 – Goal Descriptions
1 Goal Name Decent and Affordable Housing
Goal
Description
Invest in and preserve the supply of affordable housing for low-and-moderate income households, including homeownership opportunities.
2 Goal Name Prevent and Reduce Homeless
Goal
Description
Prevent and reduce homelessness, including increased support related to mental and behavioral health.
3 Goal Name Economic Development Opportunities
Goal
Description
Foster and improve the quality of life by increasing access to economic development opportunities. 4 Goal Name Community Infrastructure and Facility Improvements Goal
Description
Improve community infrastructure and facilities to promote safe and vibrant communities. 5 Goal Name Public Services
Goal
Description
Increase vital services for community residents, including but not limited to those with special needs, such as children and youth, seniors, persons with disabilities, and persons living with HIV/AIDS Estimate the number of extremely low-income, low-income, and moderate-income families to whom the jurisdiction will provide affordable housing as defined by HOME 91.215(b):
In FY 2025-26, the City of Bakersfield will provide affordable housing, through new construction of rental units, as defined by HOME 91.215(b) to approximately 40 low- income households, 4 low-to-moderate income households with downpayment assistance, and 20 low-income households with home accessibility improvements.
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AP-35 Projects – 91.220(d)
Introduction
The ConPlan identifies five goals to address the City’s affordable housing and community development needs during the five-year period (2025-26). General priority categories of housing, homelessness, special needs, economic development and community development needs and their associated goals are addressed in the various activities to be undertaken. The following Action Plan 2025-26 projects estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities, including special local objectives and priority needs.
The Action Plan also provides information related to the proposed geographic distribution of investment. It includes a general description of homeless and other community development needs, activities to be undertaken, and other actions to address the obstacles in meeting underserved needs and reducing poverty.
The budget for the City’s first year of the Action Plan is $6,879,591 in entitlement funds and program income which is distributed as follows:
• CDBG - 3,921,593
• HOME - $1,507,909
• ESG - $340,195
• HOPWA - $1,109,894
Within the resources detailed above, the City anticipated utilizing $983,193.96 for planning and administration related to program delivery of entitlement grant programs. Specifically, the City anticipates the following breakdown of costs associated with administration:
• CDBG - $781,593
• HOME - $142,790.96
• ESG - $25,514
• HOPWA - $33,296
The City anticipates utilizing 20% of CDBG program funds, 10% of HOME program income for planning and administration; and allowing Kern County Public Health (HOPWA Project Sponsor) up to $75,361.86 148
in administration costs (not exceeding 7% of HOPWA program funds net City administrative costs).
Table 4 – Project Information
# Project Name
1 Bakersfield Senior Center Public Services
2 Fair Housing Program Services
3 Alta Vista Area Curb, Gutter, Sidewalk Reconstruction 4 Oriole Street Area Curb, Gutter, Sidewalk Reconstruction 5 East Truxtun Street Lighting Project
6 GBLA ADA and Parking Lot Improvements
7 Home Access Grant Program
8 Catholic Charites Food Bank Expansion
9 Upwards – Small Business Technical Assistance for Daycare Providers 10 General Management and Oversight
11 New Construction and Downpayment Assistance
12 CHDO Set Aside
13 Home Administration/Planning Costs
14 HESG – Street Outreach
15 HESG – Shelter
16 HESG – Rapid Rehousing
17 HESG – Homeless Prevention
18 Kern County Public Health HOPWA Services
19 HOPWA City Administration
Describe the reasons for allocation priorities and any obstacles to addressing underserved needs The ConPlan identifies five goals to address the housing and community development needs during the five-year period (2025-30). General priority categories of affordable housing, homelessness, special needs, economic development and community development needs and their associated goals are 149
addressed in the activities to be undertaken. These activities estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities, including special local objectives and priority needs. In addition, the City takes into account consultation made with organizations, agencies, and residents to further refine priorities.
In anticipation of the next year's funding cycle, a Notice of Funding Availability is published each October regarding the availability of grant information, and notice is sent to a list of known service providers, community-based organizations, individual City departments, and any other person or entity that has expressed interest in the program. All applications, including those submitted by City departments, are reviewed, qualified, and scored by Community Development staff on an equal basis for consideration by the Budget and Finance Committee of the City Council for inclusion in the Annual Action Plan for project funding. The Action Plan is then taken to Council for consideration based on identified priorities. 150
Projects
AP-38 Projects Summary
Project Summary Information
Table 5 – Project Summary
1 Project Name Bakersfield Senior Center Public Services Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Services for Special Needs Population
Needs Addressed Senior Services
Funding CDBG: $90,000
Description Funds for public services for low-income seniors at the Bakersfield Senior Center located at 530 4th Street.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
200 low-mod income seniors will benefit from this activity.
Location Description Bakersfield Senior Center - 530 4th Street Planned Activities Operation and Maintenance for Senior Center located at 530 4th Street. 2 Project Name Fair Housing Program Services
Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Decent and Affordable Housing
Needs Addressed Affordable Housing Services
Funding CDBG: $100,000
Description Fair Housing services provided by Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance including legal assistance, education, intake, screening, counselling, testing and mediation.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
180 low/moderate income people will be assisted with this activity; a portion of those served may be disabled.
Location Description 615 California Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93304 151
Planned Activities Fair Housing services provided by Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance including legal assistance, education, intake, screening, counselling, testing and mediation. 3 Project Name Alta Vista Curb, Gutter, Sidewalk Reconstruction Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Community Infrastructure and Facility Improvements Needs Addressed Community Infrastructure: Sidewalks and Streets Funding CDBG: $600,000
Description Install sidewalk, curb and gutter, access ramps, and cross-gutters where needed to improve drainage prior to resurfacing/reconstruction from Union Avenue to Alta Vista Drive and Niles Street to Bernard Street
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
665 low/moderate income persons will be served out of a total population of 1,175 in the area.
Location Description Area bounded by Union Avenue to the West, Alta Vista Drive to the east, Niles Street to the south and Bernard Street to the north. (Ward 3).
Planned Activities Install sidewalk, curb and gutter, access ramps, and cross-gutters where needed to improve drainage prior to resurfacing/reconstruction from Union Avenue to Alta Vista Drive and Niles Street to Bernard Street
4 Project Name Oriole Street Area Curb, Gutter, Sidewalk Reconstruction Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Community Infrastructure and Facility Improvements Needs Addressed Community Infrastructure: Sidewalks and Streets Funding CDBG: $600,000
Description Install sidewalk, curb and gutter, access ramps, and cross-gutters where needed to improve drainage prior to resurfacing/reconstruction. From Stine Road to Akers Road, bounded by Ming Avenue to Wilson Road
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
525 low/moderate income persons will be served out of a total population of 1,000 in the area.
Location Description Area bounded by Stine Road to the west, Akers Road to the east, Ming Avenue to the north, and Wilson Avenue to the south. (Ward 1)
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Planned Activities Install sidewalk, curb and gutter, access ramps, and cross-gutters where needed to improve drainage prior to resurfacing/reconstruction. From Stine Road to Akers Road, bounded by Ming Avenue to Wilson Road
5 Project Name East Truxtun Street Lighting Project
Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Community Infrastructure and Facility Improvements Needs Addressed Community Infrastructure: Lighting
Funding CDBG: $600,000
Description Upgrade lighting system with new street light poles, energy efficient LED fixtures, a new underground electrical conduit system, and a new service pedestal.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
580 low/moderate income persons will be served, which is 100% of the population of the area.
Location Description Area bounded by Sonora Street to the East and Baker Street to the west, along E. Truxtun Avenue.
Planned Activities Upgrade an existing high-voltage series lighting system that is no longer reliable with new street light poles, energy efficient LED fixtures, a new underground electrical conduit system, and a new service pedestal.
6 Project Name GBLA ADA and Parking Lot Improvements
Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Community Infrastructure and Facility Improvements Needs Addressed Community Facilities – Fair Housing and Legal Assistance Funding CDBG: $250,000
Description GBLA's campus has two buildings at 615 and 601 California Avenue, plus an empty lot at 701 California Avenue. This project will: Upgrade the bathrooms in both buildings to meet ADA standards; Pave the vacant lot and add a gate for safer parking.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
3,000 low mod persons
Location Description Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance Buildings, at 601 and 615 California Avenue, as well as a vacant lot at 701 California Avenue.
153
Planned Activities GBLA's campus has two buildings at 615 and 601 California Avenue, plus an empty lot at 701 California Avenue. This project will: Upgrade the bathrooms in both buildings to meet ADA standards; Pave the vacant lot and add a gate for safer parking. 7 Project Name Home Access Grant Program
Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Services for Special Needs Population
Needs Addressed Home Rehab – Special Needs
Funding CDBG: $50,000
Description Grants for handicapped accessibility improvements to privately or publicly owned residential structures in neighborhoods.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
Approximately 20 households will be assisted.
Location Description Citywide
Planned Activities Grants up to $5,000 for handicapped accessibility improvements to privately or publicly owned residential structures in neighborhoods.
8 Project Name Catholic Charities Food Bank Expansion
Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Community Infrastructure and Facility Improvements Needs Addressed Community Facilities – Food Bank and Resources Funding CDBG: $750,000
Description Construction of a new food distribution space and office space for services.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
1000 low/moderate income persons
Location Description 825 Chester Avenue, on the corner of 9th Street and Chester Avenue, next to the original Catholic Charities building. On the west side of Chester Avenue.
Planned Activities Construction of a new food distribution space and office space for services. 9 Project Name Upwards – Small Business Technical Assistance for Daycare Providers Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Economic Development Opportunities
Needs Addressed Technical Assistance to Small Businesses and Access to Daycare 154
Funding CDBG: $100,000
Description Technical assistance to micro-enterprises in the fields of child daycare.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
The BOOST program will directly assist 10 in-home childcare providers in Bakersfield, offering business coaching, digital tools, and marketing support to help them grow their operations.
Each participating provider can serve up to 14 children, meaning that approximately 168 children can be assisted.
Location Description Citywide
Planned Activities The BOOST program in Bakersfield will help in-home childcare providers grow their businesses and create more childcare spots for families. Recruit and offer training, business coaching, and digital tools to make running a daycare easier.
10 Project Name General Management and Oversight
Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported All
Needs Addressed All priorities.
Funding CDBG: $781,593
Description Costs associated with overall program management, coordination, and monitoring of the CDBG program.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
N/A
Location Description N/A
Planned Activities Costs associated with overall program management, coordination, and monitoring of the CDBG program.
11 Project Name New Construction Assistance and Downpayment Assistance Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Decent and Affordable Housing
Needs Addressed Development of Affordable Housing units, and providing downpayment assistance for home purchase.
Funding HOME: $1,150,932.23
Description Housing development costs associated with the acquisition and/or construction of affordable housing and Downpayment assistance.
155
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
Minimum of 38 low-income households with new units, 3 households with Downpayment Assistance.
Location Description Citywide
Planned Activities Gap financing associated with the development of affordable housing, and downpayment assistance.
12 Project Name CHDO Set Aside
Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Decent and Affordable Housing
Needs Addressed Development of Affordable Housing units Funding HOME: $214,186
Description Loans and/or grants to develop, acquire, rehabilitate, and/or construct affordable single or multi-family housing. Project to be implemented by a qualified Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO).
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
A minimum of 2 low-income households.
Location Description Citywide
Planned Activities Gap financing associated with the development of affordable housing. 13 Project Name HOME Administration/Planning Costs
Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported All goals
Needs Addressed All.
Funding HOME: $142,790
Description Costs related to overall management & coordination of the HOME program.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
N/A
Location Description N/A
156
Planned Activities Administrative costs associated with the management and coordination of the HOME Investment Partnership Program.
14 Project Name HESG – Street Outreach
Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Prevent and Reduce Homeless
Needs Addressed Homeless Outreach
Funding ESG: $25,000
Description Provide homeless outreach services to homeless community members in the City of Bakersfield Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
80 persons
Location Description 1600 Truxtun Avenue, Floor 3 Bakersfield, CA 93301 Planned Activities Provide homeless outreach services to homeless community members in the City of Bakersfield and connect them with shelter, affordable housing and mainstream services needed to reintegrate them into the community. 15 Project Name HESG Shelter
Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Prevent and Reduce Homeless
Needs Addressed Operations and Maintenance for Shelters Funding ESG: $175,000
Description Operational costs for the Open Door Network Homeless Shelter, Mission Shelter and Alliance Against Family Violence Shelter.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
600
Location Description Various
Planned Activities Operational costs for the Open Door Network Homeless Shelter, Mission Shelter and Alliance Against Family Violence Shelter.
Project Name HESG – Rapid Rehousing
157
16 Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Prevent and Reduce Homeless
Needs Addressed Housing for Homeless Persons
Funding ESG: $57,341
Description Relocation and stabilization, stabilization and short- and medium-term, rental assistance, as well as utility security deposits, and application fees for those who are currently homeless.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
10 Location Description 1921 19th Street, 93301
Planned Activities Relocation and stabilization, stabilization and short- and medium-term, rental assistance, as well as utility security deposits, and application fees. 17 Project Name HESG – Homeless Prevention
Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Prevent and Reduce Homeless
Needs Addressed Homeless Prevention
Funding ESG: $57,340
Description Relocation and stabilization, stabilization and short- and medium-term, rental assistance, as well as utility security deposits, and application fees for those at risk of homelessness.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
10 Location Description 1921 19th Street, 93301
Planned Activities Relocation and stabilization, stabilization and short- and medium-term, rental assistance, as well as utility security deposits, and application fees for those at risk of homelessness. 19 Project Name Kern County Public Health HOPWA Services Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Services for Special Needs Population
158
Needs Addressed
Funding HOPWA: $1,076,598
Description Rental assistance, emergency assistance, housing counseling and related services to ensure safe and stable housing for persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
Short-term Rent, Mortgage and/or Utility assistance (STRMU): 80 Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA): 40
Facility-Based Housing – 5
Short Term Housing: 20
HOPWA Supportive Services – 100
HOPWA Information Services- 100
Location Description Citywide
Planned Activities Activities include Short-term Rent (STRMU), Tenant-based Rental Assistance (TBRA), Facilitybased Housing, Housing Information Services, and Supportive Services. 20 Project Name HOPWA City Administration
Target Area City of Bakersfield
Goals Supported Services for Special Needs Population
Needs Addressed
Funding HOPWA: $33,296
Description Administrative costs related to oversight of HOPWA Program activities Target Date 6/30/2026
Estimate the number
and type of families that
will benefit from the
proposed activities
N/A
Location Description N/A
Planned Activities Administrative costs related to oversight of HOPWA Program activities 159
160
AP-50 Geographic Distribution – 91.220(f)
Description of the geographic areas of the entitlement (including areas of low-income and minority concentration) where assistance will be directed
CDBG. There are no targeted areas for CDBG investments within the City. Priority is given to areas comprised of 51% or more low-moderate income residents. Housing programs funded with CDBG funds are available citywide to low- and moderate-income residents. Fair housing services are also provided citywide. Supportive services are available citywide to low- and moderate-income residents and persons with special needs. Debt service on Section 108 public improvement projects are located in low- and moderate-income areas. Public infrastructure and facility improvements are in predominately low- and moderate-income areas.
HOME. No HOME projects have been selected for funding; however, staff is expecting several applications for affordable housing during the fiscal year. At that time, projects will be evaluated on how best they can serve low- and moderate-income income households in the City. HOME funds will also be used for Down payment assistance for homes purchased by low and moderate income buyers citywide.
ESG. Supportive services are available citywide to the homeless.
HOPWA. HOPWA assistance will be available county-wide.
Geographic Distribution
Table 6 - Geographic Distribution
Target Area Percentage of Funds
City of Bakersfield 94
Rationale for the priorities for allocating investments geographically There are no specific geographic target areas in Bakersfield; however, all public service programs funded with CDBG funding will be available citywide to eligible persons. The City will also allocate CDBG funds for public facility and public infrastructure projects located in eligible low- and moderate-income areas. HOME funds will be targeted within the City of Bakersfield. ESG funds are targeted within the City of Bakersfield corporate limits, and HOPWA funds are available Citywide. 161
Affordable Housing
AP-55 Affordable Housing – 91.220(g)
Introduction
The City’s 2025-30 Consolidated Plan (ConPlan) ranks preserving and providing affordable housing opportunities to low- to moderate-income households as a high priority for the community. Surveys from the community and market studies on affordable housing established the ranking. In addition, the Housing Authority of the County of Kern and other low-income housing providers have long waiting lists from potential tenants for available affordable housing units. These lists continue to grow as the State’s affordable housing crisis increases. Currently, the Housing Authority of the County of Kern reports 11,513 households on the waiting list for affordable housing.
Adopted in 2016, the City of Bakersfield’s Housing Element includes programs to:
• Provide housing opportunities and accessibility for all economic segments of the City; • Provide and maintain an adequate supply of sites for the development of affordable new housing; • Preserve, rehabilitate, and enhance existing housing and neighborhoods; • Ensure that all housing programs are available without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, age, household composition or size, and any other arbitrary factor; and
• Encourage and enhance intergovernmental, public, and private coordination and cooperation to achieve an adequate supply of housing for all economic and social segments of the community.
The City of Bakersfield’s Development Services Department is currently working on the Housing Element which is anticipated to be certified in 2025.
The City of Bakersfield continues to actively pursue its goal of creating decent, accessible, and affordable housing. The City’s previous ConPlan aimed to develop, construct, or rehabilitate 271 affordable housing units during the five-year period. During that period, the following progress was made towards that goal:
Projects Constructed During the ConPlan 2020-25:
• 6th Street Apartments (40 units)
• Brentwood Crossings (58 units)
• Sagewood (72 units)
• Residents at East Hills (81 units)
• 22nd Street Lofts (20 units)
The City of Bakersfield’s 2025-2030 Consolidated Plan sets the City of Bakersfield’s targets for new affordable housing units at 200 units for the 5-year cycle. Currently, the City of Bakersfield has the following projects identified in previous Action Plans for funding and development:
Prospective Projects for Construction During the ConPlan 2025-30:
162
• Renaissance at Baker (85 units)
• 800 South Baker (8 Units)
• Letzring Senior Housing (150 units, seniors only)
• 4th Street Apartments (16 units)
• City View Homes (37 units, homeownership only)
• Auburn Street Apartments (60 units)
• Niles Street Apartments (51 units)
• Fairfax Road Housing (81 units)
• M Street Apartments (4 units)
• CityServe (125 units)
Broken down into one-year goals, the City shall prioritize its funding to develop, construct, or rehabilitate 40 affordable housing units. In addition to the 40 affordable units per year, the City plans to provide home accessibility improvements for at least ten households, provide down payment assistance to at least 3 households, and provide rental assistance (Rapid Rehousing and Homeless Prevention) to 20 households. While no new affordable housing units are currently proposed for funding with the City of Bakersfield’s 2025-26 HOME allocation, the City set aside the majority of 2025-26 HOME funds to be used toward New Construction for a future project.
Affordable Housing
Table 7 - One Year Goals for Affordable Housing by Support Requirement One Year Goals for the Number of Households to be Supported Homeless 0
Non-Homeless
4 Down payment Assistance
40 Rental Units Constructed
Special-Needs 10 Home Access
Total 54
Table 8 - One Year Goals for Affordable Housing by Support Type One Year Goals for the Number of Households Supported Through Rental Assistance 0
163
One Year Goals for the Number of Households Supported Through The Production of New Units 40 New Construction
Rehab of Existing Units 10 Home Access
Acquisition of Existing Units 0
Homeowners Assisted 4 Down payment
Total 54
164
AP-60 Public Housing – 91.220(h)
Introduction
The Housing Authority of the County of Kern (HACK) administers Bakersfield’s Public Housing programs and the Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. Currently, HACK operates and maintains 8 low-income public housing or other affordable housing complexes, totaling 545 units in Kern County. Bakersfield is home to four of these developments, with a total of 397 units. HACK offers many different programs within these complexes to ensure self-sufficiency and success by its tenants. In the past year, HACK has provided permanent supportive housing (PSH) to 1,173 households with only adults and 332 households with adults and children. Additionally, 374 chronically homeless households have been connected to PSH.
The Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers program is overseen by HACK. Currently, HACK through the Section 8 Housing Voucher Program (HCV) has 4,717 participants within Kern County. The program provides rental subsidies to low-income families who spend more than 30% of their gross income on housing costs. These recipients are able to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and are not limited to those units, which are provided in subsidized housing projects.
HACK reports that all 545 public housing units in Kern County are either occupied or committed.
Additionally, 3,694 households in Bakersfield receive Housing Choice Voucher assistance. Despite these efforts, the demand for affordable housing still exceeds the available inventory, with 11,513 households currently on the public housing waiting list.
Actions planned during the next year to address the needs to public housing The City and the HACK will continue to look for funding to construct additional low-income housing and provide self-sufficiency programs for clients. Last fiscal year, the Bakersfield City Council approved HOME funds for the Niles Street Apartments affordable housing project which will include 51 units. This project was supported by the City of Bakersfield in its Fiscal Year 24/25 Action Plan via amendment. The project is anticipated to be underway in May 2025. Additionally, City of Bakersfield is collaborating with the HACK’s Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) arm to look into affordable housing sources from the State of California to support future projects and leverage with HOME funds. In addition to working with HACK and other service providers, the City will fund Fair Housing education, outreach, testing, and referral services, monitor unfair/predatory lending practices, ensure training for apartment owners/managers on fair housing laws, and host or partner with service providers to hold Fair Housing workshops to educate the public about fair housing rights and housing laws.
Actions to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in management and participate in homeownership
HACK operates under the accountability of a seven-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Kern County Board of Supervisors. Two of the seven commissioners, referred to as “Tenant Commissioners,” must live in public housing or participate in the voucher program. HACK employs 230 165
employees under an administrative structure headed by an Executive Director who reports to the Board of Commissioners. The mission of HACK is to improve the quality of life for low-income residents of Kern County by providing safe, affordable housing and by assisting residents to become self-sufficient and to achieve home ownership. Last fiscal year, HACK assisted 32 families to become first-time homebuyers.
If the PHA is designated as troubled, describe the manner in which financial assistance will be provided or other assistance
Not applicable. HACK is Bakersfield’s PHA and is not designated as troubled. 166
AP-65 Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities – 91.220(i) Describe the jurisdictions one-year goals and actions for reducing and ending homelessness including The City of Bakersfield’s ConPlan shows a 5-year goal of serving 3,000 homeless persons with shelter assistance and 100 households with Rapid Rehousing or Homeless Prevention assistance. This year, the City anticipates serving 600 of the 3,000 homeless persons with shelter assistance and 20 of the 100 households with Rapid Rehousing and/or Homeless Prevention assistance. In addition, 80 people are anticipated to be served through homeless outreach. These goals will be accomplished through the City’s Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) which will fund the following agencies in FY 2025-26. • The Open Door Network – Shelter: $70,000 ESG
• The Open Door Network – Rapid Rehousing: $57,341 ESG
• The Open Door Network – Homeless Prevention: $57,340 ESG • The Mission at Kern County – Shelter: $70,000 ESG
• Flood Bakersfield Ministries – Street Outreach: $25,000 ESG • Alliance Against Family Violence – Shelter: $35,000 ESG Additionally, through FY 2025-26 HOPWA funding, the City of Bakersfield will work with Kern County Public Health to reach out to and address the needs of the homeless persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their individual needs will be an essential part of the City’s outreach efforts.
Assessing the Needs of Homeless Persons
The Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative (BKRHC), which serves as the local Continuum of Care (CoC), is a valuable source of outreach to the homeless community. It is the policy of the City’s Economic and Community Development Department to regularly have staff representation at CoC meetings in order to gain input from the BKRHC on homeless needs, priorities, and ESG project performance. The homeless subgroups each have unique needs. The CoC Governing Board includes at least one representative from the Homeless or Formerly Homeless Population, one Veterans Affairs/Homeless Veterans Service Provider Representative, and one McKinney-Vento Liaison/Local Education Agency Representative/or Educational Services to Homeless Children & Youth Representative.
The city also participates in the yearly Point in Time Count (or homeless census) conducted by the BKRHC and was part of the process in developing the current BKRHC Strategic Plan. The City of Bakersfield also holds a seat on the BKRHC’s Executive Board.
The City will work with BKRHC to gather input throughout the Action Plan process from the homeless community. The City works with the collaborative to distribute Notice of Funding Availability for City HUD funds, Action Plan and CAPER notices, community input surveys, and public outreach flyers. The City will ensure postings at homeless shelters, homeless outreach providers, public housing providers, and common areas within the City. Needs identified in collaboration with the BKRHC directly impact projects included in the 2025-26 Action Plan and the 2025-2030 Consolidated Plan. 167
In addition, the City will continue to support the ongoing funding of assessment and outreach activities as well as the expansion and creation of additional outreach activities provided by existing homeless and social service organizations throughout the City. In 2025-26, Flood Bakersfield Ministries has been selected to receive $25,000 in ESG funds. Outreach from local and state programs has also been allocated for Homeless Outreach activities.
Supporting the Coordinated Entry and HMIS Systems of the Homeless Collaborative In serving the homeless community, the City supports the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative (BKRHC) Coordinated Entry and Assessment approach. This approach is a standardized plan for the entire BKRHC which incorporates tools, processes, policies and HUD CoC and ESG requirements to maximize efficient and ethical intervention. Service providers share one point of entry for services, ensuring people who are homeless or who are at risk for homelessness are served and/or housed as quickly and efficiently as possible. This approach increases service provider connectivity, and the ability to properly assess the individual needs of homeless persons. Data is collected through the HMIS System, and help providers assess the needs of participants more accurately. Participants in the City’s ESG grants participate in the BKRHC HMIS and Coordinated Entry System. The City has also used state funds to help support the BKRHC’s HMIS system.
Addressing the emergency shelter and transitional housing needs of homeless persons Through prioritizations established in collaboration with the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative, the City will use its Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), to fund the Open Door Network Shelter, the Mission at Kern County Shelter and the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault Shelter. As detailed above, these funds will be used to improve the quality of emergency shelters for the homeless, cover operating costs of such shelters, provide essential social services, provide essential social services and homeless prevention services, and offer other assistance to the homeless community.
The City of Bakersfield is also a recipient of the State’s Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program (HHAP) and provides local grants for homeless shelters, PSH, outreach, case management, HMIS, CES, and other homeless programs.
Helping homeless persons (especially chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth) make the transition to permanent housing and independent living, including shortening the period of time that individuals and families experience homelessness, facilitating access for homeless individuals and families to affordable housing units, and preventing individuals and families who were recently homeless from becoming homeless again
Using Entitlement Funds
During the FY 2025-26 Action Plan year, the City will use ESG, HOME, and HOPWA funds to help homeless persons make the transition to permanent housing and independent living. The City will use its 168
ESG grant to provide funds to three homeless shelter providers. The City will also fund a Rapid Rehousing program (providing homeless persons with funds to pay for rent and deposits), a Homeless Prevention Program, and a Homeless Outreach program (providing outreach to smooth the transition from homelessness into independent living) during FY25-26. In addition, the City anticipates using HOME funds to support new construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing projects within the City (see Sections AP-55, AP-90). Through FY 2025-26 HOPWA funding, the City of Bakersfield will also work with Kern County Public Health to address the needs of homeless persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Supporting the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative The City of Bakersfield is an active member of the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative (BKRHC) and supports its strategy to prevent homelessness. BKRHC members use a Coordinated Entry approach, collect data using a centralized Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and consider the unique needs of homeless sub-groups (such as chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth).
The BKRHC uses a Coordinated Entry approach, which is a standardized plan for the entire BKRHC that incorporates tools, processes, policies and HUD CoC and ESG requirements to maximize efficient and ethical intervention. Service providers share one point of entry for services, ensuring people who are homeless or who are at risk for homelessness are served and/or housed as quickly and efficiently as possible. This approach increases service provider connectivity, and the ability to properly assess the individual needs of homeless persons. Data collected by the BKRHC is entered into the HMIS (including the resources each participant has attained, the period of time a participant has remained homeless, and other important data that helps the service providers assess and deliver the proper services). This data collection approach has been set up with the goals of helping homeless persons make the transition to permanent housing and independent living, including shortening the period of time that individuals and families experience homelessness, facilitating access for homeless individuals and families to affordable housing units, and preventing individuals and families who were recently homeless from becoming homeless again. Participants in the City’s ESG grants participate in the BKRHC Coordinated Entry approach, and the HMIS.
Helping Specific Sub-Groups
The BKRHC maintains a by-name list and participates in prioritizing chronically homeless individuals and families to ensure beds are utilized. Thirty-six (36) Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) per year are designated by our local Public Housing Authority for the most vulnerable chronically homeless. In addition, the BKRHC participates in the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Community Plan responsible for planning and coordinating efforts to prevent and end homelessness among veterans.
The SSVF group meets monthly through the CoC Housing Committee and reviews the veterans awarded vouchers by HUD-VASH, the number of open vouchers in the community, and the numbers of veterans served. In addition, the BKRHC has implemented a homeless youth working group that strategizes and builds awareness of this population of the homeless community. The group works with Bakersfield 169
College, Kern County Superintendent of Schools and the Kern High School District to partner in the work of assisting unaccompanied homeless youth.
Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely lowincome individuals and families and those who are: being discharged from publicly funded institutions and systems of care (such as health care facilities, mental health facilities, foster care and other youth facilities, and corrections programs and institutions); or, receiving assistance from public or private agencies that address housing, health, social services, employment, education, or youth needs.
The Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative (BKRHC) has included discharge coordination as a part of the regional Strategic Plan to address homelessness. This plan will be reviewed regularly at the sub-committee level who will oversee the collaboratives efforts around institutional discharge and systems of care. Additionally, the City of Bakersfield’s funded homeless shelter, Brundage Lane Navigations Center, has partnered with local hospitals to develop a respite care facility at the shelter.
Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (KBHRS) has developed and implemented policies for the discharge of persons from publicly funded institutions or systems of care. KBHRS works in conjunction with health care facilities, foster care or other youth facilities, and corrections programs and institutions to help prevent the discharge of individuals resulting in homelessness.
The Kern County Department of Human Services expedites discharged individuals’ applications for general-aid, Cal Fresh, and other entitlements so that they do not experience gaps in coverage that can contribute to or exacerbate medical, psychiatric, or financial crises and homelessness. In addition, Kern County will connect individuals who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless to permanent housing and a case manager prior to discharge. Finally, the County Department of Human Services will work with the California Department of Corrections and the Kern County Jail to facilitate recently released individuals’ transition from incarceration to community living. 170
AP-70 HOPWA Goals – 91.220 (l)(3)
One year goals for the number of households to be provided housing through the use of HOPWA for:
Short-term rent, mortgage, and utility assistance to prevent homelessness of the individual or family 80
Tenant-based rental assistance 40
Units provided in permanent housing facilities developed, leased, or operated with HOPWA funds 5
Units provided in transitional short-term housing facilities developed, leased, or operated with HOPWA funds 20
Total 165
City of Bakersfield’s HOPWA Program, administered by Kern County Health Department, provides critical emergency assistance to persons living with HIV/AIDS to prevent loss of housing and becoming homeless while addressing social, economic, health and mental health challenges. The program assists eligible clients throughout Kern County with case management services, food, and transportation assistance with the goal of achieving housing stability and access to care. Other partners in service delivery are HACK and Clinica Sierra Vista. Together these agencies work to minimize the effect that living with HIV/AIDS has on housing stability.
Additionally, the following HOPWA Services will be provided in FY25-26 One year goals for the number of households to be provided services through the use of HOPWA for:
HOPWA Supportive Services 100
HOPWA Housing Information Services 100
Total 200
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AP-75 Barriers to affordable housing – 91.220(j)
Introduction
The City of Bakersfield has instituted actions aimed at reducing the impact of the public sector role in housing costs and affordability.
Actions it planned to remove or ameliorate the negative effects of public policies that serve as barriers to affordable housing such as land use controls, tax policies affecting land, zoning ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limitations, and policies affecting the return on residential investment
To preserve affordability, the City allows and encourages developers to "piggyback" or file concurrent applications (i.e. rezones, tentative tract maps, conditional use permits, variance requests, etc.) if multiple approvals are required, and if consistent with applicable processing requirements. The City will continue to have staff available to assists low-income housing developers through permits, approvals, plan checks, inspections, etc. in order to make the approval process smoother and faster.
