Visalia City Council
April 21, 2025

COMMUNITY INCENTIVES
Clean Alternatives to Fireworks
Pilot Incentive Program

Eligibility Criteria and Program Guidelines

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) is accepting applications for the Clean Alternatives to Fireworks Pilot Incentive Program. This pilot program provides incentives to public and private entities to fund clean firework alternatives, such as drone light shows, in lieu of a portion or all of a large - scale fireworks display performed within SJVAPCD boundaries celebrating the Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve, and other celebratory public gatherings.

Application Period
Opens: Monday, March 3, 2025
Closes: By 5:00pm on Friday, May 2, 2025

Applications received during this solicitation period will be reviewed for completeness and eligibility for program funds, and will be funded based on date of application submittal, location, and availability of program funding. Applicants must have an executed contract with the SJVAPCD prior to the event applied for in order to receive grant funding.

Program guidelines and applications are available on the SJVAPCD’s website at:
https://ww2.valleyair.org/grants/fireworks-alternatives

For questions about the program or application process, please contact us by phone or email:

(559) 230-5800
[email protected]
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Grants and Incentives Department
1990 East Gettysburg Avenue
Fresno, CA 93726-0244

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SJVAPCD Clean Alternatives to Fireworks Pilot Incentive Program March 2025 Program Guidelines

Incentive Funding
For this solicitation, the maximum funding available for the pilot program is $250,000. This funding will be allocated per county based on population.

County Total Funding Allocation
San Joaquin $39,440
Stanislaus $31,900
Merced $23,840
Madera $19,940
Fresno $46,460
Kings $19,680
Tulare $29,820
Kern (Valley) $38,920
Total: $250,000

To allow for equitable participation in the program, for the first 30 days of the solicitation period, priority will be given to applicants that have not previously received funding for the Clean Alternatives to Fireworks Pilot Incentive Program. Subsequent eligible applications received will be awarded funding on a first-come, first serve basis until program funds are exhausted. The funding awarded to eligible applicants will be limited to the maximum funding available per county, or the amount identified in the General Requirements table below, whichever is less.

General Requirements

* Approved clean alternatives to fireworks include drone shows, laser light shows, and other alternatives, as deemed eligible by the SJVAPCD on a case-by-case basis.

Maximum Incentive
Amount
• Up to 50% of total
eliglble costs
• Applicants must pay a
minimum cost-share of
50% of eligible costs
• Incentive cannot
exceed $20,000 per
event
• Applicants can only
apply for one event per
calendar year
Eligible Applicants
• Public entities:
• Such as counties,
cities, and school
districts
• Private entities:
• Such as private
organizations and non-
profits
Eligible Costs
• Contractor costs for
approved clean
alternatives to
fireworks*
• Local permitting costs
for the event
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SJVAPCD Clean Alternatives to Fireworks Pilot Incentive Program March 2025 Program Guidelines

Eligibility of Event

The SJVAPCD reserves the right to make the sole determination regarding the eligibility of the application.

Additional Requirements
1) If supplementing a fireworks display show, the event must comply with the California State Fireworks Law, California Health and Safety Code, Section 12500-12759 and the State Fireworks Regulations, Title 19, California Code of Regulations, Chapter 6. These publications can be found at https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/fire-engineering-and- investigations/fireworks.

2) Applicants must obtain the appropriate local permit(s) required to implement and administer the event.

3) Applicants must obtain appropriate insurance coverage for the event:
a) Minimum $2 million policy of combined limits for bodily damage and property damage.

b) The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District must be named as an additional insured on the policy.

4) Applicants must show that a substantial reduction of large-scale fireworks will occur through the use of the approved clean firework alternative identified in the application. • Must be for the purpose of celebrating the Fourth of July or New Year's Eve, or other celebratory public outdoor eventsEvent Type • Must take place in a location within the SJVAPCD boundaries, which include the counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, and the Valley portion of Kern Event
Location
• Must be a venue that can accomodate a large-scale public event • Neighborhood block parties and personal events are ineligibleEvent Venue 207
SJVAPCD Clean Alternatives to Fireworks Pilot Incentive Program March 2025 Program Guidelines

a) Example 1: This program may be an eligible option for an event that historically utilized fireworks transitioning completely away from, or significantly reducing (i.e. 50% reduction), the use of large-scale fireworks.

b) Example 2: This program may be an eligible option for a new celebratory event that proposes to use drones or other approved alternatives in lieu of utilizing large-scale fireworks.

5) Contractor(s) utilized by the applicant to conduct the fireworks alternative show must have the appropriate licenses for the type of service performed:
a) Drone shows:
i) Drones must be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). ii) Drone pilots must follow the FAA regulations, specifically UAS Rule Part 107. iii) Information can be found at https://www.faa.gov/uas.

b) Laser light shows:
i) Must follow the U.S Federal Food and Drug Administration protocol. Information can be found at https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/home-business-and- entertainment-products/laser-light-shows.

6) If applicant is awarded funding through the program, applicant must adhere to messaging and branding guidelines and requirements established by the SJVAPCD. Specific terms and conditions will be identified in the final grant agreement between the applicant and the SJVAPCD.

7) Applicant must have a fully executed agreement with the SJVAPCD prior to the event. a) Eligible costs shall be limited to services provided for the event identified in the application.

b) To assist with pre-event costs to secure a vendor(s), applicant may claim up to 50% of the incentive award (maximum of $10,000) towards eligible costs necessary for the preparation of the event including, but not limited to, deposits for the contractor performing the alternative to fireworks, permit fees, and insurance. Claims for these costs that were incurred before the event can be submitted to the SJVAPCD any time on or after the execution date of the grant agreement. Documentation such as contract details, receipts, and/or invoices substantiating costs will be required to be submitted with the claim.

c) Applicant shall not make final payment to the contractor they utilized for the alternative to fireworks until after their agreement with the SJVAPCD has been executed. 208
SJVAPCD Clean Alternatives to Fireworks Pilot Incentive Program March 2025 Program Guidelines

Application Process

The SJVAPCD anticipates that the applicant will complete their project as specified in their grant agreement. However, if it is necessary for the applicant to deviate from their original proposed project, applicant should notify the SJVAPCD of the changes as early as possible. This will allow program staff the opportunity to assess the deviation to ensure the project remains eligible under the program guidelines.

Submission of
Application
• Applicant submits a complete application packet to the SJVAPCD • See Checklist on the application for a full list of required items and documentation for a complete application
Application
Review
• SJVAPCD reviews the application packet for completeness and eligibility
• Applications received during the solication period that are deemed eligible and complete will be awarded funding on a first-come, first-served basis, pending the availability of funds
• For incomplete applications, SJVAPCD staff will contact applicant and work with them to complete the application
• For ineligible applications, applicant will be notified with the determination
Funding
• Upon approval of funding, a draft grant agreement will be issued to the applicant for signature
• Once all signatures have been obtained from the applicant and the SJVAPCD, the agreement is considered fully executed. The applicant will have up to 12 months to complete their project and submit final claims for reimbursement.
• Grant agreements will be awarded for up to 50% of total eliglble costs (total awarded will not exceed $20,000)
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SJVAPCD Clean Alternatives to Fireworks Pilot Incentive Program March 2025 Program Guidelines

Reimbursement Process
Funding provided to applicants in this program is through a reimbursement process. The applicant must submit a claim to the SJVAPCD for eligible costs incurred. Upon receipt and approval of an eligible and complete claim, the SJVAPCD will reimburse the applicant for eligible costs, up to the maximum incentive awarded.

