City of Rialto, CA
2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment
4.5.2025 WORKING DRAFT
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 2 Table of Contents
Section 1. Introduction: Fair Housing Assessment ..................................................................... 4 Federal Policy Shifts and Local Implementation ................................................................................ .. 4 Rialto’s Hybrid Approach to Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing .................................................. 5 Methodology for Fair Housing Analysis Report .................................................................................. . 6 Section 2. Demographics ....................................................................................................... ...... 8 Age ........................................................................................................................... .............................. 8 Sex ........................................................................................................................... ............................... 9 Race / Ethnicity............................................................................................................... ....................... 9 Disability .................................................................................................................... .......................... 10 National Origin ............................................................................................................... ..................... 11 Limited English Proficiency (LEP) ............................................................................................. ......... 11 Family Type ................................................................................................................... ...................... 12 Section 3. Segregation and Integration ..................................................................................... 14 Demographic Shifts and Fair Housing ........................................................................................... ...... 14 Race and Ethnicity Integration ................................................................................................ ........... 14 Segregation Levels ............................................................................................................ .................... 17 Economic Segregation .......................................................................................................... ................ 19 Poverty by Race/Ethnicity ..................................................................................................... .............. 22 Racially/Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty (R/ECAP) .......................................................... 23 Section 4. Access to Opportunities ............................................................................................ 24 Economic Opportunities ........................................................................................................ .............. 24 Access to Community Assets .................................................................................................... ........... 30 Section 5. Access to Affordable Housing Opportunities ........................................................... 34 Housing Stock ................................................................................................................. ..................... 34 Housing Costs – Rental Market ................................................................................................. .......... 36 Current Rental Market ......................................................................................................... ............... 38 Housing Cost – Ownership Market ............................................................................................... ...... 40 Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Programs ................................................................... 44 Homelessness and Housing Instability .......................................................................................... ...... 51 Section 6. Access to Home Ownership ...................................................................................... 52 Rising Housing Cost ........................................................................................................... .................. 52
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 3 Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to Housing ............................................................................ 54 Lending Analysis .............................................................................................................. .................... 57 Section 7. Impacts on Protected Classes and LMI Households ................................................ 61 Housing for People with Disabilities .......................................................................................... ......... 61 Displacement of Lower-Income Households ...................................................................................... 62
8. Local and State Policies and Practices Impacting Housing Choice ...................................... 65 Public Policies and Programs .................................................................................................. ............ 65 Building Codes and Accessibility .............................................................................................. .......... 68 Fair Housing Efforts and Resources ............................................................................................ ......... 70 Fair Housing Complaints ....................................................................................................... .............. 71 Section 9. Key Findings ....................................................................................................... ...... 72
1. Housing Affordability, Availability, and Market Trends ................................................................ 72
2. Homeownership and Access to Credit ......................................................................................... ... 72
3. Population Characteristics and Barriers to Housing Choice ........................................................... 73
4. Segregation, Disparities, and Geographic Patterns of Opportunity ................................................ 73
5. Employment, Economic Opportunity, and Housing Instability ..................................................... 73 Section 10. Fair Housing Action Plan ....................................................................................... 75 Goal 1: Expand and Diversify the Housing Supply ............................................................................. 7 5 Goal 2: Improve Housing Access, Stability, and Equity for Vulnerable Populations ......................... 76 Goal 3: Advance Economic Mobility Through Housing and Employment Integration .................... 76 Goal 4: Promote Inclusive, Equitable Homeownership and Lending Practices ................................. 76 Goal 5: Strengthen Fair Housing Infrastructure, Outreach, and Enforcement .................................. 77
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 4 Section 1. Introduction: Fair Housing Assessment
“Since 1969, California has required that all local governments (cities and counties) adequately plan to meet the housing needs of everyone in the community, at all income levels. California’s local governments meet this requirement by adopting housing plans as part of their “general plan” (also required by the state). A general plan serves as a local government’s blueprint for how the City and/or county will grow and develop and includes eight elements: land use, transportation, conservation, noise, open space, safety, environmental justice, and housing.” California Department of Housing and Community Development The City of Rialto, CA, is conducting an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) to comply with the requirements of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended. The legislation mandates that any community receiving Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds must actively promote and further fair housing. In alignment with its obligation to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing (AFFH), Rialto’s Rialto Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department oversees preparation and publication of the AI, ensuring that the City's CDBG program adheres to the federal Fair Housing Act. Additionally, compliance with Fair Housing laws extends to nonprofit organizations and other entities that receive federal funds through the City of Rialto.
HUD requires federal grant recipients to certify that they are affirmatively furthering fair housing.
This includes conducting fair housing assessments to identify barriers to fair housing and setting goals and implementing actions to eliminate identified impediments. Our efforts focus on concisely presenting key findings, actionable strategies, and compliance measures, thus making the document more accessible and effective for policymakers, stakeholders, and residents. Through this AI, Rialto continues its proactive approach to fair housing, addressing historical disparities while adapting to evolving federal policy frameworks.
Federal Policy Shifts and Local Implementation
The Biden Administration’s Equity Agenda
In January 2021, the Biden Administration launched a sweeping racial equity agenda through Executive Order 13985, mandating federal agencies to address systemic barriers to opportunity for underserved communities. This included requiring agencies to develop Equity Action Plans with strategies to dismantle discriminatory practices in housing, lending, and environmental justice. For fair housing, the administration proposed updates to the AFFH rule, which emphasized data-driven assessments of segregati on, disparities in access to opportunity, and community engagement. Rialto's 2020 AI aligned with these goals, integrating anti-displacement strategies and equitable housing investments into its CDBG programs.
Delays and Reversals Under the Trump Administration
In 2025, the Trump Administration issued Executive Order 13985 Revocation, rescinding Biden- era mandates on equity action plans and dismantling AFFH updates. The order eliminated requirements for agencies to submit equity progress reports and abolished dedicated equity offices. While the AFFH rule was officially revoked, HUD's statutory obligation for CDBG entitlement communities to affirmatively further fair housing remains intact, meaning that Rialto and similar jurisdictions continue their commitment to fair housing compliance regulations.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 5 Rialto’s Hybrid Approach to Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Despite federal policy shifts, Rialto began its fair housing assessment process in the fall of 2024, merging components of the traditional AI framework with a more user-friendly version of the report. Key components include:
Examine and Address Housing Discrimination : Identify and work to eliminate discriminatory practices within their jurisdiction.
Promote Fair Housing Choice : Ensure that all individuals have equal opportunities to choose their housing without facing discrimination.
Provide Inclusive Housing Opportunities: Facilitate the residence of all persons in any housing development, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin.
Enhance Accessibility: Promote housing that is accessib le to and useable by persons with disabilities.
Ensure Non-Discrimination Compliance : Adhere strictly to the non-discrimination mandates of the Fair Housing Act.
These objectives can be achieved through the preparation of an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice. The report offers an examination of fair housing issues in Rialto. It includes an analysis of various demographic, economic, and housing indicators, a review of public and private sector policies that impact fair housing, and an evaluation of the City’s efforts to promote fair housing choice.
The Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice serves as a vital resource document for the residents and leadership of Rialto, providing valuable insights into community needs and outlining strategies to address those needs effectively. By identifying barriers and recommending actionable solutions, the report supports Rialto’s commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and thriving community for all residents.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 6 Methodology for Fair Housing Analysis Report
The methodology for conducting the Fair Housing Analysis Report encompasses several key areas of research and analysis, focusing on a comprehensive examination of the city's housing landscape. The process begins with extensive dat a collection and analysis, covering crucial aspects such as demographic profiles, patterns of segregation and integration, and identification of racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (R/ECAPs). This initial phase also includes evaluating access to community assets, affordable housing opportunities, and economic prospects, including homeownership.
A thorough review of planning, development, and housing programs forms the next stage of the methodology. This involves examining laws, policies, and zoning ordinances that impact housing availability and accessibility. The review extends to an evaluation of the city's grant programs, assessing their practices, compliance, and performance measures.
To complement the data analysis, the methodology incorporates stakeholder engagement through surveys with key individuals, including government officials, community leaders, and the public. This approach ensures a well-rounded perspective that combines quantitative data with qualitative insights from those directly involved in, or affected by, housing issues in the city.
The legal and regulatory landscape forms another critical component of the analysis. This involves scrutinizing state and local laws, zoning regulations, and housing programs against the backdrop of HUD guidelines and national best practices. Additi onally, the city's fair housing legal status is reviewed, encompassing an examination of fair housing complaints, findings of discrimination, and any relevant legal actions.
The methodology also includes an assessment of public-sector conditions that may influence fair housing choice for protected classes. This encompasses a wide range of factors, from tax policies and municipal services to transportation accessibility and potential displacement of residents due to economic factors or public housing policies.
Following the comprehensive data gathering and analysis phase, the methodology shifts to identifying impediments to fair housing. This proc ess synthesizes all collected information to pinpoint the most significant barriers to fair housing choice and equitable access to community assets for protected groups.
The final stage of the methodology involves the development of a Fair Housing Action Plan. This plan is created in collaboration with city staff and establishes goals to address each identified impediment. It includes strategic recommendations and proposed outcome measures or benchmarks to track progress throughout the Five-Year Consolidated Plan period. This action- oriented approach ensures that the analysis translates into concrete steps towards improving fair housing conditions in the city.
Data Sources
Civitas utilized major sources of data for the quantitative analyses in the report and relied heavily on the most recent five-year American Community Survey (ACS). At the start date of this effort, the most recent ACS data available for this report was the 2018-2022 5-year estimates. During the development of this amendment, ACS released 5-year estimates for 2019-2023. While the exact estimates may differ, the trends analyzed and described remain in place. Below is a list of the data sources employed:
American Community Survey five-year estimates (2018 – 2022) U.S. Census (2010, 2020)
Redfin
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 7 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 2021 Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) Bureau of Labor Statistics
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Various Online Reports:
o https://nlihc.org/resource/higher-rent -burden-and-eviction-threats-associated- increased-mortality-among-renters
o https://www.sbcounty.gov/uploads/sbchp/SBC-2024-Homeless-Count-Report.pdf o https://www.rialtoca.gov/DocumentC enter/View/6167/Rialto-Disabled-Access- Standard-Details-and-Notes-11x17
o https://www.rialtoca.gov/176/Documents
o https://www.rialtoca.gov/879/Accessory-Dwelling-Units o https://www.rialtoca.gov/633/Plan-to-House-Our-Rialto-Housing-Element
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 8 Section 2. Demographics
Increasingly, cities and counties across the US are made up of more diverse populations. People naturally migrate from one part of the country to another for many reasons: to be closer to family, to pursue a job opportunity, or to continue their education, to name just a few. As a result, it would be unusual for the demographics of a city, county, or region to remain static.
An analysis of the demographic characteristics of a particular community, along with some observation of trends over time, is useful for understanding the unique characteristics that make up each City and, in some cases, may reveal instances of housing discrimination experienced by different households, particularly with regards to age, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, country of origin, and English proficiency.
The maps and tables that follow are based on da tasets available from the Census Bureau via American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Comprehensive Affordable Housing Strategy (CHAS).
Age
The distribution of age cohorts in Rialto is changing as the population of the City ages. From 2012- 2022, there has been a decline in younger age groups. There are 2.9% fewer residents under five years of age, and 4.3% fewer residents aged 5 to 19. There was a 2.2% uptick in the percentage of residents aged 20-24 years, while both 40–64-year-old residents and residents 65 years and older increased by 1.8% and 2.8% respectively. The number of residents aged 25-39 years old increased slightly from 24,936 in 2012 to 26,393 in 2022, an increase of .5%. The overall decline in younger age groups and the increase in older populations has resulted in an increase in the median age of Rialto residents from 27.4 to 31.2 years of age. Overall, the population increased by 3.9% from 100,009 to 103,873 residents.
Table: Age Distribution 2012-2022
Age Cohort 2012 Total 2012 % 2022 Total 2022 % Rate of Change Under 5 years 9,146 9.1% 6,478 6.2% -2.9%
5 to 19 years 28,406 28.4% 24,992 24.1% -4.3%
20 to 24 years 22,658 22.7% 25,785 24.8% 2.2%
25 to 39 years 24,936 24.9% 26,393 25.4% 0.5%
40 to 64 years 7,821 7.8% 10,024 9.7% 1.8%
65 years and older 7,042 7.0% 10,201 9.8% 2.8%
Total 100,009 100% 103,873 100% 3.9%
Median Age 27.4 -- 31.2 -- 13.9%
Source: 2008-2012; 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (DP05)
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 9 Sex
The distribution of population by sex is mostly even with 50.6% of the population identifying as female and 49.4% identifying as male. The slight difference is consistent with the current longevity gap in the U.S. where women outlive men by an average of 5.4 years.
Table: Population Male to Female Makeup
Male Percent Male Female Percent Female
51,271 49.4% 52,602 50.6%
Source: 2008-2012; 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (DP05)
Race / Ethnicity
The following table provides a summary of decennial changes in the population by race and ethnicity. The percentage of the population identifying as White declined from 62.7% in 2012 to
52.0% in 2022. Black or African American residents also declined as a percentage of the overall population, from 16.4% to 14.8%. The American Indian and Alaska Native population, though relatively small in Rialto, increased from 1,904 to 2,585 individuals, while the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population, which is even smaller, decreased from 273 residents to 200. The largest gain occurred in residents reporting to be of ‘Some Other Race,’ which grew from 19.5% of the population in 2012 to 46.1% in 2022. In terms of ethnicity, 75.2% of Rialto’s population identifies as Hispanic as of 2022 compared to 69% in 2012.
The US Census Bureau introduced the Some other race (SOR) category in 2022 based on data collected during the 2020 census to better reflect the range of answers given to census questions about race and ethnicity. According to the Census Bureau, “…the SOR category includes non- Hispanic groups (such as Mauritanian), Multiracial and Multiethnic responses (such as ‘Biracial’) and Hispanic responses (such as ‘Mexican’) to the race question.” In the context of housing discrimination, the ability to cross-reference data on changes in the racial and ethnic composition of the City with data on National Origin and English Proficiency discussed in subsequent sections of this report can provide insights into the experiences of a broad range of City residents seeking opportunities in the local housing market.