The City provides cost reductions to developers through the Density Bonus Ordinance when low and very-low income housing units are proposed. Further cost reductions occur in the form of increased densities and concessions such as flexibility in site development standards and zoning code requirements, reductions in development fees and dedication requirements, financial aid, and/or accelerated plan check.
Cost reductions occur through the more efficient use of land in the Commercial/Residential land use zone, SRO conversions, reduced parking requirements for the downtown area, granny units, accessory units and the Planned Unit Development (PUD) program. For example, the PUD residential districts of the zoning code allow design flexibility through, but not limited to, small lots, zero lot line, cluster developments, mixed unit types and high-rise apartments.
These housing policies and programs are included in the City’s Housing Element, as required by State law. Further, the City of Bakersfield, in accordance with SB 35, began a procedure for streamlining the approval of affordable housing. This process allows for faster review and approval times for affordable housing projects in an effort to increase the City of Bakersfield’s affordable housing production. The 2015-2023 Housing Element includes policies and programs to accommodate the City’s fair share of the regional housing needs of extremely low, very low, low, moderate and above moderate-income households. The city is currently working on the Draft Housing Element for following 8 years which is anticipated to be certified in 2025.When approved the City of Bakersfield Economic and Community Development Department will ensure that HUD funds help meet goals and actions outlines in the updated Housing Element.
In 2018 the citizens of Bakersfield passed a one percent sales tax measure to fund community enhancements. Since then, millions of dollars have been allocated to assist in the development of affordable housing. With this local leverage, the City aims to provide more financing to local housing developers to secure state or federal funding sources, which in turn will generate more affordable 172
housing units. The budget process for allocating Measure N funds is done on an annual basis, providing continued opportunity for the City to continue leveraging general funds to assist affordable housing development. More readily available funding for affordable housing will reduce the need to compete for limited state and federal sources, and in turn provide a local source to assist projects in financing their subsidy gap.
Additionally, as described previously in this document, the City of Bakersfield will continue to seek partnerships to create or preserve affordable housing by providing financial assistance through the City’s entitlement programs.
173
AP-85 Other Actions – 91.220(k)
Introduction
Through the needs assessment and market analysis, as well as information derived from consultation with service providers and community input from the City’s outreach efforts, the five-year ConPlan establishes the following priority needs:
1 Goal Name Decent and Affordable Housing
Goal
Description
Invest in and preserve the supply of affordable housing for low-and-moderate income households, including homeownership opportunities.
2 Goal Name Prevent and Reduce Homeless
Goal
Description
Prevent and reduce homelessness, including increased support related to mental and behavioral health.
3 Goal Name Economic Development Opportunities
Goal
Description
Foster and improve the quality of life by increasing access to economic development opportunities. 4 Goal Name Community Infrastructure and Facility Improvements Goal
Description
Improve community infrastructure and facilities to promote safe and vibrant communities. 5 Goal Name Public Services
Goal
Description
Increase vital services for community residents, including but not limited to those with special needs, such as children and youth, seniors, persons with disabilities, and persons living with HIV/AIDS Actions planned to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs The ability of the City to address underserved needs depend on the availability of resources. The City will continue to use CDBG, HOME, ESG and HOPWA funds to support projects that improve and expand the affordable housing stock, expand community and economic development, improve infrastructure and public facilities for non-homeless special needs and for homeless persons and persons living with HIV/AIDS. This year’s CDBG funding will support several important community projects, including:
• Street repairs in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods • Improved street lighting in an underserved area
• ADA upgrades and parking lot improvements at Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc. • Fair housing services for victims of housing discrimination • Home accessibility improvements for eligible residents • Expansion of a local food bank and community center
• Ongoing services for senior citizens
174
• Technical assistance for small businesses
These projects aim to enhance safety, accessibility, and support for those in need throughout our community.
Likewise, HOME funds will be used to provide affordable housing options through the support of future new affordable housing projects, home rehab for accessibility improvements and down payment assistance. ESG funds will be used to provide shelter, outreach, homeless prevention and rapid rehousing services, and HOPWA will provide services and housing to individuals with HIV/AIDS.
Additionally, the City will seek other federal and state funding sources to better meet these underserved needs.
Actions planned to foster and maintain affordable housing Increasing and preserving the supply of affordable housing for low-and-moderate income households is a high priority and goal of the City. In FY 2025-26, the City will implement programs that directly help increase the availability and accessibility of affordable housing units. Under the proposed Action Plan, the City of Bakersfield is proposing to allocate $1,150, 932 to affordable housing construction as well as downpayment assistance. An additional $214,186 in HOME funds will be set aside for future affordable housing projects by a certified Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO). In addition, $114,681 of ESG funds will be used to assist households who are recently or are at-risk-of homeless to re-establish permanent housing for the household, and HOPWA funds will be used to help foster and maintain affordable housing for persons with HIV/AIDS by sponsoring the efforts of Kern County Public Health with a sum of $1,076,598.
Actions planned to reduce lead-based paint hazards
The ConPlan discussed the City’s strategy for implementing lead-based paint mitigation in qualified residential units. Assessment of hazards can be better accomplished while housing is being inspected or evaluated. On a project-by-project basis, funds will be made available to test for and mitigate leadbased paint hazards occurring in housing units that receive HUD Program funds for rehabilitation.
Actions planned to reduce the number of poverty-level families To address the issue of poverty in FY 2025-26, the City plans to focus on efforts in the areas of affordable housing, homeless outreach, supportive services, infrastructure, rapid rehousing and homeless prevention. Implementation of Section 3 will encourage contractors and material suppliers working on HUD funded projects to seek low-income new hires to work on those projects. Additionally, staff will encourage economic development in our Economic Opportunity Zones, and seek developers to complete projects on City-owned property where a percentage of jobs produced will be earmarked for low-income citizens.
175
Actions planned to develop institutional structure
The City of Bakersfield continues to assess institutional structure to effectively implement the City’s entitlement programs and meet the goals of the Consolidated Plan. The City will continue to cross-train staff and take advantage of training and educational opportunities to improve capacity in administering HUD-funded programs. Additionally, the City will continue to explore opportunities to partner with other City departments and external organizations to fund vital community investments to improve the quality of life for our underserved residents.
City of Bakersfield staff will continue to pursue training opportunities and technical assistance where available. Where all staff cannot attend pertinent training opportunities, staff members who receive technical assistance will cross-train as appropriate. Staff members attended multiple HUD sponsored trainings in 2024, to improve their capacity and knowledge, while also taking advantage of current and past webinars to continue to improve their understanding of the CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA programs. Likewise, the City maintains a division "Desk Guide" which is updated regularly with departmental policies and procedures for HUD-funded programs. In addition to this Desk Guide, staff members are currently working on other internal materials to provide cross training and procedural protocols for co-workers for HOPWA, Home Access, and Davis-Bacon activities.
Actions planned to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service agencies
The City will continue to collaborate with public and private housing and social service agencies to meet the goals and objectives of the Consolidated Plan. The City regularly collaborates with regional agencies and organization on housing, homeless, economic development and community development initiatives. Many of these initiatives include programs in which we apply for community projects collaboratively. Currently, the City is a participating member of the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative. Staff members are assigned to attend monthly board meetings to stay abreast of developing needs in the homeless and affordable housing communities and to be ready to render or ask for assistance when funding for special programs becomes available. Additionally, when requested, staff will meet with social service agencies as well as public and private housing entities to discuss HUD program funding guidelines, available resources, and program opportunities to serve our underserved residents.
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Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)
Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(1)
Projects planned with all CDBG funds expected to be available during the year are identified in the Projects Table. The following identifies program income that is available for use that is included in projects to be carried out.
1. The total amount of program income received before the start of the next program year and has not yet been reprogrammed. 0
2. The amount of proceeds from section 108 loan guarantees that will be used during the year to address the priority needs and specific objectives identified in the grantee's strategic plan. 0
3. The amount of surplus funds from urban renewal settlements 0
4. The amount of any grant funds returned to the line of credit for which the planned use has not been included in a prior statement or plan 0
5. The amount of income from float-funded activities 0
Total Program Income: 0
Other CDBG Requirements
1. The amount of urgent need activities 0
2. The estimated percentage of CDBG funds that will be used for activities that benefit persons of low and moderate income. Overall Benefit - A consecutive period of one, two or three years may be used to determine that a minimum overall benefit of 70% of CDBG funds is used to benefit persons of low and moderate income. Specify the years covered that include this Annual Action Plan. 80.00%
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Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
Reference 91.220(l)(4)
1. Include written standards for providing ESG assistance (may include as attachment) Attachment, Grantee Unique Appendices, includes the Written Standards for Providing ESG Assistance.
In addition, selection of ESG recipients is outlined in the Funding Handbook and Notice of Funding Availability made available each October to potential applicants.
2. If the Continuum of Care has established centralized or coordinated assessment system that meets HUD requirements, describe that centralized or coordinated assessment system.
Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative’s Coordinated Entry System (CES) is administered by Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK). The CES is a Housing First system that assesses and prioritizes eligible individuals and families for housing and services, with emphasis on placing them in housing as quickly as possible based on vulnerability and length of time homeless. Assessment occurs in two phases:
a) Phase I: Access Points. This phase involves completion of the Quick Referral Tool (QRT) to screen applicants and quickly connect them to an Assessment Point. Access points include numerous public and private agencies and organizations throughout the county that have been trained by CAPK in the use of the QRT.
b) Phase II: Assessment Points. Phase II is conducted by designated Assessment Points that utilize the Vulnerability Index - Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT) Version 2.0 to calculate vulnerability scores. The appropriate VI-SPDAT is used for the specific population being assessed, i.e. Family-VI-SPDAT for families, Youth-VI-SPDAT for youth, PR-VI-SPDAT for persons atrisk. Once an individual has been scored, the information is entered into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for automatic prioritization and referral.
Designated assessment points for the homeless population within the CoC include: CAPK/2-1-1 Program, California Veterans Assistance Foundation (CAVAF), The Open Door Network, Flood Bakersfield Ministries, and The Mission at Kern County. Assessment Points for at-risk persons include: CAPK, CAVAF, and HACK. Assessment Points must confirm receipt of the QRT within two business days.
3. Identify the process for making sub-awards and describe how the ESG allocation available to private nonprofit organizations (including community and faith-based organizations).
The City of Bakersfield conducts an open Request for Proposal process. Eligibility requirements are described in the City of Bakersfield’s Funding Handbook which can be found in the Grantee Unique Appendices. In order to best determine the allocation of ESG funding, the City of Bakersfield assessed both the community needs expressed by the CoC, the City’s current ConPlan priorities, and the amount of ESG funding available to the City. As part of the development of the FY2025-30 ConPlan, surveys were distributed to the members of the CoC in the winter of 2024 to obtain input regarding the most effective 178
use of ESG funds. Survey results indicated that responding CoC agencies felt Emergency Shelter and Homeless Prevention were the top needs under the Homeless Service category.
4. If the jurisdiction is unable to meet the homeless participation requirement in 24 CFR 576.405(a), the jurisdiction must specify its plan for reaching out to and consulting with homeless or formerly homeless individuals in considering policies and funding decisions regarding facilities and services funded under ESG.
To ensure proper representation in decision making, the BKRHC Governing Board includes at least one representative with lived experience, one Veterans Affairs/Homeless Veterans Service Provider Representative; and one McKinney-Vento Liaison/Local Education Agency Representative/ Educational Services to Homeless Children & Youth Representative. The City will work with the BKRHC and partnering homeless service providers to ensure that information on ESG activities is distributed to homeless and formerly homeless individuals in order to provide the opportunity for involvement in decision making and policy making. More specifically, the City works with the collaborative to distribute Notice of Funding Availability for City HUD funds, Action Plan and CAPER notices, community input surveys, and public outreach flyers including postings at homeless shelters and public/private housing providers. Additionally, the City of Bakersfield received several responses for the Consolidated Plan survey from local homeless shelters regarding homeless service priorities and needs.
5. Describe performance standards for evaluating ESG.
In determining programmatic performance indicators for ESG activities staff examined the recent performance of similar ESG-eligible activities. Specifically, staff examined the performance of previous years’ Shelter activities and made a determination regarding the approximate number of individuals that could reasonably be served by the program. The approximate amount of people expected to be served through ESG Shelter programs is 600. Likewise, staff examined the Rapid Rehousing, Homeless Prevention and Outreach components of the ESG program, and projected that 10 households could be reasonably served through Rapid Rehousing, 10 households could be assisted through Homeless Prevention, and 60 persons could be served through Street Outreach using ESG funds. Funds were then allocated accordingly. City staff works regularly with the CoC Planning and Performance Committee to review outcomes and provide guidance and if needed refine performance standards. The City of Bakersfield is currently working with the committee to align performance measurements more closely with those of the CoC.
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HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME)
Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(2)
1. A description of other forms of investment being used beyond those identified in Section 92.205 is as follows:
HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds are not used by the City of Bakersfield beyond the forms of investment identified in Section 92.205.
2. A description of the guidelines that will be used for resale or recapture of HOME funds when used for homebuyer activities as required in 92.254, is as follows:
The ”Hope to Home” program is a citywide homebuyer program previously managed by a subrecipient- Ventura County Community Development Corporation (VCCDC), including the review and selection of qualified applicants, drafting, signing, and recording all documents. VCCDC provides deferred interest loans up to $40,000 for qualified homebuyers. To meet the affordability requirements the City intends to use the recapture provision consistent with 24 CFR
92.254(a)(5)(ii)(1), recapturing the entire HOME investment should the property be sold within the 10-year period of affordability. Loans through this project will be subject to 2% interest annually, due and payable in 30 years. The period of affordability requirements will be set consistent with the minimum requirements of 24 CFR 92.254(a)(4).
Pursuant to 24 CFR 92.254(a)(5)(ii), the City requires that HOME funds be recaptured if the property does not continue to be the principal residence of the buyer for the duration of the affordability period secured by an affordable housing covenant. The recapture provision shall apply to a HOME assisted property only when a Direct HOME Subsidy is provided to a homebuyer.
The recapture provision will ensure that the City of Bakersfield recoups all or a portion of the HOME assistance to the homebuyers if the housing does not continue to be the principal residence of the family for the duration of the affordability period.
Per 24 CFR 92.254(a)(5)(ii)(A), In establishing recapture requirements, the City of Bakersfield is subject to the limitation that when the recapture requirement is triggered by a sale (voluntarily or involuntarily) of the housing unit, and there are no net proceeds or the net proceeds are insufficient to repay the HOME investment due, the City of Bakersfield will only recapture the net proceeds, if any. The net proceeds are the sales price minus superior loan repayment (other than HOME funds) and any closing costs.
3. A description of the guidelines for resale or recapture that ensures the affordability of units acquired with HOME funds? See 24 CFR 92.254(a)(4) are as follows:
All HOME assisted activities are enforced by a deed of trust, note, agreement, and affordability/primary residency covenant for the property. The period of affordability will be determined by the amount of HOME subsidy (and other potential funding sources) and shall be 180
between 5 and 30 years. The City of Bakersfield permits the sale of HOME-assisted units to qualified households at the time of review and approval. In the event a HOME assisted unit is subsequently sold to another buyer, which is under the requirements of the recapture provision, those funds will be recaptured in accordance with 24 CFR 92.254(a)(5)(ii)(A)(1). These requirements will be enforced through a property covenant, which will be carried on the property through the period of affordability. The City of Bakersfield will also utilize a deed of trust, promissory note, and agreement to enforce these requirements. All HOME-assisted projects are monitored annually to determine compliance with affordability requirements.
4. Plans for using HOME funds to refinance existing debt secured by multifamily housing that is rehabilitated with HOME funds along with a description of the refinancing guidelines required that will be used under 24 CFR 92.206(b), are as follows:
The City does not anticipate using HOME funds to refinance existing debt secured by multifamily housing. The City monitors each HOME assisted project annually for compliance.
5. If applicable to a planned HOME TBRA activity, a description of the preference for persons with special needs or disabilities. (See 24 CFR 92.209(c)(2)(i) and CFR 91.220(l)(2)(vii)).
N/A
6. If applicable to a planned HOME TBRA activity, a description of how the preference for a specific category of individuals with disabilities (e.g. persons with HIV/AIDS or chronic mental illness) will narrow the gap in benefits and the preference is needed to narrow the gap in benefits and services received by such persons. (See 24 CFR 92.209(c)(2)(ii) and 91.220(l)(2)(vii)).
N/A
7. If applicable, a description of any preference or limitation for rental housing projects. (See 24 CFR
92.253(d)(3) and CFR 91.220(l)(2)(vii)). Note: Preferences cannot be administered in a manner that limits the opportunities of persons on any basis prohibited by the laws listed under 24 CFR 5.105(a).
N/A
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Housing Opportunities for People with HIV/AIDS (HOPWA)
The HOPWA program provides critical emergency assistance to persons living with HIV/AIDS to prevent the loss of housing and becoming homeless while addressing social, economic, health and mental health challenges. The program assists eligible clients throughout Kern County with case management services, food, and transportation assistance with the goal of achieving housing stability and access to care.
The following agencies and personnel delivering HOPWA services to the citizens of Bakersfield and Kern County:
• City of Bakersfield Community Development Department – HOPWA Contact: Priscilla Martinez, Economic and Community Development Principal
• Sponsor agency - Kern County Health Department - HOPWA Contact: Patrick Salazar, Public Health Program Manager
• Sub-recipient – Clinica Sierra Vista – HOPWA Contact: Margarita Rossen, Program Director • Housing Authority of the County of Kern – HOPWA Contact: Mardi Sharples, Housing Management Director
One-year goals for the number of households to be provided housing through the use of HOPWA activities are as follows:
• Short-Term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility assistance payments (STRMU) to prevent homelessness of the individual or family - provide housing for 80 clients • Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) - assist 40 households • Short Term Housing Facilities – assist 20 households
• Facility Based Permanent Supportive Housing – assist 5 individuals • Supportive Services – provide supportive services for 100 clients • Housing Information Services – provide housing information services for 100 individuals Kern County is the foremost provider of services to persons with HIV/AIDS in the county area, partnering with various agencies and nonprofit/faith-based organizations.
Consolidated Plan 2025-2030
Community Engagement Summary
Memorandum
To: Nina Carter, Community Development Principal
From: Diana Elrod and Erica Snyder, Consultants
CC: Adriana Legorreta, ECD Planner & Daniel Peterson, Planner I The City of Bakersfield’s community engagement process for the 2025-2030 Consolidated Plan generated consistent themes across community partner focus groups, community meetings, and survey. A comprehensive community engagement strategy was developed to solicit feedback from the full community. City staff conducted outreach and shared information about the Consolidated Plan and surveys at three community meetings and the Downtown Bakersfield Association Community Fair. Additionally, City staff shared and requested four community partners listservs to provide details community engagement to their respective groups, utilized media through a press release, radio interviews and two news interviews, as well as multiple social media postings. Lastly, City staff emailed and/or dropped off paper surveys at 22 community partner agencies.
Based on the above community outreach, resident participation are as follows:
• Community Partner Focus Groups: 39 community partners • Community Meetings: 37 residents
• Survey: 496 responses (471 in English, 25 in Spanish) • Total community participants: 572 individuals (not de-duplicated) Overall, we found residents in the City of Bakersfield have concerns pertaining to affordable housing (e.g., rental housing affordability, first-time homebuyers’ assistance, increased housing costs), addressing homelessness (e.g., homelessness prevention, behavioral health services, and access to housing), as well as economic development (e.g., job training, living wage, and finding/maintain jobs). While other needs were identified, these three areas were heard at all levels of engagement.
Given the community needs, the consultant team has put together a summary of the findings by engagement. Based on the feedback received, we are proposing five goals to guide your future Consolidated Plan investments.
2 Recommended 2025-2030 Goals
1. Invest in and preserve the supply of affordable housing for low-andmoderate income households, including homeownership opportunities.
Previous: Increase and preserve the supply of affordable housing for lowand-moderate income households.
2. Prevent and reduce homelessness, including increased supports related to mental and behavioral health.
Previous: Prevent and reduce homelessness.
3. Foster and improve the quality of life by increasing access to economic development opportunities.
Previous: Foster community and economic development.
Note: Goal was previous four, it has been moved to the third goal based on community feedback.
4. Improve community infrastructure and facilities to promote safe and vibrant communities.
Previous: Improve public infrastructure and facilities to promote safe and vibrant communities.
5. Increase vital services for special needs populations, including children and youth, seniors, persons with disabilities, and persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Previous: Enhance facilities and services for the non-homeless special needs population, including seniors, persons with disabilities, and persons living with HIV/AIDS.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THEMES
CONSOLDIATED PLAN 2025-2030
COMMUNITY MEETINGS
VIRTUAL ZOOM MEETING (OCTOBER 22 ND)
• Concerns that public notices and
outreach seem to be disjointed and may
not be shared with the
groups/populations who are most
impacted.
• Increased calls from citizens for rental
assistance and eviction assistance postCOVID funding winding down. • Need for infrastructure and street
improvement
BAKER STREET COMMUNITY ROOM (OCTOBER 22 ND)
• Need for more affordable housing.
• Infrastructure and streets are really bad
in some areas in Bakersfield.
• Need for economic development, need
jobs in order to afford homes because
housing costs exceed income.
Community is seeing a decline in local
businesses.
BAKERSFIELD SENIOR CENTER (OCTOBER 23 RD)
• Adequately address basic needs and the
need to flourish as a person (e.g., phones,
showers, and food) for people who are
experiencing homelessness.
• Concerns about limited housing stock
and desire to see creative housing
options (e.g., community land trust) and
increased education on housing for
residents.
• Need for increased community services,
such as, senior services and facilities,
community/day centers, utility
assistance for families.
• Community expressed concerns about
transparency in the City’s delivery of
information to residents.
FOCUS GROUPS
AFFORDABLE HOUSING (OCTOBER 7TH)
• Attended by 11 partners, including the
City.
• Going after HCD money, Homekey,
CERNA, etc. Some of it is drying up.
Biggest challenge seen is in the last two
years, how competitive the 4% tax credit
program is, comparable to 9% and
historically hasn’t been the case.
• Saw a steep increase in housing costs, a
40% increase on cost per square foot
(may be higher now). General private
market growing and not keeping pace.
• Affordability levels rose sharply. Have had
those with low/extremely low income
served by the market, saw the gap
exacerbated by the costs.
• Labor market disruption and difficulty to
recruit employees, wage cost increases,
still some impact for a segment of the
population who dropped out of the labor
force.
• Having a hard time finding land to build
on that’s on the market and zoned
properly.
• Relied on Cal HOME funding, state
budget is changing and funding is getting
reduced, going to require getting creative
and look for funding in different areas.
• Big push locally for farmworker housing.
• Idea to explore manufacturing here, there
is a group in the area. New market ground
in the industry.
• Affordability of housing, we know it’s hard
in Kern County/Bakersfield for Latinos
and Black folks to own a home, lowest
ownership rates.
• Threats of evictions is hitting at higher
levels.
• Seen growth/public visibility, there are
still a lot of folks who don’t know about
programs and access to programs.
Important to meet folks where they are,
get the word out about programs,
services, etc. Fielding calls on a daily
basis where people aren’t aware of a
multitude of programs to drive what is
available as we build on.
• Disconnect between those who need the
services and the services
• We used to be more connected during the
pandemic, but now we have become
more siloed. We need a resource hub. A
few years back we started the housing
collaborative locally, we need to get that
back going.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (OCTOBER 10TH)
• Attended by 4 community partners.
• Things have regressed to where they were
before COVID and beyond
• Less risk taking, more caution. Unwilling
to make large investments
• Sustainability planning - more reservation
about taking risks in case we get a new
pandemic
• Working with local CDFIs - capital here to
help you
• Some businesses did not survive, but the
ones that did are solidified
• Businesses struggle to maintain, not
opportunities for special needs
• Looming economic crisis
• Lack skill sets to do the work where they
are hiring at higher paid jobs
• Workforce development orgs are great
but need soft skills; technical skills can
be taught (communication skills,
customer service, empathy, non-verbal
cues etc.)
• Cultural differences also a barrier -
mistrust, hopelessness, suspicion
• Small biz and entrepreneurs are
important component
• Logistics/transportation and high-speed
rail will continue to be important
• Environmental technology
• High demand for mental health
• Digital divide between people with
disabilities and hiring offices (with
international or national corporations)
NONPROFIT SERVICES PROVIDERS (OCTOBER 16TH)
• Attended by 12 community partners.
• Need to provide food for seniors and
services. Also, transportation for seniors
getting to and from our facility and other
facilities for their additional services (e.g.,
grocery store and doctors/providers).
There is a need for medically-tailored
meals. Increased due to health issues.
Healthcare, from a chronic perspective
(diabetes, hypertension, and
cardiovascular). More education and
healthcare access.
• Food insecurity is a major thing and food
connects with housing, substance abuse,
and serious mental illness. Kern County
is large and not transportation easily,
needing to provide services in outlying
areas.
• Advocate for overall health access,
affordable healthcare.
• Foodbank trying to meet community
needs, expanded square footage, funds
to operate are minimal. The community is
not addressing food security in an
equitable and just way, resources to
operate are slim. Ties into housing, if food
is inaccessible to population, relationship
to the ability for disadvantaged
communities to achieve housing. People
see we have a homeless issue, but we
have an inequitable allocation of
resources.
• Agencies get funds that are complicated,
but difficult to administer and
administrative costs to operate are not
available. Flexible funding is hard,
funding can be too prescriptive.
• Youth population, addressing basic
needs/food insecurity/housing/skill
building. Need brick and mortar,
supports, and assistance.
• COVID brought our organization into the
21st century. Grew agency, advanced
technology. Advance IT to meet
community needs
• COVID caused many agencies to be
recognized as trusted partners for
community members and had extra
resources, but funds dry up and the need
didn’t.
• Need has been growing post-COVID.
Looking at what we have less resources.
Housing is more of a crisis now. Housing
is up. Need safe housing. People are just
surviving.
• Youth/family field: lots of isolation and
fear during COVID. Separation from
services, clients are different. Traumas
are different than before COVID.
• COVID highlighted disparities and
inequities for social determinants of
health
• We have a unique community, not
affluent in any way.
• Median income is below the state
average. Elements on Maslow’s hierarchy
of needs (food and housing) has to be
addressed if we’ll have economic growth
in city or county.
• Guidelines and restrictions were lifted at
the time, they are now being poured back
on. We don’t have the freedom to extend
or expand programs, feel pressure
returning.
• Seems to be more pushback against
equitable work that municipalities are
trying to do. We just got through COVID
and proved these things are needed, but
due to other narratives, there is pushback
to sustaining that work. Concern we’ll
perpetuate and expand disparities and
we may be worse off in 5-years. Need to
continue to do and invest in work.
• Bright spots: there are strong
relationships between nonprofit partners
and the ecosystem has been built out.
The City was a partner and helped
nonprofits understand the various roles.
• Seen solidarity collaboration and work.
Working across groups/interest/sectors.
HOMELESSNESS (OCTOBER 17TH)
• Attended by 11 community partners.
• Causes of homelessness – prevention
outside of rental assistance
• Agreement from others – for every one
person who exits, three enter
• Service calls suggest maybe including
law enforcement on prevention side (DV)
• Get medical and educators to identify
potential triggers on DV/SA
• Love to see more public entities coming
to providers; can’t hire consultants
• Need immediate placement; some can’t
get into shelters because of background
so fall into homelessness
• Don’t have all the money to do everything
but collabs with hospitals work because
hitting same clientele
• Also look at school systems to educate
kids about homelessness; schools not
empowered to act on children’s behalf
• Pilot project with school district – CAPK
staff on site partnering with community
resource teams; work with families to
identify needs
• Employment issues are barriers across
board, no good jobs and therefore
housing is a problem
• Once Covid funding stopped, huge influx
of food, shelter, housing needs
• Unrestricted funds from CARES was
helpful; flexibility should be built into
• Nature of chemical addiction changed –
fentanyl, Narcan every week
• Getting people into affordable housing is
one of the most important ways to
prevent homelessness – minimum wage
earners can’t get into housing
• Maybe obstacle is workforce training
• Now need 24 hours security to support
homeless population, adding to cost –
people having mental crises; violent
behavior on the rise
• PSH sites are targets for drug dealers and
traffickers – need security, whole
different level of services needed now
• PSH target timing consistent with
misdemeanors and felonies being
reclassified
• Compassion fatigue - harder to count on
support from community
• Hard to handle changes, some beyond
our control but still have to demonstrate
progress
• Done a lot of great work but people don’t
see it because the problem is getting
worse
• Top homeless prevention strategies
• Prevention, PSH, mental/addiction health
• Also need interim housing
• Need more non-congregate interim
options
• Aftercare case management also needed;
appalling lack
• Strategic Action Plan – touches on a lot of
what we are already talking about
• Community bright spots
• Our collaboration is good; all very close in
this work
• CoC University
• Hiring of lived experience individuals,
lifting up employment side of the work
• Quality of congregate shelter is top notch
INTERVIEWS
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF KERN (OCTOBER 21ST)
• Fundamental problem: Prices/cost to
develop housing versus income of
tenants
• Middle class people moving to other
states with remote work
• LMI can’t afford to leave
• Increasing State minimum wage, while
positive, pushes people above 60% of
median so no longer eligible for most
affordable housing
• Biggest challenge is construction cost –
up to $500K per unit
• 50% - 80% of AMI hardest to serve
• “NOAH” used to exist in large numbers in
Bakersfield 10 years ago but not now
• HA became a moving to work agency,
testing step rents of 3% of FMR to help
people budget to pay more for rent
• Now have a mandatory self-sufficiency
program for non-disabled and seniors to
include job training, substance abuse
support
• Trying to get tenants to think about their
future; provide financial incentives for
completion of the program
• HA has 600 unused vouchers because
there is not enough money
• Lack of coordination at the State level in
terms of affordable housing financing
• City is now at the table as an important
partner
GREATER BAKERSFIELD LEGAL AID (OCTOBER 21 ST)
• More fair housing complaints based on
source of income
• Discrimination based on income is still
prevalent
• State TPA helped with evictions overall,
but there are many loopholes in terms of
situations where people are not covered
• Even LIHTC projects have been trying to
raise rents beyond what is allowed
• Previous problems with landlords
claiming they are doing substantial
remodels in order to remove Section 8
tenants; new requirements should
eliminate that loophole
• One or two years ago, there were fewer
discrimination cases, but this year there
have been more referrals
• Race-based discrimination still is one of
top 25% of cases
• Also, disproportionate number of sexual
harassment cases
CONTINUUM OF CARE/HOMELESSNESS (OCTOBER 22 ND)
• In five years, much has changed – more
pressure on the system of care
• Have an inflow problem – more people
coming into the system than leaving
• Prevention is key component of Strategic
Action Plan, but where are people going
to go?
• Need more developers to come into the
community to build housing
• Seeing an increase of 30% in population
year over year due to housing costs, drug
abuse and mental health issues
• Family reunification is one strategy to
prevent people from becoming homeless
in the first place
• Foreclosures also problematic, need to
prevent those
• Organizational problems – no ED at CoC,
staff stretched
• If prop 36 passes, will create additional
pressure
• City and others now at the table because
of COVID funds, more collaboration
KERN COUNTY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (OCTOBER 23RD)
• Challenge to meet the Housing Element’s
RHNA requirements because of cost
• $450K per door but with low rents – how to
subsidize?