In addition to a copy of their executed agreement, the applicant will receive a Payment Procedures packet, which will include instructions on how to submit a claim to the SJVAPCD for reimbursement. The claim process to receive reimbursement is as follows:

Submission
of Claim
• Submit a complete claim to the SJVAPCD:
• See Checklist in the Payment Procedures packet for a full list of items and documentation required for a complete claim • Claims can be submitted incrementally as eligible costs are incurred. Applicant does not have to wait until the
completion of the event and/or all eligble costs have been incurred to submit a claim and seek reimbursement.

Claim
Review
• SJVAPCD reviews the claim for completeness and eligibility:
• Only eligible costs incurred can be claimed
• For incomplete claims, applicant may be contacted for further information or additional documentation
• For ineligible claims, applicant will be notified for ineligibility Payment
• Payment will be issued to applicants for complete and eligible claims within approximately 45 working days from the date the claim was deemed complete
• Actual funding paid to the applicant may be reduced if the total invoiced costs of eligible items are less than the maximum funding awarded in the grant agreement
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Clean Alternatives to Fireworks Pilot Incentive Program Page 1 of 3 March 2025

COMMUNITY INCENTIVES
Clean Alternatives to Fireworks
Pilot Incentive Program Application
Applicant Information
Entity Name of Sponsoring Organization (as it appears on Form W-9):

Mailing Address: City: State: ZIP Code:

Physical Address: City: State: ZIP Code:

County:
 Fresno  Kern (Valley Portion)  Kings  Madera  Merced  San Joaquin  Stanislaus  Tulare  Other (please identify):

Primary Contact Information
Name: Title:

Phone Number: Fax Number: E-Mail:

Event Information
Event Name:

Address of Event: Date of Event:

Estimated Attendance: Public Display License, if displaying fireworks (if available):

Estimated total cost of celebratory display (include cost of fireworks, if it is part of the show):
$
Estimated total cost of the clean alternative to fireworks portion of the celebratory display:
$
Funding requested from SJVAPCD for the clean alternative to fireworks portion of the celebratory display:
$
City of Visalia
345 N Jacob St. Visalia CA 93291
Jason Glick
Parks & Recreation Director
(559)713-4042
[email protected]
Independence Spectacular
3611 N Dinuba Blvd Visalia, CA 93291
July 3, 2025
7,500
N/A
45,000
92,200
20,000
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Clean Alternatives to Fireworks Pilot Incentive Program Page 2 of 3 March 2025
If a contractor for the clean alternative to fireworks has already been selected for your project, please provide their information below. Please indicate “N/A” if a contractor has not been selected.

Company Name: Website:

Main Contact: Phone Number: Email:

Please provide as much information as possible for the following questions. While this information is required for funding, your application will not be deemed ineligible if information is not immediately available. District staff will work with you to assist in completing the application.

Please describe the clean alternative to fireworks that you are proposing to use for the event in this application (i.e., drones, laser lights, etc.), including the contractor(s) that you will be working with.

What is the estimated duration of the clean alternative to fireworks portion of the show? Will the clean alternative to fireworks be used simultaneously with fireworks or have its own dedicated time? Describe the amount of fireworks that will be reduced by using the clean alternative to fireworks. For example, explain the number and/or types of fireworks that would be replaced by using the clean alternative to fireworks, etc.

Electric Sky
www.electricsky.io
Ali Amini
(805)469-7272
[email protected]
City of Visalia will be hosting 2nd Annual Independence Spectacular on Thursday, July 3, 2025.

The event will culminate with two drone shows of 12-15 minutes per show with 300 drones and approximately 8 - 12 animations. The drone show will also be synced to music that will be played on radio stations owned and operated by Momemtum broadcasting.

There will be two drone shows of 12 - 15 minutes per show with 300 drones and approximately 8 - 12 animations. There will not be any fireworks display.

The City of Visalia will not be funding or sponsoring any events that use firework displays. 212

Clean Alternatives to Fireworks Pilot Incentive Program Page 3 of 3 March 2025
The following Certifications section must be signed by an authorized individual in the organization/business/agency that, if approved for funding, can enter into a legal binding agreement with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District for their project, and make financial decisions and/or guarantees on behalf of the organization/business/agency identified on this application.

Certifications
By signing this document, I certify that I have read the Community Incentives Clean Alternative to Fireworks Pilot Incentive Program Eligibility Criteria and Application Guidelines (Program Guidelines) and agree to ALL of its terms and conditions.

Submitting an application to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) does not guarantee funding.

Funding is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis for complete and eligible applications, until program funds are exhausted. If selected for funding, I agree to meet all of the requirements in the Program Guidelines.

I hereby certify that all information provided in this application and any attachments are true and correct to the best of my knowledge.

Application Checklist
When submitting an application for consideration, please include all of the following documents. An incomplete application packet will lengthen the application processing time and delay incentive funding. A complete application packet includes the following items:
 Completed Application (Pages 1 - 3), no fields blank. Please type N/A for those fields not applicable.  Itemized Quote for the Event. The quote must include contract costs for drone shows, laser lights shows, or other alternatives deemed eligible on a case-by-case basis, and local permitting costs.  First page of IRS Form W-9. The name listed on the W-9 must match the name listed on the application. The form can be accessed on the IRS’s website: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf  For public agencies only: Resolution from the Applicant’s governing body (i.e. City Council or County Board of Supervisors), authorizing the submittal of the application and identifying the individual and/or title of the individual authorized to implement the clean alternative to fireworks program. Other documentation signed by a duly authorized official with authority to make financial decisions can be submitted in lieu of a resolution.

 For businesses: A copy of your current business license.

Complete applications can be submitted via one of the following methods:

EMAIL: [email protected], Subject Line: CAF Pilot Program

MAIL or HAND-DELIVERY: San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Attention: Grants & Incentives Department
1990 East Gettysburg Avenue
Fresno, California 93726

Signing Authority’s Printed Name Title Email
Signing Authority’s Signature Date
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Visalia City Council
Staff Report
Visalia City Council
707 W. Acequia
Visalia, CA 93291
File #: 25-0143 Agenda Date: 4/21/2025 Agenda #: 10.

Agenda Item Wording:

Conditional Authorization to Engage Stripe for Microtransit Credit Card Payment Processing Services - Authorize the City Manager, upon completion of the staff vetting of the terms and conditions, to enter into a contract with Stripe to act as a third party credit card processing services provider for the microtransit pilot program for one year with the option of up to four one-year renewals, and up to $30,000 annually.

Deadline for Action: 4/21/2025
Submitting Department: Administration - Transit Division Contact Name and Phone Number:

Angelina DeRossett, Transit Manager; [email protected]; (559)713-4591 John Lollis, Assistant City Manager; [email protected]; (559)713-4323 Department Recommendation:

That the City Council authorize City Manager to enter into a contract for one year with the option of four one-year renewals and a maximum of $30,000 annually to utilize Stripe as a third party credit card payment processing services provider. This authorization is only to be acted upon once a through vetting of the terms and conditions has been completed and a contract agreed upon.