Table: Population by Race and Ethnicity
Population 2012
Population
2012
Percent
2022
Population
2022
Percent
Total Population 100,009 100% 103,873 100%
Race
White 62,743 62.7% 53,974 52.0%
Black or African American 16,391 16.4% 15,362 14.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1904 1.9% 2,585 2.5%
Asian 3,779 3.8% 2,977 2.9%
Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander 273 0.3% 200 0.2% Some other race 19,480 19.5% 47,849 46.1%
Two or More Races 1225 1.2% 1500 1.4%
Ethnicity
Hispanic 69,002 69.0% 78,091 75.2%
Not Hispanic 31,007 31.0% 25,782 24.8%
Source: 2008-2012; 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (DP05)
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 10 Disability
The following table provides a look at the percentages of the Citywide population reporting disabilities by age and disability type. 8.9% of the total civilian, non-institutionalized population reports some type of disability. The highest percentage by age, 55.4%, occurs among people aged 75 years or older, while the second highest, 24.3%, occurs among people aged 65-74.
Consistent with the high percentages of older residents reporting disabilities, the most common disability types are ambulatory, 4.7%, cognitive, 3.9%, and difficulty living independently, 3.2%.
Self-care, hearing, and vision round out the table at 2.0%, 2.0%, and 1.7% respectively.
Table: Citywide Population with a Disability
Category Total With a
disability
Percent with a
disability
Total civilian noninstitutionalized population 103,478 9,233 8.9% AGE
Under 5 years 6,478 33 0.5%
5 to 17 years 21,521 1,179 5.5%
18 to 34 years 29,208 1,126 3.9%
35 to 64 years 36,213 3,295 9.1%
65 to 74 years 6,346 1,543 24.3%
75 years and over 3,712 2,057 55.4%
DISABILITY TYPE
With a hearing difficulty (X) 2,086 2.0%
With a vision difficulty (X) 1,809 1.7%
With a cognitive difficulty (X) 3,984 3.9%
With an ambulatory difficulty (X) 4,879 4.7%
With a self-care difficulty (X) 2,044 2.0%
With an independent living difficulty (X) 3,360 3.2%
Source: 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (S1810)
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 11 National Origin
Details about the national origins of Rialto residents can be found in the following table. ACS 5- Year estimates include 26,554 individuals, or 1 in 4 of the overall population, who are foreign- born. 71.9% of the foreign-born population reported Mexico to be their country of origin, followed by 5.9% from El Salvador, 3.9% from Guatem ala, 2.8% from Philippines, and 2.3% from Nicaragua.
Table: National Origin (Top 5 by foreign born population) Ranking County Total Foreign Born Rate of Foreign Born
1 Mexico 19,103 71.9%
2 El Salvador 1,575 5.9%
3 Guatemala 1,039 3.9%
4 Philippines 745 2.8%
5 Nicaragua 608 2.3%
Total Foreign Born: 26,554 100%
Source: 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (B05006)
Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
A corollary to the range of countries of origin can be found in the number of households that consider a language other than English to be th e primary language spoken at home. Among the population 5 years and older, 19.7% speak English “Less than very well.” 42.1% of individuals with Limited English Proficiency speak an Asian or Pacific Island language, 34.6% speak an Indo- European language, 33.2% speak Spanish, and 58.7% speak Other languages at home.
Table: Primary Language Spoken at Home
Primary Language Spoken at
Home
Limited English Proficiency (Individuals)
Total Speaks English
“Less than very
well”
% of Total Population
that Speaks English
“Less than very well”
Population 5 years and over 97,395 19,187 19.7%
Spanish 53,828 17,858 33.2%
Other Indo-European 526 182 34.6%
Asian and Pac Island languages 1,331 561 42.1%
Other languages 999 586 58.7%
Source: 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (S1601)
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 12 Family Type
The following table provides data on Household Types by age, marital status, head of household by gender, and householders living alone. The data should be read vertically and horizontally.
Reading vertically, of 22,150 Family Households, 14,174 consist of married couples, while 7,976 are either single male or single female heads of household. Similarly, of 4,558 Non-family Households, 3,550 are occupied by one individual, while 1008 include more than one resident.
Reading horizontally, Married Couples represent the largest group of homeowners at 61.8%.
Overall, Family Households, married or otherwise, represent 86.0% of all homeowners in Rialto.
Historically, barriers to fair housing choice have been experienced by some household types more than others. These include Single female heads of household, of which there are 5,424 in Rialto, as well as Non-family Households consisting of multiple occupants, of which there are 1008. Also of note is the number of householders living alone, 3,550, of whom 1,931, or 54.4% are older than
65. Elderly homeowners living alone outnumber elderly renters living alone by a factor of 1.63 to
1. Elderly residents living alone frequently experience barriers to housing choice by lacking the resources needed to carry out suitable modifications to their living spaces that would allow them to continue living independently. Elderly renters may also face additional barriers when property managers are reluctant or unwilling to comply with a reasonable request for accommodation.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 13 Table: Household Type
Total
Households % Owner-
occupied % Renter %
Jurisdiction Total 26,708 100% 16,791 62.9% 9,917 37.1% Family households 22,150 82.9% 14,441 86.0% 7,709 77.7% Married-couple family 14,174 53.1% 10,385 61.8% 3,789 38.2% Householder 15 to 34 years 1,688 6.3% 722 4.3% 966 9.7% Householder 35 to 64 years 10,340 38.7% 7,751 46.2% 2,589 26.1% Householder 65 years and over 2,146 8.0% 1,912 11.4% 234 2.4% Other family 7,976 29.9% 4,056 24.2% 3,920 39.5%
Male householder, no spouse 2,552 9.6% 1,235 7.4% 1,317 13.3% Householder 15 to 34 years 932 3.5% 396 2.4% 536 5.4%
Householder 35 to 64 years 1,443 5.4% 691 4.1% 752 7.6% Householder 65 years and over 177 0.7% 148 0.9% 29 0.3% Female householder, no spouse 5,424 20.3% 2,821 16.8% 2,603 26.2% Householder 15 to 34 years 1,249 4.7% 321 1.9% 928 9.4% Householder 35 to 64 years 3,182 11.9% 1,708 10.2% 1,474 14.9% Householder 65 years and over 993 3.7% 792 4.7% 201 2.0% Nonfamily households 4,558 17.1% 2,350 14.0% 2,208 22.3% Householder living alone 3,550 13.3% 1,952 11.6% 1,598 16.1% Householder 15 to 34 years 315 1.2% 126 0.8% 189 1.9%
Householder 35 to 64 years 1,304 4.9% 628 3.7% 676 6.8% Householder 65 years and over 1,931 7.2% 1,198 7.1% 733 7.4% Householder not living alone 1,008 3.8% 398 2.4% 610 6.2% Householder 15 to 34 years 327 1.2% 12 0.1% 315 3.2%
Householder 35 to 64 years 527 2.0% 261 1.6% 266 2.7%
Householder 65 years and over 154 0.6% 125 0.7% 29 0.3% Source: 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (S2501)
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 14 Section 3. Segregation and Integration
Communities exhibit varying degrees of segregation among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. High levels of residential segregation often intensify inequalities within a community, resulting in increased concentrations of poverty and unequal access to employment, education, and essential services. Prior to the Fair Housing Act of 1968, federal housing policies and discriminatory mortgage lending practices actively promoted segregation and imposed racial restrictions in specific neighborhoods.
While the Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibited discriminatory housing practices, it did not address existing segregation and the resulting impacts, including concentrations of poverty, deteriorating neighborhoods and a lack of investment in infrastructure and economic development. Subsequent federal housing initiatives, such as Section 8 and HOPE VI, were introduced to mitigate the negative effects of residential segregation by encouraging greater neighborhood diversity.
While there may be lingering effects of discriminatory policies and practices that continue to influence access to housing in Rialto today, what is most evident from the following maps is the predominance of Hispanics in nearly every residential census tract across the City. The mapping also illustrates a pattern of higher income households independent of race or ethnicity occurring in contiguous census tracts primarily to the northwest, while the lowest income households occur in a cluster to the south of W. Merrill Avenue in the Andreson Park area. The clear separation between higher and lower income households in Rialto illustrates a pattern of economic segregation that is increasingly common in many American communities.
Demographic Shifts and Fair Housing
Changes in the racial and ethnic composition of a City typically highlight the need for a variety of housing types to accommodate various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. For instance, cultures that embrace multigenerational living may require larger, fully accessible homes to support extended family structures. This diversification underscores the importance of implementing comprehensive fair housing policies to ensure that affordable and accessible housing options are available to all demographic groups.
Additionally, changing populations highlight the need for targeted outreach that considers language and cultural preferences. Effective fair housing strategies must include multilingual resources, culturally sensitive communication, and partnerships with community organizations to ensure equitable access to housing opportunities. By addressing these diverse needs, Rialto can promote an inclusive community where all residents are able to secure safe, affordable, and suitable housing, thereby enhancing the overall quality of life for its residents.
Race and Ethnicity Integration
By 2022, the total population of Rialto had increased by 3.8% from 100,009 to 103,873 residents.
As described in a previous section of this report, the largest racial groups are Whites, representing 52% of the population, followed by individuals identifying as Some Other Race, representing
46.1%. Black/African American residents make up 14.8% of households, while Asian, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian residents comprise 5.6% of households. 75.2% of the households in Rialto identify as Hispanic.
The following maps illustrate a consistent pattern of racial and ethnic integration in Rialto. The first map shows the predominant race or ethnicity of residents by census block group. In keeping with the large number of Hispanic residents, the first map shows widespread integration of Hispanics throughout the City with a concentration to the SE of downtown. The second and third maps illustrate a similar widespread integration of the Non-white, Hispanic population with concentrations of 90% or more predominantly occurring south of the Foothills Freeway, SR 210.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 15 The lowest numbers of Hispanic residents shown on the third map occur in neighborhoods to the SW of Frisbie Park, and in the neighborhoods furthest from downtown Rialto north of the Foothills Freeway.
Other areas with relatively low numbers of Hispanic residents contain mostly industrial or commercial uses. Tracts shown in yellow on the second and third maps are locations of educational facilities, not indicators of a concentration of other racial or ethnic groups.
Map: Predominant Racial or Ethnic Group by Census Block Group
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 16 Map: Percent of Non-White Population by Census Block Group
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 17 Segregation Levels
Existing segregation of racial and ethnic groups can be measured using a variety of techniques applied to varying geographic levels. Most commonly, segregation is measured at the county level using a dissimilarity index promulgated by t he Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in previous fair housing planning processes. The Racial Dissimilarity Index (DI) measures the percentage of non-Hispanic white residents that would have to move to a different census tract to equalize the racial and ethnic distribution of all population groups across all tracts in the county.
Evenness is measured relative to other groups rather than in absolute terms. A dissimilarity index of 0 reflects perfect integration between two groups and a value of 100 reflects total segregation of two groups. According to HUD, a DI value below 40 signifies low segregation, a value between 40 and 54 indicates moderate segregation , and a value of 55 or higher represents high segregation.
Between 2012-2022, the DI value for San Bernardino County trended downward from a high value of 41.1 in 2014 to its lowest value of 39.5 in 2019. From 2019 to 2022, the DI value trended upward again, reaching 40.6 in 2022. Generally, the DI value for the county has fluctuated between low and moderate, a trend that is consistent with greater integration in competitive housing markets where housing costs and household incomes are more of a determinant of neighborhood composition.
Graph: Countywide Racial Dissimilarity Index
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, White to Non-White Racial Dissimilarity (5-year estimate) Index for San Bernardino County, CA [RACEDISPARITY006071], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RACEDISPARITY006071, February 4, 2025.
38.5 39.0
39.5 40.0
40.5 41.0
41.5 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 White to Non‐White Racial Dissimilarity
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 18 The Theil Index measures racial segregation by calculating how evenly people of all races are concentrated across an area based on the racial composition of sub-areas. The index measures the average difference between each sub-area's raci al distribution and the distribution of racial and ethnic groups across the region. For time frames where Decennial Census data is available, these sub-areas are Census blocks. For all other time frames, Census block groups are used. - Index values range from 0 to 1
- Higher values have less uniform racial and ethnic distributions (greater segregation) - Lower values have more uniform racial and ethnic distributions (less segregation) The sub-area within San Bernardino County that is delineated by the boundaries of the City of Rialto shown on the map below has a Theil Index value of 0.20 to 0.29, a lower mid-range value consistent with the widespread integration of races and ethnicities throughout Rialto.
Map: Racial segregation according to the Theil Index, as of 2018-2022
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 19 Economic Segregation
Economic segregation often leads to dissimilar outcomes in educational attainment, employment prospects, household finances, and individual health and well-being, all factors that contribute to a thriving community with a positive quality of life attainable by its residents. The following indicators look at economic segregation in Rialto in a variety of ways, generating useful data points for policy makers that want to put in place effective programs to further the City’s fair housing goals. The Gini Index
1 serves as a comprehensive metric for gauging income inequality within a specific population. It compresses multiple data points about income into a single numerical value known as the Gini coefficient. Thi s coefficient provides a succinct overview of how income is dispersed throughout the entire spectrum of income earners. The Gini coefficient can range from 0 to 1, where 0 symbolizes a model scenario of household income equality: in other words, every individual or household earns the same income. A value of 1 signifies an extreme case of income inequality, where all income is concentrated in the hands of a single recipient or a specific group.
The map below illustrates Gini coefficients by census tract, providing a visual representation of income distribution and income inequality in different parts of the City. Areas with the highest Gini coefficients of .40 - .49 occur in census tracts to the north and south of downtown, while tracts with lower coefficients in the .20 - .29 range occur in two areas along the western edge of the city.
The tracts along the city’s northern boundary are largely undeveloped, as is much of the lighter blue area adjacent to the Target distribution center along the city’s western boundary.