• Remote workers are coming here for relatively
inexpensive housing – can get a relative
mansion for $750K as opposed to LA
• This pushes out middle income buyers
• Birth rates are dropping, collapse in the
number of children so enrollment is down
• COVID made us change how we look at
ridership, as there is so much more remote
work
• COG not focused on addressing the digital
divide
• The need for childcare from 0-4 years is an
impediment to employment
• Bakersfield Housing Element needs more
higher densities to meet RHNA, but these
densities do not pencil
• Lots of truck traffic in the area because of
distribution hubs, and with that comes more
LMI workers
KERN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH (OCTOBER 24TH)
• COVID brought public health into spotlight
• Health equity didn’t exist before
• New partnership with other agencies,
including the City
• Telehealth is great, but many people are
illiterate and don’t know how to access
• People are making slightly too much money to
qualify for affordable housing $13 a month too
much in one case
• Suspiciousness/mistrust of government in
communities of color is happening
throughout the region – “we live in a Trump
nation”
• Need to reach out to immediate community
• Because things changed so rapidly at the
beginning of COVIDF, mistrust built
• People felt left behind
• Public did not see government as a trusted
messenger
• Difficult for people to know services exist
• With respect to Lead Based Pain,
undocumented population no longer trusted
health workers, therefore higher BLLs during
pandemic
• Experiencing a huge maternal health crisis –
losing doctors, losing services
• Once COVID money dried up, there was no
follow up
• If someone is in a shelter, they will not seek
help for postpartum depression because they
will lose their bed
• Health literacy – clients do not understand,
some cannot read, but still having kids
• Children in Bakersfield have across-the-board
worse outcomes since COVID
• No preventive medicine, no immunizations
• Folks with HIV deal with similar housing
issues, plus substance abuse
• TBRA needs to be increased
• The overall compounding issues are
behavioral health, substances, and housing
• Bright spots: revisions to grant requirements
mean more LBP funding]
• Looking at city-wide smoke-free housing
• Difficulty of mixing street people with families
– different needs, and more danger
• Subsidy layering is a problem
• Red tape: things are reactive, not proactive;
force people to literally be out on the street
before they can receive benefits
• Agencies often work in silos – opportunities to
work together
• State is very inflexible in its programs; they
don’t understand ow things actually work
• No easy way to provide services to unhoused
people
• Burnout is real
Untitled Title
In what zip code do you reside?
455 responses
In which age bracket are you?
471 responses
City of Bakers<eld Community Needs Survey
471 responses
Publish analytics
Copy
92503
93203
93263
93301
93305
93306-5467
93309
93312
93505
0 25
50 75
100
1 (0.2%) 1 (0.2%) 1 (0.2%) 1 (0.2%) 1 (0.2%) 3 (0.7%) 3 (0.7%) 1 (0.2%) 1 (0.2%) 31 (6.8%)
1 (0.2%)
42 (9.2%)
79 (17.4%)
1 (0.2%)
55 (12.1%)
1 (0.2%)
92 (20.2%)
20 (4.4%)
32 (7%)
1 (0.2%)
26 (5.7%) 23 (5.1%) 22 (4.8%)
13 (2.9%)
1 (0.2%) 1 (0.2%) 1 (0.2%)
Copy
Under 18
18-34
35-44
44-64
65+
11.9%
29.7%
27.8%
30.4%
What is your race?
446 responses
What is your ethnicity?
451 responses
What is your gender?
459 responses
Copy
American Indian/Alaska Nativ…
Black/African American
Asian
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific…
White/Caucasian
Multi-racial
Prefer Not to Answer
1/3
16.1%
14.1%
9.2%
45.7%
Copy
Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino
Prefer Not to Answer
11.1%
48.6%
40.4%
Copy
Female
Male
Non-Binary
Transgender
Prefer not to answer
40.7%
55.3%
2025-2030 Consolidated Plan
Which areas of need are of most interest to you? (Select all that apply) 470 responses
Choose five (5) of the most critical Housing needs in your community. 463 responses
Copy
0 100 200 300 400
Affordable Housing
Housing and Services for…
Community Facilities (e.g…
Social and Public Service…
Infrastructure
Accommodations for thos…
Economic Development (…
Homelessness Communi…
367 (78.1%)
303 (64.5%)
195 (41.5%)
213 (45.3%)
178 (37.9%)
170 (36.2%)
252 (53.6%)
4 (0.9%)
Copy
0 100 200 300 400
Accessibility improvemen…
Owner-occupied housing…
Construction of Affordabl…
First-time Downpayment…
Senior Housing
Housing for those with di…
Housing for large families
Fair Housing services
Lead-based paint issues
Heating/Cooling HVAC
133 (28.7%)
155 (33.5%)
324 (70%)
303 (65.4%)
213 (46%)
195 (42.1%)
179 (38.7%)
266 (57.5%)
35 (7.6%)
178 (38.4%)
Choose three (3) of the most critical Homelessness needs in your comm unity.
459 responses
Choose three (3) of the most critical Infrastructure needs in your commu nity.
456 responses
Copy
0 100 200 300
Permanent supportive ho…
Emergency/overnight sh…
Landlord engagement pr…
Outreach
Navigation centers/centr…
Homelessness preventio…
Mental and behavioral he…
Substance use programs
Storage facilities/lockers
274 (59.7%)
145 (31.6%)
67 (14.6%)
82 (17.9%)
87 (19%)
245 (53.4%)
247 (53.8%)
165 (35.9%)
30 (6.5%)
Copy
0 100 200 300 400
Water/sewage improvem…
Street/Road improvements
Street lighting
Sidewalk improvements
Tree planting and urban…
Accessibility improvemen…
Broadband internet access
Electric vehicle charging…
169 (37.1%)
314 (68.9%)
241 (52.9%)
190 (41.7%)
188 (41.2%)
66 (14.5%)
105 (23%)
54 (11.8%)
Choose three (3) of the most critical Social and Public Services needs in your community.
469 responses
Choose two (2) of the most critical Economic Development needs in your community.
461 responses
Copy
0 100 200 300
Senior activities
Youth activities
Childcare services
Public transit and transpo…
Health services
Mental Health Services
Legal services
Centers/services for pers…
Domestic violence services
HIV/AIDS services
Fair Housing
Food Banks
Substance Use Services
98 (20.9%)
181 (38.6%)
120 (25.6%)
118 (25.2%)
113 (24.1%)
222 (47.3%)
54 (11.5%)
37 (7.9%)
55 (11.7%)
8 (1.7%)
172 (36.7%)
109 (23.2%)
91 (19.4%)
Copy
0 100 200 300 400
Job creation/retention
Job readiness programs
Commercial and industrial
rehabilitation
Grants/loans to small
businesses
Counseling/training for
small businesses
Storefront/facade
improvement
328 (71.1%)
223 (48.4%)
76 (16.5%)
118 (25.6%)
78 (16.9%)
81 (17.6%)
Choose two (2) of the most critical Community Facilities needs in your c ommunity.
456 responses
Do you have any challenges to internet access?
458 responses
Fair Housing Choice
Copy
0 100 200 300
Community centers
Childcare centers
Park and recreational fac…
Food Banks
Homeless Shelters
Medical Facilities
Fire stations and Equipm…
Healthcare Facilities
Libraries
145 (31.8%)
112 (24.6%)
110 (24.1%)
125 (27.4%)
210 (46.1%)
45 (9.9%)
31 (6.8%)
45 (9.9%)
69 (15.1%)
Copy
Yes, I don't have internet acc…
Yes, I have internet access at…
Yes, I can only access the int…
No, I can access the internet…
High cost
Internet affordability
Don't have a computer
1/3
13.3%
55%
20.1%
Have you ever encountered any form of housing discrimination or know s omeone who has?
464 responses
Housing Discriminiation
Copy
Yes
No
Not sure
12.9%
47.4%
39.7%
15. If yes, in what way did you or someone you know face discrimination ?
179 responses
Copy
0 25 50 75 100
Refusing to rent or sell…
Discouraging the rental…
Steering potential tena…
Facing unfavorable ter…
Refusing, discouraging…
Unfair, misleading, and…
Not Applicable
Owner being very disre…
Section 8 housing is ra…
They wouldn’t rent a h…
Discriminate because t…
Failing to do repair to t…
discriminate for family…
Homeless shelters kick…
How many people in th…
In danger on the street…
Not against me but the…
Unfit for human accupa…
Being harassed by the…
55+ community manag…
Refusing to rent to me…
Past Criminal Backgro…
refusal to rent based o…
Stopping maintenance…
95 (53.1%)
49 (27.4%)
50 (27.9%)
43 (24%)
50 (27.9%)
54 (30.2%)
9 (5%)
4 (2.2%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
1 (0.6%)
If yes, what do you believe was the basis for the discrimination faced by you or someone you know?
180 responses
Bakersfield Housing Trends
What is your housing status currently? (Where you live) 456 responses
Copy
0 50 100 150
Race/Color/Ethnicity
National origin
Gender Identity
Sex
Age
Religion
Family status (e.g. single…
Disability
Source of Income
Sexual Orientation
Marital Status
Other
109 (60.6%)
17 (9.4%)
18 (10%)
16 (8.9%)
42 (23.3%)
5 (2.8%)
46 (25.6%)
27 (15%)
93 (51.7%)
14 (7.8%)
12 (6.7%)
28 (15.6%)
Copy
Own home
Rental unit
With family and/or friends
Unhoused
Congregate Housing Setting (
College Dorm, Nursing Home,
Shelter or Group Home)
10.1%
14.3% 14.7%
24.1%
36.8%
Which of the following do you consider to be the biggest challenge to achieving equitable housing? Select one.
456 responses
Have you personally experienced/seen any of the below housing trends in your community? (Select all that apply.)
446 responses
Copy
Lack of affordable housing st…
Inadequate funding for low-in…
Discriminatory lending and ho…
Zoning and land-use regulatio…
Insufficient support for the ho…
Other
income does not match the pr…
1/4
13.6% 16.7%
51.8%
Copy
0 100 200 300 400
Increase in absentee lan…
Increased monthly rent
Increase in security depo…
Increase in evictions
Decreasing home values
Increasing housing prices
Increased mortgage fore…
Increase in property taxes
137 (30.7%)
347 (77.8%)
189 (42.4%)
126 (28.3%)
57 (12.8%)
307 (68.8%)
74 (16.6%)
181 (40.6%)
Has an individual/entity/organization denied you housing or treated you differently related to housing? (Choose all that apply) 272 responses
Thank You
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0 25 50 75 100
Homeowner's Association
Housing advertisement/fl…
Insurance Agent/Carrier
Landlord
Mortgage Lender/Bank
Property Manager
Real Estate Agent
Other
29 (10.7%)
13 (4.8%)
19 (7%)
89 (32.7%)
29 (10.7%)
84 (30.9%)
27 (9.9%)
80 (29.4%)
Forms
Fondo
¿En qué código postal resides?
25 responses
¿En qué grupo de edad te encuentras?
25 responses
Encuesta de Necesidades de la Comunidad
de la Ciudad de Bakersfield
25 responses
Publish analytics
Copy
9330 93304 93307 93308
0 5
10 15
20 1 (4%) 11 (4%) (4%) 4 (16%)
19 (76%)
1 (4%) 11 (4%) (4%)
Copy
Menores de 18 años
18-34
35-44
45-64
65+
16%
12%
48%
24%
11/15/24, 11:04 AM Encuesta de Necesidades de la Comunidad de la Ciudad de Bakersfield https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14jNfZGPm1aHaruppUQpCcS7S26oSKxB-b8H1fvvgro8/viewanalytics 1/11 ¿Cuál es tu raza?
25 responses
¿Cuál es tu origen étnico?
24 responses
¿Cuál es tu género?
25 responses
2020 - 2025 Plan Consolidado
Copy
Indio Americano/Nativo de Al…
Negro/Afromamericano
Asiático
Nativo de Hawái/Otros isleño…
Blanco/Caucásico
Multirracial
Prefiero no contester
1/2
8%
20%
60%
Copy
Hispano o Latino
No Hispano o Latino
100%
Copy
Hembra
Masculino
No binario
Transgénero
Prefiero no contestar
40%
56%
11/15/24, 11:04 AM Encuesta de Necesidades de la Comunidad de la Ciudad de Bakersfield https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14jNfZGPm1aHaruppUQpCcS7S26oSKxB-b8H1fvvgro8/viewanalytics 2/11 ¿Qué áreas de necesidad son de mayor interés para usted? 25 responses
Elija cinco (5) de las necesidades de vivienda más críticas en su comunidad.
25 responses
Copy
0 10 20 30
Vivienda asequible
Vivienda y servicios para…
Instalaciones comunitaria…
Servicios Sociales y Públ…
Infraestructura
Alojamiento para person…
Desarrollo económico (e…
17 (68%) 117 (68%) 7 (68%)
21 (84%) 221 (84%) 1 (84%)
10 (40%) 110 (40%) 0 (40%)
18 (72%) 118 (72%) 8 (72%)
13 (52%) 113 (52%) 3 (52%)
13 (52%) 113 (52%) 3 (52%)
19 (76%) 119 (76%) 9 (76%)
Copy
0 5 10 15
Mejoras de accesibilidad…
Rehabilitación de viviend…
Construcción de vivienda…
Asistencia para comprad…
Construcción de nuevas…
Vivienda para personas…
Vivienda para personas c…
Vivienda para familias nu…
Servicios de Vivienda Justa
Problemas de pintura a b…
Calefacción/Aire acondici…
5 (20%) 55 (20%) (20%)
12 (48%) 112 (48%) 2 (48%)
14 (56%) 114 (56%) 4 (56%)
13 (52%) 113 (52%) 3 (52%)
12 (48%) 112 (48%) 2 (48%)
15 (60%) 115 (60%) 5 (60%)
7 (28%) 77 (28%) (28%)
11 (44%) 11 (44%) (44%)
15 (60%) 115 (60%) 5 (60%)
4 (16%) 44 (16%) (16%)
7 (28%) 77 (28%) (28%)
11/15/24, 11:04 AM Encuesta de Necesidades de la Comunidad de la Ciudad de Bakersfield https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14jNfZGPm1aHaruppUQpCcS7S26oSKxB-b8H1fvvgro8/viewanalytics 3/11 Elija tres (3) de las necesidades más críticas de las personas sin hogar en su comunidad.
24 responses
Elija tres (3) de las necesidades de infraestructura más críticas de su comunidad.
24 responses
Copy
0 5 10 15 20
Vivienda de apoyo perm…
Refugios de emergencia/…
Programas de participaci…
Difusión
Centros de navegación/s…
Servicios de prevención…
Servicios de salud menta…
Programas de consumo…
Instalaciones de almacen…
13 (54.2%) 113 (54.2%) 3 (54.2%)
9 (37.5%) 99 (37.5%) (37.5%)
3 (12.5%) 33 (12.5%) (12.5%)
1 (4.2%) 11 (4.2%) (4.2%)
9 (37.5%) 99 (37.5%) (37.5%)
7 (29.2%) 77 (29.2%) (29.2%)
17 (70.8%) 117 (70.8%) 7 (70.8%)
12 (50%) 112 (50%) 2 (50%)
0 (0%) 00 (0%) (0%)
Copy
0 5 10 15 20
Agua/Mejoras en el alcan…
Calle/Mejoras viales
Alumbrado publico
Mejoras en las aceras
Plantación de árboles y v…
Mejoras de accesibilidad…
Acceso a Internet
Estaciones de carga de v…
10 (41.7%) 110 (41.7%) 0 (41.7%)
15 (62.5%) 115 (62.5%) 5 (62.5%)
18 (75%) 118 (75%) 8 (75%)
6 (25%) 66 (25%) (25%)
6 (25%) 66 (25%) (25%)
5 (20.8%) 55 (20.8%) (20.8%)
7 (29.2%) 77 (29.2%) (29.2%)
4 (16.7%) 44 (16.7%) (16.7%)
11/15/24, 11:04 AM Encuesta de Necesidades de la Comunidad de la Ciudad de Bakersfield https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14jNfZGPm1aHaruppUQpCcS7S26oSKxB-b8H1fvvgro8/viewanalytics 4/11 Elija tres (3) de las necesidades más críticas de Servicios Sociales y Públicos en su comunidad.
25 responses
Elija dos (2) de las necesidades de Desarrollo Económico más críticas en su comunidad.
25 responses
Copy
0 5 10 15
Actividades para persona…
Actividades juveniles
Servicios de cuidado de…
Transporte público y serv…
Servicios de salud
Servicios de Salud Mental
Servicios Legales
Centros/servicios para p…
Servicios de violencia do…
Servicios de VIH/SIDA
Vivienda Justa
Bancos de Alimentos
Servicios para el Abuso d…
7 (28%) 77 (28%) (28%)
6 (24%) 66 (24%) (24%)
7 (28%) 77 (28%) (28%)
4 (16%) 44 (16%) (16%)
10 (40%) 110 (40%) 0 (40%)
4 (16%) 44 (16%) (16%)
8 (32%) 88 (32%) (32%)
2 (8%) 22 (8%) (8%)
3 (12%) 33 (12%) (12%)
0 (0%) 00 (0%) (0%)
13 (52%) 113 (52%) 3 (52%)
5 (20%) 55 (20%) (20%)
6 (24%) 66 (24%) (24%)
Copy
0 5 10 15 20
Creación/retención de
empleo
Programas de preparación
para el trabajo
Rehabilitación comercial e
industrial
Subvenciones/préstamos a
pequeñas empresas
Asesoramiento/
capacitación para peque…
Mejora de escaparates/
fachadas
18 (72%) 118 (72%) 8 (72%)
15 (60%) 115 (60%) 5 (60%)
1 (4%) 11 (4%) (4%)
3 (12%) 33 (12%) (12%)
11 (44%) 11 (44%) (44%)
2 (8%) 22 (8%) (8%)
11/15/24, 11:04 AM Encuesta de Necesidades de la Comunidad de la Ciudad de Bakersfield https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14jNfZGPm1aHaruppUQpCcS7S26oSKxB-b8H1fvvgro8/viewanalytics 5/11 Elija dos (2) de las necesidades más críticas de las instalaciones comunitarias en su comunidad.
25 responses
¿Tiene algún problema para acceder a Internet?
25 responses
Elección de Vivienda Justa
Copy
0 5 10 15
Centros comunitarios
Guarderías
Parque e instalaciones re…
Bancos de Alimentos
Refugios para personas…
Facilidades médicas
Estaciones y equipos de…
Centros sanitarios
Bibliotecas
8 (32%) 88 (32%) (32%)
5 (20%) 55 (20%) (20%)
4 (16%) 44 (16%) (16%)
4 (16%) 44 (16%) (16%)
11 (44%) 11 (44%) (44%)
8 (32%) 88 (32%) (32%)
2 (8%) 22 (8%) (8%)
5 (20%) 55 (20%) (20%)
3 (12%) 33 (12%) (12%)
Copy
Si, No tengo acceso a Interne…
Si, Tengo acceso a Internet e…
Si, Solo puedo acceder a Inte…
No, Puedo acceder a Internet…
ALTO COSTO
si pero es alto costo
No tengo con que usar el inte…
no telefono
1/2
20%
24%
8%
24%
11/15/24, 11:04 AM Encuesta de Necesidades de la Comunidad de la Ciudad de Bakersfield https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14jNfZGPm1aHaruppUQpCcS7S26oSKxB-b8H1fvvgro8/viewanalytics 6/11 ¿Alguna vez se ha encontrado con alguna forma de discriminación en la vivienda o conoce a alguien que lo haya hecho?
25 responses
Elección de Vivienda Justa
En caso afirmativo
En caso afirmativo, ¿de qué manera usted o alguien que conoce enfrentó discriminación?
13 responses
Copy
Si
No
No estoy seguro
8%
44%
48%
Copy
Negarse a alquilar o vender una
casa
Desalentar el alquiler o la venta
de una vivienda
Dirigir al posible inquilino/
propietario a una casa o veci…
Enfrentar términos
desfavorables en un préstam…
Negar, desalentar o cobrar m…
Prácticas de préstamo injusta…
7.7%
38.5%
7.7%
38.5%
11/15/24, 11:04 AM Encuesta de Necesidades de la Comunidad de la Ciudad de Bakersfield https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14jNfZGPm1aHaruppUQpCcS7S26oSKxB-b8H1fvvgro8/viewanalytics 7/11 En caso afirmativo, ¿Cuál crees que fue la base de la discriminación que enfrentaste tú o alguien que conoces?
16 responses
Elección de Vivienda Justa cont.
¿Siente que está bien informado sobre la discriminación en la vivienda? 24 responses
Cuál es el estado de su Vivienda actualmente? (Dónde vives) 25 responses
Copy
Race/Color/Ethnicity
National origin
Gender Identity
Sexo
Edad
Estado civil
Religión
Estado civil (por ejemplo, pad…
1/2
18.8%
25%
25%
Copy
Sí
No
Tal vez
20.8%
29.2%
50%
Copy
Casa propia
Unidad de alquiler
En familia y/o con amigos
Sinhogar
Entorno de vivienda colectiva
(dormitorio universitario, hogar
de ancianos, refugio o grupo)
32%
20%
44%
11/15/24, 11:04 AM Encuesta de Necesidades de la Comunidad de la Ciudad de Bakersfield https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14jNfZGPm1aHaruppUQpCcS7S26oSKxB-b8H1fvvgro8/viewanalytics 8/11 ¿Cuál de los siguientes considera que es el mayor desafío para lograr una vivienda equitativa? Seleccione uno.
25 responses
¿Ha experimentado o visto personalmente alguna de las siguientes tendencias de vivienda en su comunidad? (Seleccione todas las que correspondan).
23 responses
Copy
Falta de viviendas asequibles
Financiamiento inadecuado
para programas de vivienda
para personas de bajos ingre…
Políticas discriminatorias en
materia de préstamos y vivien…
Regulaciones de zonificación y
uso de la tierra que limitan la…
Apoyo insuficiente a los
programas de prevención del…
8%
52%
36%
Copy
0 5 10 15 20
Aumento de propietarios…
Aumento del alquiler me…
Aumento en el monto del…
Aumento de los desahucios
Disminución del valor de…
Aumento de los precios d…
Aumento de las ejecucio…
Aumento de los impuesto…
Renta muy alta
10 (43.5%) 110 (43.5%) 0 (43.5%)
14 (60.9%) 114 (60.9%) 4 (60.9%)
14 (60.9%) 114 (60.9%) 4 (60.9%)
3 (13%) 33 (13%) (13%)
2 (8.7%) 22 (8.7%) (8.7%)
16 (69.6%) 116 (69.6%) 6 (69.6%)
7 (30.4%) 77 (30.4%) (30.4%)
9 (39.1%) 99 (39.1%) (39.1%)
1 (4.3%) 11 (4.3%) (4.3%)
11/15/24, 11:04 AM Encuesta de Necesidades de la Comunidad de la Ciudad de Bakersfield https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14jNfZGPm1aHaruppUQpCcS7S26oSKxB-b8H1fvvgro8/viewanalytics 9/11 ¿Una persona/entidad/organización le ha negado la vivienda o le ha tratado de manera diferente en relación con la vivienda? (Elija todas las que correspondan)
16 responses
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Asociación de Propietarios
Anuncio de vivienda/vola…
Agente/Transportista de…
Propietario
Prestamista/Banco Hipot…
Administrador de Propied…
Agente Inmobiliario
Duenos cobran mucho p…
4 (25%) 44 (25%) (25%)
1 (6.3%) 11 (6.3%) (6.3%)
3 (18.8%) 33 (18.8%) (18.8%)
6 (37.5%) 66 (37.5%) (37.5%)
5 (31.3%) 55 (31.3%) (31.3%)
1 (6.3%) 11 (6.3%) (6.3%)
4 (25%) 44 (25%) (25%)
1 (6.3%) 11 (6.3%) (6.3%)
Forms
11/15/24, 11:04 AM Encuesta de Necesidades de la Comunidad de la Ciudad de Bakersfield https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14jNfZGPm1aHaruppUQpCcS7S26oSKxB-b8H1fvvgro8/viewanalytics 10/11 ConPlan 25-30 Outreach by City of Bakersfield Staff:
Provided an overview of the survey, and left copies for them to take:
• MLK Community Initiative Meeting Date: Same as ConPlan (about 40 participants) - October 22
• Bakersfield High School Latino Parents Group (Spanish) (About 10 participants) – October 23
• Cal State Bakersfield Master of Public Administration Class: (about 30 participants) – October 21
Sent to Their Listserv or Contacts:
• Bakersfield Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative
• Kern County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
• Greenfield Walking Group (Spanish)
• Leadership Counsel (English and Spanish)
Posted on Social Media for us:
• Kern Family Health Care
Tabled at a large Community Fair and passed out surveys:
• Downtown Bakersfield Association - Party in the Park @ Mill Creek Park – October 17th
City of Bakersfield Media:
• Press Release
• Interview for Radio: KUZZ – October 21
• Interviews for TV News: Channel 58, Channel 23
• Interview for TV News: Channel 58, Channel 23
• Social Media Push on Facebook, Twitter, Linked in (All Spanish and English) o Additional push October 21st on Facebook, Twitter, Linked in (All Spanish and English)
Focused email and paper survey drop off:
• Kern Alliance for Non-Profits and Children First email and paper survey drop off • Williams Elementary – email only
• AppleCore Project - email only
• Stay Focused Ministries - email and paper survey drop off • Housing Authority - email and paper survey drop off
• Jakara Movement - email and paper survey drop off
• Family Resource Center - email only
• Children First - email only
• Community Interventions - email and paper survey drop off • Boys and Girls Club - email and paper survey drop off • CAPK (1300 18th Street) - email and paper survey drop off • Network for Children - email and paper survey drop off • GBLA - email and paper survey drop off
• Kern Art Council - email and paper survey drop off
• Open Door Network - email and paper survey drop off
• Mission at Kern - email and paper survey drop off
• Brundage Lane Navigation Center - email and paper survey drop off • CAPK (1631 30th Street) - email and paper survey drop off • Greenfield Walking Group- email and paper survey drop off • Shepower Leadership Academy- email and paper survey drop off • CAL State Bakersfield - email and paper survey drop off • Dolores Huerta Foundation – email only
1. 2.
Mark only one oval.
Under 18
18-34
35-44
44-64
65+
City of Bakersfield Community Needs Survey
The City of Bakersfield needs your input!
The City of Bakersfield is in the process of preparing the City’s Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development for the upcoming 5 years, 2025-2030. Over the next five years, the City will be investing millions of dollars in affordable housing, homelessness prevention and services, and community services and amenities. The City will also continue its efforts to identify and overcome barriers to affordable and accessible housing.
The Consolidated Plan affects many communities and organizations across the county, and input from the county's stakeholders and residents are essential to identifying needs and allocating resources.
Your voice will guide these decisions and help create healthy, safe, and thriving communities in Bakersfield!
*All survey responses are anonymous and no ef ort will be made to identify respondents.* In what zip code do you reside?
In which age bracket are you?
10/9/24, 3:19 PM City of Bakersfield Community Needs Survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cbwpuirJRiC3A343cGgFVQn9-elKgxnU3PumZJEjLjQ/edit 1/10
3. Mark only one oval.
Other:
American Indian/Alaska Native/Native American
Black/African American
Asian
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander
White/Caucasian
Multi-racial
Prefer Not to Answer
4. Mark only one oval.
Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino
Prefer Not to Answer
5. Mark only one oval.
Other:
Female
Male
Non-Binary
Transgender
Prefer not to answer
What is your race?
What is your ethnicity?
What is your gender?
10/9/24, 3:19 PM City of Bakersfield Community Needs Survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cbwpuirJRiC3A343cGgFVQn9-elKgxnU3PumZJEjLjQ/edit 2/10 2025-2030 Consolidated Plan
The City's Consolidated Plan is updated every five years. It provides the federal government with a community profile, documents community needs, and outlines how the City will address those needs with federal funding.
Your responses to the questions below will inform the City's updated Consolidated Plan and help guide community investment for the next five years!
6. Check all that apply.
Affordable Housing
Housing and Services for those experiencing Homelessness Community Facilities (e.g. libraries)
Social and Public Services (e.g. healthcare)
Infrastructure
Accommodations for those with Special Needs
Economic Development (jobs/businesses)
7. Check all that apply.
Accessibility improvements (ADA)
Owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
Construction of Affordable Rental Housing
First-time Downpayment homebuyer assistance
Senior Housing
Housing for those with disabilities
Housing for large families
Fair Housing services
Lead-based paint issues
Heating/Cooling HVAC
Which areas of need are of most interest to you? (Select all that apply) Choose five (5) of the most critical Housing needs in your community. 10/9/24, 3:19 PM City of Bakersfield Community Needs Survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cbwpuirJRiC3A343cGgFVQn9-elKgxnU3PumZJEjLjQ/edit 3/10
8. Check all that apply.
Permanent supportive housing
Emergency/overnight shelters
Landlord engagement programs
Outreach
Navigation centers/centralized services
Homelessness prevention and diversion services
Mental and behavioral health services
Substance use programs
Storage facilities/lockers
9. Check all that apply.
Water/sewage improvements
Street/Road improvements
Street lighting
Sidewalk improvements
Tree planting and urban greenery
Accessibility improvements (ADA)
Broadband internet access
Electric vehicle charging stations
Choose three (3) of the most critical Homelessness needs in your community.
Choose three (3) of the most critical Infrastructure needs in your community. 10/9/24, 3:19 PM City of Bakersfield Community Needs Survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cbwpuirJRiC3A343cGgFVQn9-elKgxnU3PumZJEjLjQ/edit 4/10
10. Check all that apply.
Senior activities
Youth activities
Childcare services
Public transit and transportation services
Health services
Mental Health Services
Legal services
Centers/services for persons with disabilities
Domestic violence services
HIV/AIDS services
Fair Housing
Food Banks
Substance Use Services
11. Check all that apply.
Job creation/retention
Job readiness programs
Commercial and industrial rehabilitation
Grants/loans to small businesses
Counseling/training for small businesses
Storefront/facade improvement
Choose three (3) of the most critical Social and Public Services needs in your community.
Choose two (2) of the most critical Economic Development needs in your community. 10/9/24, 3:19 PM City of Bakersfield Community Needs Survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cbwpuirJRiC3A343cGgFVQn9-elKgxnU3PumZJEjLjQ/edit 5/10
12. Check all that apply.
Community centers
Childcare centers
Park and recreational facilities
Food Banks
Homeless Shelters
Medical Facilities
Fire stations and Equipment
Healthcare Facilities
Libraries
13. Mark only one oval.
Other:
Yes, I don't have internet access at home.
Yes, I have internet access at home, but the quality is unreliable Yes, I can only access the internet at public locations.
No, I can access the internet without issue.
Fair Housing Choice
Every five years, the City conducts an Assessment of Fair Housing. It identifies the discriminatory barriers residents face in accessing the housing of their choice and provides action steps for overcoming those barriers.
Your responses to the questions below will help the City improve housing accessibility and affordability for years to come!
*All survey responses are anonymous and no effort will be made to identify respondents.* To report housing discrimination, contact Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance.
Choose two (2) of the most critical Community Facilities needs in your community.
Do you have any challenges to internet access?
10/9/24, 3:19 PM City of Bakersfield Community Needs Survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cbwpuirJRiC3A343cGgFVQn9-elKgxnU3PumZJEjLjQ/edit 6/10
14. Mark only one oval.
Yes Skip to question 15
No Skip to question 17
Not sure Skip to question 17
Housing Discriminiation
15. Other:
Check all that apply.
Refusing to rent or sell a home
Discouraging the rental or sale of a home
Steering potential tenant/homeowner to a different home or neighborhood Facing unfavorable terms in a home loan or lease
Refusing, discouraging, or charging more for home or rental insurance Unfair, misleading, and/or deceptive loan practices
Not Applicable
Have you ever encountered any form of housing discrimination or know someone who has?
15. If yes, in what way did you or someone you know face discrimination? 10/9/24, 3:19 PM City of Bakersfield Community Needs Survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cbwpuirJRiC3A343cGgFVQn9-elKgxnU3PumZJEjLjQ/edit 7/10
16. Check all that apply.
Race/Color/Ethnicity
National origin
Gender Identity
Sex
Age
Religion
Family status (e.g. single parent)
Disability
Source of Income
Sexual Orientation
Marital Status
Other
Bakersfield Housing Trends
17. Mark only one oval.
Own home
Rental unit
With family and/or friends
Unhoused
Congregate Housing Setting (College Dorm, Nursing Home, Shelter or Group Home) If yes, what do you believe was the basis for the discrimination faced by you or someone you know?