Staff is requesting this unusual procedure of asking for authorization prior to having the majority of the contract being finalized due to the importance of launching the microtransit project as soon as possible. Staff believes that having this authorization will accelerate the launch of the program.

Background Discussion:

Protection of customer credit card data is a primary concern for the City when contracting for credit card payment and processing services. Credit card payment safety is measured according to standards set by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council. Stripe credit card payment processing services have received certification at the highest rating (Level 1) for PCI Compliance. Stripe is a popular third party payment platform used by many types of businesses of various sizes. There are a wide range of online tools and ways to accept payments on the Stripe payment platform. For the purposes of the City’smicrotransit, if deemed appropriate once the vetting is completed, Stripe will be used to process the credit card payments that passengers submit when booking a ride for the microtransit program.

Instacart, Lyft and Wayfair are just some of the larger companies that utilize Stripe as its credit card payment processing platform. A contract is not attached to this item given that City staff has not had adequate time to fully vet the terms and conditions. Upon final approval of the contract, it will be brought to Council to confirm.

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File #: 25-0143 Agenda Date: 4/21/2025 Agenda #: 10.

The delayed and unusual procedure is the result of the Stripe third party vendor information not being included in the proposal information provided by the microtransit software vendor Via, therefore, when the project was presented to the City Council previously at its meeting on September 16, 2024, Transit staff did not request and Council did not authorize the Stripe payment processing platform.

Transit staff met with the City’sInformation Technology Manager and Finance Director to discuss Stripe, and the secondary option supported on the Via platform (Brain Tree) and were advised to continue forward with Stripe upon completion of the full vetting of the system. It should also be noted that both the Tulare County Regional Transit Agency and the City of Porterville also utilize Stripe as the third party credit card payment processor through Via for microtransit services.

Fiscal Impact:

The microtransit pilot program is being supported by State Senate Bill 125 transit grant funds provided by the Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG).

Prior Council Action:
24-0016 12-04-2023 Authorization to partner with County on microtransit 23-0454 12-15-2023 Approval of Project Budget List (microtransit included) 24-0258 06-24-2024 Rescinding of County partnership for microtransit 24-0251 09-16-2024 Award for microtransit software and vehicle purchase 24-0497 11-22-2024 Authorization to receive SB125 funding for microtransit 24-0562 03-03-2025 Transit update presentation (microtransit included) 24-0432 03-03-2025 Rates and Fees for microtransit service 25-0074 03-17-2025 Recommendation from staff on branding microtransit service Other:

N/A
Alternatives:

The City Council could reject the Stripe standard terms and conditions, and direct staff to explore the secondary option of Brain Tree.

Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):

Environmental Assessment Status:

N/A
CEQA Review:

N/A
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Visalia City Council
Staff Report
Visalia City Council
707 W. Acequia
Visalia, CA 93291
File #: 25-0039 Agenda Date: 4/21/2025 Agenda #: 1.

Agenda Item Wording:

Adopt FY 2025/26 -2029/30 Consolidated Plan and FY 2025/26 Action Plan - Public Hearing to adopt 1) Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Consolidated Plan (ConPlan), Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), Citizens Participation Plan (CPP), and FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan for the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) Funds; and 2) FY 2024/25 CDBG Action Plan Amendment.

Deadline for Action: 4/21/2025
Submitting Department: Finance and Technology Services
Contact Name and Phone Number:

Margie Perez, Housing Specialist, [email protected], (559) 713-4460; Melody Murch, Assistant Finance Director, [email protected], (559) 713-4379; Renee Nagel, Finance Director, [email protected], (559) 713-4375 Department Recommendation:

Staff recommends that Council:
1) Conduct a second public hearing, allowing a final opportunity for citizen input; and 2) Approve and adopt the FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Consolidated Plan for the use of CDBG and HOME funds inclusive of the AI, CPP; and
3) Adopt and appropriate the FY 2025/26 Action Plan proposed CDBG and HOME activities; and 4) Authorize City Manager or their designee to enter into all contracts as listed in FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan; and
5) Approve and appropriate FY 2024/25 CDBG Action Plan Amendment; and 6) Authorize City Manager or their designee to submit the FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 ConPlan, FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan, and FY 2024/25 Action Plan Amendment to HUD.

Background Discussion:

As required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the City must develop a Consolidated Plan (ConPlan) every 5-years to guide the use of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funding. The 5-year ConPlan is the framework for CDBG and HOME resources to support projects benefiting low-and moderate-income households by providing affordable housing, a suitable living environment, economic opportunities, public services, and providing for infrastructure improvements.

The Con Plan process which began in February of 2024 is drawing to a close, and staff is seeking final public comment on the priorities and activity allocations proposed for the FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 ConPlan, first year FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan, and FY 2024/25 Action Plan Amendment. Tonight’spublic hearing will complete the citizen participation process which has been conducted to obtain community input for the development of the proposed FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 ConPlan, FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan, and FY 2024/25 Action Plan Amendment. This is the Visalia City Council Printed on 4/16/2025Page 1 of 13
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File #: 25-0039 Agenda Date: 4/21/2025 Agenda #: 1.

ConPlan, FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan, and FY 2024/25 Action Plan Amendment. This is the second public hearing to be held during the 30-day public comment period with the first having been held on April 7, 2025. Council is asked to consider the comments, recommendations, and requests for funding as provided in further detail below and provide final approval.

The City is an entitlement jurisdiction and receives HUD annual allocations through:
· Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) - to develop viable communities by providing decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons. The first year FY 2025/26 annual allocation is estimated to be $1,200,000 with an estimated $50,000 in program income, and $450,000 in prior year resources.
· HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) - funds affordable housing activities including homeownership, rehabilitation of housing, development of affordable housing, and tenant-based rental assistance to low-income households. The first year FY 2025/26 annual allocation is estimated to be $500,000 with an estimated $100,000 in program income, and $40,000 in prior year resources.

Consolidated Plan: The Consolidated Plan (ConPlan) establishes a comprehensive strategy that identifies community priority needs, and details how they will be addressed. The ConPlan strategy also includes the City’sCitizen Participation Plan (CPP), which governs how the City will conduct outreach and encourage citizen participation in development of the ConPlan, Action Plan, Amendments, and Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for the next 5- year term. Also included in the ConPlan is the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), which assists in identifying any barriers to affordable housing, as well as examines policies and fair housing practices.

Community Needs Assessment: The City has completed a comprehensive Community Needs Assessment through engaging citizens and stakeholders to assess community development and housing needs to identify the highest priority needs related to the use of both CDBG and HOME funding over the next 5-years. Through public notice of community meetings and surveys, opportunities were provided for the community to give feedback on spending priorities for the next 5- years. This feedback serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities for FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30. Full citizen participation is shown in Attachment “F” - Citizen Participation Plan. In addition to receiving community priorities, staff received City Council priorities and direction on September 3, 2024, and December 3, 2024, for the 5 -year (FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30) ConPlan.

The overall top 5 gaps identified by the Community Needs Assessment include:
1) Affordable Housing
2) Homeless/Homeless Prevention
3) Emergency Drop-In Shelter
4) Home Repair Assistance
5) Job Training
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File #: 25-0039 Agenda Date: 4/21/2025 Agenda #: 1.

FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Consolidated Plan (See Attachment “A):

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
CDBG Allowable Activities: The purpose of the CDBG program is to enhance and maintain viable communities through the provision of decent affordable housing, a suitable living environment, and economic opportunities for low-and moderate-income persons. HUD allows up to 20% of CDBG funds to be used towards administration and up to 15% to Public Service activities. The remaining 65% is available for other community development projects such as public facilities improvements, economic development, and housing.

CDBG eligible activities include but are not limited to (*indicates activities limited to the 15% public services cap):

1. Public services* (limited to 15%)
a. Homeless, homeless prevention, domestic violence, job training, senior, disabled, youth, mental health, substance abuse, and fair housing.

2. Acquisition & Disposition
a. Acquisition & disposition of real property, cleanup of contaminated sites.

3. Public Facilities & Improvements
a. Homeless facilities, senior centers, youth centers, and infrastructure including water, sewer, street, sidewalk, parks, and ADA improvements.

4. Economic Development
a. Acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, small business assistance, job creation/retention, technical assistance, and job training*.

5. Housing
a. Homeowner assistance, housing counseling*, rehabilitation of single/multi-family, emergency repairs, code enforcement, and historical preservation.

CDBG Recommended Activities: HUD allows up to 20% of CDBG to be spent on administration.

HUD also allows up to 15% of CDBG funds to be spent on public service activities. Staff recommend the maximum amounts to be programmed for administration and public services, with public service activities to be determined on an annual basis by the Annual Action Plan process, based upon an annual Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). HUD encourages the use of these funds to include fair housing and partnering with the Continuum of Care, both of which are funded as part of the 15% public service funding activities.

Based upon the community needs assessment and Council’spriorities, staff recommends CDBG funding for the development of a year-round overnight emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness. A year-round overnight emergency shelter is a vital part of the process of bringing individuals out of homelessness and will support the Police Department in providing immediate shelter, including for those residing in parks, commercial, and residential areas.

Staff also recommends beginning a Senior Single-Family Home Repair Program for senior/disabled low-to-moderate-income owner occupants of single-family homes to assist with essential home repairs such as roof repairs/replacement, plumping repairs, ADA improvements, and efficiency Visalia City Council Printed on 4/16/2025Page 3 of 13
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improvements etc. to assist seniors/disabled residents to remain in their homes.

Staff recommends continued funding for:
· Code Enforcement in low-income deteriorating areas,
· Senior Mobile Home Repair Program,
· Park improvements for low-income areas, and
· Public improvements to address the continued need for ADA accessible sidewalks.

A summary of the proposed CDBG funded activities for the next 5-year Consolidated Plan is shown below in Table 1: FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Proposed CDBG Activities and included as Attachment “B”.

HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME)
HOME Allowable Activities: The purpose of HOME funding is to create and/or retain affordable housing. HUD defines affordable housing as housing where a household pays no more than 30% of their gross income for housing costs, including utilities. Most HOME affordability housing developments are for households with incomes at 60% of the area median income (AMI) or less. For example, a qualifying family of four at 60% AMI in FY 2024/25 has an income of $52,740 or lower and should not be spending more than $15,822 per year on housing.

HOME funding requires that at least 15% of the annual HOME grant be provided to a certified Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) for the development of affordable housing (rental and/or ownership).

HOME funds can be used for housing within four basic programs:

1. Development of affordable housing
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2. Homebuyer assistance

3. Rehabilitation for owner-occupants

4. Tenant-Based Rental Assistance
HOME Recommended Activities: HOME funding requires that at least 15% of the annual grant be provided to a certified Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) for the development of affordable housing. Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) is currently the only local organization which meets the HOME CHDO certification requirements. SHE submitted a request for a conditional commitment for the use of their reserved 2025 HOME CHDO set aside, for use toward Crescent Meadows, a senior affordable housing project. Staff will perform preliminary underwriting for the project and will present a formal request for a “conditionalcommitment”of funds to Council at a future council meeting. Also, future 2026-2029 funding may be directed to SHE or another qualified CHDO developer for the development of affordable housing (single and multi-family). In addition, there is a shortage of rental subsidies in our region to support permanent supportive housing (PSH) units for people experiencing homelessness. HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) can assist in providing much needed rental subsidies for PSH units within the City of Visalia.

Based on the community needs assessment and Council priorities, staff recommends utilizing HOME funds for:
· Development of a senior affordable housing,
· Affordable housing for low-income families, and
· TBRA to support PSH units for people experiencing homelessness.

A summary of the proposed HOME funded activities for the next 5-year Consolidated Plan is shown below in Table 2: FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Proposed HOME Activities and included as Attachment “B”.

First Year FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan (See Attachment “A”):

The FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan is the first year of the next 5-year ConPlan, and the plan objectives are based upon the City’s 5-year Strategic Plan. The proposed programs for the FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan were formulated based upon applications received in response to a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) released by the City to seek applications for the available Visalia City Council Printed on 4/16/2025Page 5 of 13
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Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) released by the City to seek applications for the available funding. The FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan consists of an estimated $1.7 million in CDBG projected resources and $0.64 million in HOME projected resources. The FY 2025/26 proposed CDBG and HOME resources, activities, and funding allocations are explained in further detail below.

FY 2025/26 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Annual Action Plan:

Estimated 2025 CDBG Resources and Expenses: The FY 2025/26 CDBG resources consists of $1.2 million in estimated annual grant allocation, $0.05 million in estimated program income, and $0.45 million in estimated prior year resources for a total of $1.7 million in 2025 estimated CDBG resources as identified in Table 3: FY 2025/26 CDBG Estimated Resources. CDBG program income is generated from repayments of CDBG funded first-time homebuyer and owner-occupied rehabilitation loans.

CDBG Administration and Public Service Activities:

The proposed PY 2025 Annual Action Plan administration and public service activities are listed below.
· CDBG Admin & Planning: At $250,000
o The 2025 CDBG administration and planning budget is $250,000, which is 20% of the 2025 grant allocation and program income. The administration budget will pay for staff and operations to oversee the CDBG program.
· CDBG Public Services: At $180,000
o CDBG federal regulations restrict public services to 15%. Therefore, $180,000 is the total available from the 2025 grant allocation and prior year program income. The FY 2025 Proposed CDBG Public Services are listed below in Table 4: FY 2025/26 CDBG Public Services.

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· Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance (KTHA): At $20,000
o KTHA is the designated Continuum of Care (CoC) for our region. The CoC is recommended by HUD as a comprehensive approach to promote communitywide cooperation to end homelessness. As the designated CoC, KTHA oversees the Point in Time (PIT) Count. KTHA oversees the administration of HUD funded Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), Coordinated Entry System (CES), Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) which begins the process of housing placement. KTHA also operates the Visalia weekly Local Initiatives Navigation Center (LINC) at the Visalia Rescue Mission to promote services including housing placement assistance, mainstream benefit enrollment, social security advocacy, substance abuse program enrollments, clothing, and food assistance.
· Family Services of Tulare County (FSTC): At $50,000
o FSTC administers a HUD CoC Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) rental voucher program that requires a 25% match to secure funding. These CDBG funds will be used as a required match to secure rental vouchers for Visalia chronically homeless individuals. FSTC also provides case management and support services to chronically homeless persons already housed who are currently receiving a rental voucher. If match is not secured, these currently housed chronically homeless individuals could return to living on the streets in Visalia.
· Kings View - Housing Flex Funds: At $45,000
o Kings View will provide housing flex funds as direct client assistance which includes security deposits, rental application fees, utility deposits, motel vouchers, legal fees, and emergency rental assistance to prevent evictions. Direct outreach services also include case management, transportation assistance, legal document assistance, and completion of the VI-SPDAT (Vulnerability Index-Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool) assessment to begin housing placement. In addition, 75% of Kings View CDBG funds go directly to client assistance. Kings View does an excellent job in leveraging other funding to cover salaries and administrative costs. · Kings View - Eden House: At $45,000
o Kings View is the new operating provider for Eden House, a transitional - bridge housing project for people experiencing homelessness awaiting a permanent housing unit. Kings View is requesting client meal assistance for 15 Visalia-designated beds.