Map: Income Inequality by Census Tract
1 The basis for the Gini Index lies in the Lorenz curve, a graphical representation that illustrates the actual distribution of income. The Lorenz curve is then compared to a hypothetical line that would represent a perfectly equal distribution of income. The extent to which the Lorenz curve deviates from this line of equality is quantified by the Gini coefficient. The greater the deviation, the higher the level of income inequality, and consequently, the higher the Gini coefficient will be.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 20 Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 21 The following map illustrates median household incomes by census tract. Areas in the darkest blue have higher percentages of high-income households while areas in the lightest blue have higher percentages of households at or below the poverty line. As the map of median household income illustrates, high income households are clustered in a clearly defined area to the northwest of downtown. Concentrations of the lowest income households occur in the neighborhoods to the south and southwest of downtown. The distribution of higher and lower income census tracts evident in Rialto is consistent with many American cities where economic segregation is predominant.
Map: Median Household Income by Census Block Group
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 22 Poverty by Race/Ethnicity
City wide, the poverty rate in Rialto declined from 19.2% of the population in 2012 to 13.0% in 2022. The poverty rate for most racial and ethnic groups declined except for ‘Some other’ and ‘Two or more’ race households. This is unsurprising with the addition of the ‘Some other’ race category incorporated into the 2022 census. As the number of residents reporting to be of ‘Some Other Race’ has gone up, the number living in poverty has climbed as well.
Though small, the American Indian and Alaska Native populations experienced the largest decline in poverty rates from 24.8% to 3.3%, while Black/African American residents experienced the second largest decline from 24.3% of the population in 2012 to 13.4% in 2022. For Hispanics, the rate fell from 19.7% of the population to 13.1%.
Poverty rates should also be considered in the context of a racial or ethnic group’s percentage of the overall population to determine if some populations experience poverty at disproportionate rates when compared to others. As of 2022, no raci al or ethnic groups experienced poverty at a disproportionate rate compared to their representation in the overall population, however, as discussed in the following section, Rialto does contain one Racially/Ethnically Concentrated Area of Poverty.
Table: Poverty by Race/Ethnicity
Poverty and Race/Ethnicity
Population
Below
Poverty
Level
Percent
Below
Poverty
Level
Populatio
n Below
Poverty
Level
Percent
Below
Poverty
Level
2012 2022
Jurisdiction Wide Total 18,985 19.2% 13,430 13.0%
White alone 11,098 18.8% 5,386 14.4%
Black or African American alone 3,623 24.3% 1,685 13.4% American Indian and Alaska Native alone 201 24.8% 33 3.3% Asian alone 338 14.9% 286 13.3%
Some other race alone 2910 16.4% 3,939 12.2%
Two or more races 815 19.8% 2,101 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) 13,483 19.7% 10,155 13.1% Data Source: 2018 -2022 5-Yr ACS (S1701)
Data note: Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander alone removed from the table due to low count.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 23 Racially/Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty (R/ECAP) Racially or Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty (R/ECAPs) are a concept developed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Deve lopment (HUD) to identify neighborhoods where there are significant concentrations of both pover ty and racial or ethnic minorities. R/ECAPs are defined as census tracts with:
1. A non-white population of 50% or more and
2. A poverty rate of 40% or higher
a. Or at least three times the average tract poverty rate for the metropolitan/micropolitan area
The map below indicates that Census Tract 37, encompassing two older residential neighborhoods immediately to the north and south of downtown, meets the HUD definition of a Racially/Ethnically Concentrated Area of Poverty. According to a Community Profile Report generated by Policy Map, 78% of residents in CT 37 are Hispanic, while more than 52% of residents had household incomes below $50,000 annually. More than half of the households fall into the category of ‘Other Family’ headed by either a male or female householder, and 16% of residents are aged 65 or older. When combined with a very low homeownership rate of 17.5%, CT 37 likely contains multiple households with elderly renters living in poverty. Section 4 of this report provides further discussion of the demographic and income trends in this area, as well as an overview of access to vital community resources for disadvantaged community members.
Map: R/ECAP Tracts
Source: Department of Housing and Urban Development AFFH Mapping Tool (AFFHT0006)
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 24 Section 4. Access to Opportunities
Access to opportunity refers to neighborhood-level characteristics such as a variety of employers, high-performing schools, and other factors that affect a resident’s quality of life and their potential for economic and social mobility. In many communities, access to opportunity is closely correlated with income or economic segregation and may point to different levels of access to resources experienced by various racial and ethnic groups. The quantitative and qualitative analysis discussed in this section provides data on household incomes, employment trends, job opportunities, and workforce development. The analysis also takes a close look at neighborhoods where resources are concentrated, and neighborhoods where resources may be limited, using maps that illustrate access to opportunities for various segments of the population.
Economic Opportunities
Overall median household income in Rialto rose from $49,428 in 2012 to $80,750 by 2022.
Owner-occupied households benefited from a 55% increase in household income while the median renter household income increased by 81.7%. When adjusted for inflation, the gains in household income for Rialto residents outpaced the state by a wide margin. Rialto residents experienced a 63.4% increase in purchasing power while residents across the state experienced a 49.7% increase. A comparison of median household income to housing costs in Rialto is presented in a subsequent section of this report.
Table: Median Income
Median Income 2012 2022
Median Household Income $49,428 $80,750
Owner occupied households $60,036 $93,135
Renter occupied households $31,517 $57,261
Data Source: 2018-2022 5-Yr ACS (B25119)
Labor Force and Employment
The graph of Unemployment Data Trends indicates that the unemployment rate in the Riverside/San Bernardino/Ontario MSA has been on a downward trajectory from a high of 10% in 2013 to a pre-pandemic low of 4% in 2019, before climbing again to 9.9% in 2020. Since 2020, the trend has been downward again, falling to 4.2% by 2022. The unemployment rate for Rialto has followed a similar trajectory, hitting a high of 10.8% in 2020, then falling to 4.6% by the end of 2022.The last two years have seen a slight increase to 5.7 by 2024.
Table: Unemployment Annual Average
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
13.7 11.7 9.6 7.7 6.7 5.7 4.6 4.5 10.8 8.6 4.6 5.1 5.7
Source: BLS
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 25 A comparison of the unemployment trend line with Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim MSA is substantially similar in appearance. Post-pandemic, however, the rate in the Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim MSA has been consistently higher.
Graph: Unemployment Data Trends
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment Rate in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (MSA) [RIVE106URN], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RIVE106URN,
0.0 2.0
4.0 6.0
8.0 10.0
12.0 14.0
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (MSA)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (MSA)
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 26 Overall, the labor force participation rate is healthy for workers in Rialto, averaging nearly 79% for workers between the ages of 20-59. Among these age groups, the lowest unemployment rate of 5.5%, as well as the highest employment to population ratio of 77.5%, occurs among mid- career workers aged 35-44. Workers aged 45-54 also show strong employment numbers: a
75.2% employment to population ratio with 6.5% unemployment. Labor Force Participation begins tailing off after age 60. Notably, however, workers aged 60 and older continue to make up 18.6% of the workforce, an indication that older residents may be remaining in the work force longer to offset cost of living increases in Rialto.
The highest unemployment rates of 18.7% and 17.8% occur among entry-level workers aged 16- 24, however, the labor force participation rate among workers 20 years and older shows a steady upward trajectory, suggesting that employment opportunities are available to residents at most age and skill levels.
Table: Employment by Age (Estimates for 2023)
Age Group Citywide
Total
Labor Force
Participation
Rate
Employment /
Population
Ratio
Unemployment
Rate
Population 16 years and over 79,337 65.3 59.1 9.3
16 to 19 years 6,934 28.1 22.8 18.7
20 to 24 years 9,150 77.0 63.2 17.8
25 to 29 years 9,502 80.2 70.7 11.8
30 to 34 years 7,133 80.0 73.7 7.9
35 to 44 years 14,275 82.4 77.5 5.5
45 to 54 years 12,118 81.1 75.2 6.5
55 to 59 years 5,491 71.0 65.9 7.2
60 to 64 years 4,533 53.0 48.4 8.6
65 to 74 years 6,378 21.6 21.2 2.0
75 years and over 3,823 5.7 4.8 16.0
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates 2018-2022 (S2301)
Employment Opportunities
A range of employment opportunities across various industries is essential to a robust, self- sustaining economy. Both higher and lower wage jobs are needed to align with the education levels and skillsets of each region’s unique demographics. Communities that experience wide swings in the types of jobs available, how th e workforce is distributed across available job opportunities, and the pay scales that come along with them are vulnerable to increased instances of housing instability, loss of financial wherewithal, and increased reliance on social programs.
The following chart illustrates trends in employ ment opportunities by industry from 2012-2022.
The Transportation and Warehousing industry outperformed all others by a wide margin, increasing the number of jobs from 4,335 to 23,955, a gain of 453%. Amazon, FedEx, and Target, among others, operate warehousing and distribution facilities in Rialto. Jobs in Manufacturing
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 27 doubled from 1,714 to 3,422, while jobs in Construction also increased from 1,113 to 1,960. Other industries with substantial gains in employment opportunities include Education and Health Care Services, Arts, Entertainment, and Accommodations, and Retail Trade.
Job opportunities in the Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate industry, as well as jobs in Information Technology and Professional Services, represent a smaller share of employment opportunities in Rialto. The modest gains posted by these industries suggest a need for greater business recruitment of companies with higher pay scales.
Chart: Jobs by Industry (2022)’
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates 2008-2012; 2018-2022 (S2301)
0 2,500 5,000 7,500 10,000 12 ,500 15,000 17,500 20,000 Agriculture, Mining, Oil & Gas Extraction
Arts, Entertainment, Accommodations
Construction
Education and Health Care Services
Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate
Information
Manufacturing
Other Services
Professional, Scientific, Management Services
Public Administration
Retail Trade
Transportation and Warehousing
Wholesale Trade
2012 2022
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 28 The following table provides data on the growth of the Civilian employed population from 2012- 2022, as well as the distribution of employees across occupational sectors in Rialto. The labor force increased by 23.8% from 37,852 to 46,864 employees with corresponding employment gains in all sectors. Changes in the distribution of workers across occupational sectors generally reflect the gains in employment opportunities described above, however, it should be noted that the table of Occupations by Sector aggregates multiple industries. For example, Service Occupations in the table below would include Arts, Entertainment, and Accommodations, as well as Retail Trade, and Education and Health Care Services from the chart above. In similar fashion, the Sales and Office Sector, which posted the largest gain of 45.7% in workers, would include jobs supporting multiple industries.
Table: Occupations by Sector
Occupational Sector
2012 2022 10-year
Change Total Percent Total Percent
Civilian employed population 16 years & over 37,852 100.0% 46,864 100.0% 23.8% Management, Business, Science, & Arts 6,417 17.0% 8,701 18.6% 35.6% Natural Resources, Construction, &
Maintenance 7,567 20.0% 8,222 17.5% 8.7%
Production, Transportation, and Material
Moving 9,958 26.3% 10,910 23.3% 9.6%
Service Occupations 4,665 12.3% 5,558 11.9% 19.1%
Sales and Office 9,245 24.4% 13,473 28.7% 45.7%
Data Source: 2008-2012 5-Yr ACS, 2018-2022 5-Yr ACS (DP03)
Workforce Development - Disadvantaged
Areas of the City where residents experience si gnificant barriers to economic opportunity are considered disadvantaged when specific economic and educational indicators are present. This designation identifies census tracts that face compound socioeconomic and educational challenges, hindering residents' ability to fully engage in the workforce and achieve economic stability.
Economically, the area must rank at or above the 90th percentile in at least one of the following:
linguistic isolation, low median income, high poverty, or unemployment. Linguistic isolation occurs in households where no member over the age of 14 speaks English proficiently, limiting access to employment and workforce training. Low median income typically results in greater financial strain, while high poverty rates and significant unemployment suggest limited economic resources and opportunities for residents.
In addition to these economic markers, the tract must also have more than 10% of individuals aged 25 or older without a high school diploma. This lack of educational attainment further exacerbates workforce barriers, reducing residents' access to stable, well-paying jobs. Together, these factors signify areas where targeted workforce development strategies are most needed to break cycles of disadvantage and promote economic resilience.
Disadvantaged census tracts are shown on the map below in purple. The tracts are distributed in clusters south of the Foothills Freeway and north of the San Bernardino Freeway, with contiguous areas to the northwest, south of downtown, and further south below W. Randall Avenue. The
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 29 combination of disadvantaged census tracts with data indicating a 24% increase in the number of Rialto workers driving 60 minutes or more to their places of employment is a contributing factor to the high rate of cost burden experienced by lower-income households discussed in the Consolidated Plan.
Map: Disadvantaged Workforce
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 30 Access to Community Assets
Per HUD requirements, a comprehensive fair housing assessment must examine several key factors that impact housing opportunities and quality of life for all residents. Specifically, this assessment will focus on access to community assets and availability of affordable housing options across neighborhoods, as well as equitable pathways to homeownership for all racial and ethnic groups.
Access to Resources by Race and Ethnicity Concentrations The map below illustrates the predominant racial or ethnic groups by census tract between 2018 and 2022. As noted earlier in this report, Hispanic residents are widely distributed throughout the City. Icons on the map indicate the presence of nonprofits, health care facilities, and other resource assistance programs. The map shows that, generally, resources are distributed throughout the City with the exception of largely undeveloped areas or areas with concentrations of industrial uses.
Map: Predominant Racial and Ethnic Group by Census Block Group
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 31 Access to Resources for Hispanic or Latino People in Poverty The following map focuses on Hispanic or Latino individuals living in poverty. It shows varying levels of poverty by census tract, with some areas experiencing higher concentrations than others, including the dark blue areas south and west of downtown. The dark blue tract to the south of the San Bernardino Freeway includes a small number of residential parcels scattered among mostly warehousing and industrial facilities in 2018. As of 2022, that area no longer contains residential sites and should be disregarded for the purposes of this analysis. Access to resources for Hispanic or Latino households is generally equal throughout the City.
Map: Hispanic or Latino People in Poverty by Census Tract
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 32 Access to Resources for Black or African American People in Poverty The following map highlights the distribution of Black/African American individuals living in poverty. The map also reveals varying concentrations of poverty with the areas shown in the darkest blue experiencing the highest concentrations. As mentioned previously, the census tracts below the San Bernardino Freeway which are us ed solely for warehousing, distribution, and industrial purposes should be disregarded. Otherwise, access to resources for Black/African American households is generally equal throughout the City.