What is your housing status currently? (Where you live) 10/9/24, 3:19 PM City of Bakersfield Community Needs Survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cbwpuirJRiC3A343cGgFVQn9-elKgxnU3PumZJEjLjQ/edit 8/10
18. Mark only one oval.
Other:
Lack of affordable housing stock
Inadequate funding for low-income housing programs
Discriminatory lending and housing policies
Zoning and land-use regulations that limit housing diversity Insufficient support for the homelessness prevention programs
19. Check all that apply.
Increase in absentee landlords
Increased monthly rent
Increase in security deposit amount
Increase in evictions
Decreasing home values
Increasing housing prices
Increased mortgage foreclosures
Increase in property taxes
Which of the following do you consider to be the biggest challenge to achieving equitable housing? Select one.
Have you personally experienced/seen any of the below housing trends in your community? (Select all that apply.)
10/9/24, 3:19 PM City of Bakersfield Community Needs Survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cbwpuirJRiC3A343cGgFVQn9-elKgxnU3PumZJEjLjQ/edit 9/10
20. Homeowner's Association
Housing advertisement/flyer/informational brochure
Insurance Agent/Carrier
Landlord
Mortgage Lender/Bank
Property Manager
Real Estate Agent
Other
Thank You
Thank you for taking time to complete this form to share the needs in your community.
This content is neither created nor endorsed by Google.
Has an individual/entity/organization denied you housing or treated you differently related to housing? (Choose all that apply)
Forms
10/9/24, 3:19 PM City of Bakersfield Community Needs Survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cbwpuirJRiC3A343cGgFVQn9-elKgxnU3PumZJEjLjQ/edit 10/10 City of Bakersfield
ESG Program Performance Standards
ESG Component Outcome
Street Outreach
• Number of persons placed in shelter,
safe havens or permanent housing
• Number of persons with more noncash benefits
• Number of persons participating in
case management or Aftercare
Services
Emergency Shelter
• Number of persons exiting to
temporary or transitional housing
• Number of persons exiting to
permanent housing
• Number of persons participating in
Case Management or Aftercare
Services
Rapid Re-housing
• Number of persons who maintained
their permanent housing for 6 months
or longer
• Number of persons exiting to
permanent housing
• Number of persons with Higher income
at program exit
• Number of persons with more noncash benefits
• Number of persons participating in
Case Management or Aftercare
Services
*Subject to changes as necessary to support the collaboration between the Kern County Homeless Collaborative (CoC) and the City of Bakersfield ESG Programs.
CITY OF BAKERSFIELD
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing
2025-2030
March 2025
Para servicios de traducción, comuníquese con (661) 326-3765 0 Table of Contents
Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................3 Purpose of Analysis of Impediments...............................................................................3 Organization of Report....................................................................................................3 Introduction ......................................................................................................................5 Fair Housing Framework .................................................................................................5 Federal Law .....................................................................................................................5 State Law.........................................................................................................................7 Fair Housing Planning and Impediments to Fair Housing Choice ...................................7 Reporting Staff and Data Sources...................................................................................8 Community Outreach.........................................................................................................9 Community Meetings......................................................................................................9 Community Needs Survey.............................................................................................10 Focus Groups.................................................................................................................10 Consultations.................................................................................................................10 Public review.................................................................................................................11 Public Hearing ...............................................................................................................11 Key Issues Identified......................................................................................................11 Community Profile...........................................................................................................13 Population Characteristics ............................................................................................13 Household Characteristics.............................................................................................15 Housing Characteristics.................................................................................................19 Special Needs................................................................................................................21 Publicly Assisted Housing..............................................................................................25 Public Transit.................................................................................................................25 Lending Practices...............................................................................................................1 Background .....................................................................................................................1 Conventional and Government-Backed Financing..........................................................1 Lending Patterns .............................................................................................................2 Public Policies..................................................................................................................17 Policies and Programs Affecting Housing Development...............................................17 Zoning Ordinance..........................................................................................................18 Variety of Housing Opportunity’ ...................................................................................19 Affordable Housing Development.................................................................................20 Other Land Use Policies, Programs, and Controls.........................................................23 Policies Causing Displacement or Affect Housing Choice of Minorities and Persons with Disabilities.....................................................................................................................24 Public Housing Authority...............................................................................................25 Fair Housing Profile..........................................................................................................26 Fair Housing Services.....................................................................................................26 Fair Housing Statistics...................................................................................................27 Fair Housing Testing......................................................................................................28 1 California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH).................................28 NIMBYism......................................................................................................................29 Impediments...................................................................................................................30
1. 49
2. 49
3. 50
4. 50
5. 50
6. 50
7. 51
Conclusion- Fair Housing Action Plan................................................................................33 Assessment of Past Goals and Actions..........................................................................33 2020-2025 Goals and Actions .......................................................................................38 Appendix A: Community Survey
2 Executive Summary
The City of Bakersfield, situated in southern San Joaquin Valley, boasts a population of over 400,000 people, making it the ninth largest city in California. The county seat of Kern County, Bakersfield, has experienced substantial growth in recent years, spurred on by its diverse economy and relatively affordable housing market.
To further nurture economic growth and increased access to opportunity, the City presents this Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI).
Purpose of Analysis of Impediments
Fair housing is the right to choose housing free from unlawful discrimination. This right has been codified in federal law since 1968 through the Fair Housing Act and has been incrementally strengthened and expanded since then. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 further cemented the right to fair housing for all Americans.
Central to providing and protecting fair housing choice is the concept of affirmatively furthering fair housing.
This means undertaking a three-pronged Fair Housing Planning (FHP) process. The AI is one component of the FHP required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of a jurisdiction’s fiveyear Consolidated Plan. The other components are taking actions to eliminate identified impediments to fair housing choice and the maintenance of fair housing records.
This AI presents a demographic profile of Bakersfield, assesses the extent of housing needs among specific income groups, and evaluates the range of available housing choices for residents. The AI also analyzes the conditions in the private market and public sector that may limit the range of housing choices or impede a person’s access to housing. More importantly, this AI identifies impediments that may prevent equal housing access and offers actions to mitigate or remove such impediments.
Organization of Report
This report is divided into seven sections:
● Introduction – defines fair housing and explains the purpose of this report. ● Community Participation – summarizes the community engagement process the City undertook to solicit feedback on fair housing issues in Bakersfield.
● Community Profile - presents the demographic, housing and income characteristics in Bakersfield. Major employers and transportation access to job centers are identified. The relationships among these variables are discussed.
● Mortgage Lending Practices – analyzes private lending activities that could impede fair housing choices in Bakersfield.
● Public Policies – evaluates various public policies and actions that could impede fair housing choice in Bakersfield. ● Fair Housing Profile – evaluates the fair housing services available to residents and identifies fair housing complaints and violations in Bakersfield.
● Impediments and Recommendations – summarizes the findings regarding fair housing issues in Bakersfield and provides recommendations for furthering fair housing practices.
A page is attached at the end of this report that includes the endorsement of the City Manager and a statement certifying that the AI represents Bakersfield’s official conclusions regarding impediments to fair housing choice and the actions necessary to address these impediments. 3 Introduction
As one of the largest cities in California, Bakersfield (the City) has experienced strong population and economic growth in recent years. The population of Bakersfield, as of the 2020 Census, is 403,455. The city added 156,398 residents in the last 20 years, a growth rate of 63%. Comparatively, Kern County grew by 37% during this time, the Kern County/Kings County/Tulare County tri-county area grew by an average of 28%, and the State of California grew by less than 17%. While this growth has brought increased prosperity to the region, social and economic challenges persist. Relevant to this report, barriers to fair housing choice continue to frustrate residents’ ability to secure accessible and affordable housing.
Equal access to housing is fundamental to meeting essential needs and pursuing personal, educational, and employment goals. In recognizing equal housing access as a fundamental right, the federal government and the State of California have both established fair housing choice, defined as the right to choose housing free from unlawful discrimination, as a right protected by law.1 Through many of its policies, programs, and services, the City of Bakersfield works diligently to ensure fair housing choice for its residents.
Conducting an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) became a requirement for entitlement jurisdictions in 1995. Entitlement jurisdictions are those that directly receive U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding under the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs. Bakersfield receives funding under each program and as such is required to conduct an AI.
Included in the report is a demographic profile of the City, an assessment of the extent of housing needs among specific income groups, and an evaluation of the availability of a range of housing choices for residents. It also analyzes the conditions in the private market and the public sector that could limit the range of housing choices or impede a person’s access to housing.
Fair Housing Framework
Federal Law
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 is the foundation of the United States’ commitment to fair housing. Along with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is one of the landmark federal laws that protects all Americans from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 expanded the scope of civil rights by banning discrimination based on familial or disability status.
The statuses that fall within the scope of fair housing – race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial composition, and disability status – are referred to as “protected classes.” Not all seemingly unfair treatment, whether in housing or in other areas, is prohibited. For example, young families can be lawfully rejected for tenancy if a rental property qualifies as senior housing.2 But protected classes receive special consideration under the law and with few exceptions, such as the example of families disqualified from senior housing, discriminating against someone based on any of the protected classes is prohibited.
The areas to which the Fair Housing Acts of 1968 and 1988 are applicable are as follows:3 1 http://www.fhcwm.org/whatisfairhousing
2 Ron Leshnower, “The Fair Housing Act’s Protected Classes: What Landlords Need to Know,” Nolo.com. 3 https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/fair_housing_act_overview 4 ● Selling or renting housing. Refusing to rent or sell a home based on a protected class is perhaps the clearest example of housing discrimination, but there are many other actions that are expressly prohibited. These include offering different rental terms as compared to other tenants, falsely claiming there are no housing units available, or providing a person with different housing services or facilities. ● Mortgage lending. Refusing to make a mortgage loan, imposing different loan terms, and unfairly appraising a home, among other actions related to mortgage lending, are all illegal under federal fair housing law. ● Forms of harassment. Many laws and policies make different forms of harassment illegal across sectors, but the Fair Housing Acts expressly prohibit harassment, especially sexual harassment, as it relates to housing. ● Advertising. Advertisements for and marketing of housing must be compliant with the Fair Housing Acts’ prohibition on discrimination. For example, phrases such as “no children” or “no wheelchairs” may be in violation of the federal Fair Housing Acts.
● Interference of rights and protections under fair housing legislation. According to HUD, it is illegal to “threaten, coerce, intimidate or interfere with anyone exercising a fair housing right or assisting others who exercise the right.” It is also illegal to retaliate against a person who has filed a fair housing complaint or assisted in a fair housing investigation.
What is not included in fair housing protections at the federal level is a prohibition of discrimination based on source of income. This usually refers to the treatment of those who are recipients of Housing Choice Vouchers (commonly referred to as Section 8). For example, it is not uncommon for landlords to advertise a rental unit as “no Section 8.” To address this, California passed a law that amends the State Fair Employment and Housing Act and makes discriminating against source of income unlawful. Landlords are now barred from marketing their properties as “no Section 8” and cannot reject prospective tenants based on their source of income alone.
The major step toward remedying past injustices is ending various discriminatory lending practices based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin (discussed in greater detail in Lending Practices section). The amendments to the Fair Housing Act enacted in 1988 added familial status and disabilities as protected classes and the passage of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) in 1977 further improved access to credit for all members of the community. The CRA is intended to encourage regulated financial institutions to help meet the credit needs of Low- and Moderate-Income (LMI) communities. The CRA also authorizes federal regulators to assess depository institution’s record institutions’ records in helping meet the credit needs of LMI communities.
The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), which was initially enacted in 1975 and substantially expanded in 1989, requires lending institutions to make annual public disclosures of their home mortgage lending activity.
The law aims to curb discrimination by compelling banks, savings and loan associations, and other lending institutions to report annually the amounts and geographical distribution of their mortgage applications, origination, and denials. Lending institutions must also report the race, gender, and annual income of its applicants.
Such data is collected and disclosed by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC). It also makes HMDA data available to the public and financial regulators to determine if lending practices are lawful and are serving the lending needs of all communities. It should be noted that HMDA data can indicate potential problems, but such data alone cannot definitively conclude that discriminatory lending practices occurred. 5 State Law
Federal fair housing law applies to all states, but California has further codified fair housing protections. The State’s Fair Employment and Housing Act is California’s foundation for fair housing. It prohibits discrimination and harassment as it relates to housing and enforcing this law is the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). The largest civil rights agency in the country, the DFEH educates the public on fair housing, provides protection from discrimination, and facilitates mediation of civil rights disputes.
Other laws affirm California’s commitment to fair housing. The Unruh Act protects Californians from discrimination by all business establishments, including housing and equal access to the accommodations. The Ralph Civil Rights Act prohibits violence based on someone’s actual or perceived identities, including race and gender. And the Bane Civil Rights Act prohibits interference by force or threat of force with an individual’s constitutional or statutory rights, including a right to equal access to housing. The list below outlines the laws and regulations concerning fair housing and employment in California:
● Fair Employment and Housing Act
● Department of Fair Employment and Housing regulations ● California Family Rights Act (CFRA)
● New Parent Leave Act (NPLA)
● Unruh Civil Rights Act – requires business establishments to provide equal accommodations ● Ralph Civil Rights Act – prohibits hate violence or the threat of hate violence ● Civil Code Section 51.9 – prohibits sexual harassment in business, service, or professional contexts outside of traditional employment relationships
● Disabled Persons Act
● California Trafficking Victims Act
● Government Code Section 11135 Et Seq. – prohibits discrimination in state-funded programs) Fair Housing Planning and Impediments to Fair Housing Choice The federal government defines impediments to fair housing choice as:
● Any actions, omissions, or decisions taken because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin that restrict housing choices or the availability of housing choice. ● Any actions, omissions, or decisions that have this effect.
The AI identifies these impediments and serves as one of the three principles of Fair Housing Planning (FHP) that the federal government requires. Another principle includes actions to overcome the effects of identified impediments.
Reporting Staff and Data Sources
This report was prepared by Diana R. Elrod Consulting, with support from Erica Snyder Consulting, LLC on behalf of the City of Bakersfield. The City’s Economic and Community Development Division of the Development Services Department is responsible for Fair Housing Planning.
The following data sources were used to complete this AI:
● City of Bakersfield 2020-2025 Consolidated Plan
● City of Bakersfield draft 2025-2031 Consolidated Plan ● City of Bakersfield General Plan (2002, as amended)
6 ● City of Bakersfield Housing Element (2023-2031, especially the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing report) ● Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc.
● Making Downtown Bakersfield
● Economic Opportunity Areas (EOA) Plan
● California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
● U.S. Census Bureau
● U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) ● Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data on lending activities 7 Community Outreach
This AI was developed to provide an overview of laws, regulations, conditions or other possible obstacles that could affect access to housing. As part of this effort, the report incorporates the issues and concerns of residents, housing professionals and service providers. To assure that the report responds to community needs, the development of the AI included:
● Community Partner Focus Groups and Interviews
● Community Meetings
● Online survey in English and Spanish
● 30-day public comment period
● Public hearings to review and adopt the Plan
According to HUD’s Fair Housing Planning Guide, citizen participation relating to Fair Housing Planning (FHP) is a component of the Consolidated Plan governed by 24 CFR § 91. Accordingly, the City’s FHP outreach occurred in conjunction with its Consolidated Planning process.
Community Meetings
Three community workshops were conducted to introduce residents to the City’s Consolidated Plan (ConPlan) and FHP process, familiarize them with federal funding, and to solicit input. The workshops sought to obtain broad input from the City’s diverse communities. A total of 37 community members participated in the workshops and provided feedback on their housing and economic and community development priorities. The workshops were held at the following locations:
Community Meeting #1 Community Meeting #2 Community Meeting #3 Online (Zoom)
https://bit.ly/47xnQKU
October 22, 2024, 10:00am12:00pm
Baker Street Community Room
1015 Baker Street
Bakersfield, CA 93305
October 22, 2024, 5:30pm7:30pm
Bakersfield Senior Center
530 4th Street
Bakersfield, CA 93304
October 23, 2024, 3:00pm5:00pm
Information about the ConPlan and FHP processes were presented at each meeting. The presentation included the purpose of the ConPlan and AI, the funding programs with which they are associated, and an economic and demographic profile of Bakersfield to frame the next ConPlan and AI cycle.
The presentation was followed by an open forum in which attendees discussed how the City can make a positive impact in supporting its residents and communities. They were also asked to rank their top seven priorities in their communities using paper ballots provided at the meeting. Priorities included infrastructure, jobs, affordable housing (including fair housing), addressing homelessness, public service, workforce and economic development.
8 Community Needs Survey
To supplement the community workshops and to further understand the needs of the City’s residents, a Community Needs and Fair Housing Survey was offered in both English and Spanish. In order to give as many people as possible the chance to voice their opinion, emphasis was placed on making the survey widely available and gathering as many responses as possible. The survey was available online on the City’s website and hardcopies were made available at the City Development Services Department. It was also publicized in the following ways:
Provided an overview of the survey, and left copies for residents to take:
● MLK Community Initiative Meeting Date: Same as ConPlan (about 40 participants) - October 22 ● Bakersfield High School Latino Parents Group (Spanish) (about 10 participants) – October 23 ● Cal State Bakersfield Master of Public Administration Class: (about 30 participants) – October 21 Sent to Their Listserv or Contacts:
● Bakersfield Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative
● Kern County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
● Greenfield Walking Group (Spanish)
● Leadership Counsel (English and Spanish)
Posted on Social Media for City:
● Kern Family Health Care
Tabled at a large Community Fair and passed out surveys:
● Downtown Bakersfield Association - Party in the Park @ Mill Creek Park – October 17th City of Bakersfield Media:
● Press Release
● Interview for Radio: KUZZ – October 21
● Interviews for TV News: Channel 58, Channel 23
● Interview for TV News: Channel 58, Channel 23
● Social Media Push on Facebook, Twitter, Linked in (All Spanish and English) o Additional push October 21st on Facebook, Twitter, Linked in (All Spanish and English) Focused email and paper survey drop off:
● Kern Alliance for Non-Profits and Children First email and paper survey drop off ● Williams Elementary – email only
● AppleCore Project - email only
● Stay Focused Ministries - email and paper survey drop off ● Housing Authority - email and paper survey drop off
● Jakara Movement - email and paper survey drop off
● Family Resource Center - email only
● Children First - email only
● Community Interventions - email and paper survey drop off ● Boys and Girls Club - email and paper survey drop off 9 ● CAPK (1300 18th Street) - email and paper survey drop off ● Network for Children - email and paper survey drop off ● GBLA - email and paper survey drop off
● Kern Art Council - email and paper survey drop off
● Open Door Network - email and paper survey drop off
● Mission at Kern - email and paper survey drop off
● Brundage Lane Navigation Center - email and paper survey drop off ● CAPK (1631 30th Street) - email and paper survey drop off ● Greenfield Walking Group- email and paper survey drop off ● Shepower Leadership Academy- email and paper survey drop off ● CAL State Bakersfield - email and paper survey drop off ● Dolores Huerta Foundation – email only
The City of Bakersfield’s community engagement process for the 2025-2030 Consolidated Plan generated consistent themes across community partner focus groups, community meetings, and survey. Participation in these events are as follows:
● Community Partner Focus Groups: 39 community partners ● Community Meetings: 37 residents
● Survey: 496 responses (471 in English, 25 in Spanish) ● Total community participants: 572 individuals (not de-duplicated) Overall, residents in the City have concerns pertaining to affordable housing (e.g., rental housing affordability, first-time homebuyers’ assistance, increased housing costs), addressing homelessness (e.g., homelessness prevention, behavioral health services, and access to housing), as well as economic development (e.g., job training, living wage, and finding/maintain jobs). While other needs were identified, these three areas were heard at all levels of engagement.
Focus Groups
The City hosted four focus groups, one each for the following sectors:
● Affordable housing
● Homelessness
● Economic development
● Community development and services
These focus groups were conducted to familiarize representatives of key organizations and stakeholders with the ConPlan and AI, as well as to understand their perspectives on emerging trends and community needs. In total, 39 community partners participated.
Consultations
The City conducted comprehensive outreach to key organizations to enhance coordination, solicit feedback, and discuss new approaches and efficiencies with public and assisted housing providers, private and governmental health, mental health and service agencies, and stakeholders that use funding for eligible activities under HUD’s entitlement programs, including fair housing services. These organizations included:
10 ● Housing Authority of the County of Kern (HACK)
● The Mission, representing the region’s Continuum of Care (CoC) ● Kern Council of Governments
● Kern County Public Health
● Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance (GBLA)
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance (GBLA) is a fair housing service provider that provides critical legal services as they relate to housing discrimination. Specifically, GBLA maintains its Fair Housing Law Project that “provides fair housing education, investigation, and enforcement services for Kern County residents, regardless of income, who believe they have been victims of illegal housing discrimination.” GBLA’s fair housing services are funded in part by CDBG grants from the City.
Public review
XXXXX – to be completed by April
Public Hearing
A public hearing at the Bakersfield City Council was held on April 23, 2025 to consider adopting the City’s proposed 2025-2030 Consolidated Plan, 2025-2026 Action Plan, 2025-2030 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, and amendments to the Citizen Participation Plan. 11 Community Profile
Strategically located within four hours of 90% of California’s population, Bakersfield has seen strong population and economic growth in recent years. As noted in the introduction, the population of Bakersfield, as of the 2020 Census, is 403,455. The city added 156,398 residents in the last 20 years, a growth rate of 63%. Comparatively, Kern County grew by 37% during this time, the Kern County/Kings County/Tulare County tri-county area grew by an average of 28%, while the State of California grew by less than 17%.
Overall, the number of lower income households represent 50% of all households, whereas in the previous AI these households represented 45% of households. Extremely Low-Income (ELI) and Very Low-Income (VLI) households representing a greater share of the low- to moderate-income (LMI) households in Bakersfield comes at a time when local economic indicators have been negatively impacted by the COVID pandemic. While unemployment in Bakersfield is 7.2% in 2024 - which is greatly improved since 2020, when it reached 17.2% at the height of the pandemic –it is still higher than both the State of California and the country as a whole.4 In addition, while the number of households identified as LMI has increased, the number of households earning above the median has decreased since the previous AI by about 4%. Anecdotal information suggests that remote work that came as the result of the pandemic allowed those who could afford it to move to other locations in the country, such as Tennessee and Texas. In addition, there continues to be opportunities for people in the agricultural and petrochemical economic sectors, bringing in less affluent people looking for jobs. There are many more plausible reasons for the decrease in households earning above the median, but the outcome is clear: there are more Bakersfield residents in need than they were during the previous AI cycle.
Bakersfield anticipates continued economic expansion and population growth, but many social and economic conditions exist that impede fair housing choice for many residents. For example, the median income in Bakersfield is lower than California’s as a whole, and the unemployment rate is higher than the State’s. Each of these affect residents’ ability to find affordable and safe housing. This section discusses the many factors -- such as population growth, age characteristics, and race/ethnicity -- that help determine the community’s housing needs and play a role in exploring potential impediments to fair housing choice.
Population Characteristics
Population Growth
Although the population has increased over time, the rate of population growth has declined since 1980. As shown in the table below, the rate of population growth was 65.5% between 1980 and 1990; however, the rate declined to 16.1% between 2010 and 2020. The average annual growth rate in Bakersfield from 1980 to 2020 has been 3.2%, higher than Kern County’s rate of 2.0% and significantly higher than the Kern County/Kings County/Tulare County tri-county area’s rate of 0.7%.
Table 1 Population Growth
4 See https://datacommons.org/explore#q=california+unemployment+rate&dc=&client=ui_query 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Total Population 105,611 174,820 247,057 347,483 403,455 12 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010; Social Explorer tables for Census 2020.
The Kern Council of Governments (Kern COG) latest forecast conducted in 2020 predicts Bakersfield’s population to increase to 507,400 by 2035, an increase of 26% over 2020 conditions.
Age Composition
The city’s current and future housing needs are determined in part by the age of its residents. Each age group has distinct housing needs and preferences based on lifestyle, family types and sizes, and income levels.
Traditionally, the young adult population (20-34 years of age) and the senior population (65 years and over) tend to favor apartments, low to moderately priced condominiums, and smaller single-family units. Adults between 35-64 years old and households with school-age children tend to seek out moderate to high-cost apartments, condominiums, and larger single-family units, as they tend to have higher and/or dual incomes and larger household sizes.
Population estimates by age group for Bakersfield are presented in Table 2 below. Approximately 10% of the population in Bakersfield is 65 years of age or older, which is similar to the share of that age group in Kern County (11%) and the tri-county area (11%) but half of the share of that age group in California (19%).
Bakersfield also has a similar share of youth compared to Kern County and the tri-county area but a higher share of youth than California – approximately 30% of city residents are under 18, while approximately 29% of residents are under 18 in the county, 29% of residents are under 18 in the tri-county area, and 12% of residents are under 18 in California.
Bakersfield’s population is younger on average than California’s, but like the state and the nation, is growing older. Over the past two decades, the percentage of the population younger than 40 years has decreased, while the population over 60 has increased. The largest increase in residents was those age 20-39, followed by those age 60 and older.
Table 2 Age Characteristics
Source: U.S.
Census
Bureau,
ACS16-20 (5-
year
Estimates),
Table
B01001.
Age and
fair
housing
intersect when managers or property owners make housing decisions based on the age of residents. For example, property owners or managers may prefer to limit the number of children in their complex or discourage older residents due to their disabilities. Although a housing provider may establish reasonable Percent Change 65.5% 41.3% 40.7% 16.1%
Age Range 2020 Number of Residents 2020-% of Population Total: 379,879
Youth Under 18 113,630 29.9%
Youth: Under 5 Years 31,098 8.2%
Youth: 5 to 17 Years 82,532 21.7%
Adults 18-64 228,253 60.1%
Young Adults: 18 to 24 Years 38,390 10.1%
Adults: 25 to 64 Years 189,863 50.0%
Seniors 65+ 37,996 10.0%
Seniors: 65 to 84 Years 33,490 8.8%
Older Seniors: 85 Years and Over 4,506 1.2%
13 occupancy limits and set reasonable rules about the behavior of tenants, those rules cannot single out the presences of children in a family or refuse to make reasonable accommodations.
Race/Ethnicity
A community’s racial and ethnic composition has implications for housing needs based on household characteristics and cultural norms that may affect housing needs and preferences – for instance, some racial and ethnic groups may have multiple family generations residing together in one household more commonly than other groups.
The Kern region has a Hispanic/Latino ethnic majority of 55% of the total population in 2020; however, the term “Hispanic” can also be of any race according to the Census. Non- Hispanic Whites account for 31% of the population, reduced from 50% in 2000.
Table 3 provides a comparison of race and ethnicity in Bakersfield, Kern County, the tri- county area, and State of California in 2020. According to 2016-2020 ACS estimates, Hispanic/Latino is the largest racial/ethnic group, followed by non-Hispanic White. Bakersfield and Kern County have a higher percentage of Hispanic/Latino residents compared to California, but a slightly lower percentage compared to the tri-county area. The next largest racial/ethnic groups in Bakersfield are Asian Americans and Black/African Americans, which constitutes a proportionally larger share of the city population than in Kern County or the tri-county area.
Between 2000 and 2020, the racial and ethnic demographic has shifted. Since 2000, the city’s proportion of non-Hispanic white population declined, while the percentage of the city’s population that identifies as Hispanic/Latino increased from 32.5% to 51.1%. The proportion of the population that identifies as Asian American increased from 4.1% to 7.1%, while the proportion of the Black/African American population declined slightly, from 8.9% to 7.0%.
Between 2000 and 2020, the number of non-Hispanic White residents and American Indian and Alaska Native residents declined, while the number of residents in all other racial/ethnic groups increased.
Table 3 Race and Ethnicity
14 Ethnic and racial composition of a region is useful in analyzing housing demand and related fair housing concerns. The Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance organization notes that race-based discrimination ranks second behind only disability in the number of fair housing complaints in recent years.
Household Characteristics
Housing Tenure
Housing tenure refers to the ownership status of a household that resides in a housing unit. The table below shows the owner occupancy and tenancy of occupied housing units in Bakersfield. Neither tenure status is immune from fair housing concerns. Discriminatory lending practices, for example, can affect prospective and current homeowners, and prospective and current tenants in rental units can face a host of discriminatory practices.
Table 4: Housing Tenure
Tenure
2010 2020
Occupied units % of total Occupied units % of total
Owner 63,815 60.4 75,653 59.2
Renter 41,833 39.6 52,211 40.8
Total 105,648 100 127,864 100
Source: 2020 Decennial Census, U.S. Census Bureau
Household Composition and Size
The average size and composition of households are highly sensitive to the age structure of the population, but they also reflect social and economic changes. For example, economic downturns may prolong the time adult children live at home or result in multiple families and non-family members living together to lower housing 15 costs. Table 5 depicts the average household size by housing tenure, and Table 6 reports the number of households by composition. As shown in Table 5, the average household size in Bakersfield is 3.17, with a slightly higher average among owner-occupied households than renters. Bakersfield has a larger average household size than Kern County and California but a smaller household size than the tri-county area.
Bakersfield’s average household size has increased by 2.3% from 3.1% since 2010.
Table 5: Household Size by Tenure
Table 6: Composition of Households by Income
0-30%
HAMFI
>30-50%
HAMFI
>50-80%
HAMFI
>80-100%
HAMFI
>100%
HAMFI
Total Households 15,165 13,250 19,440 11,345 59,370
Small Family Households 5,790 5,665 8,530 5,975 31,580
Large Family Households 1,950 2,305 3,295 1,955 8,635
Household contains at least one person
62-74 years of age 3,165 2,535 3,845 1,850 12,210
Household contains at least one person
age 75 or older 1,800 1,600 1,975 940 3,705
Households with one or more children 6
years old or younger 3,659 4,440 5,164 2,804 10,839
Source: 2016-2020 CHAS.
The average household size has increased since 2010, possibly due to increasing housing costs and a younger population. While household size or composition alone cannot determine current or future housing needs, it is an important piece to understanding the local housing market. For example, LMI households are more likely to live in overcrowded conditions, which can be an indication of a constrained housing supply, insufficient incomes, high housing costs, or social and cultural norms.
Household Income
Next to housing costs, household income is the most important factor determining a household’s ability to afford housing. Although economic and financial factors that affect a household’s housing choice are not a fair housing issue per se, the relationships among household income, household type, race/ethnicity and other factors often create misconceptions and biases that raise fair housing issues.
The City’s income distribution is indexed to area median income (AMI), calculated by HUD. Based on the AMI, it establishes four income categories that dictate eligibility for most publicly assisted housing programs:
● Extremely Low Income – At or below 30% of AMI
● Very Low Income – 30-50% of AMI
● Low Income – 50–80% of AMI
16 ● Moderate Income – 80–120% of AMI
Table 7: 2024 Kern County Income Limits
Number of Persons
in Household: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Acutely Low Income $9,250 $10,550 $11,900 $13,200 $14,250 $15,300 $16,350 $17,400 Extremely Low $18,450 $21,100 $25,820 $31,200 $36,580 $41,960 $47,340 $52,720 Very Low Income $30,800 $35,200 $39,600 $43,950 $47,500 $51,000 $54,500 $58,050 Low Income $49,250 $56,250 $63,300 $70,300 $75,950 $81,550 $87,200 $92,800 Median Income $61,550 $70,300 $79,100 $87,900 $94,950 $101,950 $109,000 $116,050 Moderate Income $73,850 $84,400 $94,950 $105,500 $113,950 $122,400 $130,800 $139,250 Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development, 2024 The following table shows what the affordable monthly housing cost is for each of the income categories in the table above.