Eden House as a transitional bridge housing project is unable to charge rents to collect ongoing revenue, such as permanent housing projects. As a result, Eden House is dependent on grant funding for ongoing operating costs. If insufficient grant funding is secured each year, the project is at risk of closing. Eden House also serves as an additional level of support in transitioning from homelessness to independent permanent housing. Eden House provides 24/7 on-site staffing and provides three meals a day. Eden House will also serve as a next level of housing for those exiting the Navigation Center that require additional services prior to entering permanent housing.

CDBG Affordable Housing Projects:

The FY 2025 CDBG Proposed Affordable Housing Projects are listed below and included in Table 5:

FY 2025/26 CDBG Affordable Housing Projects.

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· Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) - Single-Family Home Repair Program: At $100,000 o SHE will administer a Single-Family Home Repair Program (SFHRP) to provide at least 3 low-income senior and/or disabled owner-occupied homeowners with necessary repairs including roof repair/replacement, accessibility improvements, and energy efficient improvements.
o The SFHRP will provide up to $25,000 in assistance per household to allow for additional home repairs including roof repairs. The most sought-after repairs are roof repairs ranging from $20,000 to $25,000 per home.
· Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) - Senior Mobile Home Repair Program: At $100,000 o SHE will administer a Senior Mobile Home Repair Program (SMHRP) to provide at least 3 low-income senior and/or disabled owner-occupied mobile homeowners with necessary repairs including roof repair/ replacement, accessibility improvements, and floor repair/replacement.
o The SMHRP will provide up to $25,000 in assistance per mobile home, to allow for additional repairs including roof repairs. The most sought-after repairs are roof repairs ranging from $20,000 to $25,000 per mobile home.
· Code-Enforcement: At $170,000
o CDBG code enforcement will provide inspections in CDBG eligible low-moderate income deteriorating and/or deteriorated target areas to address substandard housing.

This funding pays the full cost of one staff position which is responsible for code enforcement in CDBG Target Areas. Code Enforcement activities were identified as an objective during the development of the 5-year Consolidated Plan. HUD requires consistent CDBG drawdowns to prevent becoming an at-risk grantee. Code Enforcement allows for consistent monthly CDBG drawdowns to remain in compliance with CDBG regulations. Code enforcement also generates CDBG program income that is returned to the program.

CDBG Facility Improvement Projects:

The FY 2025 CDBG proposed facility improvement projects are listed below and included in Table 6:

FY 2025/26 CDBG Facility Improvements.

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· Emergency Shelter Development: At $900,000
o Development of a drop-in overnight emergency shelter. During the development of the Consolidated Plan Community Needs Assessment, the need for an overnight drop-in emergency shelter was identified as a high priority need. Council also requested that the development of a drop-in emergency shelter be included in the next 5-year ConPlan during the September 3, 2024, City Council meeting. The location of the emergency shelter is unknown at this time. If approved by Council, an RFP process will be conducted to determine a developer, administrator, and project site. *Any increase or decrease of 2025 CDBG annual allocation, program income, and/or prior year resources will be an adjustment to the Emergency Shelter Development Project.

FY 2025/26 HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) Annual Action Plan:

Estimated FY 2025/26 HOME Resources and Expenses: The PY 2025 HOME projected resources include $500,000 in HOME estimated annual grant allocation, $100,000* in estimated program income, and $40,000 in prior year resources for a total of $640,000 as identified in Table 7: FY 2025/26 HOME Estimated Resources. *HOME program income is normally generated from repayment of HOME funded first-time homebuyer or owner-occupied rehabilitation loans.

The 2025 Proposed HOME funding is listed below and included in Table 8: FY 2025/26 HOME Funding Summary.
· HOME Administration: At $50,000
o FY 2025/26 HOME Admin and Planning. This amount is within the 10% allowed for administration of the HOME program by HUD.

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· HOME CHDO Multi-Family Project Rancho Colegio: At $290,000 o Towards construction of Rancho Colegio the current HOME CHDO Multi-Family development project, an 80-unit affordable rental housing complex for low-income working households. This final piece of funding will complete the City’s HOME commitment of $1.29 million to the Rancho Colegio Project, which was approved by Council on 8/7/2023. As a HOME Participating Jurisdiction, the City is required to provide at least 15% of the annual HOME funds awarded to a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) to develop affordable housing. Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) is currently the only certified CHDO for the City of Visalia. The 15% CHDO set-aside has been combined with additional available HOME funds from FY 2023/24 and FY 2024/25 to provide for a CHDO multi-family project as specified in the current 5-year ConPlan.
· HOME Senior Affordable Housing Project: At $300,000
o To a Senior Affordable Housing project within the City of Visalia for low-income seniors aged 62 years and over in conjunction with the next 5-year ConPlan. SHE submitted a request for a conditional commitment for the use of the reserved 2025 HOME CHDO set aside, for use toward Crescent Meadows, a senior affordable housing project. Staff will perform preliminary underwriting for the project and will present a formal request for a “conditional commitment” of funds to Council at a future council meeting. *Any increase or decrease of PY 2025 HOME annual allocation, program income, and/or prior year resources will be an adjustment to the HOME Senior Affordable Housing project amount.

FY 2024/25 Action Plan Amendment (see Attachment “C”):

The FY 2024/26 CDBG Action Plan Amendment includes reappropriating $450,000 of unspent CDBG ADA tree well funds (CP0624). The project was delayed to allow an application for additional grant funds to complete the downtown ADA improvements. Funding for the ADA tree well project will now be provided in the next 5-year ConPlan in years three and four. As a result, the FY 2024/25 unspent $450,000 from the ADA tree well funds (CP0618) will be reprogrammed into the next FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan, as shown below in Table 9: FY 2024/25 CDBG Action Plan Amendment. These funds are now reflected in the FY 2025/26 CDBG resources shown above in Table 3: FY 2025/26 CDBG Estimated Resources.

Additional Information on Housing Conditions and Fair Housing related to the development of the FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Consolidated Plan:

Housing Windshield Survey (Attachment “D”):

Included with the consulting services from Baker Tilly was a Housing Windshield Survey which gives Visalia City Council Printed on 4/16/2025Page 10 of 13
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Included with the consulting services from Baker Tilly was a Housing Windshield Survey which gives insight to existing conditions of single-family and multi-family dwellings within the City. City staff identified areas of Visalia to be included in the windshield survey as part of the ConPlan analysis.

Baker Tilly and City staff conducted these surveys on Fall of 2024. Baker Tilly and City staff identified neighborhoods and randomly selected homes to profile to ensure impartiality and provide a better reflection of the neighborhood being surveyed. A copy of the Housing Windshield Survey can be found as Attachment “D”.

Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (Attachment “E”):

As noted above, the ConPlan includes the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), which assesses the extent of housing needs among specific income groups, evaluates housing choices, and analyzes conditions in the private and public sector that could impede a person’s access to such housing. The AI highlights meaningful actions that the City will implement to address patterns of segregation, promote fair housing choice, reduce disparities in opportunities, and foster inclusive communities free from discrimination. A copy of the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice can be found in Attachment “E”.Through the completion of the AI, the goals below were developed to address fair housing choice barriers within the City of Visalia. 1) Goal #1 - Development of Affordable Housing
a. Homeless Permanent Supportive Housing
b. Senior Housing
c. Farmworker Housing
d. Veteran Housing
2) Goal #2 - Development of an Emergency Shelter
3) Goal #3 - Tenant Based Rental Assistance
4) Goal #4 - Fair Housing Services
Citizen Participation Plan (Attachment “F”):

As a recipient of HUD funding, the City is also required to prepare a Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) every five years, in conjunction with the 5-Year Consolidated Plan. The primary goal of the CPP is to encourage citizen’s participation, especially low- and moderate-income citizens of the community where CDBG and HOME funded activities will take place. It is an opportunity to provide input on the planning, and implementation of the programs activities through the ConPlan, Annual Action Plan, and Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). The CPP includes guidelines for how citizen participation will be conducted. A copy of the FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Citizen Participation Plan can be found in Attachment “F”.

Public Hearing for Adoption: The 30-day public comment period for the review of the Draft FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Consolidated Plan, first year FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan, Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, Citizen Participation Plan, and FY 2024/25 Annual Action Plan Amendment began on March 21st through April 21st, 2025. During the 30-day public comment period Visalia City Council Printed on 4/16/2025Page 11 of 13
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the draft plans were available for public review on the City’s website atwww.visalia.city <http://www.visalia.city>. Public notices were published on City’s social media outlets, and in the Visalia Times Delta on March 18th, March 21st, and April 1st, 2025. Public notices were also included in Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance email listserv to over 450 stakeholders. A public hearing was conducted on April 7, 2025, to allow public comment and input. The proposed plans were also presented at the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) on April 2, 2025, to receive additional public input. Tonight’s public hearing is the final step in the public comment period. The adopted FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Consolidated Plan is due to HUD by May 15, 2025.

Fiscal Impact:

Approval of this item will appropriate $1,200,000 of FY 2025/26 annual CDBG grant funds, $500,000 of FY 2025/26 annual HOME grant funds which are to be received on a reimbursement basis. This will require submission of the 2025 Annual Action Plan and to HUD in the Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS) to properly track and report on separate activities.

Prior Council Action:
· April 20, 2020: Adoption of the current 5-year FY 2020/21 - FY 2024/25 Consolidated Plan (ConPlan).
· September 3, 2024: Public Hearing to allow City Council and citizens to provide input on identifying high priority needs for development of the next 5-year FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 ConPlan.
· December 3, 2024: Work session to receive an update and have Council provide direction on the development of the next 5-year FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 ConPlan. Review of draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI).
· April 7, 2025: Review and comment on Draft FY 2025/26 ConPlan, FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan, AI, CCP, and FY 2024/25 Action Plan Amendment.

Other: None.

Alternatives: None.

Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):

I move to:
1) Approve and adopt the FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Consolidated Plan for the use of CDBG and HOME funds inclusive of the AI, CPP; and
2) Adopt and appropriate the FY 2025/26 Action Plan proposed CDBG and HOME activities; and 3) Authorize City Manager or their designee to enter into all contracts as listed in FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan; and
4) Approve and appropriate FY 2024/25 CDBG Action Plan Amendment; and 5) Authorize City Manager or their designee to submit the FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 ConPlan, FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan, and FY 2024/25 Action Plan Amendment to HUD.

Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: N/A
Attachments:

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· Attachment A: 2025/26 - 2029/30 ConPlan & 2025/26 Action Plan · Attachment B: 2025/26 - 2029/30 ConPlan & 2025/26 Action Plan Tables · Attachment C: 2024/25 Annual Action Plan Amendment
· Attachment D: Windshield Survey Report
· Attachment E: Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice · Attachment F: Citizen Participation Plan
· Attachment G: Draft Subrecipient Agreement
· Attachment H: 2025/26 - 2029/30 ConPlan PowerPoint
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City of Visalia 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan

City of Visalia, CA
FY 2025/26 – FY 2029/30 Consolidated Plan and
FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................... 4 ES-05 Executive Summary - 24 CFR 91.200(c), 91.220(b) ...................................................................... 4 The Process ............................................................................................................................................... 11 PR-05 Lead & Responsible Agencies 24 CFR 91.200(b) ....................................................................... 11 PR-10 Consultation - 91.100, 91.200(b), 91.215(l) ................................................................................. 12 PR-15 Citizen Participation...................................................................................................................... 18 Needs Assessment ................................................................................................................................... 24 NA-05 Overview....................................................................................................................................... 24 NA-10 Housing Needs Assessment - 24 CFR 91.205 (a,b,c) .................................................................. 28 NA-15 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Problems – 91.205 (b)(2) ......................................... 37 NA-20 Disproportionately Greater Need: Severe Housing Problems – 91.205 (b)(2) ............................ 41 NA-25 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Cost Burdens – 91.205 (b)(2) .................................... 45 NA-30 Disproportionately Greater Need: Discussion – 91.205(b)(2) ...................................................... 46 NA-35 Public Housing – 91.205(b) .......................................................................................................... 49 NA-40 Homeless Needs Assessment – 91.205(c) .................................................................................. 53 NA-45 Non-Homeless Special Needs Assessment - 91.205 (b, d) .......................................................... 66 NA-50 Non-Housing Community Development Needs – 91.215 (f) ......................................................... 70 Market Analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 71 MA-05 Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 71 MA-10 Number of Housing Units – 91.210(a)&(b)(2) ............................................................................... 73 MA-15 Housing Market Analysis: Cost of Housing - 91.210(a) ................................................................ 77 MA-20 Housing Market Analysis: Condition of Housing – 91.210(a) ...................................................... 79 MA-25 Public and Assisted Housing – 91.210(b) .................................................................................... 81 MA-30 Homeless Facilities and Services – 91.210(c) .............................................................................. 84 MA-35 Special Needs Facilities and Services – 91.210(d) ..................................................................... 88 MA-40 Barriers to Affordable Housing – 91.210(e) .................................................................................. 92 MA-45 Non-Housing Community Development Assets – 91.215 (f) ........................................................ 94 MA-50 Needs and Market Analysis Discussion ..................................................................................... 100 MA-60 Broadband Needs of Housing .................................................................................................... 106 MA-65 Hazard Mitigation ....................................................................................................................... 110 Strategic Plan .......................................................................................................................................... 114 SP-05 Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 114 SP-10 Geographic Priorities – 91.215 (a)(1) ......................................................................................... 115 SP-25 Priority Needs - 91.215(a)(2) ...................................................................................................... 117 SP-30 Influence of Market Conditions – 91.215 (b) .............................................................................. 121 SP-35 Anticipated Resources - 91.215(a)(4), 91.220(c)(1,2) ................................................................ 122 SP-40 Institutional Delivery Structure – 91.215(k) ................................................................................ 125 230
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SP-45 Goals Summary – 91.215(a)(4) .................................................................................................. 128 SP-50 Public Housing Accessibility and Involvement – 91.215(c) ........................................................ 130 SP-55 Barriers to affordable housing – 91.215(h) ................................................................................. 131 SP-60 Homelessness Strategy – 91.215(d) .......................................................................................... 132 SP-65 Lead based paint Hazards – 91.215(i) ....................................................................................... 134 SP-70 Anti-Poverty Strategy – 91.215(j) ............................................................................................... 135 SP-80 Monitoring – 91.230 .................................................................................................................... 136 Action Plan............................................................................................................................................... 137 AP-15 Expected Resources – 91.220(c)(1,2)........................................................................................ 137 AP-20 Annual Goals and Objectives ..................................................................................................... 140 AP-35 Projects – 91.220(d) ................................................................................................................... 142 AP-38 Project Summary ........................................................................................................................ 143 AP-50 Geographic Distribution – 91.220(f) ........................................................................................... 147 AP-55 Affordable Housing – 91.220(g) ................................................................................................. 148 AP-60 Public Housing – 91.220(h) ........................................................................................................ 150 AP-65 Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities – 91.220(i)......................................................... 152 AP-75 Barriers to affordable housing – 91.220(j) .................................................................................. 155 AP-85 Other Actions – 91.220(k) .......................................................................................................... 157 AP-90 Program Specific Requirements – 91.220(l)(1,2,4) .................................................................... 162