Map: Black or African American People in Poverty by Census Tract
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 33 Access to Resources for Seniors (age 65 and older) Living in Poverty The following map shows the estimated percentage of seniors (65 or older) living in poverty by census tract between 2018 and 2022. Excluding the census tracts below the San Bernardino Freeway, access to resources for senior households is generally equal throughout the City.
Map: Seniors (age 65 and older) Living in Poverty by Census Tract
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 34 Section 5. Access to Affordable Housing Opportunities
For a community to attract and retain a vibrant, diverse population, housing must be available for all types of families at all income levels, including renters and homeowners. Access to affordable housing results in numerous social, economic, and health benefits. Studies have linked access to affordable housing to improvements in mental h ealth, stress reduction, educational attainment, long-term financial well-being, and decreased reliance on social service programs. From a Fair Housing perspective, having access to affordable housing increases choice for protected classes, including people of color, disabled individuals, and seniors on fixed incomes.
Since 2012, Rialto’s population has increased by 3.9% from 100,009 to 103,873 residents. At the same time, the number of households increased by 9.8%, from 24,316 in 2012 to 26,708 in 2022.
Rialto’s growth in households is outpacing the state, which measured a 6.8% increase over the same time. A population increase combined with an increase in household formation typically results in higher demand in the local housing market. Additional pressure may be created where housing development is limited by existing land uses and rigid geographic and political boundaries.
This section of the report will take a close look at the factors influencing access to affordable housing in Rialto, including an overview of the existing housing stock, trends in household income and purchasing power, rents, and home prices. The demographics of Public Housing programs are included, along with an overview of the City’s low-income housing assets. Analysis is presented on the ability of different racial and ethnic groups to purchase homes, as well as the unique challenges faced by disabled residents in the current housing environment. To round out the section, a summary of recent data on homelessness and housing instability is included.
Housing Stock
The availability of housing in a variety of types, sizes, and price points is imperative for access to fair housing choice. The table below provides an overview of the number of housing units in Rialto and the distribution of units across various housing types. The numbers and percentages by property type have remained consistent from 2012-2022 except for the growth of units in properties with 20 or more dwellings. Higher density residential properties grew to 9.4% of the housing stock in 2022, a gain of 822 units. Gains in multi-family housing typically indicate a combination of trends, including renewed investment in commercial districts and efficient land use in constrained geographies. However, the gains can also indicate potential displacement of lower- income households as affordable rentals give way to units targeted to higher-income tenants.
The slight decline in the number of One unit attached dwellings, along with modest increases in smaller multi-family properties, points to the lack of an important category of housing that is often referred to as “Missing Middle.” Missing Middle housing can consist of a variety of housing types, including attached townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, bungalows, and detached carriage houses or Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Unlike single-family detached housing which is often developed in subdivisions with uniform sizes and shapes of homes, or larger-scale multi-family projects targeted to higher-income households, Missing Middle units tend to be more affordable for many residents. Focusing strategic efforts on increasing the share of Missing Middle housing in Rialto could lead to additional housing opportunities for lower income households in the community.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 35 Table: Property Type in 2012 and 2022
Type
2012 2022
Number Percentage Number Percentage
1-unit, detached structure 18,461 69.6% 18,337 66.1%
1-unit, attached structure 809 3.0% 702 2.5%
2 units 231 0.9% 244 0.9%
3 or 4 units 1,532 5.8% 1,766 6.4%
5-9 units 995 3.8% 1,098 4.0%
10-19 units 954 3.6% 884 3.2%
20 or more units 1,795 6.8% 2,617 9.4%
Mobile Home 1,752 6.6% 2,090 7.5%
Total 26,529 100% 27,738 100%
Source: 2008-2012, 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (DP04)
The age of a City’s housing stock can be an important corollary to substandard housing conditions, including a greater likelihood of exposure to lead-based paint. More than half of Rialto’s housing stock was built from 1980 on, reducing residents’ potential exposure to this hazardous substance, while 42% of the City’s housing stock was built in the post-War period between 1950 and 1979. In the context of increasing housing choice for lower-income households, the City should proactively distribute information about health risks associated with lead-based paint and ensure that its housing programs meet the requirements for testing and lead-safe work practices. Additional information about the age and condition of the City’s housing stock can be found in the Consolidated Plan.
Chart: Age of Housing
Source: 2008-2012, 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (DP04)
11 1946
13185
7277
4856
463
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000
Built 2020 or Later
Built 2000 to 2019
Built 1980 to 1999
Built 1960 to 1979
Built 1940 to 1959
Built Before 1940
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 36 The following observations are based on the table of Occupied and Vacant housing units found below. The US Census Bureau distinguishes between an occupied and a vacant housing unit as follows: vacant housing includes units currently offered for rent or sale, seasonal homes, and units left empty when their owner moves into an alternative housing arrangement such as a group home or assisted living. Accordingly, the vacancy rates included in the table differ from published vacancy rates widely available from local real estate associations.
Overall, the occupancy rate for Rialto’s housing stock increased from 2012-2022. As of 2022,
96.3% of the City’s housing stock was occupied compared to 91.7% in 2012. There has been a corresponding drop in the number of vacant units from 2,213 to 1,030, while the vacancy rates between homeowners and renters have remained virtually unchanged. The combination of fewer vacant housing units and a higher occupancy percentage is an indicator of increased competition in Rialto’s housing market, as well as a factor driving incidences of overcrowding experienced by low-income renter households discussed in the Consolidated Plan.
Table: Housing Occupancy in 2012 and 2022
2012 2022
Number Percentage Number Percentage
Total housing units 26,529 100% 27,738 100%
Occupied housing units 24,316 91.7% 26,708 96.3%
Vacant housing units 2,213 8.3% 1,030 3.7%
Homeowner vacancy rate 4.1% 0.3%
Rental vacancy rate 9.1% 1.2%
Source: 2008-2012, 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (DP04)
Housing Costs – Rental Market
Many housing markets in the US have seen rapid increases in rental housing costs while household incomes typically have failed to keep up. When combined with limited supply, escalating construction costs, and a tendency fo r new multi-family developments to be targeted toward high-end residential markets, many communities struggle to offer a sufficient supply of housing for low-income renters.
The table below compares the growth in Median Contract Rent to the growth in Median Household Income for renters in Rialto. The median contract rent has increased by 140% from $968 per month to $1,354, while the median household income for renters has increased by 182% from $31,517 in 2012 to $52,261 in 2022. Generally, renters earning the median income of $52,261 are well-positioned to afford the median contract rent of $1,354. As a group, however, this is a relatively small number: only one in five renters in Rialto earn between 80% - 100% of the median renter income, while approximately 1 in 3 renters earn less than 50% of the median renter income.
Table: Median Contract Rent and Median Renter Income
2012 2022 % Change Change in
Real Dollars
Median Contract Rent $968 $1,354 139.9% $386
Median Renter Income $31,517 $57,261 181.7% $25,744
Source: 2008-2012, 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (B25058, B25119)
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 37 Rental Affordability
The financial stress that comes with a mismatch between household income and housing costs puts lower income households in the position of having to make difficult choices between paying for rent, utilities, and other necessities such as medications, food, and transportation. Not surprisingly, very-low and extremely-low income renters are evicted more frequently, resulting in greater housing instability, increased instances of homelessness, and in some cases, increased mortality. Recent studies have combined ACS data on cost burden, that is, spending more than 30% of household income on housing, with eviction and mortality rates among lower-income renter households to show that lower-income renters experience increased mortality rates of 9% - 12% as a result of evictions and high-cost burden.
Fair Market Rents
Fair Market Rents (FMRs) 2 are estimates of the cost to rent a moderately-priced dwelling in a specific housing market. FMRs are determined annually by HUD and include the cost of rent plus essential utilities. These figures are used to set payment standards for housing assistance programs, ensuring the assistance adequately covers the cost of modest rental housing in the area. FMRs are crucial for programs like the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which helps low- income families, the elderly, and the disabled afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market.
The City of Rialto is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA HUD Metro Fair Market Rent (FMR) Area. According to HUD's 2025 calculations, the FMRs for this metro area range from $1,776 for an efficiency unit to $3,745 for a four-bedroom unit. According to 2018- 2022 ACS data, three-bedroom units are the most commonly occupied rental type in Rialto, with an FMR of $3,079. To afford this rent without being classified as cost-burdened (spending more than 30% of income on housing costs), a household would need an annual income of approximately $99,640, assuming no additional housing-related expenses.
Renters earning up to 50% of the median renter income in Rialto, or $28,631 annually, can afford an apartment priced at $716 per month. The si gnificant mismatch between renter household income and market rents in Rialto is one of the factors driving the high rates of cost burden and severe cost burden discussed in the Consolidated Plan.
Table: Income Needed to Afford Fair Market Rents
Efficiency One-
bedroom
Two-
bedroom
Three-
bedroom
Four-
bedroom
FMR
Monthly Income Needed $4,063 $4,907 $5,927 $8,303 $9,487 Yearly Income Needed $48,760 $58,880 $71,120 $99,640 $113,840 Source: FY 2025 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
2 https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2024_code/2024summary.odn
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 38 Current Rental Market
According to Zillow estimates, in March, 2025, the average rent in Rialto was $2,654, an increase of $161 from February, 2025, but still below the 2024 high of $2,814 in March of last year. A total of 56 rentals were available in March, 2025. Eight of the available apartments would be considered affordable to a household earning the median renter income of $57,261. The remainder of available apartments range from $1,600 to $5,000 or more per month.
Graph: Available Rental Properties at Various Price Range (March 2025)
Source: Zillow Market Trends (Rialto, CA); Price range for all bedrooms and all property types
The following graph depicts fluctuations in rent prices over 2024 and 2025 to date. At the lowest level in October, 2024, the average rent was $2,128, a rent that would have been affordable to a household earning $85,120 annually, or 1.5 times the median renter income. The dip in rents was short-lived. A month later, in November, 2024, the average rent had rebounded to $2,695, a rent that would be affordable to a household earning $107,800 annually, or 1.9 times the median renter income.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 39 Graph: Average Rental Price over Time (March 2025)
Source: Zillow Market Trends (Rialto, CA); Average Rent Price Over Time
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 40 Housing Cost – Ownership Market
As in many southern California cities, home values have risen steadily in Rialto. The median value more than doubled from 2012-2022, rising from $194,700 to $418,300, an increase of 114.8%.
The median homeowner income, on the other hand, rose by 55.1% from $60,036 in 2012 to $93,135 in 2022. The pace of growth in homeowner income isn’t keeping up with the growth in home values, even when adjusted for inflation. While existing homeowners benefit from the appreciation in home values, newer buyers, including lower-income renters, face challenges finding a home they can afford.
Table: Median Home Value and Median Homeowner Income
2012 2022 % Change Change in
Real Dollars
Median Home Value $194,700 $418,300 114.8% $223,600
Median Homeowner Income $60,036 $93,135 55.1% $33,099
Source: 2008-2012, 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (DP04, B25119)
In many cases, lower-income households simply can’t purchase homes in Rialto. A two-earner household bringing in 100% of the area median income of $80,750 earns $38.82 combined, or slightly less than the average $20 hourly wage in the area. Using Redfin’s affordability calculator, an affordable home for a median income household with moderate debt and the ability to put down 10% of the purchase price would be approximately $287,495, well below the current listing price of $583,000 for most homes on the market.
The market is even more challenging for renter households seeking to make the transition to homeownership. The median renter income of $57,261 equates to an affordable purchase price of $197,865. As of March, 2025, there were nine mobile homes on the market below $200,000.
Typically, mobile homes are financed as vehicles, leaving purchasers without the mortgage interest deduction that comes with homeownership, as well as a missed opportunity to build wealth through the appreciation in value that real estate often provides.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 41 Median Home Sales
The following graphs illustrate trends in home pr ices, home values, and active inventory from 2012-2024. The first graph shows the upward trajectory of home prices from a low of $334,000 in 2015 to a high of $675,000 in 2024.
Chart: 10-Year Home Price Trend in Rialto, CA
Source: https://www.redfin.com/news/data-center/
Source Comment: Redfin Monthly Housing Market Data (Rialto, CA) (2015; 2024)
Home values have escalated steadily as well. Other than some softening during the pandemic, home values in Rialto have trended upward, nearing $600,000 as of December, 2024.
Graph: Zillow Home Value Index
Source: Zillow.com
Data note: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), built from the ground up by measuring monthly changes in property level Zestimates, captures both the level and home values across a wide variety of geographies and housing types.
$334K
$382K $411K $438K
$476K $498K
$559K
$631K $654K $675K
$0K
$100K
$200K
$300K
$400K
$500K
$600K
$700K
$800K
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 42 At the same time as home prices and values have gone up, active inventory has declined since 2019. At the end of 2024, 80 homes were listed for sale compared to more than 180 in 2019.
Chart: 10-Year Active Inventory Trend in Rialto
Source: Redfin Data Center
Data note: Rialto (2015-2024)
Other trends in the Rialto market all point to the challenges of achieving homeownership. With few exceptions, beginning in April, 2023, listed homes consistently sold above the asking price while being on the market for 30 days or less. New listings declined over the latter part of 2024, resulting in a market where buyers increasingly waived finance or contingency offers on purchases in 2025. For new homebuyers, saving up to purchase a home and securing financing puts them at a disadvantage in a market dominated by all-cash buyers with few if any contingencies.
0.0 20.0
40.0 60.0
80.0 100.0
120.0
140.0
160.0
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200.0
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 43 Homeowner Affordability Gap
A common measure of housing affordability suggests that a household can afford to purchase a home priced up to five times their annual income. An affordability gap arises when there's a mismatch between what a household can afford and the cost of purchasing a median-priced home in the area. This analysis examines the affordability gap for different income groups in Rialto, based on 2022 Census estimates for median household income (MHI) of $80,750 and median
home value of $418,300.