Table 8: 2024 Kern County Affordable Monthly Housing Cost Number of Persons
in Household: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Acutely Low $231 $264 $298 $330 $356 $383 $409 $435
Extremely Low $461 $528 $646 $780 $915 $1,049 $1,184 $1,318 Very Low Income $770 $880 $990 $1,099 $1,188 $1,275 $1,363 $1,451 Low Income $1,231 $1,406 $1,583 $1,758 $1,899 $2,039 $2,180 $2,320 Median Income $1,539 $1,758 $1,978 $2,198 $2,374 $2,549 $2,725 $2,901 Moderate Income $1,846 $2,110 $2,374 $2,638 $2,849 $3,060 $3,270 $3,481 Source: City of Bakersfield, 2024
Over half of all households are considered LMI, but these households are not evenly distributed throughout the city. Like in most major cities, LMI households in Bakersfield are concentrated in certain areas in the city. Figure 1 shows the LMI residents are generally located in central and southeast Bakersfield. 17 Figure 1: Median Household Income by Tract
Source: U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2024 Housing Characteristics
Housing Stock
Bakersfield’s housing stock consists of a variety of housing types, but Table 9 shows nearly three-fourths of the housing stock is detached single-family homes, much greater than the State’s percentage (57.5%) of such homes. This can complicate fair housing choice, as single-family homes are often more expensive than other housing types, thus limiting a household’s ability to seek greater opportunity. Additionally, the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation has found that maintaining anti-density zoning, such as land use being dominated by single-family detached housing, results in more racially segregated cities and tend to exclude blue collar workers.5
Table 9: Housing Stock Composition
Housing Type
Bakersfield California
Number of Units % of Total Number of Units % of Total
Single Family, detached 100,436 73% 8,471,490 57%
Single Family, attached 3,623 3% 1,069,749 7%
Two to Four Units 14,716 11% 1,149,409 8%
More than Five Units 17,016 12% 3,594,764 24%
Mobile Homes 2,738 2% 539,415 4%
Total 138,529 100% 14,824,827 100%
5 Jonathan Rothwell, “Land Use Politics, Housing Costs, and Segregation in California Cities,” Terner Center for Housing Innovation, September 2019.
18 Vacancy Rate 3.6% 6.4%
Source: E-5 City/County Population and Housing Estimates, 1/1/2024, California Department of Finance Housing Conditions
Assessing housing conditions can provide the basis for developing policies and programs to maintain and preserve the quality of the housing stock. Housing age can indicate general housing conditions within a community, particularly when it comes to lead-based paint (LBP). LBP has been banned in household paint since 1978, but housing units constructed prior to that year are more likely to contain lead-based paint. The following figure represents the age of the housing stock in Bakersfield.
Figure 2: Age of Housing Stock
Most of the current housing stock in Bakersfield is evenly distributed across the 1970’s through the 1990’s. A spike in homebuilding in the 2000s provided 28,381 homes, greater than any other decade. The spike drastically plummeted in the 2010s, where only 3,724 homes were built. However, housing construction has since increased in the last decade to rates more typical of construction during 1970 to 2000, with 16,561 housing units added Nearly 61% of the City’s housing stock was built after 1980, reflecting the growth Bakersfield has experienced as its economy and population have expanded in recent decades. Still, homes constructed prior to 1980 are more likely to contain LBP and may have significant rehabilitation needs.
HUD also analyzes four housing conditions as part of its Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) derived from American Community Survey data. These four conditions are units that lack complete kitchen facilities, units that lack complete plumbing facilities, housing that is overcrowded, and housing cost burden. The first two problems can serve as proxies for housing conditions in the City. Fortunately, less than one percent of all households live with substandard kitchen or plumbing facilities. 19 Housing Needs
California law requires localities to adopt a Housing Element as part of their General Plan. State Housing Element law requires that cities and counties address housing needs for all income levels of the population. The Kern Council of Governments (COG) allocated the regional fair share of housing needs to Bakersfield for the 2015- 2023 period through the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA).
According to the City’s RHNA allocation, Bakersfield must accommodate the potential for 36,290 housing units during the eight-year period (years 2015-2023). This allocation is based on population forecasts, economic trends, and other socioeconomic data. Table 10 presents the distribution of the future needs by four household income categories.
Table 10: Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) Allocation, 2023-2031 Allocation % of Allocation
Very Low Income (0-50%AMI) 11,129 30%
Low Income (50-80%AMI) 7,082 19%
Moderate Income (80-120%AMI) 5,317 14%
Above Moderate Income (Greater than 120% AMI) 13,933 37% TOTAL 37,461 100%
Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development, 2023 The substantial need in the lower-income categories reflects the broader home production trends in California.
High land, construction, and labor costs, coupled with limited public funding, often renders affordable housing infeasible. What affordable housing is produced is impactful and important to the households that attain it, but the overall demand is much higher than the supply, possibly affecting fair housing choice.
Special Needs
Certain households, because of their special characteristics and needs, have more difficulty finding decent and affordable housing. The following discussion highlights characteristics that could affect an individual household’s access to housing in the community.
Large Households
Large households are defined as having five or more members. These households are usually families with two or more children or families with extended family members such as in-laws or grandparents. These can also include multiple families living in one housing unit in order to save on housing costs.
Large households are a special needs group because the availability of adequately sized, affordable housing units is often limited. To save for necessities such as food, clothing, and medical care, LMI large households may reside in smaller units, resulting in overcrowding. Furthermore, families with children, especially those who are renters, may face discrimination in the housing market. For example, some landlords may charge large households a higher rent or security deposit, limit the number of children in a complex, confine them to a 20 specific location, limit the time children can play outdoors or choose not to rent to families with children altogether, which would violate fair housing laws.
In Bakersfield, most residents living together are in family households as opposed to non-family households.
As shown in Table 11, 21,065 households, or 17.8% of total households, are considered large households.
Almost all large households are family households. Comparatively, 18.2% of households in Kern County are considered large households, 20.5% in the tri-county area, and 14.5% in California.
Table 11: Household size
Single-Parent Households
Single-parent families, particularly female-headed, single-parent families with children, often require special consideration and assistance because they have a higher housing cost burden relative to the general population and may require accessible day care, health care, and other supportive services. Female-headed families with children are a particularly vulnerable group. Studies have shown that female-headed households are more likely to be affected by poverty and housing discrimination than male-headed households. According to 2016-2020 ACS data, there are 20,414 female-headed households (no spouse present) with children in Bakersfield, with 6,627 (32.5%) earning an income below the poverty line. This rate is higher than the rate of
21.5% in California for the same group.
Table 12 shows female-headed households in Bakersfield, Kern County, tri-county area, and California. Femaleheaded households with children under 18 years old comprised 29% of all female-headed households in Bakersfield, higher than in Kern County, the tri-county area, and California.
Female-headed families may also be discriminated against in the rental housing market because some landlords are concerned regarding the ability of these households to make regular rent payments. Consequently, landlords may require more stringent credit checks or higher security deposits for women, which would be a violation of fair housing laws.
21 Table 12: Female-Headed Households
Persons with Disabilities
Persons with physical disabilities may face discrimination in the housing market because of the need for wheelchair access, home modifications to improve accessibility or other forms of assistance. Landlords/owners sometimes fear that a unit might sustain wheelchair damage or might refuse to exempt disabled tenants with service/guide animals from a no-pet policy. A major barrier to housing for people with mental disabilities is opposition based on the stigma of mental disability. Landlords often refuse to rent to tenants with a history of mental illness. Indeed, discrimination based on disability status is the most common source of fair housing complaints.
The definition of disability changes based on its context. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) considers disability as a legal term. Other laws and government programs view disability through a medical lens. For the purposes of this report, the U.S. Census Bureau classifies disabilities into the following categories:
● Hearing difficulty: Deaf or having serious difficulty hearing ● Vision difficulty: Blind or having serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses ● Cognitive difficulty: Because of a physical, mental, or emotional problem, having difficulty remembering, concentrating, or making decisions
● Ambulatory difficulty: Having serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs ● Self-care difficulty: Having difficulty bathing or dressing ● Independent living difficulty: Because of a physical, mental, or emotional problem, having difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping
According to the 2016-2020 ACS, a total of 40,024 residents in Bakersfield have at least one disability, approximately 10.6% of the total population. Adults 65 years and older have the highest rates of disabilities, with 16.6% of the population having one disability and an additional 21.9% with two disabilities. These rates are similar to the tri-county area and slightly higher than the California average. Figure 3 displays distribution of disabilities by type of disability.
22 Figure 3: Disabilities by Type
Persons with HIV/AIDS
Persons with HIV/AIDS face an array of barriers to obtaining and maintaining affordable, stable housing, which is important to their general health and wellbeing. According to the National AIDS Housing Coalition, people with HIV/AIDS who are homeless or unstably housed are:
● More likely to enter HIV care late
● Less likely to receive and adhere to antiretroviral therapy ● More likely to be hospitalized and use emergency rooms ● More likely to experience a premature death
Despite federal and state anti-discrimination laws, many people face illegal eviction from their homes when their illness is exposed. The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, which is primarily enforced by HUD, prohibits housing discrimination against persons with disabilities, including persons with HIV/AIDS.
According to the 2021 California HIV Surveillance Report, there are 2,178 cases of persons living with a diagnosed HIV infection in Kern County. Of these cases, less than 1% are ages 13 or below, 4% are ages 13-19, 32% are ages 20-29, 34% are ages 30-39, 19% are 40-49, 8% are ages 50-59, and 3% are 60 years or more according to the data presented at the Kern County Provider HIV Symposium in 2024. Additionally, 87% of HIV/AIDS cases are male, 11% are female, and 1% identify as transgender. Persons with HIV/AIDS face an array of barriers to obtaining and maintaining affordable and decent housing, which is as essential to their general health and wellbeing as access to quality and affordable healthcare.
The Kern County Department of Public Health (KCDPH) administers a range of HIV/AIDS services including:
● AIDS Drug Assistance Program
● Case Management Services
● Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Assistance Program
● Housing Opportunities for People Living with AIDS (HOPWA) 23 The HOPWA program was established by HUD to address the specific needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. In the Bakersfield area, the HOPWA program works collaboratively with HACK and the Kern County Department of Public Health to provide housing assistance and supportive services to persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families that meet the eligibility criteria.
As an entitlement community, the City of Bakersfield receives HOPWA funds directly from HUD. Currently, the City administers the program itself but will soon use provisions within the HOPWA regulations that allow a grantee to decline its grantee status and to enter into an agreement with the State to administer the HOPWA program on behalf of the City.
Persons Experiencing Homelessness
People experiencing homelessness often have a difficult time finding permanent housing. With little to no income and high housing costs, people experiencing homelessness often find it challenging to afford a home.
The constrained supply of affordable housing also limits the homeless population’s entry into permanent housing. This group may also encounter fair housing issues when landlords refuse to rent to them for a variety of reasons including: a lack of steady income, lack of previous addresses, requiring a third-party payer, or limitations pertaining to supplying identification. The perception may be that homeless persons are financially or behaviorally unstable. These difficulties are more severe for homeless families that need larger affordable units to accommodate children.
In January 2024, the Bakersfield/Kern County Continuum of Care (CoC) conducted a Point-in-Time (PIT) count of homeless persons in Bakersfield, living sheltered or unsheltered. The Bakersfield-Kern regional Homeless Collaborative, the local CoC, takes measures to ensure that the survey provides a statistically reliable, unduplicated count. Table 13 represents the 2024 PIT count.
Table 13: 2024 Point-in-Time Count
Adults
Adults w/
Children Children Total
Change since
2018
Sheltered 805 68 133 1,006 8%
Unsheltered 1,645 17 1 1,663 64%
Total 2,450 85 134 2,669 37%
Source: Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative Point in Time Count 2024 According to the 2024 PIT count, there are 85 households with children that are homeless, of that number 80% are sheltered in the City, while 20% are homeless but without shelter. Overall, families with children accounted for just over 8% of the total homeless population in Bakersfield. A total of 134 unaccompanied children were homeless, of that number 99% are sheltered and 1% are unsheltered. Many of these families utilized the County’s emergency shelters, transitional housing shelters, and bridge housing, but by the number of unsheltered families it is clear more assistance is needed. In comparison, only 38% of the overall homeless population are sheltered.
As shown in Table 14 below, 55% of the sheltered homeless individuals in the area were white. Black/African American was the next largest racial group, comprising 44% of individuals. Both races do not track proportionally as compared to their representation in the Bakersfield population overall. Whites comprise 69% of the City’s 24 population and Black/African American make up 8%. Less than one percent of individuals identified as American Indian/Alaska Native and both Asian and Pacific Islander population comprised one percent of the homeless population.
The Census Bureau considers Hispanic as an ethnicity with which people of any race can identify. As such, the distribution of Hispanics and non-Hispanics within the homeless population does not correlate with the racial distribution. Seventy-seven percent are non-Hispanic and 23% are Hispanic.
Table 14: Nature and Extent of Homelessness
Race: Sheltered:
White 4,964
Black/African American 3,908
Asian 91
American Indian or Alaska
Native 3
Pacific Islander 2
Ethnicity: Sheltered:
Hispanic 2,951
Not Hispanic 9,684
Data Source: Continuum of Care Racial Equity Tool
The majority of the CoC’s sheltered individuals reside within the Metro Bakersfield according to the 2024 PIT (969 individuals vs. 37 individuals). This can be attributed in part to Bakersfield having most of the County’s temporary housing facilities, which include emergency shelters, transitional and bridge housing. Overall, sheltered homeless comprised 38% of the County’s total homeless population and 42% of Metro Bakersfield’s homeless population. Due to the increase in persons experiencing homelessness, these numbers increased by 7% since 2023.
Out of the 2,293 homeless individuals in Metro Bakersfield, 1,324 were unsheltered or 58%. As compared to the Countywide PIT, the City of Bakersfield is experiencing a lower number of unsheltered persons, the Countywide total was 1,663 individuals or 62% of the homeless population. The Metro Bakersfield area saw a 55% increase in unsheltered homelessness as compared to the 2023 PIT (853 individual to 1,324). Most unsheltered homeless households were individual adults; only 59 were adults with children and 116 children based on 2024 PIT. Many factors contribute to the large proportion of unsheltered individual adults, such as limited shelter space and a lack of social supports to which families often have access, as well the reduction funds available to the community when the COVID-19 one-time funding ended.
Farmworkers
Farmworkers are traditionally defined as persons whose primary incomes are earned through permanent or seasonal agricultural labor. Permanent farm laborers work in the fields, processing plants, or related activities on a generally year-round basis. When workload increases during harvest periods, the labor force is supplemented by seasonal and migrant labor, often supplied by a labor contractor. For some crops, farms may employ migrant workers, defined as those whose travel distance to work prevents them from returning to their primary 25 residence after their work ends for the day. Migrant workers might also face language barriers or be unfamiliar with government agencies like the Census Bureau, leading to further underrepresentation.
Determining the true size of the agricultural labor force is difficult. For instance, the government agencies that track farm labor do not consistently define farmworkers (e.g., field laborers versus workers in processing plants), length of employment (e.g., permanent or seasonal), or place of work (e.g., the location of the business or field).
The University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources identified 150,300 laborers with at least one farm job in Kern County in 2016, the highest number of any county in the state. The most common farm employment, according to the 2016 survey, was farm labor contractors and crew leaders, followed by tree nut farming and grape vineyards.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2017 Agricultural Census (latest available data) identified 20,469 farmworkers on 845 farms within Kern County and 50,700 farmworkers on 2,160 farms in the tri-county area.
According to the report, 8,397 farmworkers in Kern County reported to be employed for fewer than 150 days of the year, and 6.062 farmworkers identified as migrant workers.
The 2020 ACS identified 14,175 residents in Bakersfield with occupations in farming, fishing, and forestry. The University of California Merced conducted a Farmworker Health Study and determined that within the San Joaquin Valley, the average farmworker household size is 4.0 persons. The majority of farmworkers live in singlefamily homes, while 4% live in a labor camp, boarding house, or motel, and 8% live in a recreational vehicle or car. The median salary of a farmworker in the San Joaquin Valley is $15,000 per year, considered extremely lowincome.
Their low incomes and the often-seasonal nature of employment can lead farmworkers to reside in severely overcrowded conditions. Immigration status can also discourage farmworkers from demanding higher wages and better living conditions.6 In one survey, the California Agricultural Workers Health Survey found 40% of farmworker dwellings had two or more unrelated families sharing a single- home or apartment. In general, sharing of dwellings among strangers is an accepted farmworker practice.
Fortunately, there are some farmworker housing opportunities in the region. HACK maintains 10 housing developments with over 700 housing units dedicated to farmworkers and two Migrant Farm Labor Centers with 172 units under contract with the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Still, much is to be done to secure fair housing choice for the City’s farmworker population.
Publicly Assisted Housing
The availability and location of publicly assisted housing may be a fair housing concern. Concentrating such housing in limited areas can perpetuate cycles of poverty and limit economic opportunity. Further, publicly assisted housing and housing assistance must be accessible to qualified households regardless of race/ethnicity, disability or other special characteristics.
Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)
6 “Farmworkers and Immigration: Priorities for Reform,” Farmworker Justice. 26 HACK administers 4,717 rental assistance vouchers, a substantial number that demonstrably improves the lives of recipients. Unfortunately, the need for vouchers far outstrips the supply. As of late 2024, the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list had more than 11,000 applicants. The waiting list was last opened in January 2022, and it will not be open for several more years. This limits lower income households’ options for safe and affordable housing.
Affordable Housing
The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) within the State Treasurer’s office provides information for all multifamily housing using Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs), the federal government’s primary mechanism for funding affordable housing construction. TCAC reports there are 5,198 housing units in Bakersfield that used LIHTCs. Approximately 99% of these units are reserved for households earning less than 80% AMI. While these units are impactful, there is certainly a need for more affordable units, considering the number of cost burdened households in the City.
Public Transit
This section addresses access to public transit and employment as well as disparities in exposure to adverse community factors. Ideally, public transit should connect those dependent on transit to major employers and other important services like grocery stores and childcare. Limited public transit can affect access to employment opportunities and affordable housing, which in turn can impair fair housing choice. In addition, seniors and persons with a disability often rely on public transit to visit doctors, go shopping or attend activities at community facilities. Public transit that provides a link between job opportunities, public services and affordable housing helps to ensure that transit-dependent residents have adequate opportunity to access housing, services and jobs.
Bakersfield offers a traditional fixed-route bus service, as well as a paratransit service for local area residents.
Both are provided by the Golden Empire Transit District (GET), which operates Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The GET system is designed to accommodate several types of riders. As a reflection of this, the fare structure has special rates for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and children. The paratransit service, known as GET-A-Lift, operates seven days a week and is eligible to riders who have a disability that prevents them from making some or all their trips on fixed route buses. Each service connects residential neighborhoods to many of Bakersfield’s essential services and key locations, including all area hospitals and higher education institutions. The image below depicts the transit service in Bakersfield.
27 Figure 4: Golden Empire Transit Service Area
28 Lending Practices
A key aspect of fair housing choice is equitable access to credit for the purchase, improvement, or refinancing of a home. This section reviews the lending practices of mortgage lenders and the access to financing for all households, particularly LMI populations and people of color.
Publicly available data on lending does not contain the detailed information necessary to make conclusive statements on fair or discriminatory lending, but it can point to potential areas of concern. Furthermore, local jurisdictions’ ability to influence lending practices is limited (except for outreach and education efforts). Such practices are largely governed by national policies and regulations.
Background
Discriminatory practices in home mortgage lending have a long history in the United States. In the 1930s, the federal government founded the modern mortgage loan market through a suite of bills that established the Federal Housing Administration and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae). Together, these entities insured and purchased mortgages to allow more Americans to access credit and receive favorable and affordable home loan terms.
An unfortunate part of this history is the method by which the government assessed borrower risk. Through the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC), the federal government created maps indicating where lending federally insured mortgages would be too risky. These areas, colored in red, marked predominately minority neighborhoods, especially areas with a large African American population. The effects of governmentsanctioned redlining are still being felt. Many of the areas that were deemed “hazardous” in the 1930’s are still impoverished today, more than eight decades later. A recent study found 74% of the neighborhoods redlined by HOLC are considered LMI and 64% are majority-minority areas.
The federal government did stop its redlining practices and eventually outlawed such actions through landmark legislation like the Civil Rights and Fair Housing Acts, but discriminatory lending practices continue to affect LMI communities. For example, the subprime mortgages that contributed to the 2007-08 financial crisis disproportionately affected racial and ethnic minorities and LMI homeowners.
LMI and minority communities continue to have less-than-equal access to the best loan prices and terms than their credit history, income, and other individual financial considerations may merit. It is with this backdrop that the City’s AI seeks to analyze local lending practices.
Conventional and Government-Backed Financing
Conventional financing typically involves market-rate loans provided by private lending institutions such as banks, mortgage companies, and savings and loans associations. Government-backed financing includes loan products that are insured (“backed”) by a given government agency. These loans typically require lower credit scores and down payments than conventional loans. Sources of government-backed financing include the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Government-backed loans are often offered to consumers through private lending institutions because the government is not the lender itself.
29 Typically, LMI households have a much better chance of getting a government-backed loan than a conventional loan, but many factors play into borrowers’ decisions. For example, subprime loans with terms such as zero percent down or interest-only payments proliferated leading up to the 2007-8 financial crisis. Some lenders did not even require verification of a borrower’s income or assets. These subprime loans were risky to both the borrower and the lender but were competitive with government-backed loans because of accessibility.
Access to Homeownership
A key aspect of fair housing choice is equitable access to credit for the purchase, improvement, or refinancing of a home. This section reviews the lending practices of mortgage lenders and the access to financing for all households, particularly LMI populations and people of color. Publicly available data on lending does not contain the detailed information necessary to make conclusive statements on fair or discriminatory lending, but it can point to potential areas of concern. Furthermore, local jurisdictions’ ability to influence lending practices is limited (except for outreach and education efforts). Such practices are largely governed by national policies and regulations.
In 2020, there were 53,421 total home loan applications in the city, which includes first mortgages, home improvement, and refinancing loans. This number is more than double the statistics presented in the 2016 AI. Of all home loans, 62.2%, or 33,207, were originated in 2020. Mortgage origination is the process by which a lender works with a borrower to complete a mortgage transaction. More than 33,000 households in Bakersfield were ultimately approved for a loan in 2020. The tables below represent an overview of all of Bakersfield’s home loan applications, which includes purchase, home improvement, and refinancing loans by race/ethnicity and income.
Table 14: All Loan Applications by Race and Ethnicity
Race/ Ethnicity
Applications
Received (% of all
applications)
Loans
Originated
Loans
Rejected
Applications
Denied
(% denied)
Applications
Withdrawn
Files Closed for
Completeness
White 34,460
(64.5%)
22,453 1,089 3,533
(10.3%)
5,452 1,933
Hispanic/ Latino 16,806
(31.5%)
10,131 561 2,140
(12.7%)
2,838 1,136
Unknown 12,452
(23.3%)
6,977 402 1,761
(14.1%)
2,170 1,142
Asian American 3,010
(5.6%)
1,777 77 420
(14.0%)
512 224
Black or African
American
1,624
(3.0%)
919 54 258
(15.9%)
291 102
Not applicable 1,073
(2%)
688 30 107
(10.0%)
186 62
Native American 570
(1.1%)
278 18 108
(18.9%)
95 71
Hawaiian 137
(0.3%)
59 9 25
(18.2%)
27 17
Multi-race 95
(0.2%)
56 2 20
(21.1%)
13 4
Total 53,421 33,207 1,681 6,232 8,746 3,555
▪ Denied – loan applicants did not qualify for a loan • 30 ▪ Withdrawn – applicant withdrew their loan application from further processing ▪ Incomplete – loan applications were not completed and were not processed Source: HMDA Database, 2020
In an ideal scenario, the applicant pool for home loan lending would be reflective of the demographics of a community. For example, if 50% of a population is White, then one would expect that 50% of home loan applicants would be White. When one racial/ethnic group is overrepresented or underrepresented in the total applicant pool, it could be an indicator of unequal access to housing opportunities. Table 15 below compares the demographics of Bakersfield against overall home loan statistics.
The greatest disparity between demographics and loan applications is for the Hispanic/Latino population.
There is a 21.2% difference between the share of the population that is Hispanic/Latino population and the Hispanic/Latino share of total home loan applications. Conversely, the white population has the greatest positive difference—its application share is 36.4% greater than its population share. For comparison, the United States is 57.8% white and represented 59.5% of all home loan applications throughout the nation.
The country’s Hispanic/Latino communities represent 18.7% of the population but only 7.8% of all home loan applicants. Lending patterns in Bakersfield suggest unequal access to home loans.
Table 15: Home Purchase Loans Denial Rates by Race/Ethnicity Race/Ethnicity Population Share Application Share Applications Denied Hispanic/Latino 52.7% 31.5% 12.7%
White 28.8% 64.5% 10.3%
Asian American 7.5% 5.6% 14.0%
Black or African American 6.5% 3.0% 15.9%
Multi-race 3.7% 0.2% 21.1%
Native American 0.5% 1.1% 18.9%
Hawaiian 0.1% 0.3% 18.2%
Source: HMDA Database, 2020
Only the White, Native American, and Hawaiian populations apply for mortgages at greater rates relative to their population shares, and only the white populations have mortgage denial rates lower than the overall rate of denial of 10.9%. This indicates racial and ethnic minorities apply for mortgages at lower rates and, when they do, are denied at higher rates.
Table 16: All Loan Applications by Income Level, Bakersfield Race/
Ethnicity
Applications
Received
Loans
Originated
Loans
Rejected
Applications
Denied
Applications
Withdrawn
Files
Closed for
Completeness
Very Low
(<50% AMI)
2,305
(5.2%)
956 66 579
(25.1%)
441 263
Low
(50% to 79%
AMI)
2,382
(5.4%)
1,322 74 415
(17.4%)
412 159
31 Moderate
(80% to 99%
AMI)
2,086
(4.7%)
1,255 69 269
12.9%)
359 134
Moderate
(100% to 119%
AMI)
7,680
(17.5%)
4,920 239 839
(10.9%)
1,255 427
Above
Moderate
(<120% AMI)
29,473
(67.1%)
19,350 778 2,984
(10.1%)
4,797 1,564
Total 43,926 27,803 1,226 5,086
(11.6%)
7,264 2,547
Definitions
▪ Applications received – the number of applications submitted for a home loan ▪ Originated – a completed loan application that results in a loan ▪ Rejected – loan applications approved, but the loans were not accepted by the applicant ▪ Denied – loan applicants did not qualify for a loan
▪ Withdrawn – applicant withdrew their loan application from further processing ▪ Incomplete – loan applications were not completed and were not processed Source: HMDA Database, 2020
Very low-, low-, and moderate-income households are underrepresented in home loan applications while above moderate-income households are overrepresented. Very low-, low-, and moderate-income people have lower incomes and are likely to have fewer assets than moderate- and upper-income households, which makes it more challenging to meet down payment requirements. This all leads to lower rates of home loan applications.
Very low- and low-income mortgage applicants are denied at far higher rates than moderate- and above moderate-income applicants. Conversely, above moderate-income households represent most mortgage applicants and are denied home loans far less often. Approximately 10.1% of above moderate-income applications were denied, compared to 17.4% of low-income applications and 25.1% of very low-income applications. Very low-income mortgage applicants are denied loans at a rate of two and a half times higher than above moderate-income households. Consequently, above moderate-income homeowners can access additional financial benefits once they are homeowners. For example, they can build wealth through increasing property values and claim the mortgage interest deduction on their tax returns, thus lowering their taxable income.
Nonwhite populations apply for government backed loans at much higher rates than White populations (see table below). Nearly half of Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino applicants applied for governmentbacked loans, compared to only 6.5% of white applicants. 32 Table 17: Home Purchase Loans by Loan Type
Race/Ethnicity
Conventional Loans
(Number of Applications)
FHA, VA, and FSA/RHS Loans
(Number of Applications)
White 24,925 (93.5%) 1,747 (6.5%)
Hispanic/Latino 11,568 (95.9%) 497 (4.1%)
Asian American 2,686 (87.0%) 403 (13.0%)
Unknown 1,078 (36.6%) 1,869 (63.4%)
Black or African American 889 (51.6%) 835 (48.4%)
Native American 384 (64.5%) 211 (35.5%)
Hawaiian 87 (63.0%) 51 (37.0%)
Multi-race 64 (63.4%) 37 (36.6%)
Total 30,113 5,153
Source: HMDA Database, 2020
Foreclosures
According to statistics provided by RealtyTrac.com, an online data aggregator, foreclosure homes currently account for 4% of properties in the City, with 49 foreclosures within Zip Code 93306, the highest number in any Zip Code. According to a 2023 report from ATTOM, the Bakersfield metro area in California has one of the highest foreclosure rates of any city in the country.7 In the first half of 2023, there was about one foreclosure for every 473 homes, the 23rd highest foreclosure rate of the 223 metropolitan statistical areas with populations of at least 200,000 considered in the report. In 2024, ATTOM reports there are 599 year-to-date foreclosure filings.8
Predatory Lending
Predatory lending involves abusive loan practices usually targeting minority applicants or those with less-thanperfect credit histories. Typical predatory lending practices include:
● Inadequate or False Disclosure: The lender hides or misrepresents the true costs, risks and/or appropriateness of a loan’s terms, or the lender changes the loan terms after the initial offer. ● Risk-Based Pricing: While all lenders depend on some form of risk-based pricing — tying interest rates to credit history — predatory lenders abuse the practice by charging very high interest rates to high-risk borrowers who are most likely to default.
● Inflated Fees and Charges: Fees and costs (e.g., appraisals, closing costs, document preparation fees) are much higher than those charged by reputable lenders, and are often hidden in fine print. ● Loan Packing: Unnecessary products like credit insurance — which pays off the loan if a homebuyer dies — are added into the cost of a loan.
● Loan Flipping: The lender encourages a borrower to refinance an existing loan into a larger one with a higher interest rate and additional fees.
● Asset-Based Lending: Borrowers are encouraged to borrow more than they should when a lender offers a refinance loan based on their amount of home equity, rather than on their income or ability to repay. 7 https://247wallst.com/city/bakersfield-ca-has-one-of-the-highest-foreclosure-rates-in-the-country/ 8 https://www.attomdata.com/data/us-real-estate/ca/kern-county/bakersfield/ 33 ● Reverse Redlining: The lender targets limited-resource neighborhoods that conventional banks may shy away from. Everyone in the neighborhood is charged higher rates to borrow money, regardless of credit history, income or ability to repay.
● Balloon Mortgages: A borrower is convinced to refinance a mortgage with one that has lower payments upfront but excessive (balloon) payments later in the loan term. When the balloon payments cannot be met, the lender helps to refinance again with another high-interest, high-fee loan. ● Negative Amortization: This occurs when a monthly loan payment is too small to cover even the interest, which gets added to the unpaid balance. It can result in a borrower owing substantially more than the original amount borrowed.
● Abnormal Prepayment Penalties: A borrower who tries to refinance a home loan with one that offers better terms can be assessed an abusive prepayment penalty for paying off the original loan early. Up to 80% of subprime mortgages have abnormally high prepayment penalties.
● Mandatory Arbitration: The lender adds language to a loan contract making it illegal for a borrower to take future legal action for fraud or misrepresentation. The only option for an abused borrower is arbitration, which generally puts the borrower at a disadvantage.
Even with recent safeguards enacted to curb the spread of this practice, predatory lending continues to be a fair housing issue. Predatory as well as discriminatory lending is addressed under the Fair Housing Acts and applies to loan originators as well as the secondary mortgage market. Additionally, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1972 requires equal treatment in loan terms and availability of credit for people of all protected classes.
Predatory lending and unsound investment practices were central to the 2007-8 financial crisis.
It resulted in a series of reforms, including California enacting Assembly Bill 260, which reformed mortgage lending and specifically banned predatory lending practices, and the federal government establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. AB 260 created a fiduciary duty standard for mortgage brokers, eliminated compensation incentives that encourage the steering of borrowers into risky loans, and established regulations on prepayment penalties. Lenders that engage in predatory lending would violate these acts if they were to target ethnic minority or elderly households to buy higher-priced and unequal loan products, treat loans for protected classes differently than those of comparably creditworthy White applicants, or have policies or practices that have a disproportionate effect on the protected classes. Data available to investigate the presence of predatory lending are extremely limited.
34 Public Policies
Public policies established at the regional and local levels can affect housing development and may impact the range and location of housing choices available to residents. The Fair Housing Planning process is designed to encourage an inclusive living environment, active community participation, and an assessment of public policies and practices that can help identify impediments to fair housing choice. This section discusses the various public policies that could influence fair housing choice in the City of Bakersfield.