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Executive Summary
ES-05 Executive Summary - 24 CFR 91.200(c), 91.220(b)
Introduction
The City of Visalia (“the City”) is an entitlement jurisdiction for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and a participating jurisdiction for the HOME Investment Partnerships Act Program (HOME). As a requirement by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the City develops a Consolidated Plan (Con Plan) every five years to guide the use of federal CDBG and HOME funding. The five-year Con Plan is the guiding document for allocating these resources which support projects and programs that benefit low- and moderate-income people by increasing housing and economic opportunities, strengthening low-income neighborhoods, and addressing public service and infrastructure needs. The Annual Action Plan is also required by HUD each year of the five-year cycle and will summarize the programs and projects that will be funded by the annual grants to achieve the goals and objectives of the Con Plan. Annual accomplishments are reported on progress toward Con Plan goals in the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER).

Overall Summary
The City conducted several public meetings, focus groups, and public hearings to gather input from citizens, local organizations, and key community stakeholders for use in combination with relevant housing and economic data in drafting the City’s FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan. The City has reviewed several plans and supplemental data to gather information for the development of this Plan, including the City’s 2023 Adopted Housing Element, CAPERs, Annual Action Plans, housing needs analyses, homeless statistics, etc. Please see PR-10 for additional plans reviewed.

The City implemented a comprehensive community engagement strategy to inform the development of its FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan. This strategy included a series of public meetings, focus groups, and public hearings designed to gather valuable input from citizens, local organizations, and key community stakeholders. To ensure a well-rounded approach, the City combined this community feedback with relevant housing and economic data. Concurrently, the City conducted an extensive review of existing plans and supplemental data sources. Additional documents and data reviewed included the City's 2023 Adopted Housing Element, Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Reports (CAPERs), Annual Action Plans, housing needs analyses, and homeless statistics. This review process provided important context and data to support the Con Plan's development. For a complete list of additional plans consulted, please refer to section PR-10 of this document. By integrating community perspectives with comprehensive data analysis, the City has strived to create a Con Plan that accurately reflects the needs and priorities of its residents while aligning with broader housing and community development goals.

Summary of Needs Assessment Results and Goals
The City's strategy for community enhancement utilizing CDBG and HOME funds centers on several key goals, specifically including:
 Public services
 Property maintenance
 Neighborhood preservation
 Emergency shelter
 Improve community and public facilities
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 Affordable housing
 Administration

The City of Visalia has developed specific strategies to achieve these goals, which are outlined in the following sections.
 Address special service needs
 Preserve homeownership
 Combat blighting conditions
 Combat homelessness
 Enhance community development
 Increase affordable housing
 Program administration
Evaluation of past performance
HUD requires an evaluation of the City’s progress of using the CDBG and HOME funds each year of the five-year Con Plan period. Over the past five-year Con Plan period, 2020 to 2024, the City has met or exceeded the majority of its goal outcomes, and the City will meet all remaining goal outcomes by the end of FY 2024/25. Table 1 below lists goals and outcome indicators from the previous Con Plan, along with progress made to date:

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Table 1: Progress Toward FY 2020/21 – FY 2024/25 Consolidated Plan Goals Goal Description Need Funding
Outcome
Indicators Progress
Increase
Affordable
Housing
Improve housing opportunities for
0-80% AMI households through:
 New construction
 Particularly larger rental units
and accessible housing units
 senior housing
 homeowner mortgage
assistance
 transitional housing
 rental assistance programs
Affordable
Housing
HOME -
$3,737,560
 7 households with
mortgage
assistance
 11 new rental units
 11 rental acquired/
rehabbed
 5 new construction
– single family
 5 households with
mortgage assistance
completed
 11 new rental units
completed
 50 rental units
acquired/rehabbed
completed
 5 new construction – single
family completed
Create Suitable
Living
Environment
Code Enforcement

Provide for a suitable living
environment for all residents and
income levels by:
 Housing rehabilitation (SMHRP)
 Emergency repair and
accessibility program
Property
Maintenance
CDBG -
$1,025,000
HOME -
$125,000
 1,000 Code cases
addressed
 8 Emergency
repair and
accessibility
program projects
 10 mobile homes
rehabilitated
 4 tenant-based
rental subsidy
recipients
 788 Code cases
addressed completed.

Remaining goal will be met
in FY 24/25
 12 Emergency repair and
accessibility program
projects completed
 9 mobile homes
rehabilitated completed.

Remaining goal will be met
in FY 24/25
 7 tenant-based rental
subsidy recipients
completed
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Address
Community/
Special Need
Services
Enhance programs for:
 special needs populations
 youth
 domestic abuse
 mental health services
 CoC and fair housing
 supportive services, including
case management and street
outreach
Shelter and
counseling for
homeless
CDBG -
$391,000
 75 new case
management for
mental health
individuals
 15 people assisted
with housing
vouchers
 100 people
assisted -
behavioral health
services
 5 Fair housing
activities
 74 new case management
for mental health
individuals completed.
 14 people assisted with
housing vouchers
completed.
 74 people assisted -
behavioral health services
completed. Final 26 will be
completed in FY 24/25.
 1 Fair housing activities
completed.