• Households Below 30% MHI: A household earning 30% of the median household income can afford a home priced up to $121,125. This is significantly below the median home value, resulting in an affordability gap of $297,175. If these households do not already own, they are financially cut off from access given the current cost of housing. • Households Below 60% MHI: A household earning 60% of the median household income can afford a home priced up to $201,875. This still falls short of the median home value by $216,425.
• Households Below 80% MHI: A household earning 80% of the median household income can afford a home priced up to $323,000. While closer, this is still below the median home value, leaving an affordability gap of $95,300.
• Households at 100% AMI: By stretching their housing budgets a bit, these households may be able to afford the median home value, but their choices likely are limited to homes at or below this price point, leaving little room for additional preferences such as size, location, or amenities.
• Households Above 120% AMI: Residents earning 120% or more of the median household income have an affordability surplus, ranging from $66,200 to $187,325. This surplus means they can afford homes priced above th e median value, providing them with a broader selection and the flexibility to choose homes that better meet their preferences.
Chart: Affordability Gap by Income Level
Source: 2008-2012, 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (DP04; S1901)
Median Home Value,
$418,300
$(50,000) $50,000 $150,000 $250,000 $3 50,000 $450,000 $550,00 0 $650,000 $750,000 30% MHI
60% MHI
80% MHI
MHI
120% MHI
150% MHI
Affordable Unit Affordability Gap Affordability Surplus
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 44 Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Programs
Publicly supported housing encompasses various strategies and programs developed by the federal government since the 1930s to address housing challenges in communities nationwide.
The mid-20th century saw the rise of slum clearance initiatives to construct public housing projects, marking the beginning of federally supported housing programs. Public housing, owned and managed by government entities, aimed to mitigate issues such as overcrowding, substandard housing, and unsanitary conditions in low-income neighborhoods. However, these high-density housing projects often concentrated poverty, intensifying the challenges they were intended to resolve and leaving a lasting negative impact on communities.
Over time, public housing programs have evolved to include more diverse approaches, managed by local housing agencies. The Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 introduced Section 8 rental assistance, or the Housi ng Choice Voucher (HCV) program. This program provides two forms of rental subsidies for low-income households: project-based vouchers tied to specific housing units and tenant-based vouchers that allow recipients to find rental housing in the private market. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 established the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, incentivizing affordable rental housing development by awarding tax credits to qualifying projects. Additionally, HUD programs like Section 811 and Section 202 support the development of multifamily rental housing for disabled and elderly populations.
In the early 1990s, the now-defunct HOPE VI program sought to revitalize deteriorated public housing projects by creating mixed-income communities. Building on the successes and lessons of HOPE VI, the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative expanded its scope to address broader community needs such as employment access, education quality, public safety, health, and recreation.
3 Current publicly supported housing programs reflect a shift in ideology toward comprehensive community investment and efforts to de-concentrate poverty. Despite these advancements, studies show that subsidized housing develop ments and residents utilizing housing vouchers often remain clustered in disadvantaged neighborhoods. For LIHTC developments, program rules and point allocation systems have contributed to th is pattern, prompting many states to revise their allocation formulas to encourage broader distribution of affordable housing. 4 The clustering of housing choice vouchers is influenced by complex factors, including proximity to social networks, difficulties in housing searches, and experiences of discrimination.5 This section examines the current supply, occupancy characteristics, and geographic distribution of publicly supported housing in Rialto.
3 Department of Housing and Urban Development. Evidence Matters: Transforming Knowledge into Housing and Community Development Policy. 2011. www.huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/em/EM newsletter_FNL_web.pdf 4 Dawkins, Casey J. Exploring the Spatial Distribution of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Properties. US Department of Housing and Urban Development, www.huduser.gov/publications/pdf/dawkins_exploringliht_assistedhousingrcr04.pdf 5 Galvez, Martha M. What Do We Know About Housing Choice Voucher Program Location Outcomes? A Review of Recent Literature. What Works Collaborative, 2010. www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/29176/412218-What-Do-We-Know-About- Housing-Choice Voucher-Program-Location-Outcomes-.PDF
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 45 Supply and Occupancy
Residents of Rialto benefit from publicly supported housing primarily managed by the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) in collaboration with the City of Rialto Housing Division. The HACSB proudly assists low-income households to attain safe and stable housing through a variety of rental assistance programs funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HACSB was designated by Congress in 2008 as a Moving to Work (MTW) public housing agency, allowing us to waive some program requirements to develop policies targeting at least one of the three Statutory Objectives of the MTW demonstration program:
1. Saving taxpayer dollars through efficient work
2. Helping families achieve economic independence
3. Ensuring a family’s freedom of housing choice
The city of Rialto’s Housing Division in conjunction with the HACSB oversees subsidized housing programs, housing development and preservation, and community development. In Rialto, the HACSB specifically manages Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) and affordable housing programs, ensuring rental assistance and expanding housing options for low-income and vulnerable populations.
Although Rialto lacks traditional public housing developments, affordable housing options include Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) pro perties, Section 202 Housing for Low-Income Elderly, and Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities. According to the HUD LIHTC database, the city has 931 low-income units. Additionally, there are 317 HUD Multifamily assisted units in Rialto according to the HUD Multifamily Housing Property Search. These combined assisted units and Housing Choice Vouchers provide affordable housing to approximately 1,567 low-income households to consist of senior housing, family housing, various rental unit sizes and housing with accessibility.
The HACSB supports the city of Rialto by administering HCV programs and utilizing grant funding to assist homeless and low-income households. Based on information provided by PolicyMap, there were 319 households in Rialto receiving HCVs in 2023.
Table: Housing Units by Program Category
Housing Units Rialto
# %
TOTAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AND HCV VOUCHERS 1,567 100% Public Housing 0 0%
HCV Program 319 20%
Project-Based Section 8 0 0%
Other Multifamily 317 20%
LIHTC Program 931 60%
Source: Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB); PolicyMap (Rialto); HUD LIHTC Database; HUD Multifamily Property Search
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 46 Race, Ethnicity, and Income Distribution Amongst Households Racial / Ethnic Composition of Publicly Supported Housing Residents The racial and ethnic composition of publicly supported housing residents and estimates of low- to-moderate-income households in Rialto highlight significant trends in housing equity. Very low- income households, earning less than 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI), are the primary beneficiaries of subsidized housing programs, including Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) and Project-Based Vouchers (PBV).
Racial and Ethnic Distribution in Subsidized Housing
Hispanic households represent the largest share of residents in publicly supported housing or receiving vouchers, comprising 47% of participants. This contrasts with their proportion of the city's total population, which is approximately 72.3% according to 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year data.
Black / African American households, the second- largest group in subsidized housing (37%), make up a much smaller share of the city's total population at 14%.
Table: Publicly Supported Housing Residents by Race / Ethnicity Housing Type
RACE / ETHNICITY
White Black Hispanic
Asian /
Pacific
Islander
American
Indian /
Alaska
Native
# % # % # % # % # %
HCV Program 26 8% 201 63% 86 27% 6 2% 0 0%
Total Households
in Subsidized
Housing
125 8% 580 37% 737 47% 78 5% - -
Source: PolicyMap (Rialto, 2023)
Poverty and Housing Distribution Analysis
Assessing equity in subsidized housing distri bution requires examining both racial/ethnic representation and poverty levels. Based on ACS 2018–2022 data, an estimated 1,850 families in Rialto are below the poverty level, with the following racial/ethnic composition:
Hispanic families: 76.9% of total families in poverty White families: 3.5% of total families in poverty
Black / African American families: 17.4% of total families in poverty Asian families:1.5% of total families in poverty
American Indian and Alaska Native: 0.0% of total families in poverty When comparing these figures to subsidized housing participation, disparities emerge:
Asian and White households are overrepresented in subsidized housing relative to their share of families below the poverty level.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 47 Hispanic households are underrepresented in subsidized housing compared to their share of families below the poverty level.
All other races / ethnicities are proportionately represented in subsidized housing compared to their share of families in poverty.
Table: Families by Race / Ethnicity Below Poverty Level Race/Ethnicity # Families % Below
Poverty Level
Estimated #
Below Poverty
White 2,205 3.8% 84
Black / African American 3,152 13.4% 422
American Indian and Alaska Native 285 11.9% 34
Asian 524 7.1% 37
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 11 0.0% 0
Hispanic / Latino 15,982 11.7% 1,870
Source: ACS 2019-2023 (Table S1702)
These findings suggest a potential need for further evaluation of housing program outreach and equity to ensure alignment with the demographics of families most affected by poverty.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 48 Geography of Supported Housing
The following map illustrates the distribution of Affordable Housing developments and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) use across the City of Rialto, revealing the following patterns:
HUD Multifamily Properties: These properties are predominantly situated in the central areas of the city, providing affordable housing options in the heart of Rialto. LIHTC Properties: Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties are distributed around the city’s center, creating a surrounding belt of affordable housing developments. Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) : Of the 319 households in Rialto receiving HCVs in 2023, 237 households are represented on the map. These households are primarily concentrated in and near the city center, though the map indicates some data gaps for other areas.
Map: Distribution of HCV Vouchers and Locations of HUD Multifamily and LIHTC Properties
Source: PolicyMap (Rialto) (2023)
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 49 Policies and Procedures
The City of Rialto's Housing Division, in collaboration with the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB), implements policies and procedures for eligibility, tenant selection, screening, local preferences, and subsidy standards for households applying for project-based and tenant-based Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs). These policies ensure fair housing choice and equitable program access for qualified households in Rialto.
Tenant Selection
Applicants for public housing or HCV assistance through HACSB must meet the following HUD- defined eligibility criteria:
Income at or below HUD-designated limits.
Alignment with HUD's definition of a “family,” including single persons, families with or without children, elderly or near-elderly families, disabled families, displaced families, or remaining members of a tenant family.
Submission of valid Social Security Numbers for all household members. Verification of citizenship or eligible immigration status. Agreement to data collection for tenant screening purposes.
HACSB maintains a waiting list for HCV assi stance. The process adheres to HUD guidelines, ensuring accessibility for individuals with disabilities, older adults, and those with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Depending on anticipated waiting times, HACSB employs a:
One-step process: Families expected to be selected within 60 days must complete full eligibility verification upfront.
Two-step process : For longer waits, applicants initially provide information to confirm basic eligibility and secure placement on the list. Full eligibility is verified upon selection.
Tenant Screening
HACSB conducts criminal background checks and reviews the National Sex Offender Registry for all applicants. Suitability for tenancy is determined by property owners or landlords, as HACSB focuses on program compliance.
Local Preferences
Local preferences for HCV waiting list selection prioritize households based on specific needs:
Residency Preference: Residents or workers in Rialto. Veteran’s Preference: Honorable discharge status or surviving spouses. Program Graduates: Completion of transitional housing programs. Involuntary Displacement: Due to disasters or government actions. Foster Youth Preference: For emancipated youth identified for displacement.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 50 Subsidy Standards
HACSB determines appropriate unit sizes based on household composition, with provisions for reasonable accommodations:
One bedroom assigned per two household members as shown in the following table. Additional bedrooms allowed for live-in aides upon approval.
These policies, as outlined in the HACSB Admini strative Plan and the City of Rialto Housing Element, ensure comprehensive assistance for low-income households while addressing local housing needs
Voucher Housing Unit Sizes and Household Sizes
The following table is referenced in determining the appropriate unit size for a family.
Table: Voucher Housing Unit Sizes and Household Sizes
Voucher Size Person in Household
(Minimum – Maximum)
1 bedroom 1-2
2 bedrooms 2-4
3 bedrooms 3-6
4 bedrooms 4-8
5 bedrooms 6-10
Source: Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Housing Act
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 51 Homelessness and Housing Instability
While homelessness can result from multiple causes, including loss of employment combined with unexpected expenses, addiction, mental illness, or other disabling conditions, frequently, the high cost of housing is a contributing factor. The National Alliance to End Homelessness points to the lack of affordable housing across the US as a key driver of homelessness. As outlined earlier in this report, to afford the average rent of $2,654 for an apartment in Rialto, renters need to earn $51 or more hourly, an amount that is more than double the average hourly wage of $20.
The San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership conducts the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count that includes data on homelessness in Rialto. According to the 2024 Homeless Count and Survey Report, there was a slight increase in the number of homeless individuals across San Bernardino County from 4,195 to 4,255, or 1.4%. The total includes 73 unsheltered individuals in Rialto, up from 70 in 2023. Unlike emergency shelter or transitional housing occupants, unsheltered individuals are relying on public or private spaces not ordinarily used for sleeping to be their primary night-time residence.
52 of the 73 unsheltered individuals became homeless in Rialto, an indication that the high cost of housing may be a significant factor. County-wide, 36% of individuals became homeless for the first time in 2024, while 81% had incomes less than $500 per month. When compared to other cities in San Bernardino County, Rialto is fortunate to have a relatively low number of unsheltered individuals.
From a Fair Housing perspective, data collected during the 2024 survey indicates that homelessness in San Bernardino County affect s all races and ethnicities, with the highest incidences of homelessness occurring among Whites and Hispanics, followed by Black/African Americans. During the 2024 homeless survey, 40.8% of the unsheltered homeless population identified as White, 33.3% as Hispanic, and 17.9% as Black/African American. Just as high housing costs contribute to housing instability for all lower income populations, efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing will have a positive impact on all populations as well, potentially reducing incidences of unsheltered homelessness among people of color.
Table: Breakdown of Homeless Population Race/Ethnicity
Race/Ethnicity Adults Unaccompanied
Youth Under Age 18
Accompanied
Children Under Age
18 in Families
Total Percent Total Percent Total Percent
American Indian, Alaska Native, or
Indigenous 63 2.1% 0 0.0% 0 0.0%
Asian or Asian American 24 0.8% 0 0.0% 2 5.4%
Black, African American, or African 539 17.9% 0 0.0% 9 24.4% Hispanic/Latina/e/o 1003 33. 3% 0 0.0% 10 27.0%
Middle Eastern or North African 6 0.2% 0 0.0% 0 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 15 0.5% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% White 1229 40.8% 3 50.0% 10 27.0%
More Than One Race/Ethnicity 84 2.8% 2 33.3% 1 2.7%
Unknown 49 1.6% 1 16.7% 5 13.5%
Total: 3,012 100% 6 100% 37 100%
Source: San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership, 2024 Point in Time Count
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 52 Section 6. Access to Home Ownership
The availability of quality affordable housing is crucial for ensuring fair access to housing opportunities for all residents. While high housing costs in certain areas may seem exclusionary based solely on income, the issue is more complex due to the disproportionate representation of protected classes at lower and middle-income levels. The disparity can lead to unequal access to housing options and neighborhood opportunities in high-cost markets, particularly for Black and Hispanic residents, immigrants, people with disabilities, and seniors.