Policies and Programs Affecting Housing Development
General Plan and Housing Element
The General Plan of a jurisdiction establishes a vision for the community and provides long-range goals and policies to guide the development in achieving that vision. The General Plan also acts to clarify and articulate the relationship and intentions of the local government to the rights and expectations of the general public, property owners, and prospective investors. Two of the seven State-mandated General Plan elements – Housing and Land Use Elements – have direct impact on the local housing market in terms of the amount and range of housing choice.
Of these, only the Housing Element has specific statutory requirements and is subject to certification by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for compliance with State law. Enacted in 1969, Housing Element law requires that local governments adequately plan to meet the existing and projected housing needs of all socioeconomic segments of the community. The law acknowledges for the private market to adequately address housing needs and demand, local governments must adopt land use plans and regulatory systems that provide opportunities for and do not unduly constrain housing development.
The Land Use Element is also a part of the General Plan affecting development, as it designates the general distribution, location, and extent of all land uses, including residential. The Land Use Element establishes a range of residential land use categories, specifies densities (typically expressed as dwelling units per acre, and sometimes as Floor Area Ratio (FAR)), and suggests the types of housing appropriate in a community.
Zoning Ordinance
The zoning ordinance implements the goals and policies outlined in the General Plan. By establishing zones that correspond with General Plan land use designations, the City ensures public health and safety, while also providing for its current and future housing needs. The Fair Housing Act does not preempt local zoning laws, but it does apply to local government entities by prohibiting land use policies and zoning ordinances that exclude or otherwise discriminate against persons of protected classes.
Discrimination in zoning and land use may occur unintentionally – land use policies such as density or design requirements that make residential development prohibitively expensive, prohibitions on multi-family housing, or a household occupancy standard may be considered discriminatory if it can be proven these policies have a disproportionate impact on minorities, families with children, or people with disabilities. A study in the UC Berkeley's Terner Center’s ongoing California Residential Land Use Survey, funded by the State of California’s Department of Housing and Community Development, confirms this phenomenon: cities that limit density and have greater opposition to housing tend to have higher housing prices. This study has the potential to impact and shape future state housing policies, including local zoning policies. 35 In addition, anti-density zoning, such as land use being dominated by single-family detached housing, results in more racially segregated cities and tends to exclude blue collar workers.9 The study studied over- and underrepresentation of blue-collar workers and correlated data with average minimum lot sizes, finding that both the share of land set aside for single-family housing and the stringency of minimum lot size requirements predict that a jurisdiction will be home to a significantly smaller share of workers in blue-collar occupations relative to the surrounding jurisdictions in their metropolitan area.10 The study also found:
● high housing costs near job centers creates problems for workers in lower-paid occupations who want to be close to their job, forcing them to live further away in jurisdictions with more relaxed zoning laws ● jurisdictions that allocate large percentages of land to single-family detached housing in effect prohibits most bluecollar workers from participating in the housing market ● minimum lot size requirements are also strongly correlated with lower shares of workers in service occupations (a subset of blue-collar) and higher share of professional workers and computer workers (a subset of professional workers)
Table 18 below shows that Bakersfield’s housing stock is 73% detached single-family homes, a far higher percentage than the State as a whole. While housing stock is not a perfect reflection of the zoning ordinance – developers can seek deviations from the allowable land use and density – it does suggest that much of the City’s land zoned for residential use is designated for low-density housing types. This can increase housing costs and restrict availability of relatively affordable housing units.
Variety of Housing Opportunity
To ensure fair housing choice in a community, a zoning ordinance should provide for a range of housing types, including single-family, multifamily, second dwelling units, mobile homes, licensed community care facilities, employee housing for seasonal or migrant workers as necessary, assisted living facilities, emergency shelters, supportive housing, transitional housing, and single room occupancy (SRO) units. This section discusses these housing opportunities.
Table 18: Housing Stock Composition (duplicates Table 9) Housing Type
Bakersfield California
Number of Units % of Total Number of Units % of Total
Single Family, detached 100,436 73% 8,471,490 57%
Single Family, attached 3,623 3% 1,069,749 7%
Two to Four Units 14,716 11% 1,149,409 8%
More than Five Units 17,016 12% 3,594,764 24%
Mobile Homes 2,738 2% 539,415 4%
Total 138,529 100% 14,824,827 100%
Vacancy Rate 3.6% 6.4%
Source: E-5 City/County Population and Housing Estimates, 1/1/2024, California Department of Finance 9 Jonathan Rothwell, “Land Use Politics, Housing Costs, and Segregation in California Cities,” Terner Center for Housing Innovation, September 2019. 10 Ibid., p. 15.
36 I. Single- and Multifamily Uses
Single- and multifamily housing types include detached and attached single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes, condominiums, and rental apartments. These are the most common housing types and Bakersfield’s zoning ordinance accommodates each of these. Table 18 shows that 98% of the housing stock is comprised of these common housing types.
II. Accessory Dwelling Units
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs, sometimes referred to as granny units or in-law units), have been the focus of many legislative efforts in recent years. State laws now require all local jurisdictions to allow for ADUs and has prohibited local jurisdictions from imposing onerous building or site requirements, levying high fees, or requiring certain lease agreements (such as the primary dwelling must be owner-occupied). Bakersfield complies with all State requirements pertaining to ADUs.
HCD identified ADUs as an alternative housing model that can increase the housing supply and provide better affordability.11 Many properties are now eligible for ADU construction, including multifamily properties, and ADUs are often “naturally” affordable, a result of lower construction costs and smaller footprints than typical single-family or multifamily homes. In one study, 58% of ADU owners rented their unit at below-market rates.12 III. Mobile Homes
The City defines a mobile home in its municipal code as “a structure transportable in one or more sections, designed and equipped to contain no more than two dwelling units, to be used with or without a foundation system.” Mobile homes and mobile home parks are permitted in the City in the MH zone. The City permits manufactured dwellings to be used as single-family residences outside of designated mobile home parks if the home is certified under the National Mobile Home Construction and Safety Act of 1974. Currently, 2% of the local housing stock is mobile homes, lower than the State’s rate as a whole.
IV. Transitional and Supportive Housing
“Transitional housing” is defined as buildings configured as rental housing operating under program requirements that require the termination of assistance and recirculation of the assisted unit to another eligible program recipient at some predetermined future point in time, which shall be no less than six months from the beginning of the assistance. Per SB 745, transitional housing units are residential uses that must be subject only to those requirements and restrictions that apply to other residential uses of the same type in the same zone. The City’s Zoning Code does not list transitional housing as a permitted use in any zone by right or by CUP. The City is updating its zoning code to identify transitional housing in the allowed uses in residential zones, as specified in Program 5. Transitional housing is permitted by-right in all residential zones and the MX-1 and MX-2 zones.
“Supportive housing” is defined as housing with no limit on length of stay that is occupied by the target population and that is linked to on-site or off-site services that assist the supportive housing resident in retaining permanent housing, health services, and employment, as needed. Per SB 745, supportive housing units are residential uses subject only to those requirements and restrictions that apply to other residential 11 “California’s Housing Future: Challenges and Opportunities,” California Department of Housing and Community Development. 12 David Garcia, “ADU Update: Early Lessons and Impacts of California’s State and Local Policy Changes,” Terner Center for Housing Innovation, December 2017, pg. 1-2.
37 uses of the same type in the same zone. Supportive housing is permitted by-right in all residential zones and the MX-1 and MX-2 zones. Supportive housing is permitted in the C-1, C-2, and C-C zones with a CUP. Since single-family and multi-family residential development is permitted in the CC zone without a CUP, this is a constraint to the development of supportive housing.
V. Emergency Shelters and Low-Barrier Navigation Centers An emergency shelter or “homeless shelter” is defined by State law (Health and Safety Code Section 50801) as housing with minimal supportive services for homeless persons that is limited to occupancy of six months or less. AB 139, which went into effect on January 1, 2020, mandates that emergency shelters may only be subject to those standards which apply to residential and commercial development within the same zone, except that a city can apply standards regulating the number of beds, parking for staff provided that the standards do not require more parking for emergency shelters than other residential or commercial uses within the same zone, length of stay, and other minor standards. Emergency shelters are permitted by right in the MX-1 and MX-2 zones and are permitted through a CUP in the R-4, R-5, R-6, C-1, C-2, C-B, and C-C, zones.
In 2019, AB 101 was passed requiring that a Low Barrier Navigation Center development be a use by-right in mixed-use zones and all nonresidential zones permitting multi-family housing. A Low Barrier Navigation Center is a low barrier, temporary, service-enriched shelter that helps individuals and families experiencing homelessness obtain permanent housing. The City’s Housing Element contains programs to ensure the zoning code is consistent with State law.
Table 19: Facilities and Housing Targeted to Homeless Households Emergency Shelter Beds Transitional
Housing Beds
Permanent Supportive
Housing Beds
Year Round
Beds (Current
& New)
Voucher /
Seasonal /
Overflow
Beds
Current &
New
Current &
New
Under
Development
Households with Adult(s)
and Child(ren)
974 0 65 332 N/A
Households with Only
Adults
3731 0 140 1173 40
Chronically Homeless
Households
374 0 0 374 46
Veterans 148 0 58 217 N/A
Unaccompanied Youth 96 0 0 0 N/A
Date Source: 2024 HIC and PIH HCV Dashboard
Affordable Housing Development
Affordable housing is defined as that which costs no more than 30% of a household’s gross income and in general, minority and LMI households are disproportionately affected by a lack of adequate and affordable housing in a region. For example, there is a strong correlation between high housing costs and an increase in homelessness. In addition, according to the 2024 Point in Time count, African Americans comprised 15.8% of the homeless population but represent just 6% of Kern County’s total population. 38 While housing affordability is not directly a fair housing issue, expanding access to housing choices for these groups would result in a more equitable housing market. Unfortunately, access to affordable housing by lowerincome and minority groups in certain areas is limited and can therefore be an indirect impediment to fair housing choice. Furthermore, there are numerous barriers to developing affordable housing that may result in increasing the cost of development or burdensome processes, which include, but are not limited to:
● Various permit processing costs
● Development impact fees
● Rising cost of land
● Rising cost of labor
● Rising cost of construction materials
● Infrastructure challenges
● Growing climate change hazards such as wildfire and sea level rise ● Community concerns/resistance (Not In My Backyard)
● Limited funding for affordable housing
● Complex subsidy structuring requirements for affordable housing Siting of Affordable Housing
HACK administers 545 public housing units throughout the Bakersfield metro area, and overall, there are 4,717 units in Bakersfield that are subsidized by federal or State programs. While this is a sizeable amount of affordable housing, the supply is far lower than the need.
Further, most of the City’s subsidized affordable housing sits east of State Route 99 in Bakersfield’s traditionally lower-income areas. Concentrating affordable housing in historically disadvantaged or lower-income areas can lead to a concentration of poverty, which HUD recognizes has five wide-ranging impacts:
● Limits educational opportunity for children
● Leads to poor health outcomes
● Hinders wealth building
● Reduces private-sector investment and increases prices for goods and services ● Raises costs for local governments13
Taken together, these impacts can impede fair housing choice; however, concentrating poverty is not usually a purposeful policy goal. Instead, concentration of poverty is often an unintended consequence of seemingly benign policies. The City’s zoning codes, for example, allows most of its multifamily residential uses in and around Downtown Bakersfield. Consequently, that is where much of the City’s affordable housing is located (map below). The Downtown area has also been the focus of many recent economic development efforts, such as the Economic Opportunity Area Plan and Making Downtown Bakersfield, to improve economic opportunity and life outcomes.
Figure 5: Location of Subsidized Housing
13 “Confronting Concentrated Poverty With a Mixed-Income Strategy,” Office of Policy Development and Research, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Spring 2013.
39 Source: State of California AFFH Data Viewer, 2024
Development and Impact Fees
Development and impact fees are levied by most, if not all local governments. In general, they help fund the expansion of infrastructure, like roads and parks, needed to support new housing and are accepted practice in the construction industry across the country. However, such fees can “limit growth by impeding or disincentivizing new residential development, facilitate exclusion, and increase housing costs.”14 This is especially true in California, where State tax policies, such as Proposition 13, limit the amount of tax revenue that can be collected by local jurisdictions.
State law requires that locally imposed fees not exceed the estimated reasonable costs of providing the service.
State law also requires that impact fees must have a substantial nexus to the development and that the dedication of land or fees be proportional to the impact of the development. Still, the fees and exactions required of a development to pay for the public facilities associated with the residential development pose a potential constraint to housing production.
In 2019, the Terner Center for Housing Innovation conducted a study of the amount and effects of development and impact fees in six California cities – Los Angeles, Sacramento, Roseville, Oakland, Irvine, and Fremont. In its study it used a hypothetical multifamily infill development with 100 apartments to determine fee costs in each of the six cities. At $11,746, Los Angeles levies the lowest fee cost per multifamily unit. Bakersfield is competitive with that number.15 Using the hypothetical apartment building used in the Terner Center’s study, Bakersfield’s current fee schedule would result in impact fees of approximately $11,400 per unit. While impact fees add to the cost of housing, the City’s fees are much less onerous than in other California cities. Moreover, they are necessary to maintain the quality of life for current and future community members. 14 Hayley Raetz, David Garcia, and Nathaniel Decker, “Residential Impact Fees in California: Current Practices and Policy Considerations to Improve Implementation of Fees Governed by the Mitigation Fee Act,” Terner Center for Housing Innovation, August 5, 2019.
15 Sarah Mawhorter, David Garcia and Hayley Raetz, “It All Adds Up: The Cost of Housing Development Fees in Seven California Cities,” Terner Center for Housing Innovation, March 2018. 40 Funding
The demand for affordable housing far outstrips the existing supply. Therefore, funding for affordable housing is a constant need. There are a variety of funding sources for affordable housing, preservation, and rehabilitation from federal, State, and local sources. The California HCD and HUD administers grants which can assist developers, local governments, and non-profits in constructing housing units. As a large city, Bakersfield is eligible for a broad array of funding sources to support revitalization of neighborhoods and development of affordable housing. The City will leverage finance resources for affordable housing development, as described in the Housing Element’s Program 4.
Article 34
Voted into the State Constitution in 1950, Article 34 requires a majority vote of the electorate to approve the development, construction, or acquisition by a public body of any low-income affordable housing project within that jurisdiction. In other words, for any projects to be financed by a public agency where at least 50% of the occupants are low-income and rents are restricted to affordable levels, the jurisdiction must seek voter approval known as “Article 34 authority” to authorize that number of units.
While public agencies have learned how to structure projects to avoid triggering a vote or have won voter approval for publicly financed housing projects, Article 34 is widely considered a regressive measure that was rooted in racial and class discrimination. It also imposed a major barrier to affordable housing development, as winning voter approval is often costly and difficult. As such, there is currently a bill in the State legislature that, if approved by the legislature, will place on the 2020 ballot a measure asking voters to repeal Article 34. Its repeal would provide public agencies greater flexibility and predictably in planning for and developing affordable housing.
Other Land Use Policies, Programs, and Controls
Making Downtown Bakersfield
The State intends to build a station for its High-Speed Rail (HSR) system in Downtown Bakersfield. In response, the City conducted a multiyear planning effort to best leverage the State’s major investment in Bakersfield. That plan, Making Downtown Bakersfield, includes 11 implementation strategies that focus on many different aspects of land use policy, including housing. By leveraging federal and State funds, the City wants to increase the Downtown population to 25,000 by 2035 and increase and diversify transit-oriented housing opportunities in the neighborhood. The City has grown more than 50% since 2000, but much of that growth has been concentrated in suburban locations without the requisite density and diverse housing supply needed for greater affordability.
Growth Management
Bakersfield does not have any building moratoriums or growth management plans that limit housing construction. Moreover, the State legislature has moved to restrict the scope of growth management programs throughout the State by passing Senate Bill 330 in 2019, along with subsequent amendments. The bill outlaws building moratoriums and streamlines lengthy residential development review processes.
Policies Causing Displacement or Affect Housing Choice of Minorities and Persons with Disabilities
I. Redevelopment Activities
41 Through tax increment financing (TIF), redevelopment agencies (RDAs) were often the primary local mechanism for constructing and preserving affordable housing. While RDAs could displace vulnerable populations due to construction activities, redevelopment was an effective tool in creating housing for lower and moderate-income residents. However, the State dissolved redevelopment agencies in 2012 and since then most jurisdictions, including Bakersfield, have been unable to replace the lost revenue for affordable housing programs.
Despite the loss of RDAs, the City has developed an innovative program, called the Economic Opportunity Areas (EOA) Program, that leverages TIF to encourage economic development in disinvested areas of the City. The goals of the program include increasing employment opportunities and incentivizing residential and commercial development.
City residents also approved a sales tax increase which created more local funding for redevelopment and affordable housing projects. The Public Safety and Vital Services measure include community spending priorities that included:
● Reducing homelessness through partnerships with service providers to increase outreach, sheltering and construction of affordable housing.
● Creating job through economic development, business retention/attraction and workforce development. ● Enhancing amenities throughout the community to improve the quality of life and attract visitors.
II. Reasonable Accommodation
Under the federal Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), jurisdictions are required to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, and services when such accommodations may be necessary to afford a person with a disability the equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling. The local government must allow for such accommodations, such as the relaxation of parking standards or structural modifications such as wheelchair ramps for housing units. Additionally, all public facilities must take in account reasonable accommodation requests. On February 3, 2021, the City of Bakersfield added Zoning Code section
17.73 which outlines Reasonable Accommodations Procedures in compliance with State law. A request for reasonable accommodation is reviewed by the development services director. When a request for reasonable accommodation is submitted for concurrent review with another discretionary land use application, the application is reviewed by the decision-making body. Review and approval of the reasonable accommodation request is not contingent upon the findings of other discretionary decisions (for example, review of a CUP, etc.,).
Public Housing Authority
In Bakersfield, HACK administers federal public housing programs, which must adhere to fair housing law. Key to HACK’s operations is the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program. HUD establishes income limits for vouchers annually, based on family size for the area. Currently, 75% of eligible applicants must have income that does not exceed 30% of the median area income. The remaining 25% may have income limit up to 80% of the area median. Agency staff processes applications, determines eligibility, completes criminal background checks, and works with tenants and landlords. HACK also administers 545 public housing units.
Fair Housing Profile
This section provides an overview of the institutional structure of the local housing market regarding fair housing practices. This section also discusses the fair housing services available to residents, as well as the nature and extent of fair housing complaints received by the City. Typically, fair housing services encompass the investigation and resolution of housing discrimination complaints, discrimination auditing/testing, and 42 education and outreach, including the dissemination of fair housing information. Tenant/landlord counseling services are usually offered by fair housing service providers but are not considered fair housing.
Fair Housing Services
In general, fair housing services include receiving, investigating, and resolving housing discrimination complaints; discrimination auditing and testing; and education and outreach, such as disseminating fair housing information through written material, workshops and seminars. Landlord/tenant counseling services involve informing landlords and tenants of their rights and responsibilities under fair housing law and other consumer protection legislation and mediating disputes between landlords and tenants. Below are descriptions of fair housing services available to all Bakersfield residents.
The City’s Economic and Community Development Department administers HUD’s entitlement programs locally and as a result is responsible for fair housing planning in Bakersfield. The City contracts with GBLA to provide fair housing services. This arrangement ensures better compliance with federal and state fair housing standards and provides better continuity of service for residents and clients.
GBLA offers a Fair Housing Hotline, through which it provides consultations, makes referrals regarding tenant landlord disputes, and assists with filing fair housing complaints. GBLA also conducts fair housing training to local landlords and other interested parties and participates in Fair Housing Week through community activities.
Core to GBLA’s mission is its Fair Housing Law Project (FHLP), which incorporates three core pillars: education, investigation, and enforcement. It fulfills its educational mission by offering no-cost presentations in both English and Spanish to housing providers, community service organizations, and residents. In addition, GBLA conducts investigations after receiving and assessing fair housing complaints. It reviews documents, interviews witnesses, surveys residents, and conducts fair housing tests. If the evidence suggests illegal discrimination occurred, GBLA will advise on next steps, provide information on legal rights, and in some cases represent the complainant in a lawsuit.
GBLA enforces fair housing law through both informal means such as mediating negotiations with housing providers, and formal means such as filing complaints to HUD, the U.S. Department of Justice, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), or other relevant government agencies. Regardless of the type of enforcement activity, legal remedies available to a victim of housing discrimination include:
▪ Declaratory relief, or a decision that the housing provider violated fair housing laws ▪ Affirmative relief, or an order to “undo” the effects of discrimination on the victim or to make a change in policies or practices to prevent future discrimination
▪ Financial compensation including emotional distress damages ▪ Attorney’s fees and costs
▪ Punitive damages (when the housing provider’s actions were malicious) GBLA maintains a Testing Coordinator on staff who receives training and technical assistance from the HUDsponsored Investigative Support for Testing and Enforcement Programs (ISTEP). GBLA’s Testing Coordinator conducts quarterly audits of home sales to ensure fair housing practices in the housing market. 43 Fair Housing Statistics
To understand fair housing concerns, outreach was conducted with city residents and fair housing services provider Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance (GBLA). Residents were provided an opportunity to take a survey on fair housing issues. The survey was available from May 2019 to July 2019 and 403 individuals submitted a response. Public outreach efforts identified the following issues related to fair housing in Bakersfield:
▪ One-third of respondents believe they or someone they know has experienced housing discrimination. ▪ Under half of respondents (39 percent) believe that they are well-informed on housing discrimination. ▪ Funding for fair housing services such as legal services defending against eviction is a perpetual concern. ▪ A lack of affordable housing and increases in homelessness put pressure on fair housing in Bakersfield. ▪ According to GBLA, most fair housing cases in the region involve discrimination against people with disabilities, typically regarding reasonable accommodations. Other common cases involve race, domestic violence/sexual assault, and habitability of the housing unit.
Fair Housing Complaints
Fair housing enforcement and outreach capacity is the ability of a local jurisdiction and fair housing agencies to provide fair housing and tenants’ rights information to community members. Enforcement and outreach capacity also includes the ability to address compliance with fair housing laws, such as investigating complaints, resolving issues, and conducting fair housing testing.
The mission of HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity is to eliminate housing discrimination, promote economic opportunity, and achieve diverse, inclusive communities by leading the nation in the enforcement, administration, development, and public understanding of federal fair housing policies and laws.16 Table 19 below contains the total number of housing complaints filed in Kern County between 2006 and 2020.
The most common basis for fair housing complaints in the county was disability.
Table 19: Kern County Title VIII Fair Housing Complaints Title, 2006-2020 Year Number
Disability 100
Race/Color 66
Familial Status 35
National Origin 35
Sex 31
Religion 9
Total 232
Source: Data.gov, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Filed Cases, 2020 The table below reports the cumulative fair housing complaints recorded by GBLA between 2016-2020. 16 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 2022. About FHEO. https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/aboutfheo#:~:text=The%20mission%20of%20the%20Office,federal%20f air%20housing%20policies%20and
44 Table 20: Fair Housing Complaints to GBLA, 2016-2020 Basis 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 Total
Disability 16 22 24 13 62
Race/Color 11 17 14 5 42
Familial Status 6 4 8 3 18
Sex 3 4 4 4 11
National Origin 0 3 2 1 5
Religion 0 4 1 0 5
Sexual Orientation 0 2 2 0 4
Source of Income 0 1 1 4 2
Age 1 0 0 0 1
Total 37 57 56 30 150
Source: Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, 2019
More recently, GBLA reports that the most common types of housing discrimination that it saw were disability, race, and sex (including sexual harassment). The following outlines the distribution of these cases by type between 2020 and 2024.
2024:
• 52%= Disability
• 16% = Race
• 13.3% = Sex
• 9.33% = Source of Income (SOI)
2023:
• 70.8% = Disability
• 10.4% = Race
• 10.4% = Sex
• 2.1% = SOI
2022:
• 58.3%: Disability
• 21.7%: Race
• 11.7%: Sex
• 3.33%: SOI
2021:
• 60.7% = Disability
• 12.5% = Race
• 8.9% = Sex
• 5.4% = SOI
2020:
• 47.7% = Disability
• 11.4% = Race
• 9.1% = Sex
Fair Housing Testing
GBLA maintains a Testing Coordinator on staff who receives training and technical assistance from the HUDsponsored Investigative Support for Testing and Enforcement Programs (ISTEP). GBLA’s Testing Coordinator conducts quarterly audits of home sales to ensure fair housing practices in the housing market.
Fair Housing Survey
As part of outreach conducted for the Consolidated Planning and Fair Housing Planning processes under the 2025 Consolidated Plan and AI. The survey asked residents to provide opinions on the top five housing needs in Bakersfield by selecting from 11 options. Out of 488 respondents, fair housing services was identified as a top housing-related need by nearly 58% of respondents. 47 The survey also asked four fair housing-related questions:
▪ Have you ever encountered any form of housing discrimination or know someone who has? ▪ If yes, in what way did you or someone you know face discrimination? ▪ If yes, what do you believe was the basis for the discrimination faced by you or someone you know? ▪ What is your housing status currently?
▪ Which of the following do you consider to be the biggest challenge to achieving equitable housing? ▪ Have you personally experienced/seen any of the below housing trends in your community? ▪ Has an individual/entity/organization denied you housing or treated you differently related to housing? The survey resulted in the following key takeaways:
▪ Forty percent of respondents (196 people) said they or someone they know has experienced housing discrimination. ▪ 112 people chose race as the basis of the discrimination. ▪ 114, 23%, of people were renters and 129 (26%) were either unhoused or currently living in a congregate setting. See Figure 6 below.
▪ The majority of respondents (245 individuals) believe lack of affordable housing stock will be the biggest challenge to achieving equitable housing.
▪ The top housing trends experienced or seen in the community were: increased monthly rent (361 respondents or 77%), increasing housing prices (314 respondents or 67%).
▪ Of the 288 respondents who had been denied housing or treated differently related to housing, 33% identified it was by a landlord and 30% by a property manager.
Figure 6: Housing Status of Survey Respondents
Source: 2024 Community Needs Survey
NIMBYism
Proposed housing projects, whether affordable or otherwise, often face intense opposition from nearby residents. This “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) sentiment can be rooted in concerns about property values, infrastructure capacity, aesthetic taste, the environment, or public health and safety. Either explicitly or implicitly, NIMBY comments can also convey racial or ethnic animus. Some housing developers react to NIMBYism by redesigning proposed projects, offering community amenities, paying for infrastructure 179, 37%
114, 23%
66, 14%
75, 15%
54, 11%
What is your housing status currently?
Own Home
Rental Units
With family and/or friends
Unhoused
Congregate Housing Setting (College Dorm,
Nursing Home, Shelter or Group Home)
48 improvements, and decreasing residential density. Some projects are blocked altogether, limiting the number of housing opportunities overall and possibly affecting fair housing choice.
As homelessness has increased in the City in recent years, opposition to proposed homeless shelters and resource centers is becoming more common, but Bakersfield is not alone in experiencing NIMBY opposition.
Local jurisdictions throughout the State contend with strong and organized opposition to proposed housing and shelter projects. In response, the State legislature has passed and strengthened several laws that attempt to mitigate the effects of community opposition.
California Senate Bill 330 (Skinner) provides that if a proposed housing project meets General Plan and zoning requirements, then no more than five public hearings can be conducted as part of the development application, review, and approval process. Further, the Housing Accountability Act, which applies to all residential development in the State, including emergency shelters, establishes that jurisdictions cannot subjectively reduce density in a proposed project or deny a project that conforms with General Plan, zoning, and subdivision standards.
These “objective” standards “involve no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and are uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant and the public official prior to submittal.”17 For example, it is not legitimate to deny a project for not complying with “community character” or reduce the height of a proposed building in response to complaints about possible obstructed views.
SB 330 also allows for streamlined, ministerial approval for certain projects, as does SB 35 (discussed in the Public Policies section), and exceptions to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) were made for homeless shelters and permanent supportive housing projects in Los Angeles, perhaps serving as a model for future legislation. Of course, laws and policies do little to discourage NIMBY residents from voicing their opposition to projects. It is therefore important for local jurisdictions and developers to listen to community members, address legitimate concerns, and educate the public on the benefits of housing opportunities and the constraints of State law.
Impediments
This AI identifies impediments to fair housing choice and presents recommendations that the City can adopt to overcome those barriers. The AI should then be used to monitor the City’s progress toward achieving the adopted recommendations. Identifying and analyzing barriers to fair housing choice is integral to ensuring that the City has at its disposal the information needed to develop a comprehensive strategy to meet its commitment to “affirmatively further fair housing” (AFFH).
The previous sections of this report have identified the demographic, housing, socioeconomic, quality of life, and financial lending characteristics of the City as well as a brief profile of the City’s current policies and procedures as they relate to furthering fair housing. While there is much that Bakersfield can do to combat discrimination in housing, some external factors beyond the City’s control also affect housing choice. These forces include poverty and income levels, the cost of housing, linguistic isolation, transportation, employment opportunities, educational achievement, and regional planning agencies. In conjunction with the Housing 17 Senate Bill 35, California State Legislature.
49 Element’s AFFH findings, the following is a list of key conclusions and potential impediments that may exist in the City of Bakersfield.
1. Lack of Affordable Housing Supply
While housing affordability is not directly a fair housing issue, expanding access to housing choices for impacted groups would result in a more equitable housing market. There is an ongoing, severe shortage of suitable housing available and affordable to very low-, low-, and moderate-, income households in Bakersfield. As housing prices continue to rise, low- and moderate-income households, especially renters, will be priced out of traditionally affordable neighborhoods in the City.
As documented in this report and the City’s Consolidated Plan, protected classes such as minorities, seniors, persons with disabilities, and female head of household are disproportionately low- and moderate-income households and are more adversely impacted by the lack of housing than the population as a whole. Lowerincome households are more likely to have severe cost burdens and live in overcrowded conditions.
Section 8 voucher holders are also disproportionately impacted by the lack of landlords willing to rent to Bakersfield residents who hold this type of housing subsidy. As reported by stakeholders, even with “source of income” protections in State law, many landlords are unwilling to rent to voucher holders. Consequently, more voucher holders need to look for rental housing outside of Bakersfield.
The City has taken great efforts in promoting affordable housing in the past five years, but with the loss of Redevelopment tax-increment funds dedicated to affordable housing, the reduction in Federal resources, skyrocketing development costs, and the increase in market demand, this issue remains a significant impediment to fair housing choice in Bakersfield and California as a whole. It remains to be seen whether potential new legislation, such as a revamp of SB 50, will assist cities in providing greater opportunity for affordable housing to be built.
2. Planning, Land Use and Zoning Practices
The City has made gains in improving planning and land use practices to eliminate constraints to developing affordable housing in the City. Its most recent Housing Element provides a detailed analysis of land use and zoning practices to ensure that any impediments to development are mitigated.
However, there are some unintended barriers to the development of housing that should be reviewed. For example, the City has a disproportionate number of single-family dwellings compared to other jurisdictions and the State as a whole, limiting housing options for households of lower income who increasingly cannot afford such housing. The State estimates approximately 76% of all units are single-family (attached and detached), which means only 24% are multifamily units.
In addition, while there are nearly 5,000 units that are subsidized to provide affordable housing to lowerincome households, most of that housing sits east of State Route 99 in Bakersfield’s traditionally lowerincome areas. As noted earlier, concentrating poverty has certain disadvantages, including concentrating affordable housing in historically disadvantaged or lower-income areas can lead to a concentration of poverty, which HUD recognizes has five wide-ranging impacts:
50 ● Limits educational opportunity for children
● Leads to poor health outcomes
● Hinders wealth building
● Reduces private-sector investment and increases prices for goods and services ● Raises costs for local governments18
The City’s zoning codes allow most of its multifamily residential uses in and around Downtown Bakersfield.
Consequently, that is where much of the City’s affordable housing is located. The Downtown area has also been the focus of many recent economic development efforts, such as the Economic Opportunity Area Plan and Making Downtown Bakersfield, to improve economic opportunity and life outcomes.