Beyond providing fair housing options, affordable housing offers numerous social, economic, and health benefits. It encourages diverse, mixed-income communities, increases job accessibility for low- and middle-income populations, and attracts a diverse labor force essential to providing basic community services. Studies have linked access to affordable housing to improvements in mental health, stress reduction, long-term financial stability, and decreased incidences of illness caused by poor-quality housing. Additionally, developing affordable housing can prevent displacement of existing residents when housing costs increase due to economic or migratory shifts.
This section examines the existing housing supply in Rialto, reviews housing costs and affordability across different income levels, and assesses homeownership rates and access to lending for home purchases and mortgage refinancing. By analyzing these factors, we can better understand the housing landscape in Rialto and identify areas for potential improvement in affordable housing provision and fair housing practices.
Rising Housing Cost
As discussed previously, Rialto has seen a signific ant increase in home prices over the last ten years. As of 2022, the median sales price of a home had risen to $418,300, resulting in an affordability gap for all but the highest earning households. An affordable home for a median income household with moderate debt and the ability to put down 10% of the purchase price would be approximately $287,495, well below the current listing price of $583,000 for most homes on the market.
Housing markets with rapidly increasing home values are a boon to existing residents but can be challenging for new buyers and renters trying to make the transition to homeownership. The following map illustrates median home values across Rialto. As of 2022, homes with values exceeding $550,000 occur in two clearly defined areas: one generally to the north of the Foothills Freeway, and a second area to the south of the San Bernardino Freeway adjacent to the city’s primary warehousing and transportation districts. Home values are the lowest in neighborhoods surrounding downtown with a region of somewhat higher values occurring immediately south of the Foothills Freeway.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 53 Map: Median Home Value
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 54 Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to Housing
Previous sections of this report have discussed the challenges faced by lower income households attempting to rent or buy in Rialto. The following section provides an analysis of the percentage of the population represented by various racial and ethnic groups, the homeownership rate of each group, and in the second graph, each group’s median household income. Low homeownership rates among specific racial or ethnic groups can be an indicator of disparities in access to housing for minorities and other protected classes.
The first graph illustrates homeownership rates by race and ethnicity. Hispanics make up ¾ of Rialto’s population and enjoy a relatively high homeownership rate of 68.3%, a figure that is well above the national average for Hispanics of 51%, as well as moderately above the national average of 65% for all U.S. residents. The homeownership rate for all other racial and ethnic groups is less than half that of Hispanics. The homeownership rate for White households is 28.6%, and for households made up of Two or More Races, 21.4%.
It is important to look at homeownership rate s in the context of a racial or ethnic group’s percentage of the population overall to gain insight into disparities that may exist across various groups. Black/African American households, for instance, make up 12.3% of Rialto’s population, however, their homeownership rate is low, 13.2%, an indication that a disproportionate number of Black/African American residents have not benefitted from owning a home. By contrast, White households who make up a smaller percentage of the overall population, 8.7%, are more than twice as likely to be homeowners.
Chart: Percent of Homeowners by Race/Ethnicity
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 (DP05 and S2502)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Hispanic or
Latino
Some Other
Race
White (alone) Two or More
Races
Black/African
American
Asian
Percent of Population Percent of Homeowners
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 55 The next graph illustrates median household income by race and Ethnicity. The median income for all households shown in yellow is $85,521 annually. Three racial/ethnic groups have households incomes above the median and four have household incomes below it. White households have the highest median income of $90,396, while American Indian and Alaska Native households have the lowest, $66,774. Household incomes for the remaining racial/ethnic groups are provided below.
1. Two or More Races: $89,969
2. Hispanics: $87,256
3. Some other race: $81,182
4. Black/African American households: $74,675
5. Asian households: $74,091
Chart: Median Income by Race/Ethnicity
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2002 (S1903) Data Note: Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander not available due to low citywide representation.
The correlation between median household income and homeownership rates helps explain variations among racial/ethnic groups. The following chart illustrates the affordability gap between household income and the median purchase price of a home in Rialto by race and ethnicity.
Notably, mixed race households are the only group with an affordability surplus, providing them with a slight advantage in Rialto’s competitive for-sale housing market.
White Households have the largest affordability gap of $77,675. As a group, however, a little more than 1 in 4 White households are homeowners.
Asian Households have the second largest affordability gap at $77,095. Not surprisingly, the Asian population, though small in Rialto, also has one of the lowest homeownership rates of 3.1%.
Black Households have an affordability gap of $13,890, and, as mentioned previously, a relatively low homeownership rate of 13.2%.
$0
$10,000
$20,000
$30,000
$40,000
$50,000
$60,000
$70,000
$80,000
$90,000
$100,000
White
alone, not
Hispanic or
Latino
Two or
more races
Hispanic or
Latino origin
(of any
race)
Median
Income
Some other
race
Black or
African
American
Asian American
Indian and
Alaska
Native
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 56 Hispanic Households have the lowest affordability gap of $3,590. The above average homeownership rate among this group is an indication that Hispanics enjoy the broadest housing choice in Rialto’s market.
Generally, low homeownership rates are indicators of long-term cycles of economic disadvantage and limited wealth-building opportunities. Offering programs that provide credit counseling, down- payment assistance, and education for first-time homebuyers can be an effective means of addressing historic disparities in access to homeownership for disadvantaged populations.
Chart: Affordability Gap by Racial/Ethnic Income Level
Source: 2008-2012, 2018-2022 ACS 5-Yr Estimates (DP04; S1901)
Median Home Value,
$418,300
$- $100,000 $200,000 $300,00 0 $400,000 $500,000 $600,000 Multiracial
Hispanic
Other
Black
Asian
White
Affordable Unit Affordability Gap Affordability Surplus
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 57 Lending Analysis
Fair Housing Act 1968
“Discrimination in mortgage lending is prohibited by the federal Fair Housing Act and HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity actively enforces those provisions of the law. The Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to engage in the following practices based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap (disability):
Refusal to make a mortgage loan or refinance a mortgage loan; Refusal to provide information regarding loans;
Imposing different terms or conditions on a loan, such as different interest rates, points, or fees;
Discrimination in property appraisals;
Refusal to purchase a loan or set different terms or conditions for purchasing a loan; and Discrimination in providing other financia l assistance for purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing, or maintaining a dwelling or other financial assistance secured by residential real estate.”
6 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act
The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), enacted by Congress in 1975, requires that mortgage lenders make loan data public. HMDA tracks information to ensure that fair and safe home financing is available in all geographic areas including urban neighborhoods. This information is made available to highlight whether lending institutions are servicing the neighborhoods and communities in which they are located. HMDA data is a useful tool in assessing lending practices and trends within a jurisdiction. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau oversees HMDA compliance. Data collected and reported on includes applications, approvals and denials, loan amount, type of loan , applicant demographic information, property type, and census tract. This information is released annually each September. Since enactment of the HMDA in 1975, lending institutions have been required to collect and publicly disclose data regarding applicants including: location of the loan (by Census tract and MSA); income, race and gender of the borrower; the number and dollar amount of each loan; property type; loan type; loan purpose; whether the property is owner -occupied; action taken for each application; and, if the application was denied, the reason(s) for denial. Property types examined include one -to-four family units, manufactured housing and multi-family developments.
6 https://www.hud.gov/topics/fair_lending
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 58 Trends in Loan Originations
The following table provides data on loan originations from 2018-2023. The number of loan originations peaked in 2021 at 3,501, then declined to its lowest number of 683 in 2023. The median loan amount remained somewhat steady from 2018-2020, then increased substantially to a high of $465,000 in 2023. The trends in Rialto are consistent with trends across communities in the state of California.
Table: Loan Originations 2018-2023
All Originations 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
City (Rialto)
Number of Loans 1,472 2,035 2,993 3,501 1,370 683
Median Loan
Amount $285,000 $295,000 $295,000 $315,000 $375,000 $465,000 State (California)
Number of Loans 607,672 911,622 1,697,638 1,629,276 556,893 282,418 Median Loan
Amount $365,000 $405,000 $395,000 $415,000 $475,000 $485,000 Source: FEIC
By 2023, 65.2% of loans were for home purchases, while 34.9% were for refinancing. The ratio of loans originated in Rialto for purchasing a home compared to refinancing is lower when compared to both the state and the nation, where, as of 2023, originations for purchase made up ¾ of all loan originations. Notably, there has been a reversal of loan purposes since 2020, when nearly 80% of loans were originated for refinancing and only 20% for purchasing. The trend is consistent with national data that indicates a surge of remodeling activity during the pandemic when homeowners stayed put and borrowed against their home equity to compensate for a generally higher cost of living or finance improvements to their residences.
By the end of 2021, loans originated for purchasing homes began increasing again. However, the concurrent increase in median loan amounts from 2021-2023 drove an increase in the number of loans requiring government guarantees. From 2021-2023, the percentage of loans requiring federal government insurance increased from 37.3% to 51.5%, double the percentage of loans across California, and 20% higher than loans across the US, a trend that is indicative of the challenges faced by lower-income buyers in the Rialto market.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 59 High-Cost Loans
Simultaneously, as the graph below indicates, there has been a sharp uptick in the number of high-cost loans originated in Rialto. From 2021-2023, the percentage of high-cost loans increased from less than 3% to 12.3%. By comparison, 10% of loans across the state were considered High- Cost in 2023, while 7.39% were considered High-Cost nationally.
Chart: High-Cost Lending Trends in Rialto, CA (2018–2023)
Source: FFIEC
Denial Rates and Reasons
Borrowers in lower-income brackets experienced significantly higher denial rates. In 2023, 2.5% of loans were issued to borrowers earning less than 50% of the Metropolitan Statistical Area Median Income, while 58.1% of loans were issued to borrowers earning 120% or more of the MSA. The data is consistent with data on median household incomes and homeownership affordability gaps presented in a previous section of this report. The top reasons given for denials include Debt to Income (DTI) ratio, and limited or poor credit history among applicants, particularly for first-time homebuyers.
Borrower Demographics and Disparities
Among high-cost loans approved in 2023, the second largest percentage, 53.6%, was approved for Hispanic borrowers, 56.0% for White borrowers, 7.1% for Asian borrowers, and 6.0% for Black/African American borrowers, a distribution across the racial/ethnic composition of Rialto that is consistent with previous trends discussed in this report. Rising median loan amounts and high denial rates for lower-income applicants highlight affordability gaps, disproportionately affecting minority and first-time homebuyers.
The following maps illustrate loan denials by census tract compared to median household income.
Not surprisingly, high rates of loan denials (Map 1) closely mirror lower-income census tracts (Map 2), with rates of 25% or more occurring in the tracts to the south and west of downtown.
Generally, the lowest loan denial rates occur in the highest income census tracts to the northwest, however, there are exceptions. In census tracts to the east of downtown where there is a high percentage of Hispanic residents earning $100,000 or more annually, up to 20% of loans are denied.
0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
12.0%
14.0%
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Percent of High-Cost Loan
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 60 In 2023, 53.7% of home loans originated in census tracts where household incomes range from 80%-120% of the MSA Median Income, 28.3% originated in census tracts where incomes exceeded 120% of the median income, 18% originated in census tracts with incomes between 50% - 80% of the median income, and 0% originated in tracts with median incomes below 50%.
While the high rates of loan denials in lower-income census tracts suggest a reluctance to finance home purchases in these areas, they also raise concerns about equitable access to credit, particularly for minority applicants.
Map: Loan Denials by Census Tract
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 61 Section 7. Impacts on Protected Classes and LMI Households Since 1988, federal fair housing law has included protections for people with disabilities. The protections fall into three categories:
(1) Neither private nor public housing providers may discriminate against people with disabilities in making housing available, or in setting the terms or conditions for housing sales and rentals.
(2) Housing providers – usually this m eans apartment-building owners and managers and condominium and homeowners’ associations – must allow “reasonable accommodations” and “reasonable modifications” for persons with disabilities. For example, a tenant who uses a wheelchair may be allowed to widen a door or install grab bars in a bathroom to make a unit usable. (In cases that do not improve the use for any tenant, tenants take on the responsibility of returning the unit to its original condition at the end of a tenant’s lease, if the landlord so wishes.) Landlords are also expected to provide amenities such as parking spaces restricted for persons with disabilities.
(3) Housing units constructed after March 13, 1991, must comply with various standards aimed at making new or substantially rehabilitated multi-family housing accessible to persons with disabilities, such as providing exterior ramps and interior elevators. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pa ssed a few years later, expanded upon some of these requirements.
As discussed earlier in this report, 8.9% of the total civilian, non-institutionalized population reports some type of disability. The highest percentage by age, 55.4%, occurs among people aged 75 years or older, while the second highest, 24.3%, occurs among people aged 65-74.
Consistent with the high percentages of older residents reporting disabilities, the most common disability types are ambulatory, 4.7%, cognitive, 3.9%, and difficulty living independently, 3.2%.
Challenges with self-care, hearing, and vision are common as well, suggesting a need for residential housing rehab or modification programs that allow seniors to age-in-place safely.
Housing for People with Disabilities
The housing needs of disabled populations can vary from the examples given above to more complex needs addressing mental illness or drug addiction. Many chronically homeless individuals report disabling conditions best addressed by permanent supportive housing – a unique type of multi-family housing that includes access to essential services including drug and alcohol addiction, medical care, and other programs designed to promote social well-being and inclusivity.
The age, type, and condition of a community’s housing can limit housing choice for disabled individuals and households. All new developments of single- and multi-family housing are required to comply with provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, however, older housing units may pose additional challenges. The post-war single-family housing stock common in Rialto’s older residential neighborhoods can be costly to modify. Similarly, the City’s older multi-family housing stock presents challenges with accessible routes from parking areas to individual units, as well as access to upper floors, effectively segregating disabled residents to certain areas of the complex.