3. NIMBYism - Opposition to Siting of Affordable Housing Despite efforts made by the City, developers, and other stakeholders to demonstrate the need for and value of new affordable housing, there is still opposition to affordable housing in neighborhoods throughout the City. Community opposition limits the ability for the City to develop additional affordable housing to address the severe affordable housing shortage.
4. Need for Ongoing Landlord Education
Interviews with fair housing and service providers in Bakersfield identified that some landlords, primarily smaller landlords, lack knowledge of fair housing rules and requirements. Consequently, these landlords may discriminate (potentially inadvertently or without full understanding of the law) against protected classes. Although the State Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) established a broad range of requirements to help prevent unwarranted evictions, these protections do not extend to all types of housing, and many landlords are unaware of its provisions. Anecdotally, service providers indicated that discrimination seemed to be especially prevalent for persons with disabilities making reasonable accommodation requests to the landlord.
5. Lack of Access to Community Assets
As indicated in the Consolidated Plan, areas of high minority concentration, and low-income areas have limited access to community assets, banks, transit and employment centers when compared with the City as a whole. The limited access to these assets has an adverse impact on the residents (disproportionately protected classes) to have access to jobs, quality schools, fresh food and financial institutions. Focus group participants raised the concern over food insecurity as a significant problem for lower-income households throughout Bakersfield.
6. Foreclosure and Eviction Recovery
Foreclosures lower property values in the surrounding neighborhood and cause blight. Neighborhood absentee homeowners (e.g., banks) also do not adequately manage the vacant properties resulting in blight 18 “Confronting Concentrated Poverty with a Mixed-Income Strategy,” Office of Policy Development and Research, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Spring 2013.
51 and locations for criminal activities, further lowering property values. This, in turn, threatens the remaining homeowners’ ability to refinance homes and limits incentives for potential homebuyers to move into the neighborhood. Foreclosed homeowners are also left with little to no savings and reduced credit scores resulting in difficulty obtaining funding for future homes.
Renters in properties that were foreclosed on also are adversely affected including unlawful eviction attempts, health problems due to unresponsive landlords in pre-foreclosure situations, lack of stability especially for persons with disabilities, seniors, and families with children, in addition to other issues associated with the change of building ownership such as evictions due to non-payment, payment for moving, and rent increases. The repercussions of foreclosures on homeowners, renters, and the community at large are an impediment to fair housing.
7. Lending/Sales Discrimination
As noted previously, there are significant disparities between how certain racial or ethnic groups are treated in the lending arena. According to HMDA data, the greatest disparity between demographics and loan applications is for the Hispanic/Latino population. There is a 21.2% difference between the share of the population that is Hispanic/Latino population and the Hispanic/Latino share of total home loan applications.
Conversely, the white population has the greatest positive difference—its application share is 36.4% greater than its population share. For comparison, the United States is 57.8% white and represented 59.5% of all home loan applications throughout the nation. The country’s Hispanic/Latino communities represent 18.7% of the population but only 7.8% of all home loan applicants In addition, very low- and low-income mortgage applicants are denied at far higher rates than moderateand above moderate-income applicants. Conversely, above moderate-income households represent most mortgage applicants and are denied home loans far less often. Approximately 10.1% of above moderateincome applications were denied, compared to 17.4% of low-income applications and 25.1% of very lowincome applications. Very low-income mortgage applicants are denied loans at a rate of two and a half times higher than above moderate-income households. Consequently, above moderate-income homeowners can access additional financial benefits once they are homeowners. For example, they can build wealth through increasing property values and claim the mortgage interest deduction on their tax returns, thus lowering their taxable income.
52 Conclusion- Fair Housing Action Plan
The preceding sections of the AI have reviewed background information, analyzed lending data, assessed fair housing services, and provided findings of potential impediments in the City. This section reviews the progress in implementing action programs identified in the previous 2020-2025 Bakersfield AI. This section also sets forth the City’s actions to provide access to fair housing choice in 2025-2030.
Assessment of Past Goals and Actions
The following tables review the City’s progress in implementing actions identified in the 2020-2025 AI. The progress toward these goals informed the proposed actions for the 2025-2030 AI cycle.
Affordable Housing Development and Preservation
Impediment Proposed Actions Timeframe Status
Insufficient funding for affordable
housing
Continue to seek funding for affordable housing
development and preservation. Support Statewide
efforts to create permanent sources of housing funding, including through “redevelopment 2.0.”
2020-2025;
ongoing
We created an affordable housing trust fund
allowing us to receive over $5,000,000 in match
funds from the state. We created a 5-year plan
and received funds from state PLHA. We have
allocated over $17,000,000 in local funds to the
development and preservation of affordable
housing.
Lack of affordable housing supply Use anticipated federal dollars (primarily HOME) to fund 200 new units.
2020-2025 We have used HOME funds to assist in over 460 affordable housing units both constructed and
under construction.
Planning, Land Use and Zoning Practices
Impediment Proposed Actions Timeframe Status
Potential concentration of poverty
in certain neighborhoods through
zoning
The City will continue to seek out partners for affordable housing projects in all areas of the City. When considering sites, the City will evaluate racial and income
concentrations as well as proximity to services and public transportation.
2020-2025;
ongoing
The City constructed 5 affordable housing
projects during this time period in various parts
of the City. The City also began large scale vision
planning that included extensive community
engagement around project design, proximity to
services/amenities and proximity to
transportation. This formed the basis for many
affordable housing and community development
53 neighborhood plans including Transforming
Climate Communities, Prosperity
Neighborhoods, and the Old Town Kern Vison
Plan work.
Single-family zones reduce
opportunities for more affordable
housing to be built
The City will review its zoning code to ascertain potential opportunities to increase the amount of land available for multifamily dwellings.
2020-2023 The City of Bakersfield is in the final stages of updating the new Housing Element. The City will
continue to ascertain potential opportunities to
increase the amount of land available for
multifamily dwellings.
Single-family zones reduce
opportunities for more affordable
housing to be built
Consider supporting new legislation that would increase the number of units that can be built in single-family
dwelling zones (SB 50, for example). Continue to refine ADU requirements to ensure streamlined opportunities
for more development.
2020-2023 The City of Bakersfield is currently working on an ADU program that would allow for an increased
amount of unit that can be built on a singlefamily dwelling zone.
NIMBYism – Opposition to Siting of Affordable Housing
Impediment Proposed Actions Timeframe Status
Some opposition to affordable
housing continues in certain
neighborhoods.
Consider developing a Citywide educational seminar to
educate homeowners, seniors, faith, and other
communities about the need for affordable housing.
Involve local recipients of Section 8 vouchers or other subsidized housing to share their stories.
2021-2023 The City constructed 5 affordable housing
projects during this time period in various parts
of the City. The City has began large scale vision
planning that included extensive community
engagement around project design, proximity to
services/amenities and proximity to
transportation. This formed the basis for many
affordable housing and community development
neighborhood plans including Transforming
Climate Communities, Prosperity
Neighborhoods, and the Old Town Kern Vison
Plan work.
Landlord Education
Impediment Proposed Actions Timeframe Status
54 Landlords lack knowledge of fair
housing rules and requirements.
In concert with HACK and local apartment association
groups, develop a training program for landlords to hear about the new fair housing laws, including ones that
prohibit applications on the basis of tenants holding a Section 8 voucher. Offer programs to help educate on
“reasonable accommodations” and how receive City
assistance.
2022-2024 The City holds an annual contract with Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance for Fair Housing
Services. A part of this contract is to hold regular
presentations on Fair Housing for Landlords. An
Annual summit on Fair Housing is also held
through GBLA to assist landlords and service
providers with Fair Housing Training.
Lack of Access to Community Assets
Impediment Proposed Actions Timeframe Status
Areas of high minority
concentration, and low-income
areas have limited access to
community assets, banks, transit
and employment centers when
compared with the City as a whole
When considering sites, the City will evaluate racial and income concentrations as well as proximity to services
and public transportation.
2020-2025;
ongoing
The City has began large scale vision planning
that included extensive community engagement
around project design, proximity to
services/amenities and proximity to
transportation. This formed the basis for many
affordable housing and community development
neighborhood plans including Transforming
Climate Communities, Prosperity
Neighborhoods, and the Old Town Kern Vison
Plan work.
Food insecurity is a significant
problem for lower-income
households throughout Bakersfield
The City will convene stakeholders to brainstorm ways to ensure residents have adequate access to healthy food.
2023-2024 The City helped fund a 40,000 sq.ft expansion of the Community Action Partnership of Kern’s food
bank in order to ensure residents have adequate
access to healthy food.
Foreclosure/Eviction Recovery
Impediment Proposed Actions Timeframe Status
Lower-income neighborhoods with
high rates of foreclosure and the
resulting evictions of tenants lack
access to prevention services
Continue to work with GBLA and other service providers
to assist renters with eviction threats. Consider creating a program to assist homeowners facing foreclosure by
partnering with the "Making Home Affordable" program
offered by the federal government. Work with local
Ongoing;
developing
new programs,
2024-2025
In 2024, the City of Bakersfield began the
Eviction Protection Program in collaboration
with Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance. The
City also funds Downpayment Assistance
Programs each year that includes homebuyer
counselling. In addition, the City allocated funds
55 lenders, advocates and the business community to
support these efforts.
annually to Homeless Prevention Programs that
help keep people from becoming homeless due
to evictions.
Lending/Sales Discrimination
Impediment Proposed Actions Timeframe Status
There are significant disparities
between how certain racial or
ethnic groups are treated in the
lending arena
The City will consider developing informational material to send to a variety of lending institutions to educate them on the need to eliminate discrimination in financial practices
2023-2025 The City of Bakersfield funds Downpayment
Assistance Programs each year that include
homeowner counselling. These counselling
services help to address discrimination in lending
practices. The City also funds an annual Fair
Housing conference each year through the
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance to help train
the public on Fair Housing issues and solutions.
2025-2030 Goals and Actions
The City is committed to ensuring fair housing choice for all residents. Based on the analysis contained in in this report and the progress toward the previous AI’s goals, the City proposes the following actions to address the impediments to fair housing choice for 2025-2030. Note: to align the Housing Element’s AFFH efforts and this AI, these actions are included in response to the AFFH-identified community development issues (action numbers are linked to the Housing Element’s action numbers).
AFFH Identified Housing Issue: Outreach Capacity and Enforcement The AI identified Contributing Factors to AFFH-related issues in the city that impact fair housing, including lack of variety of media, lack of resources for fair housing agencies, and the need for additional fair housing outreach and enforcement. Based on input from community engagement efforts and stakeholder meetings, community outreach on fair housing issues should be expanded to better support marginalized populations, including local tribal community groups, seniors, minority populations, and youth.
Actions Objectives and Timeframe
Action 17.1: Provide and if feasible expand information and referral services that direct families and individuals to financial resources for housing rental or purchase, locating suitable housing, and obtaining housing with special needs facilities such as disabled-accessible units.
Hold at least 8 informational events during the planning period to disseminate informational materials or provide trainings to residents, at least once every two years in areas considered sensitive communities (Central and Southeast Bakersfield) prioritizing communities sensitive to displacement. 56 Actions Objectives and Timeframe
Coordinate with GBLA to provide educational workshops/trainings to tenants and landlords on fair housing rights and responsibilities, including information on ADUs.
Expand outreach and public education strategies on available tenant protection and fair housing services to reach vulnerable households by offering information in multiple languages, targeted social media efforts, combining information with other assistance programs, distributing resources through local schools and colleges, and partnering with community-based organizations.
In FY 2023-2024, the City committed funds for a pilot Eviction Prevention Program to include outreach and education on tenant rights and landlord responsibilities.
Partner with at least three new schools or community-based organizations during the planning period to disseminate materials and provide trainings to residents, with targeted outreach in Central and Southeast Bakersfield.
Add more information about fair housing services and a link to GBLA’s website on the City’s webpage with Fair Housing information by January 2025.
Present results from the data collected from year one of the pilot Eviction Protection Program to City Council by May 2025, and make recommendations to continue and if possible, expand the program. If approved, enact recommendations within six months of approval date.
The program will provide multi-lingual educational public awareness and public education workshops, meetings with residents to discuss tenant rights, legal assistance to act as a liaison between tenants and landlords, negotiate settlement agreements, and attend dispossessory hearings as necessary.
Action 17.2: Implement local housing programs in a manner that responds to the needs of a culturally diverse community that includes multi-generational families, a variety of living arrangements, and Limited English Proficiency households. Plans should ensure collaboration with community groups, including faith-based and nonprofit organizations, to provide outreach on housing resources to all types of households and those households with Limited English Proficiency.
Review affordable housing programs every two years to ensure compliance with current City policy to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing and make necessary changes within six months.
Action 17.3: Review the City’s outreach methods annually, using feedback from resident surveys and focused discussions with community organizations to inform online, mail, and in-person outreach methods. Increase participation of historically underrepresented residents in all City housing programs and community planning activities by collaborating with local religious organizations, community-based organizations, and public agencies that serve the underrepresented groups. Collaborate with existing and new community stakeholders from all sectors and geographic areas to engage in the public participation process.
Conduct at least one citywide resident survey every three years to obtain feedback about City outreach methods, prioritizing feedback from underrepresented residents.
Action 17.4: Expand and improve access to public meetings by conducting public meetings at suitable times (using information from public feedback and survey results) and locations, using both in-person and online methods such as Zoom. InExpand and improve access to public meetings. Conduct a public survey on outreach methods and accessibility at public meetings to inform the outreach guide. Develop the outreach guide by January 2026.
57 Actions Objectives and Timeframe
person meetings must accommodate persons with disabilities, be accessible to nearby transit centers, and provide resources such as childcare, translation, and food services. Develop an outreach guide that will be used for all outreach campaigns.
Action 17.5: Review and update the City’s Language Access Plan based on HUD guidelines and publish it on the City’s website. The goal of the Language Access Plan is to survey, maintain and publish a list of resources that facilitate communication between City staff and those households with Limited English Proficiency so that their housing needs are met. The City seeks to ensure that all residents may participate fully and equally in the housing market by maintain access to written and oral City resources.
Review the City’s Language Access Plan and update by January 2026.
Responsible Agency Bakersfield Economic and Community Development Department; Development Services Department; Office of the City Manager Funding Sources CDBG, TCC, PSVS, HOME, ESG, EPA/CCG, HHAP, General Fund AFFH Identified Housing Issue: Replacing Segregated Living Patterns with Integrated and Balanced Living Patterns As indicated in the AFFH analysis in the Housing Element, the city has HUD-identified racially and/or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (R/ECAPs), which are areas where lower household income and racial and ethnic concentration overlap. These areas are concentrated in Central and Southeast Bakersfield and are predominantly Hispanic/Latino and areas that are historically Black/African American. R/ECAPs have higher levels of segregation and poverty, as well as areas with a higher proportion of residents who are renters, higher levels of overcrowding, and higher levels of housing cost burden.
These areas also have a higher share of multifamily housing compared to other areas of the city. There are also Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RCAAs) that are predominantly majority white and have higher household income levels in Northwest, Northeast, and Southwest Bakersfield.
This program complements other programs and objectives that are designed to increase integration of economic opportunities throughout the city and create equitable investment across communities.
Actions Objectives and Timeframe
Action 17.6: Budget for and implement plans and strategies for communities in Central and Southeast Bakersfield, prioritizing corridors and neighborhoods designated for mixed-income housing opportunities in the Sites Inventory.
For Fiscal Year 2025-26, as part of the annual CIP program update, establish a minimum spending target (15 percent) and report the percent of CIP budget (including Federal, State, and regional grant funds, including CDBG) committed to Central and Southeast Bakersfield.
58 Actions Objectives and Timeframe
Expand the Prosperity Neighborhood community revitalization efforts, as well as apply for Transformative Climate Communities Implementation grants. Implement existing City plans, such as the Downtown Bakersfield Corridor Enhancement Master Plan and the Bakersfield Transformative Climate Communities Plan, and annually monitor implementation strategies to ensure equitable practices that benefit lowand moderate-income residents.
In Southeast Bakersfield, collaborate with local organizations and residents to identify opportunities for placemaking improvements, including:
▪ Public transit and active transportation infrastructure ▪ Public art reflective of cultural identity and diversity ▪ Neighborhood-serving public infrastructure such as wayfinding signs, community gardens, shades, street trees, recreation facilities, and benches Collaborate with regional partners and seek grant funding for implementation when practicable. Coordinate with the Public Works Department to review the City’s biannual Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) to ensure public facilities and infrastructure are supportive of the needs of underserved communities.
Hold at least three workshops during the planning period in Southeast Bakersfield to develop infrastructure and programming plans that support mixed-income housing development. Hold the first workshop by December 2026.
Prepare a report on the City’s infrastructure investment from 2023 to 2028 from an equity and anti-displacement lens to ensure that improvements benefit lower-income neighborhoods by June 2029. The report shall be made public.
Action 17.7: Annually monitor the development of housing units affordable to lower- and moderate-income households in RCAAs and identify and implement changes in the zoning code and/or incentive programs (financial or streamlining) for high-density or deed-restricted housing in those areas.
Annually monitor housing production in RCAAs. Implement incentive programs or zoning amendments within one year of review.
Action 17.8: Promote the development of ADUs, prioritizing Northwest, Southwest, and Northeast Bakersfield.
Conduct seven educational workshops, campaigns, or outreach events to inform and promote ADU development in the city to residents, with at least five targeted to residents and developers in Northwest, Southwest, and Northeast Bakersfield, by December 2030. Contact at least four community or neighborhood organizations to host workshops and/or disseminate information and hold at least two workshops about ADUs with housing developers and/or real estate professionals, by December 2030.
Achieve 70 percent of new ADUs in targeted neighborhoods.
Action 17.9: Determine and implement strategy to promote ADUs for moderate and lower-income households.
Prepare a report on potential strategies to encourage affordability of ADUs for moderate and lower-income households, including but not limited to, promoting the use of Section 8 vouchers or development of cost incentive 59 Actions Objectives and Timeframe
programs or no-interest loan program for ADU developers in exchange for income restrictions. Prepare report by July 2025 and present to City Council for adoption of a pilot program by October 2025. If adopted, implement pilot program by January 2026.
If program is adopted, create 48 affordable (deed-restricted) ADUs by the end of the planning period (2026 to 2029).
Responsible Agency Economic and Community Development Department; Public Works Department Funding Sources CDBG, TCC, PSVS, HOME, EPA/CCG, General Fund AFFH Identified Housing Issue: Significant Disparities in Housing Needs and Access to Opportunity As discussed in the AFFH analysis in the Housing Element’s Appendix D, areas with greater proportions of low- and moderate-income households tend to have higher degrees of overcrowding, housing burdens, and exposure to pollutants than other areas of the city. Most of Northwest, Southwest, and Northeast Bakersfield are considered “high resource” or “highest resource” areas as identified by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) educational, economic, and environmental opportunity indicators. Areas identified as “low resource” for those indicators are concentrated in Central and Southeast Bakersfield.
Additionally, as identified in the AFFH analysis, much of Central and Southeast Bakersfield is considered sensitive to displacement, and low-income residents are most vulnerable. Feedback from community members and representatives of service organizations during the community and stakeholder workshops desired a greater mix of housing opportunities and equitable development. 60 Actions Objectives and Timeframe
Action 17.10: Prioritize public health, education, economic, and safety programs in Central and Southeast Bakersfield in coordination with area public health entities (e.g., Bakersfield Family Medical Center, Kern Medical, Dignity Health Hospitals), Kern Transit, the City’s Economic and Community Development Department, Bakersfield City School District, workforce development groups, and the Bakersfield Police Department.
Identify addresses and compile mailing list and email addresses to focus outreach to neighborhoods in Central and Southeast Bakersfield to prioritize services in these areas.
Involve community organizations and advocates, business councils, and residents to refine program scope. Opportunities could include new or expanded policies and programs, added density bonuses, land banks, housing trust funds, and transit and economic development and prioritization.
Develop a comprehensive, long-term community development strategy and/or program priority strategy for Central and Southeast Bakersfield by January 2026.
Action 17.11: Develop an outreach strategy in multiple languages for longstanding property owners who own fewer than 10 residential units (either in single-family or multifamily rental housing) to assess needs and connect them with resources, such as housing unit rehabilitation and financing programs. The intent of this program is to preserve Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (i.e., not currently regulated with affordability deed restrictions). The program will seek to prioritize communities vulnerable to displacement, generally in Central and Southeast Bakersfield.
Develop an outreach strategy for property owners that own fewer than 10 residential rental units by January 2026.
After the strategy is approved, conduct outreach to at least 15 of the identified property owners that own less than 10 residential units and assist at least 5 property owners with a combined total of 20 units or more by December 2031.
Action 17.12: Work with commercial property owners and developers to identify sites for new grocery stores in Southeast Bakersfield and provide technical assistance and permit streamlining.
Provide technical assistance to support at least one new community-serving grocery store (e.g., supermarket) in Southeast Bakersfield by the end of the planning period.
Action 17.13: Upon expansion and/or intensification of development on the Golden State Mall and City Serve sites, a 7-foot-tall sound wall shall be constructed along the residential alley that abuts the two sites to protect, stabilize, and enhance the Westchester neighborhood immediately beyond.
Construct the sound wall upon development of residential uses on the Golden State Mall and City Serve sites.
Action 17.14: Apply for planning and construction funding from the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and other fundings sources to support Apply for funding by January 2026 and every time a notice of funding availability is released. If funded, support the development of at least one water or wastewater 61 Actions Objectives and Timeframe
adequate water and wastewater infrastructure for new and existing low-income housing development.
infrastructure project in Central or Southeast Bakersfield by the end of the planning period.
Responsible Agency Economic and Community Development Department; Development Services Department, City Manager’s Office, Water Public Works
Funding Sources CDBG, TCC, PSVS, HOME, EPA/CCG, General Fund 62 I, _______________, City manager, hereby certify that this Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice for the City of Bakersfield represents the City’s conclusions about impediments to fair housing choice, as well as the actions necessary to address any identified impediments.
_________________________________________ Date: _____________________ City Manager
City of Bakersfield
1 City of Bakersfield
Citizen Participation Plan
Previous Amendment: March 2020
Approved: XXXX 2025
DRAFT
Economic & Community Development Department
1600 Truxtun Avenue Floor 3
Bakersfield, CA 93301
www.bakersfieldcity.us/ecd
(661) 326-3765
Plan de participación ciudadana de la ciudad de Bakersfield 2025-2030 Para servicios de traducción, comuníquese con (661) 326-3765 2 INTRODUCTION
Jurisdictions receiving housing and community development block grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are required to adopt a Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) that sets forth the policies and procedures for citizen participation for the planning and allocation of such funds (24 CFR Part 91.105). The CPP specifies how jurisdictions will engage stakeholders and the public regarding the community’s needs in the areas of community development, affordable housing, and homelessness. Jurisdictions must take appropriate actions to encourage the participation of all its citizens, including persons of color, non-English speaking persons, and persons with disabilities, and residents of public and assisted housing developments and recipients of tenant-based assistance.
The Citizen Participation Plan is a pathway for all citizens to exercise their voice and influence decisions that affect their communities, neighborhoods, and way of life. -HUD Citizen Participation and Consultation Toolkit
It is the intent of the City of Bakersfield (City), to encourage and facilitate the participation of all residents in the formulation of priorities, strategies, and funding allocations in the development of the following: Five-year Consolidated Plan and the One- Year Action Plan (Action Plan), Citizen Participation Plan (CPP), Substantial Amendments thereto, Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) or Analysis of Impediments (AI), and annual performance reports for the following programs funded by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG);
• HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME);
• Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG);
• Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids (HOPWA); and • Other new or temporary HUD block grant funds for which the City is entitled.
ENCOURAGEMENT OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
The City strives to encourage and facilitate the participation of its residents in the development of priorities, strategies, and funding allocations related to the consolidated planning process. The City will emphasize the involvement of low- and moderate-income persons, especially those living in slum and blighted areas, areas designated as a revitalization area, areas where the funds are proposed to be used, and low- and moderate-income neighborhoods where 51% of the residents are at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI).
The City encourages the participation of local and regional institutions, the Continuum of Care, and other organizations (including businesses, developers, nonprofit organizations, philanthropic organizations, and community/faith-based organizations) in the process of developing and implementing the documents related to the consolidated planning process. Also, the City will encourage participation from 3 broadband internet service providers, organizations engaged in narrowing the digital divide, agencies who manage flood prone areas, public land or water resources, and emergency management agencies.
To encourage citizen participation that emphasizes the involvement of low- and moderate- income residents, the City will continue to work with public housing authorities, neighborhood groups, and other organizations representing the City’s lowand moderate-income areas and residents.
The CPP ensures that all parties, including residents, non-profit organizations, and other interested organizations, are afforded adequate opportunity to review and comment on plans, programs, activities, and reports covering the City’s federally funded housing and community development programs. This includes minority populations, people with limited English proficiency, and persons with disabilities.
The City may alter some requirements listed in this CPP based on waivers or suspensions provided by HUD, typically in response to disasters or other emergencies. For example, the City may shorten a public comment period and/or application process of a consolidated planning document to more quickly respond to a disaster or emergency with HUD approval.
Overview of Process
The general structure of citizen review/participation component has four tiers: citizens and residents, community groups and organizations, the City of Bakersfield, and the Bakersfield City Council.
• Many project ideas occur at the community level. Depending on the plan, engagement of citizens and residents may include: The City staff attendance and presentations at ongoing neighborhood meetings, focus groups with stakeholders, focus groups with residents, convening of residents and stakeholders at community meetings unique to the plans, convening of city and county staff to discuss community needs, resident surveys, and stakeholder surveys.
• City staff develop program allocation proposals based on these ideas, which are then recommended to City Leadership who reviews all housing and community development activities.
• The City recommendation then proceeds to the City Council for final review and approval.
The Consolidated Plan and Action Plan must detail how this outreach was conducted, including how and when meetings were held, when the public comment period occurred, and how the City addressed public comments.
Comments and suggestions from the public are welcome at all times. 4 CONSOLIDATED PLANNING ACTIVITIES
Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan
Every five years, the City develops a Consolidated Plan, as required by HUD, detailing how the City plans to invest its resources to meet Bakersfield’s ongoing affordable housing, community development, economic development, and public service needs over the next five years. The Consolidated Plan is a strategic plan and is developed using a collaborative community engagement process that results in a shared strategic vision for how resources are allocated to meet needs.
The Annual Action Plan outlines the community’s needs, budget priorities, local and federal resources, and proposed activities for the upcoming year. Public hearings and draft documents are necessities in the citizen participation process. a. Public Hearings
Public hearings will be held at key stages of the consolidated planning process to obtain public input and response regarding community needs, proposed use of funds, proposed strategies and actions for affirmatively furthering fair housing consistent with the Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH), and program performance.
Pursuant to HUD regulations, the City will conduct a minimum of two (2) public hearings held at different planning stages within the program year prior to submission of the Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan to allow for resident participation in the development process. At least one (1) of these hearings will be held during the development of the Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan, before the proposed plan is published for comment. These public hearings will be held in
b. Draft Plan(s)
Before the Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan is adopted by the City Council and submitted to HUD (i.e., mid-May), the City will make the plan(s) available to citizens, public agencies, and other interested parties for review and will also establish the means to submit comments. Information made accessible to the public will include the amount of grant funds the City expects to receive (including program income), the range of activities to be undertaken, and the anticipated number of low- and moderate-income persons to benefit from funded activities.
The City will publish its Draft Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan for no less than thirty (30) calendar days so that all affected residents will have sufficient opportunity to review and comment on the draft plan(s). A summary describing the contents and purpose of the Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan will be published in one or more newspapers of general circulation. As feasible, the summary will be available in English, Spanish, and other languages (as feasible).
The notice will detail locations where the entire draft plan(s) will be made available for review. Locations may include:
• Bakersfield Californian and publications geared to reach lower income 5 and/or minority groups
• City of Bakersfield website and/or social mediawww.bakersfieldcity.us/communitydevelopment • Distribution of information to relevant community/public facilities Copies of said plan shall be made available to the public at the City offices (1600 Truxtun Avenue Bakersfield, CA 93301, upon request. The plan will also be made available in a format accessible to persons with disabilities, upon request The City will consider any comments or views of residents of the community received in writing, or orally at the public hearings, in preparing the final Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan. A summary of these comments or views, and a summary of any comments or views not accepted and the reasons why, shall be attached to the final Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan.
Amendments to the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan For the purpose of the CPP, amendments to the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan are divided into two categories: Substantial Amendments and Minor Amendments.
c. Substantial Amendments
Occasionally, it may be necessary for the City to process a Substantial Amendment to the Consolidated Plan or an Annual Action Plan to allow for new activities, modification of existing activities, or other program changes.
Substantial Amendments are subject to the citizen participation process and require formal action by the City Council and submission to HUD by the end of the program year. Unless waived by HUD1, the City announces Substantial Amendments to the public by publishing a public notice in one or more newspapers of general circulation for a period of thirty (30) calendar days in order to provide the opportunity for the public to review and comment on the proposed Substantial Amendments. The notice will be available in English and may also be available in Spanish and other languages, as feasible. The City will consider all written or oral comments or views received from the public concerning proposed substantial amendments in accordance with 24 CFR 91.105(c)(3). A summary of these comments and views, including comments or views not accepted and the reason why, shall be attached to the substantial amendment.
When using funds from any program covered by the consolidated plan process, the following criteria will be used by the City for determining what constitutes a Substantial Amendment to its approved Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan.
1. Adding a new activity not previously described in the Consolidated Plan 1 In 2020, HUD issued guidance providing for the waiver of the 30‐day public comment period, allowing for a public comment period of no less than 5 days for substantial amendments to relevant plans, in response to COVID‐ 19, including: CDBG; HOME and HOME‐Assisted TRBA; and HOPWA and ESG. 6 or Annual Action Plan
2. Changing the purpose, scope, location, or beneficiaries of an activity or previously described in the Consolidated Plan or Annual Action Plan
3. Changing allocation priorities or changing the method of the distribution of funds
4. Changing an activity total dollar amount allocated or budgeted by more than 25 percent from the amount previously described in an Annual Action Plan or its most recent Substantial Amendment
d. Minor Amendments
Minor Amendments (Administrative) represent any action that changes an activity budget in an Annual Action Plan by less than twenty-five percent (25%). These require the signature of the City Manager or designated representative, but do not require public notice or City Council approval. Notification of the minor amendment will be provided to HUD.
Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH)
The AFH is an analysis of local fair housing landscape and sets locally determined fair housing priorities and goals. The AFH contains
• An analysis of fair housing data
• An assessment of fair housing issues which are local conditions that restrict fair housing choice or access to opportunity
• An assessment of the contributing factors that create, contribute to perpetuate, or increase the severity of one or more fair housing issues • An identification of fair housing priorities and goals The AFH is conducted and submitted to HUD using the HUD designated Assessment Tool and replaces the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice beginning in program year 2020.
e. Public Hearing
At least one public hearing will be held to obtain the views of residents on AFHrelated data and affirmatively furthering fair housing in the City’s housing and community development programs. This public hearing will be held before the Draft AFH is published for comment.
f. Draft AFH
Before the AFH is submitted to HUD, the City will make a Draft AFH available to citizens, public agencies, and other interested parties for review and will also establish the means to submit comments.
The City will publish its Draft AFH for no less than thirty (30) calendar days to provide residents with sufficient opportunity to review and comment on the Draft AFH. A summary describing the contents and purpose of the AFH will be published in one or more newspapers of general circulation. The summary will be available in English and may also be available in Spanish and other languages, as feasible. 7 The notice will detail locations where the entire draft plan(s) will be made available for review. Locations may include:
• Bakersfield Californian and publications geared to reach lower income and/or minority groups
• City of Bakersfield website and/or social mediawww.bakersfieldcity.us/communitydevelopment • Distribution of information to relevant community/public facilities Copies of said plan shall be made available to the public at the City offices (1600 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93301, upon request. The plan will also be made available in a format accessible to persons with disabilities, upon request The City will consider any comments or views of residents of the community received in writing, or orally at the public hearings, in preparing the final AFH. A summary of these comments or views, and a summary of any comments or views not accepted and the reasons why, shall be attached to the final AFH.
Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) The City is required to submit a CAPER for its CPD programs to HUD no later than 90-days from the end of a program year. The CAPER describes how funds were spent and the extent to which these funds were used for activities that benefitted low- and moderateincome people.
To allow the public to comment on the performance report, the City will publish notice in one or more newspapers of general circulation that its Draft CAPER is available for review. The notice will be available in English and may also be available in Spanish and other languages, as feasible. The notice will detail locations where the entire Draft CAPER will be made available for review. Locations may include:
• Bakersfield Californian and publications geared to reach lower income and/or minority groups
• City of Bakersfield website and/or social media:
www.bakersfieldcity.us/ecd
• Distribution of information to relevant community/public facilities The public will have at least fifteen (15) calendar days to comment on the Draft CAPER. All comments and views received during the comment period will be considered and shall be included in the performance report.
Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program
In accordance with Section 108 regulations, Subpart M-Loan Guarantees, 24 CFR 570.704, the City will comply with the following pre-submission and citizen participation requirements before submitting an application for Section 108 loan guarantee assistance to HUD.
8 g. Draft application
The City will develop a proposed application to include the community development objectives and activities the City proposes to pursue and carry out with the Section 108 funds. Each activity will be described in sufficient detail, including the provision under which the project is eligible, the national objective it meets, the amount of funds expected to be used, and the activity’s location to allow citizens to determine the degree to which they will be affected. The proposed application will also indicate which activities will generate program income and where citizens may obtain additional information about proposed activities. The proposed application will also include a description of the pledge of grants required under 24 CFR 570.705(b)(2).
The City will also publish a public notice which will include its proposed application providing citizens an opportunity to examine the application’s contents and to make comments. The public notice will also advise citizens on how and where to submit comments as well as notify citizens of when and where a public hearing will be held at which they can provide further input on the proposed application.
The public notice will be published at least 30 calendar days in advance of the public hearing.
h. Public Hearings
A minimum of two (2) public hearings, held at different stages of the Consolidated Plan citizen participation process, will be held for the purpose of obtaining the views of citizens and formulating or responding to proposals and questions. At least one of these hearings will be held before submission of a Section 108 application to HUD to obtain the views of citizens on community development and housing needs. At the hearing, each activity will be described in sufficient detail including: the provision under which the project is eligible, the national objective to be met, the amount of funds expected to be used, and the activity’s location so that citizens can determine the degree to which they will be affected. Citizens will have up to 30 calendar days, plus the day of the public hearing, to comment.
Once the City has published the public notice and held the public hearing, the City will determine if the proposed application needs to be modified, based on comments and views received, before submitting the application to HUD. Upon completion, the final application will be made available to the public at the City Clerk’s office.
Citizen Participation Plan (CPP)
When changes to the CPP are necessary, the City will publish notice in one or more newspapers of general circulation that the amended CPP is available to review so that the public will have sufficient opportunity to review and comment on the updates.
There will be a thirty (30) calendar day public comment period prior to the adoption of the amended CPP. This reasonable notice, opportunity to comment, and comment 9 period will be followed unless subject to HUD waivers or suspensions. Upon request, the CPP can be made available in a format accessible to persons with disabilities.
Public Hearings and Public Meetings
Public hearings may be held in-person, or virtual, or both. Virtual meetings and virtual public hearings will be held in place of an in-person meetings/hearings when needed in cases of natural disasters, health pandemics, or similar threats, to meet HUD requirements.
In addition, this Citizen Participation Plan will follow HUD notices, waivers, award letters, or other communications related to virtual and in-person public meetings or hearings Public hearings and meetings will be held at times and locations accessible to persons with disabilities, consistent with accessibility and reasonable accommodation requirements. Interpretation for persons with limited English proficiency or persons with hearing impairments will be provided, upon request. Additional accommodations may be made upon request with five-days’ notice to the City.
The City will notify the public of these hearings and meetings by publishing a notice in at least one paper of general circulation and on its website at least 15 calendar days in advance of the hearings. The notice will:
• Describe the AFH/AI development process and goals prior to adoption; • For the Consolidated Plan, Substantial Amendment, One-Year Action Plan or Action Plan Amendment, describe the approximate amount of funding and range of possible activities;
• For Section 108, examine the application’s contents;
• State where and how information may be obtained;
• State the date of the public hearing;
• Allow 30 calendar days for public comments prior to adoption of the AFH/AI, Consolidated Plan, One-Year Action Plan, Citizen Participation Plan, Section 108, or Substantial Amendments or other length of time as indicated above; • State how limited English proficiency (LEP populations) and persons with disabilities can request translation, interpretation, and reasonable accommodations; and
• State how the public can submit comments.
Other Citizen Participation Requirements
Notification to Interested Parties: The City will endeavor to directly notify interested parties of scheduled public hearings. A list of persons and community groups interested in receiving such notices will be maintained by the City. Notices will be included on the City’s website and, as relevant, part of social media posts and email blasts.
Access to Records: Electronic copies of the AFH/AI, Consolidated Plan, Action Plan, CAPER and related documents will be made available and posted on the City’s website during the draft review period and for two years subsequent to the initial publishing.
Copies of the AFH/AI, Consolidated Plan, One-Year Action Plan, Citizen Participation 10 Plan, and CAPER are available; this includes the availability of materials in a form accessible to persons with disabilities, upon request.
Accessibility, Translation, and Interpretation Services: If limited English proficiency or disabled persons are unable to and request assistance to participate in a public hearing, City staff will retain appropriate assistance to allow such residents to participate. Generally, assistance will consist of obtaining appropriate interpreter services. However, if such assistance presents an undue financial or administrative burden, the City will consider it mandatory only in instances where it is expected that a significant number of limited English proficiency or disabled persons will be in attendance. Generally, meeting facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities, butif special assistance is needed the City should be contacted at [email protected] at least five-days prior to the meeting. For virtual meetings/hearings that are held via a platform that allows video participation, there will also be an option for residents to access the meeting via telephone.
Technical Assistance: The City will endeavor to assist community groups and individuals as requested. The provision of assistance will be determined based upon the following:
staff availability; the relationship of the request to the priorities adopted in the AFH/AI and Consolidated Plan; and other available resources. At a minimum, they City will advise on all technical questions, such as determining the eligibility of a request.
Complaints: The City will respond to written complaints from citizens related to the AFH/AI, Consolidated Plan, One-Year Action Plan, Substantial Amendments, administrative amendments and performance reports within 15 working days. Written complaints should be sent to:
City of Bakersfield
Economic and Community Development Department
1600 Truxton Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Access to Records: The City will provide the public with reasonable and timely access to information and records relating to documents related to the consolidated planning process, as well as the proposed, actual, and past use of funds covered by the CPP.
The public will be provided reasonable access to information, subject to local, state, and federal public information laws and laws regarding privacy and obligations of confidentiality. Confidential documents will be set apart from public information, and any requestors of this information will be promptly informed. The public will have access to records for at least five years from the publication date of the requested document.
Language Assistance: Based on HUD guidance, the City assesses language needs through a four-factor analysis in its Language Assistance Plan. Vital documents and notices related to the consolidated planning process will be made available in English and may also be available in Spanish, and other languages, as feasible. 11 Responsibility: The City will retain responsibility and authority to outreach to persons of color and persons with limited English proficiency, as well as persons with disabilities, during the development of the AFH/AI, the Consolidated Plan and One-Year Action Plan. This responsibility and authority is not restricted by the citizen participation requirements.
Minimizing Displacement and Relocation Benefits
The City of Bakersfield in accordance with the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, the 1988 Common Rule, and the 1989 Barney Frank Act, will provide relocation assistance, as described in 24 CFR 570.606(b)(2), to each low/moderate-income household displaced by the demolition of housing or by the conversion of a low/moderate-income dwelling to another use as a direct result of assisted activities.
Consistent with the goals and objectives of activities assisted under the Act, the City of Bakersfield will include, but not be limited to, the following steps to minimize the displacement of persons from their homes:
A. Avoid, as much as possible, Action Plan funded projects which permanently displace persons from their homes.
B. Fully advise any residents who may be displaced of their rights and options for relocation benefits as required by federal regulations.
C. Assist displaced residents in filling out any required forms for assistance or to appeal City decisions regarding displacement or the level of relocation benefits.
A copy of the City’s Anti-Displacement and Relocation Plan is also available to interested residents upon request.
Citizen Participation Summary
DOCUMENT
PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION
REQUIRED TIME FOR
PUBLIC REVIEW
REQUIRED
APPROVAL DEADLINE
Citizen
Participation Plan
Public Hearing
15 Calendar Day
Notice*
30 Calendar Day
Public Review*
City Council N/A
ConPlan, AI/AFFH,
and/or Annual
Action Plan
Public Hearing
15 Calendar Day
Notice
30 Calendar Day
Public Review
City Council Submit to HUD
45-days prior
to start of new
program year
Substantial
Amendments
Public Hearing
15 Calendar Day
Notice *
30 Calendar Day
Public Review*
City Council Submit to HUD
when
complete
Administrative
Amendments
No Public Hearing None City Manager Submit to HUD
when
complete
12 CAPER Not Required 15 Calendar Day
Public Review
City Submit to HUD
within 90-days
of end of
program year
Section 108 Public Hearing
15 Calendar Day
Notice
30 Calendar Day
Public Review
City Council N/A
*Alternative public notice and public review during declared emergencies.
Regulations Cited In The Development Of This Document
• Section 808(e)(5) of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3608(e)(5)) • 24 CFR Part 91.100 Consultation; local governments
• 24 CFR Part 91.105 Citizen participation plan; local governments • 24 CFR Part 91.401 Citizen participation; HOME Consortia • 24 CFR Part 91.505 Amendments to the consolidated plan • 24 CFR Part 5.150 – 5.180 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing • 24 CFR Part 92 HOME Investment Partnerships Program
• 24 CFR part 570 Community Development Block Grant
• 24 CFR part 574 Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS • 24 CFR part 576 Emergency Solutions Grant
Definitions
Assessment of Fair Housing/Analysis of Impediments: As part of the Consolidated Plan, all grantees must certify that they will affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH). HUD provides grantees options for demonstrating their AFFH commitment, including conducting a study of fair housing impediments and developing an action plan to address barriers and minimize future impediments. This analysis is called an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) or Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI). The State of California requires an AFH be conducted with regional Housing Elements.
Affirmatively Further Fair Housing (AFFH): AFFH refers to the obligation that recipients of federal housing and community development funds have as part of receiving funds.
The AFFH requirement was enacted with the Fair Housing Act (FHA of 1968).
Consolidated Plan: This is a five-year planning document that is submitted to HUD and serves as the joint planning document for the City and County of Sacramento and application for funding for CDBG, HOME, ESG, HOPWA, and similar new or temporary grants. The document is developed in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 24. CFR Part 91 sets forth the priorities and strategies of the programs for a five-year period.
One-Year Action Plan: This document updates the Consolidated Plan on an annual basis and allocates one year’s funding (entitlement and program income) to specific projects 13 and activities for the CDBG, HOME, ESG, HOPWA, and similar new or temporary grants programs. The City develops the document annually in accordance with 24 CFR 91.505.
Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER): This document reports on the progress made in carrying out the Consolidated Plan, One-Year Action Plan and fair housing plan activities. The City prepares the report annually in accordance with 24 CFR Part 91.
Public Hearing: A public hearing is a public meeting that has been publicly noticed through postings through the City’s website, email blasts, social media, ads in general circulation and culturally-specific newspapers, or in a fashion which otherwise follows local procedures for formal noticing of public hearings. Public hearings are required prior to the adoption of the Consolidated Plan, the One-Year Action Plan, the CAPER, Citizen Participation Plan, and substantial amendments. Public hearings may also be part of the community engagement process for AFHs/AIs.
Substantial Amendment: A substantial amendment to the Consolidated Plan involves carrying out an activity or program not previously considered by stakeholders or approved by HUD (e.g., change in the allocation among program activities, change in geographic allocation, change in beneficiaries) in accordance with the original intent of the funds identified in the previously undertaken citizen participation process.
Draft City of Bakersfield Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Action Plan Projects Project Title, Description Funding Source,
Amount,
Bakersfield Senior Center Public Services
Funds for public services for low-income seniors at 530 4th Street.
CDBG - $90,000
Fair Housing Program Services
Public services to affirmatively further fair housing choice, including education, intake, screening, counseling, testing and mediation.
CDBG - $100,000
GBLA ADA and Parking Lot Improvements This project proposes rehab to bathrooms to comply with ADA and asphalt in the vacant lot at 701 California Avenue and add a gate.
CDBG - $250,000
Catholic Charities Food Bank Expansion Reconstruction of a demolished building to expand services and create a food warehouse. The current location is limited due to space.
CDBG - $750,000
General Management Oversight and Coordination
Costs associated with overall program management, coordination, & monitoring of the CDBG program.
CDBG - $781,593
Home Access Grant Program
Grants for homeowner or rental rehab addressing handicapped accessibility improvements.
CDBG - $50,000
Alta Vista Area Curb, Gutter, Sidewalk Reconstruction Install sidewalk, curb/gutter, handicap ramps, cross gutters to improve drainage and street rehabilitation in the area generally bounded by Union Avenue to Alta Vista and Niles Street to Bernard Street.
CDBG - $600,000
Oriole Area Curb, Gutter, Sidewalk and Reconstruction Install sidewalk, curb/gutter, handicap ramps, cross gutters to improve drainage and street rehabilitation in the area generally bounded by Stine Road to Akers Road, from Ming Avenue to Wilson Road.
CDBG - $600,000
East Truxtun Street Lighting Project Replace existing high-voltage series lighting system bounded by Sonora Street and Bakers Street along East Truxtun Area.
CDBG - $600,000
Upwards – Small Business Technical Assistance for Daycare Providers The BOOST program will directly assist in-home childcare providers in Bakersfield, offering business coaching, digital tools and marketing support to help them grow their operations.
CDBG - $100,000
Project Title, Description Funding Source,
Amount,
New Construction Assistance
Housing development costs associated with the acquisition and construction of affordable housing.
HOME - $1,150,932.23
CHDO Set Aside
Loans & grants to develop, acquire, rehabilitate, and/or construct affordable single or multi-family housing. To be implemented by a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO).
HOME - $214,186
HOME Administration/Planning Costs
Costs related to overall management & coordination of the HOME program.
HOME - $142,790.96
ESG20 Administration
Cost related to overall management & coordination of the ESG program.
ESG – $25,514
ESG20 Street Outreach
Street Outreach program to be provided by Flood Bakersfield Ministries ESG - $25,000
ESG20 Shelter
Emergency Shelter Activities to be provided by the Open Door Network, Bakersfield Rescue Mission, and Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault.
ESG - $175,000
ESG20 Rapid Re-Housing
Rental assistance for persons who are homeless to re-establish permanent housing.
ESG - $57,341
ESG20 Homeless Prevention
Financial assistance to prevent households from becoming homeless.
ESG - $57,340
Kern County Public Health HOPWA Services
HOPWA Public Services - Rental assistance, emergency assistance, housing counseling and related services to ensure safe and stable housing for persons living with HIV/AIDS.
HOPWA - $1,076,598
HOPWA City Administration
Administrative costs related to oversight of HOPWA program activities.
HOPWA - $33,296
Total $6,879,591
*As of the time of this notice, HUD has not released the FY25-26 entitlement amounts. The above-mentioned funding is based on projections using the City’s FY24-25 HUD grant funds. All proposed activities’ budgets will be proportionally increased or decreased from the estimated funding levels to match actual allocation amounts as determined by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), except in the case where an excess of CDBG funds are received. If a sufficient amount of excess CDBG funds are received within the FY25-26 HUD entitlement, the following project will be awarded with excess funds:
San Dimas Area Curb, Gutter, Sidewalk and Reconstruction Install sidewalk, curb/gutter, handicap ramps, cross gutters to improve drainage and street rehabilitation in the area generally bounded by Update.
CDBG - $600,000
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: April 23, 2025 AGENDA CATEGORY: Public Hearing TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Randy McKeegan, Finance Director
DATE: April 18, 2025
SUBJECT: Public Hearing to Consider Resolution adopting fees pursuant to the cost recovery system and approving the Master Fee Schedule.
[Document Description]
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends adoption of the resolution.
BACKGROUND:
State law requires new fees and charges and increases in existing fees and charges to be adopted by ordinance or resolution following a public hearing on said fees and charges. Chapter 3.70 of the Bakersfield Municipal Code (BMC) authorizes the establishment and increase of fees and charges by resolution for the City. In accordance with Chapter 3.70 of the BMC, the adoption of new and increased fees and charges is necessary for the City to recover the reasonable estimated cost of providing the services for which the fees are charged.
City staff completed a full review of the master fee schedule in May 2021. Supplementary updates of fees and language to the last fee schedule were approved in April 2023 and April 2024 based on increases to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) those respective years. That same review based on CPI is being applied in the current year with additional fees detailed below.
The attached resolution along with Exhibit A represents the entire master fee schedule document to be authorized. The first column of numbers lists the current fees in place and the second column of numbers are the proposed fees for the upcoming fiscal year.
Each department completed a full review of fees that included a thorough examination of the related time spent and materials used by staff. The majority of the fees increased based on changes in the consumer price index for the Los Angeles, Long Beach & Anaheim region which results in increases between 3% and 4%. This review also included updates to the administrative overhead rates which recover costs of supporting divisions within the City, which includes Technology Services, City Attorney, Finance, and Human Resources. This review was consistent with budget instructions, which requested that departments review their fees to verify full cost recovery. The council has historically supported fees at or near 100 percent cost recovery for most charges, except for some recreation and parks program activities.
These fees are subsidized by the General Fund, which has been the City’s continued practice for many years to benefit underserved communities that utilize those services.
The proposed fee schedule also includes the removal of fees deemed no longer functional along with new fees for updated service needs and programs. That includes new activity for development services, and fire protection services. There are also updates to the schedule to include fees that were omitted from the document but should be added to have a more complete and accurate record of City fees.
Explanations for these additions are detailed below. Also included in the explanations below are fees that are increasing or decreasing by material amounts for reasons other than the change in fringe and overhead rates.
Development Services has proposed changes to existing fees in the following sections listed below.
A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5, A-6, A-7, A-12, A-14, A-15, B-20, B-21, B-22, B-25,B-26, B-27,B-28, B-30, B-31, B-32, B-33, B-34, B-35, B-36, B-37, B-38, B-39, B-42, and B-45 All proposed changes are deemed necessary to align with rising operational costs, including salary adjustments per the current salary schedule and increased expenditures for program and service delivery.
Without an adjustment, the existing fee structure will not sustain staffing levels and essential service. The adjustments ensure financial stability while maintaining compliance with budgetary requirements.
Street – Review of Easements – (A-7 #2)
Development Services is requesting the addition of a new fee for Review of Easements. The proposed fee is for the purpose of accounting for the time invested by Public Works Staff in the review of easements submitted in connection with approval of grading and/or improvement plans and/or satisfaction of conditions of approval. Currently there is no mechanism to collect any additional fees to cover the review of easements including; assess easements, flowage and retainage easements, sewer easements, storm drain easements, temporary turn around easements, landscape easements, street light easements, wall footing easements, covenant of easements, pedestrian easements, pue easements, street right of way easements. Plan check fees cover the review and approval of grading and improvement plans; review of the easement is an extra step. Staff spends additional time to review the easements from logging, processing, scanning, and recording the easements.
Tentative Subdivision Map Review – Small Land Divisions Tentative Tract – Tentative Subdivision Map Review – (B-25 #3)
Development Services is requesting the addition of a new fee for Tentative Subdivision Map Review. The proposed fee adjustment is necessary to align with rising operational costs, including salary adjustments per the current salary schedule and increased expenditures for program and service delivery. Without an adjustment, the existing fee structure will not sustain staffing levels and essential services. The increase ensures financial stability while maintaining compliance with budgetary requirements.
Development Time Extension Review – Requested Plan Review Expedite – General Applications – (B-38 #3)
Development Services is requesting the addition of a new fee for General Applications. The proposed fee adjustment is necessary to align with rising operational costs, including salary adjustments per the current salary schedule and increased expenditures for program and service delivery. Without an adjustment, the existing fee structure will not sustain staffing levels and essential services. The increase ensures financial stability while maintaining compliance with budgetary requirements.
Miscellaneous Fees – Development Services – Document Processing and Maintenance Fee (F-103 #1) Development Services is requesting the addition of a new fee for Document Processing and Maintenance.
The proposed fee increase is necessary to support investment in modernized systems that enhance service delivery. These systems include permitting software, ensuring transparency, and enhancing the overall user experience. The additional fee will partially fund the maintenance and ongoing support of these technology-driven solutions.
Fire Prevention Services has proposed changes to existing fees in the following sections A-9, A-10, and B40. Fee increases are required to cover salary/operating expenses within the Fire Prevention Services Division.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of the resolution and the Master Fee Schedule will allow the departments that provide services for the city to recover the costs for those various services. Significant Impact to the General Fund if the Fee Schedule is not updated to recover the costs.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Innovative and Efficient City Government
ATTACHMENTS:
RESOLUTION NO. .
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING
FEES PURSUANT TO THE
COST RECOVERY SYSTEM
WHEREAS, state law requires new fees and charges and increases in existing fees and charges be adopted by ordinance or resolution following a public hearing on said fees and charges; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 3.70 of the Bakersfield Municipal Code authorizes the establishment and increase of fees under the cost recovery system; and WHEREAS, a public hearing before the City Council was advertised twice in the Bakersfield Californian, a newspaper of general circulation, and held on April 23, 2025; and
WHEREAS, the fees and charges set forth in Exhibit “A” including attached hereto and incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein, do not exceed the reasonable estimated cost of providing the services for which the fees are charged.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Bakersfield as follows:
1. The above recitals and findings are true and correct.
2. The fees set forth in Exhibit “A” of the Master Fee Schedule are hereby, Adopted and shall become effective according to the following schedule:
a. Fee changes will be effective July 1, 2025
--------------oOo--------------
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution/Ordinance was passed and adopted, by the Council of the City of Bakersfield at a regular meeting thereof held on ______________________________ by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBER ARIAS, GONZALES, WEIR, SMITH, KOMAN, BASHIRTASH, KAUR NOES: COUNCILMEMBER _______________________________________________________________ ABSTAIN: COUNCILMEMBER _______________________________________________________________ ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBER ______________________________________________________________ _
________________________________
JULIE DRIMAKIS, MMC
CITY CLERK and Ex Officio Clerk of
the Council of the City of Bakersfield
APPROVED: _________________
By __________________________
KAREN GOH
Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
VIRGINIA GENNARO, CITY ATTORNEY
By _________________________
JOSHUA H. RUDNICK
Deputy City Attorney
Attachment
Exhibit “A”
A - INSPECTION FEES & SERVICES
A-1 NEW RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION …………………………………………………………………………………… 3 A-2 RESIDENTIAL ADDITION, ALTERATION, REMODEL OR REPAIR …………………………………………………………………………………… 4 A-3 COMMERCIAL ADDITION, ALTERATION, REMODEL OR REPAIR …………………………………………………………………………………… 4 A-4 SPECIAL RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION …………………………………………………………………………………… 7 A-5 STREET CUT INSPECTION …………………………………………………………………………………… 9 A-6 PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT INSPECTION …………………………………………………………………………………… 9 A-7 STREET ENCROACHMENT INSPECTION …………………………………………………………………………………… 10 A-8 STATE-MANDATED FIRE INSPECTION …………………………………………………………………………………… 10 A-9 OIL WELL INSPECTION (ANNUAL) …………………………………………………………………………………… 10 A-10 FIRE SAFETY REVIEW/INSPECTION …………………………………………………………………………………… 10 A-12 REINSPECTION OF MUNICIPAL CODE VIOLATIONS …………………………………………………………………………………… 11 A-14 SIGNS - PERMIT PROCESSING AND INSPECTION FEES …………………………………………………………………………………… 12 A-15 WIRELESS FACILITIES RIGHT-OF-WAY PERMIT …………………………………………………………………………………… 13
B - LAND USE REVIEW / PERMITS
B-20 CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL/COMPLIANCE FEE …………………………………………………………………………………… 13 B-21 CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT …………………………………………………………………………………… 13 B-22 HOME OCCUPATION REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 13 B-23 FIRE SPRINKLER AND ALARM …………………………………………………………………………………… 14 B-25 TENTATIVE SUBDIVISION MAP REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 15 B-26 MINOR LAND DIVISION REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 16 B-27 PRELIMINARY PROJECT REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 17 B-28 SITE PLAN REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 18 B-29 SPECIFIC PLAN REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 18 B-30 PUD OR PCD ZONE CHANGE …………………………………………………………………………………… 18 B-31 ZONE CHANGE REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 19 B-32 APPEAL PROCESSING …………………………………………………………………………………… 19 B-33 GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 19 B-34 CONCURRENT APPLICATION GPA/ZONE CHANGE …………………………………………………………………………………… 19 B-35 ZONE MODIFICATION REVIEW - MODIFICATIONS …………………………………………………………………………………… 19 B-36 SIGN REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 19
B-37 MAP & IMPROVEMENT PLAN CHECKING …………………………………………………………………………………… 20 B-38 DEVELOPMENT TIME EXTENSION REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 21 B-39 TRAFFIC MARKING REQUEST REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 21 B-40 CERTIFIED UNIFIED PROGRAM AGENCY (CUPA) FEES …………………………………………………………………………………… 21 B-41 CULTURAL RESOURCE REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 23 B-42 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 24 B-43 HISTORIC DISTRICT REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 24 B-44 WIDE/OVERLOAD REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………… 24 B-45 PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE REQUIREMENTS …………………………………………………………………………………… 24
C - PUBLIC INFORMATION SERVICES
C-51 FIRE REPORT COPY …………………………………………………………………………………… 24 C-52 POLICE RECORDING DUPLICATION SERVICE …………………………………………………………………………………… 24 C-53 POLICE PHOTOGRAPH COPY …………………………………………………………………………………… 25 C-54 DOCUMENT PRINTING AND COPYING …………………………………………………………………………………… 25 C-55 REQUEST FOR PUBLIC RECORDS …………………………………………………………………………………… 25 C-56 RESEARCH AND CERTIFICATIONS …………………………………………………………………………………… 25 C-57 AGENDA/MINUTE MAILING SERVICE …………………………………………………………………………………… 25 C-58 MUNICIPAL CODE SUPPLEMENT …………………………………………………………………………………… 26
CITY OF BAKERSFIELD
PROPOSED MASTER FEE SCHEDULE FOR 2025-26
EXHIBIT "A"
1 of 2 4/18/2025
CITY OF BAKERSFIELD
PROPOSED MASTER FEE SCHEDULE FOR 2025-26
EXHIBIT "A"
D - PUBLIC SAFETY
D-61 BUSINESS REGULATION …………………………………………………………………………………… 26 D-62 CONCEALED WEAPON PERMIT PROCESSING …………………………………………………………………………………… 27 D-63 LIMOUSINE/TAXI/TOWING REGULATION …………………………………………………………………………………… 27 D-64 WEED ABATEMENT OR FIRE HAZARD ABATEMENT …………………………………………………………………………………… 27 D-65 HAZARDOUS MATERIAL RESPONSE …………………………………………………………………………………… 27 D-66 FIRE FALSE ALARM RESPONSE …………………………………………………………………………………… 27 D-67 POLICE FALSE ALARM RESPONSE …………………………………………………………………………………… 27 D-68 SPECIAL EVENT SAFETY SERVICES …………………………………………………………………………………… 28 D-69 AUTOMOTIVE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION …………………………………………………………………………………… 28 D-70 FINGERPRINT SERVICE …………………………………………………………………………………… 28 D-71 VEHICLE CODE ENFORCEMENT …………………………………………………………………………………… 28 D-72 SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD SERVICE …………………………………………………………………………………… 28 D-73 PARKING ORDINANCE ENFORCEMENT …………………………………………………………………………………… 28 D-74 BOARD UP OF STRUCTURES …………………………………………………………………………………… 28 D-75 FIRE SERVICE FEES …………………………………………………………………………………… 28 D-76 ANIMAL CONTROL FEES …………………………………………………………………………………… 30
E - RECREATION / CULTURAL
E-82 PARK FACILITY RENTAL …………………………………………………………………………………… 30 E-83 RECREATION CENTER RENTAL …………………………………………………………………………………… 33 E-84 CITY ADULT PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES …………………………………………………………………………………… 33 E-85 CITY YOUTH PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES …………………………………………………………………………………… 34 E-86 AQUATIC PROGRAMS - RECREATIONAL SWIMMING …………………………………………………………………………………… 36 E-87 LEISURE CLASSES …………………………………………………………………………………… 37 E-88 AMPHITHEATRE FEES - THE PARK AT RIVER WALK …………………………………………………………………………………… 37
F - MISCELLANEOUS FEES
F-90 HEARINGS AND APPEALS …………………………………………………………………………………… 37 F-91 FIRE HYDRANT DISTRIBUTION AND INSTALLATION INSPECTION …………………………………………………………………………………… 38 F-92 DOCUMENT IMAGING …………………………………………………………………………………… 38 F-93 PROCESSING SCHOOL FACILITY FEES …………………………………………………………………………………… 38 F-94 COMPUTER DATA …………………………………………………………………………………… 38
F-95 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FEES …………………………………………………………………………………… 38 F-97 RETURN CHECK CHARGE …………………………………………………………………………………… 38 F-98 CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER RENTAL …………………………………………………………………………………… 39 F-99 BROADCAST CHARGES FOR CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS …………………………………………………………………………………… 39 F-100 BUSINESS LICENSE PROCESSING FEES …………………………………………………………………………………… 39 F-101 FOOD VENDING VEHICLE FEES …………………………………………………………………………………… 39 F-102 BLUE STAR MILITARY BANNER PROGRAM …………………………………………………………………………………… 39 F-103 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES …………………………………………………………………………………… 39 2 of 2 4/18/2025
7/1/2025 Unit / 4/24/2024 Proposed Proposed
Proposed Additional Adopted $ Increase %Increase
Fees Fee Notes/Comments Fees (Decrease) (Decrease)
Building Permits 54%
All construction (including: new, additional, alteration, remodel, repair, and other construction) for both
residential and commercial construction permit
processing, services, and inspection fees are calculated as follows: Two general methods are used to calculate
fees in service centers A1, A2, A3, and A4. The use of a flat fee and the use of the estimated regional market
value of the proposed construction multiplied by a "fee factor." These methods represent the estimated cost of
providing all plan review and various inspection fees
required for the project. Valuation data is based upon the February 2020 building valuation data (BVD). Alterations & Remodels will be valued at $60 per square foot or by
an official contract approved by the Building Director. The revenue generated from this is then spread to the various costs center as follows: 54% N/A 0.00%
Plan Check Fees 46% 46% N/A 0.00%
A-1 Residential Construction - New, Additions, Alterations, Remodel or Repair Fees in cost center are cumulative based on the
construction value of the proposed permitted work and
include related plan review and inspections
1 Residential Construction - Permit Processing
and Inspection Fees
Valuation $1 to $40,000 $ 291 Each
The proposed fee increase is necessary to align with
rising operational costs, including salary adjustments per the currecnt salary schedule and increased expenditures for program and service delivery. $ 245 $ 18.78% 46
Valuation $40,001 to $100,000 $ 0.0056 x Valuation Varies with valuation $ 0.0055 $ 0.0001 1.45% Valuation $100,001 and Greater $ 0.0056 x Valuation Varies with valuation $ 0.0055 $ 0.0001 1.45% 2 Residential Individual Trade Permit -
Electrical, Mechanical or Plumbing -
Requiring Multiple Inspections or Plan Check
Valuation $1 to $40,000 $ Each 236
The proposed increase is necessary to align with rising operational costs, including salary adjustments per the current salary schedule and increased expenditures for
program and service delivery. $ 204 $ 15.69% 32
Valuation $40,001 and Greater $ 0.0056 x Valuation Consistent residential rate, varies with valuation $ 0.0055 $ 0.0001 1.45% City of Bakersfield
Proposed Master Fee Schedule for 2025-26
For City Service Centers
Service
Center
Number
A - Inspection Fees & Services