Regular consultation with local advocacy grou ps will help identify ga ps in housing supply for disabled households in addition to setting priorities for the effective use of funding to adequately address the community’s needs.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 62 Displacement of Lower-Income Households
The demographic and socioeconomic changes outlined in previous sections of this report often result in displacement of lower-income households. As the predominant racial or ethnic group in one part of the City transitions to another, or as new investment occurs that transforms an older neighborhood into a redeveloped mixed-use hub combining residential and commercial uses, lower-income households, particularly renters, ma y find themselves priced out. From a fair housing perspective, the ability to secure adequate and affordable living space declines.
As in many American cities, the comparatively low median income of renter households can make them vulnerable to displacement. In Rialto, the median renter income of $57,261 is 38% lower than the median income of a homeowner and 29% lower than the median income of all residents.
A high percentage of lower-income renters in various neighborhoods throughout the City is a likely indicator of potential displacement as home values in certain areas rise faster than others. Rising home values combined with changes in housing tenure can be mapped to indicate areas where the displacement of lower-income residents, particularly renters, is likely to occur.
The following maps illustrate changes in census tracts where low-income renters occupy 50% or more of the housing. From 2019-2023, the darkest census tracts on the map below indicate areas where renters occupied 50% or more of the housing. These tracts are unchanged from the time frame 2014-2018.
Map: Census Tracts with 50% or More Renters (2023)
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 63 The second map shown below highlights tracts pr imarily occupied by households with incomes below 80% of the area median income, and in some areas, 72% or less of the area median income. Together, the two maps illustrate the locations of lower-income renters most likely to be displaced by redevelopment and rising property values.
Map: Median Household Income as a Share of Area Median Household Income (2023)
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 64 The final map illustrates changes in home values over a similar time frame with the greatest appreciation of 66% or more shown in the darkest color. Rialto is something of an anomaly in that widespread growth in home values across the City has not resulted in significant displacement of low-income renters. Continued population growth, however, may work against the ability of lower- income renters to remain stably housed, suggesting that implementation of homeownership programs targeted at lower-income households could have the double benefit of preventing displacement and increasing homeownership.
Map: Percent Change in Median Home Value from 2018-2023
Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 2018-2022 via PolicyMap
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 65
8. Local and State Policies and Practices Impacting Housing Choice
“Since 1969, California has required that all local governments (cities and counties) adequately plan to meet the housing needs of everyone in the community, at all income levels. California’s local governments meet this requirement by adopting housing plans as part of their “general plan” (also required by the state). A general plan serves as a local government’s blueprint for how the City and/or county will grow and develop and includes eight elements: land use, transportation, conservation, noise, open space, safety, environmental justice, and housing.” California Department of Housing and Community Development Access to Fair Housing choice for all residents remains a priority for leadership and stakeholders planning for the housing needs of current and future residents of Rialto. While there have been recent changes to federal housing policy, upholding the core provisions of the Fair Housing Act and related legislation remains an obligation for all communities receiving Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. The City of Rialto has committed to multiple policies and programs that enable it to promote and encourage fair housing while working toward comprehensive goals for housing current and future residents.
Public Policies and Programs
The City of Rialto’s housing policies and related programs strive to serve a wide range of housing types and prices suited to all residents, aiding homeowners, renters and people with special needs. To accomplish this, Rialto has adopted the following housing policies:
1: Maintain and improve the quality of existing housing 2: Encourage new housing development for all segments of the community 3: Maximize financial resources and pursue methods to reduce the cost of housing 4: Alleviate governmental constraints to housing production and affordability 5: Promote public education and equal housing opportunities for all residents
Policy 1: Maintain and Improve the Quality of Existing Housing.
The City strives to maintain and improve the quality of its existing housing stock by:
A. Promoting the revitalization and rehabilitation of residential structures that are substandard or have fallen into disrepair.
B. Promoting the maintenance of existing housing through preventive, rather than remedial, maintenance.
C. Focusing code enforcement and housing rehabilitation efforts to reverse the decline of transitioning neighborhoods and minimize displacement for lower-income residents.
D. Maintaining an abandoned residential property registration program to protect residential neighborhoods from becoming blighted through the lack of adequate maintenance and security of abandoned properties.
E. Assisting owners of blighted properties through a receivership effort. In cases where the owner cannot be contacted, or refuses to cooperate, the City proactively seeks the appointment of a receiver to oversee the repair and maintenance of the property and ensure that the property is occupied or purchased by an owner who will provide ongoing maintenance.
F. Considering expansion of a successful Multi- Family Improvement District Program that provided for the acquisition and rehabilitation of affordable rental properties by cooperating with a 2/3 majority of neighborhood owners to create a special assessment district.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 66 Policy 2: Encourage New Housing Development for All Segments of the Community.
The City of Rialto encourages new housing development by:
A. Identifying approximately 135 acres of vacant residential land to be used to meet the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation. The inventory allows for a range of residential densities from 2 to 30 dwelling units per acre.
B. Putting in place a monitoring program to ensure sufficient residential sites are available for the City to meet its need for lower income housing.
C. Encouraging infill of vacant residential land and the recycling of underutilized residential land, particularly in Downtown Rialto, along Foothill Boulevard, within the Pepper Avenue Specific Plan area, the Renaissance Specific Plan area, and the Lytle Creek Ranch Specific Plan area.
D. Encouraging the development of larger rental units with three or more bedrooms to provide affordable housing sized for larger families.
Policy 3: Maximize Financial Resources and Pursue Methods to Reduce the Cost of Housing.
The City will support Policy 3 by:
A. Establishing incentives and regulatory concessions to promote the development of housing for very low-, low-, and moderate-income people, especially those with special needs.
B. Maximizing the use of available financial resources and pursuing creative and resourceful methods to reduce the cost of housing.
C. Encouraging the development of housing for special needs populations by offering density bonuses and other zoning incentives.
D. Funding Housing Rehabilitation Programs for owner-occupied and rental housing through the Emergency Repair Mobile Home Program . The Mobile Home Rehab Program offers eligible applicants a maximum grant amount of $10,000 per mobile home. In addition, the City may grant up to $10,000 to address lead abatement and asbestos removal, if needed, for mobile homes built prior to 1978.
E. Pursuing a home share program in collaboration with nonprofits and other housing organizations to match lower-income tenants with willing homeowners.
F. Adopting an Environmental Justice program that includes homebuyer assistance, cleanup incentives in targeted areas, additional code enforcement, and additional resources to address homelessness.
G. Developing a program to assist Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher holders and other low- income renters with security deposits and moving expenses.
H. Using HOME funds to preserve and maintain affordable housing through Residential Rehabilitation Grants for lower- and moderate-income households.
Policy 4: Alleviate Governmental Constraints to Housing Production and Affordability.
The City will remove government constraints to housing production and affordability by:
A. Expanding the housing supply in single-family zones by allowing lot splits and duplexes.
B. Offering a ‘Pre-Selected ADU Plans Program’ to streamline the approval process for construction of an accessory dwelling unit.
C. Reviewing zoning regulations and City ordinances that unintentionally impede housing development.
D. Ensuring timely processing of housing development applications to minimize project carrying costs.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 67 E. Reviewing residential development fees and utility service fees to ensure that they do not unnecessarily constrain development.
F. Identifying and updating local regulations that may reduce housing choice and contribute to disparities in access to housing.
G. Proposing innovative solutions such as lot configuration, affordability covenants, and density bonuses, to encourage a variety of housing types in the market.
Policy 5: Promote Public Education and Equal Housing Opportunities for All Residents.
The City will promote equal housing opportunities for all residents by:
A. Contracting with the Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board to provide residents with fair housing services, including Tenant/Landlord dispute resolution, education on housing discrimination and tenant’s rights, fair housing literature, and housing resources for seniors.
B. Providing informational and educational materials on fair housing services at City Hall and on the City’s website for property owners, apartment managers, and tenants to reduce incidences of arbitrary discrimination in the building, financing, selling, or renting of housing based on race, religion, family status, national origin, disability, or other protected class.
C. Responding to complaints of discrimination by referring tenants to the Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board for investigation and resolution.
D. Supporting a continuum of fair housing services through the San Bernardino County Continuum of Care, in partnership with Inland Fair Housing Services, The National Council of Negro Women Young Adults Academic and Job Training Program, Rialto Family Health Services, Veterans Assistance Program, and the Empower Rialto Program offered by the Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino.
E. Reducing homelessness by collaborating with the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County to provide emergency rental and utility assistance to prevent eviction and utility service interruptions.
F. Creating an Affordable Housing Database and Outreach toolkit to match lower income families with housing opportunities based on individual needs.
G. Increasing outreach to local school districts, vocational schools, and other public and private educational and job training facilities to identify housing needs and improve housing opportunities for lower income households in low resource areas.
H. Conducting outreach to landlords to expand the number of properties accepting housing vouchers.
I. Conducting outreach to financial institutions seeking ways to discourage discrimination in underwriting and lending practices affecting Rialto households.
J. Coordinating with the San Bernardino County Housing Authority to enhance mobility counseling programs that increase housing choice for lower-income renters considering a move to another city.
K. Creating and promoting an affordable housing rental registry.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 68 Building Codes and Accessibility
Enacted in July, 1990, the Americans with Disabi lities Act (ADA) broadly prohibits discrimination on the basis of a wide range of cognitive, behavioral, and physical disabilities. The intent of the ADA is to ensure that all citizens enjoy equal access to a community’s public spaces, employment opportunities, and housing. Title III of the ADA applies specifically to commercial or public areas of newly constructed and existing multi-family housing, including amenities such as playgrounds and clubhouses or shared laundry rooms and mail distribution centers, as well as overall site circulation from parking areas to building entrances.
Prior to enactment of the ADA, the Fair Housing Act of 1968 explicitly prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing and is applied more broadly to residential properties throughout the U.S. According to HUD, it is only in very limited circumstances that the Act grants an exemption. These include owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units, single-family houses sold or rented by the owner without the use of an agent, and housing operated by religious organizations and private clubs that limit occupancy to members.
Other federal statutes related to the Fair Housing Act include, among others, Sections 504 & 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975. Without exception, these statutes apply to all projects receiving federal financial assistance. While the federal statutes apply to a wide range of activities, including the financing, sale or leasing of residential structures, a narrower focus is brought to bear on the physical development or alteration of various housing types.
Since passage of the ADA and the Fair Housing Act, standards have been put into place to ensure that newly constructed or remodeled multi-family housing meets the requirements of federal law.
Both the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) and the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) 2017 Guide to Accessible Buildings apply to residential development and remodeling.
Chapter 11 of the California Building Standards Code was developed by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to ensure compliance with laws regarding accessibility in public buildings, public accommodations, commercial buildings and public housing. Locally, the responsibility for compliance falls primarily to the Building and Safety Division of Rialto’s Community Development Department and the City’s Public Works Department. The Building and Safety Division webpage includes a link to suggested ‘Standard Details and Notes’ which can be incorporated into construction drawings to demonstrate compliance with ADA requirements governing construction of commercial buildings.
The City’s Public Works Department has responsibility for the application of ADA standards to essential infrastructure such as sidewalks, curb ramps, public right of ways, and parking facilities, as well as ensuring that all City programming and services are accessible to disabled members of the community. The City of Rialto adheres to its ADA Transition Plan, including an extensive survey of existing public facilities and amenities, to guide improvements to City assets.
The City’s Community Development Department and Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department are the principal administrators for a variety of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) entitlement funds, including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership program. Staff working in these departments collaborate with advocacy organizations across the community to identify fair housing concerns and incorporate strategic measures into the City’s annual HUD planning documents. The measures result in improved housing choice for disabled individuals and families.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 69 Prior to the award of HUD funds to subgrantees, department staff review applications for public service programming to ensure compliance with equal access requirements for protected classes.
Relevant federal provisions are included in all grant agreements. City staff regularly participate in training sessions offered by HUD, including tec hnical assistance on the application of ADA and Fair Housing statutes to HUD funded projects. By maintaining current knowledge of relevant statutes and collaborating with partner organizations in the community, the City demonstrates its commitment to fair housing choice in Rialto.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 70 Fair Housing Efforts and Resources
The City of Rialto demonstrates a strong commitment to fair housing through various initiatives aimed at educating residents, investigating complaints, and collaborating with regional agencies to ensure equitable housing opportunities for all.
Fair Housing Services and Education
Rialto partners with the Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board (IFHMB) to provide comprehensive fair housing services. IFHMB offers education on fair housing laws, investigates discrimination complaints, and assists residents in filing complaints when necessary. Additionally, they provide landlord-tenant mediation services to address housing disputes amicably. Residents can access these services by contacting IFHMB at (909) 984-2254 or visiting their website:
https://www.ifhmb.com.
To promote awareness, IFHMB conducts community outreach and educational workshops throughout the year. For instance, a free fair housing workshop was held on December 10, 2024, via Zoom, covering topics such as fair housing rights and responsibilities. Details about such events are often shared through local channels, including the City of Rialto’s official social media platforms.
Coordination with Regional and County Agencies
Beyond its collaboration with IFHMB, Rialto coordinates with county-level agencies to enhance its fair housing efforts. The Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) administers programs like Section 8 Housing Choi ce Vouchers, providing rental assistance to eligible low-income families. Residents seeking such assistance can find more information on HACSB’s website: https://hacsb.com. Furthermore, Rialto aligns its housing strategies with the broader goals outlined in San Bernardino County’s Analysis of Impedim ents to Fair Housing Choice, ensuring local policies contribute to regional fair housing objectives.
Recent Initiatives and Resources
In its Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Annual Action Plan, Rialto reported that fair housing services were provided to 274 residents through IFHMB. This underscores the city’s ongoing dedication to addressing housing discrimination and promoting equitable access to housing resources.
For residents seeking assistance or more information on fair housing resources, the City of Rialto’s Housing Division offers a curated list of services, including affordable housing options and mental health resources. These can be a ccessed through the city’s official website:
https://www.rialtoca.gov/895/Housing-Resources. Through these concerted efforts, Rialto continues to foster an community where all individuals have access to fair housing opportunities.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 71 Fair Housing Complaints
The following table provides a summary of Fair Housing complaints filed by Rialto residents with HUD and state Fair Housing Assistance Progr am (FHAP) agencies between January 2019 and November 2024. The complaints allege discrimination primarily based on Disability, as well as Sex, Race, Retaliation, and National Origin. Among the six complaints filed during this period, four included allegations of discriminatory refusal to rent, making this the most frequently reported issue. Other common issues included discriminatory terms or conditions of rental and failure to provide reasonable accommodation.
Five of the six complaints have been closed as of December 2023. Of those, two were closed with No Cause Determinations, indicating t hat HUD or the FHAP agency did not find sufficient evidence to support the allegations. One case was withdrawn by the complainant after resolution, and one was closed due to a lack of cooperation by the complainant. Only one case resulted in a monetary resolution through conciliation, with a compensation amount of $1,000. One complaint involving allegations of discriminatory refusal to rent and failure to make reasonable accommodation remains open.
It is important to note that, given the very small number of complaints over the past five years, the data do not provide a statistically robust basis for identifying patterns or drawing conclusions about systemic fair housing issues in Rialto. Complaint-based data often underrepresents actual incidents of housing discrimination, as many individuals may be unaware of their rights or reluctant to file formal complaints. These results should therefore be interpreted with caution and viewed in the broader context of other data sources and community engagement.
Table: Rialto, CA January 1, 2019 through November 25, 2024 HUD/
FHAP
Filing
Date
Closure
Date Bases Issues Case Disposition
All
Compensation
and Victims
Fund Amount
FHAP 07/12/19 10/03/19 National
Origin
Discriminatory terms,
conditions, privileges, or
services and facilities; Other
discriminatory acts
Complaint withdrawn by
complainant after
resolution
$0
HUD 06/24/20 03/08/21
Sex,
Disability,
Retaliation
Discriminatory refusal to rent;
Discrimination in
terms/conditions/privileges
relating to rental; Discriminatory
acts under Section 818
(coercion, Etc.)
Complainant failed to
cooperate $0
FHAP 11/12/20 10/12/21 Disability Discriminatory refusal to rent No cause determination $0 FHAP 06/21/23 09/22/23 Disability
Discriminatory terms,
conditions, privileges, or
services and facilities;
Discriminatory acts under
Section 818 (coercion, Etc.)
Conciliation/settlement
successful $1,000
FHAP 10/04/23 12/04/23 Race Discriminatory refusal to rent No cause determination $0 FHAP 06/11/24 Open Disability
Discriminatory refusal to rent;
Failure to make reasonable
accommodation
N/A $0
Source: HUD
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 72 Section 9. Key Findings
1. Housing Affordability, Availability, and Market Trends Rental Housing Market
There is a significant mismatch between renter income and market rents. One-third of Rialto renters earn less than 50% of the median renter income, while the average rent in March 2025 was $2,654—more than triple what those households can afford. Only one in five renters earns between 80%–100% of the median renter income, meaning a relatively small segment is positioned to afford current rents. Despite affordability challenges, Rialto has not yet seen widespread displacement of low- income renters, making homeownership programs a critical strategy to stabilize households.
For-Sale Housing Market
A median-income household can afford to purchase a home priced at approximately $287,495—far below the March 2025 listing median of $583,000. Renter households face steeper challenges, with affordable home prices for them estimated at $197,865. Only a limited number of mobile homes fall within this price range. Homes consistently sell above asking prices and remain on the market for 30 days or less, reflecting a highly competitive environment.
Rialto’s housing market shows limited turnover, with only 65% of loans originated for home purchases—lower than the national rate of 75 %. This indicates that homeowners tend to stay, potentially due to high costs of moving and lack of diverse housing options.
Development and Missing Middle Housing
The decline in one-unit attached dwellings and modest increases in smaller multi-family buildings highlight the absence of “Missing Middle” housing types, which are often more affordable and accessible to low- and moderate-income households. Promoting these housing types could expand choice and affordability in the local housing market.
2. Homeownership and Access to Credit
Disparities in Homeownership
Hispanic households represent 75% of Rialto’s population and have a relatively high homeownership rate of 68.3%, outperforming both national Hispanic and overall U.S. averages.
By contrast, Black/African American households make up 12.3% of the population but have a homeownership rate of just 13.2%.
White households, representing only 8.7% of the population, are more than twice as likely as Black households to be homeowners.
Credit Access and Mortgage Trends
The share of high-cost loans increased from under 3% to 12.3% from 2021–2023. Loans requiring federal insurance (FHA, VA) rose to 51.46%, which is 20 percentage points higher than the U.S. average—highlighting the financial vulnerability of Rialto buyers.
While loan denial rates are typically lower in high-income areas, elevated denial rates (up to 20%) in eastern census tracts with affluent Hispanic residents raise concerns about equitable lending practices.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 73 Over 54% of high-cost loans are issued to Hispanic borrowers, underscoring the need for closer examination of lending equity in Rialto.
3. Population Characteristics and Barriers to Housing Choice Aging Population
Rialto’s median age increased from 27.4 to 31.2 years, reflecting an aging population. Seniors living alone face heightened risks of housing instability due to the high cost of necessary home modifications that allow them to age in place. In R/ECAP Census Tract 37, 16% of residents are 65 or older and 82.5% are renters, compounding vulnerability for elderly residents in poverty.
Limited English Proficiency
Nearly 20% of Rialto’s population age 5 and older speaks English “less than very well.” Effective fair housing outreach must include culturally and linguistically appropriate resources, particularly for Rialto’s sizable immigrant population (1 in 4 residents is foreign- born).
4. Segregation, Disparities, and Geographic Patterns of Opportunity Segregation Patterns
Hispanic residents are widely integrated across Rialto, contributing to low or moderate racial/ethnic segregation scores.
However, economic segregation is evident, with wealthier households concentrated in limited areas—a pattern consistent with other U.S. cities.
Racially or Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty (R/ECAPs) Census Tract 37 meets HUD’s R/ECAP definition, with 78% Hispanic residents and more than half earning under $50,000 annually.
This tract features very low homeownership and aging renters in poverty, underscoring the need for targeted investment and resources.
Disparities in Public Housing
White and Asian households are overrepresented in subsidized housing compared to their poverty rates.
Hispanic households are underrepresented despite comprising the largest group of residents in poverty.
The geographic distribution of income-restricted housing and Housing Choice Vouchers correlates with lower-income areas, reinforcing segregation. Encouraging development of affordable housing in higher opportunity areas would expand fair housing choice and reduce concentrated disadvantage.
5. Employment, Economic Opportunity, and Housing Instability Labor Market Trends
Rialto has seen dramatic job growth in warehousing and logistics, with employment in the Transportation and Warehousing sector growin g by 453% since 2010, led by employers like Amazon, FedEx, and Target.
Manufacturing and construction jobs have also expanded significantly.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 74 Labor force participation is strong among adults aged 20–59 (nearly 79%), though 18.6% of the labor force is aged 60 or older—s uggesting economic necessity is keeping older residents working longer.
Barriers to Economic Mobility
A lack of workforce development remains a barrier to improving economic mobility. Disadvantaged census tracts—identified by poverty, low income, and high unemployment—are concentrated south of the Foothill Freeway and north of I-10. A 24% increase in commuters driving over 60 minutes highlights the mismatch between job locations and housing affordability, contributing to housing cost burdens.
Homelessness and Housing Instability
While the number of unsheltered individuals in Rialto is relatively low (73 people), 52 of them became homeless within the city—indicating local economic pressures, particularly high housing costs.
Expanding affordable housing would benefit all residents and help prevent further homelessness.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 75 Section 10. Fair Housing Action Plan
As the City of Rialto looks to its future, it is more important than ever to develop and implement a variety of public policies and programs designed to meet the changing needs of its population, particularly when it comes to promoting fair housing opportunities for all residents at every income level. The City of Rialto’s Fair Housing Action Plan, along with the Housi ng Element of Rialto’s general plan, form the core policy documents guiding efforts to achieve ongoing compliance with federal and state laws related to Fair Housing.
Along with the goal of promoting equal opportunity for all residents to live in the housing of their choice, Rialto’s housing goals include creating and maintaining an inventory of sites to increase the supply of affordable housing for lower-income residents, improving the quality of the existing housing stock in neighborhoods across the City, removing government constraints hampering development of new housing, and maximizing the use of available resources to meet the City’s local share of regional housing needs.
As the City of Rialto continues to evolve, ensuring fair housing access and opportunity remains central to its growth. The following strategic goals and corresponding actions provide a framework to eliminate barriers, expand housing choice, and affirmatively further fair housing across the city.
This action plan works in alignment with the City’s Housing Element and regional housing goals.
Goal 1: Expand and Diversify the Housing Supply
Prioritize and Incentivize Infill Development and Adaptive Reuse The City will continue to prioritize infill development by encouraging housing on vacant or underutilized parcels. The Community Development Department will work closely with for-profit and non-profit developers to streamline processes and provide clarity on zoning and entitlement for these sites. Adaptive reuse is also encouraged, especially for underperforming commercial sites that can be converted to mixed-use or residential developments. Equipping staff to facilitate these transitions can help reduce time and costs associated with redevelopment.
Increase Awareness of City Development Incentives
The City has established density bonuses and lot consolidation incentives for affordable housing development. To ensure developers take advantage of these tools, a dedicated planning staff position will be considered to help shepherd projects through the entitlement process. Additional zoning modifications—such as development fee rebates or tax incentives—can promote the creation of “Missing Middle” housing, which is vital for moderate-income households.
Expansion of Multi-Family Improvement Districts
The City may expand a successful Multi-Family Improvement District program to support acquisition and rehabilitation of existing properties. When paired with incentives such as density bonuses, this can help preserve affordable units and increase housing choice. These programs rely on local property owner participation and may include shared financing mechanisms to support reinvestment.
Receivership Program
The City will continue operating a receivership program to address vacant, abandoned, or blighted properties. In cases of absentee or non-compliant owners, a court-appointed receiver can oversee repairs, ensuring long-term habitability and reducing neighborhood disinvestment.
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 76 Goal 2: Improve Housing Access, Stability, and Equity for Vulnerable Populations
Promote the City’s Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resale (ARR) Program Through HUD funding, Rialto will collaborate with nonprofits to acquire and rehabilitate up to 100 units during this planning cycle. These units will be kept affordable for up to 55 years, targeting lower-income households and revitalizing aging housing stock.
Improve Housing Accessibility for People with Disabilities The City will share findings from this report with Fair Housing advocates and will assess the need for accessible housing in the community. Best practices include allocating a portion of CDBG funds to make home modifications for elderly and disabled residents, supporting independent living and aging in place.
Identify and Remove Barriers in Public Infrastructure
Through implementation of its ADA Transition Plan, the City aims to eliminate physical and procedural barriers that affect residents with disabilities. Synchronizing these improvements with housing development areas can maximize impact and accessibility citywide.
Housing and Facilities for the Homeless Population
Though Rialto’s homeless population is relatively small, it includes a disproportionate share of elderly, disabled, and minority residents. Increasing supportive housing, treatment centers, and respite care will improve housing outcomes and reduce returns to homelessness.
Addressing Displacement of Low-Income Households
The City will pursue a multi-pronged anti-displace ment strategy: preserving existing subsidized housing, enforcing its Condominium Conversion Ordinance, providing rental assistance, and working with the Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board to enforce tenant protections and mediate disputes.
Goal 3: Advance Economic Mobility Through Housing and Employment Integration
Target Workforce Development in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Employment growth and training programs are ke y to improving housing stability. The City will work with the Rialto Chamber of Commerce to attract diverse employers, support job training, and prioritize hiring local residents. These efforts will reduce commuting costs and align incomes with local housing costs, especially in disadvantaged census tracts.
Goal 4: Promote Inclusive, Equitable Homeownership and Lending Practices Expand Homeownership Opportunities for Low-Income Residents Rialto will work with the Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board to expand financial literacy programs and help low-income and minority residents navigate the mortgage process. The City will also increase access to down payment assistance and low-interest loans. These efforts aim to reduce reliance on high-cost loans and combat inequities in lending outcomes, especially among Hispanic borrowers.
Increase Housing Opportunities in High Resource Areas
The City will coordinate planning efforts to enable lot consolidation in key corridors and promote affordable development in high-opportunity neighborhoods. By incentivizing Accessory Dwelling
City of Rialto, CA 2024-2025 Fair Housing Assessment 77 Units (ADUs)—including through pre-approved designs, expedited review, and reduced entitlement fees—Rialto can meet its Regi onal Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) goals and support greater geographic equity in housing access.
Consider Adoption of a Local Source of Income Ordinance The City will evaluate a local Source of Income (SOI) protection ordinance, which would prohibit discrimination against renters using vouchers or other public assistance. Such protections are critical to expanding housing choice for people of color, people with disabilities, elderly renters, and single parents—groups disproportionately affected by SOI discrimination.
Goal 5: Strengthen Fair Housing Infrastructure, Outreach, and Enforcement Expand Fair Housing Efforts
Rialto will:
Continue collaboration with the Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board to investigate complaints and enforce fair housing laws.
Promote public education through printed and digital flyers made available at civic buildings and online.
Provide annual updates to City Council on fair housing progress. Encourage civic engagement from residents in low-income neighborhoods through recruitment to boards and commissions.
Address environmental justice issues in low-income areas by identifying and mitigating hazards.
Enhance code enforcement to ensure safe, habitable units and prevent displacement tied to unsafe housing conditions.
Conclusion:
The findings and related measures outlined in this report are evidence of the City’s ongoing commitment to understanding the housing needs of its population and promoting fair housing choice, particularly for vulnerable individuals and families. In practice, effective fair housing strategies should include multilingual resources, culturally sensitive communication, and partnerships with community organizations that ensure equitable access to housing opportunities.
Committing to the goals outlined in this Fair Housing Action Plan will ensure that Rialto is a fully inclusive community with a broad range of housing that reflects the multi-cultural values of its residents and results in vibrant, thriving neighborhoods across the City.