Address
Homeless
Needs
 provide emergency shelter for
homeless
 provide mental health services,
mental health services
 services for youth in the schools
 substance abuse treatment,
domestic violence support
 support services for elderly
(meals, transportation)
 rent/utility payments
 Tenant Based Rental Assistance
(TBRA)
 expanded voucher program
Public
Services
CDBG -
$242,875
 2,000 people
assisted through
Continuum of Care
 70 households
assisted with case
management
/street outreach
 2,007 people assisted
through Continuum of Care
completed
 74 households assisted
with case management
/street outreach completed
Enhance
community
development
 improve public infrastructure in
the City’s LMI residential areas
street and ADA sidewalk
improvements, including
acquisition of right-of-way
 improve community facilities
particularly accessibility
 improve park and recreation
facilities
Improve
community
and public
facilities
CDBG -
$3,888,145
 5 ADA compliance
projects
 1 Public
infrastructure
improved
 1 public facility
improved
 1 public park
improved
 2 ADA compliance projects
completed
 1 public infrastructure
facility developed
 1 public park improved
underway will completed in
FY 24/25
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 safety improvements
Administration
and planning
 provide planning and
administration services for City’s
CDBG and HOME
Program
administration
and planning
CDBG -
$1,355,505
HOME -
$421,770
 Program
administration
Completed

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Summary of citizen participation and organization consultation processes Beginning in July 2024, the City implemented a comprehensive community engagement strategy to ensure broad and meaningful participation in the planning process. This strategy included:

 Surveying residents, local businesses, and community organizations;  Leading two focus groups for organization consultations;  Hosting a public hearing during the City’s monthly City Council meeting (September 3, 2024);
 Presenting at a monthly Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting (September 4, 2024); and
 Facilitating a virtual public meeting (September 9, 2024).

Citizen and organization online questionnaires
To initiate its citizen participation process, the City created a 36-question Citizen Questionnaire (English and Spanish) and a 29-question Organization Questionnaire in Microsoft Forms designed to elicit feedback about community needs for housing, supportive service, economic and workforce development, planning and community development, and homelessness.

Both questionnaires were open for responses from July 12, 2024, to August 2, 2024, however the Organization Questionnaire was relaunched twice (August 12-16, 2024, and September 25- October 4, 2024) at the request of several organizations and in an effort to collect additional feedback. Additionally, the Citizen Questionnaire also relaunched between September 6-13, 2024, also to elicit additional resident feedback. Overall, the Organization Questionnaire Survey had 23 respondents, whereas the Citizen Questionnaire had 122 individual respondents. No responses were received for the Spanish Citizen Questionnaire.

The City’s Housing Division created two additional surveys to poll attendees at two events – the 2023 Farmworker Women’s Conference on housing and community development needs and the CAC meeting on September 4, 2024. These surveys asked about supportive service, housing, economic development, infrastructure, and community facility needs.

Focus groups
To prepare for the execution of the stakeholder focus groups, agencies were invited to register via Microsoft Forms to attend any of the two virtual focus groups being offered to provide their input. Focus groups were scheduled across a one-week timeframe for the following dates and times:

 Focus Group 1: Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 9:00 A.M. PST – 11:00 A.M. PST  Focus Group 2: Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 9:00 A.M. PST – 11:00 A.M. PST

A total of 46 agencies were invited to participate in the virtual focus group sessions; 14 individuals representing 11 agencies participated in at least one focus group. Agencies invited included, but were not limited to: housing providers, health service providers, social service providers, organizations representing protected classes, fair housing, education agencies, and real estate organization. During the focus groups, a variety of open-ended questions were asked to address the following topics while increasing dialogue among the groups:

 Populations most in need of assistance
 Greatest unmet needs and gaps in services among qualifying populations 237
City of Visalia 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan

 Potential project ideas that may be eligible under the CDBG and HOME programs

Public hearing, CAC, and public meeting
The City hosted and presented at three public engagement events to gather community input. A public hearing was held on September 3, 2024, a CAC meeting was held on September 4, 2024, and a virtual public meeting was held on September 9, 2024. The hearing and meetings were designed to solicit input regarding pressing community and housing needs throughout the City.

Events include a public hearing (September 3, 2024), and CAC meeting (September 4, 2024), and a virtual public meeting (September 9, 2024). Designed to solicit feedback from both the general public and City Council members, these meetings were advertised across several platforms (i.e. email blast to 77 community organization points of contact, publication in a local newspaper, flyers, the City’s website and social media channels) to ensure broad participation.

This comprehensive approach aimed to identify and prioritize the most pressing community and housing needs in Visalia, ensuring that the City's planning efforts were well-informed by diverse perspectives from residents and officials alike.

Summary of public comments
A summary of all comments received and staff’s response to those comments can be found in Appendix B: Response to Comments.

Summary of comments or views not accepted and the reasons for not accepting them Not applicable – feedback received during and upon completion of both public comment and public hearing processes were considered and analyzed as part of the Con Plan development process. The City has reviewed and accepted all comments.

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The Process
PR-05 Lead & Responsible Agencies 24 CFR 91.200(b)
Describe agency/entity responsible for preparing the Consolidated Plan and those responsible for administration of each grant program and funding source.

The following are the agencies/entities responsible for preparing the Consolidated Plan and those responsible for administration of each grant program and funding source.

Table 2: Agencies
Agency Role Name Department/Agency
Lead Agency City of Visalia Finance Department - Housing Division CDBG Administrator City of Visalia Finance Department - Housing Division HOPWA Administrator N/A N/A
HOME Administrator City of Visalia Finance Department - Housing Division HOPWA-C Administrator N/A N/A
Narrative
The City of Visalia (City) is the Lead Agency for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) entitlement programs at the City of Visalia. The City’s Finance Department, Housing Division administers the funds it receives under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Programs.

Consolidated Plan Public Contact Information

Margie Perez, Housing Specialist
City of Visalia Finance Department-Housing Division
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (559) 713-4460
707 West Acequia Avenue
Visalia, CA 93291

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PR-10 Consultation - 91.100, 91.200(b), 91.215(l)
Introduction
The City undertook a comprehensive community and stakeholder engagement process to gather feedback on community needs, priorities, and project ideas for funding through CDBG and HOME funds. This process included input from residents, agencies, organizations, public officials, and other stakeholders. The feedback was inclusive of various areas such as housing, supportive services, economic and community development, and infrastructure/facilities. To facilitate this effort, the City enlisted the consulting services of Baker Tilly Advisory Group.

Provide a concise summary of the jurisdiction’s activities to enhance coordination between public and assisted housing providers and private and governmental health, mental health and service agencies (91.215(I)).

During the preparation of the Con Plan, a comprehensive range of agencies and organizations were engaged, as detailed in Table 3. These entities provide a variety of services, including health and human services, mental health services for children and families, drug treatment, homeless services, support for victims of domestic violence, transitional living services, housing, education, disability services, employment services, and services for the elderly. Additionally, local and regional government agencies were also included.

Engagement with these entities occurred through various methods, such as surveys and focus groups. The Citizen and Organization Questionnaires collected extensive feedback on City needs, service gaps, and the effectiveness and sufficiency of facilities and services. The Organization Questionnaire was complemented by focus groups, where agencies and organizations shared more detailed observations on City needs and project ideas based on their experiences with the populations they serve. Additionally, City staff met with the CAC, which serves as a liaison between the public and the City Council, to present an overview of the Con Plan and gather detailed feedback on community needs.

Describe coordination with the Continuum of Care and efforts to address the needs of homeless persons (particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans, and unaccompanied youth) and persons at risk of homelessness.

The Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance (KTHA) is the San Joaquin Valley continuum of care which includes homeless service providers, advocacy groups, government agencies, and homeless individuals. KTHA promotes quality of life for homeless individuals by improving access to housing and to supportive services like health, education, and employment. City staff regularly meets with KTHA to understand the needs and challenges facing homeless populations and to coordinate strategies that ensure effective regional collaboration in helping homeless individuals and families achieve maximum self-sufficiency. The City supports KTHA by providing grant funding for the annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Homeless Census and counts, the Project Homeless Connect events, and the ongoing administration of the HUD Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

Describe consultation with the Continuum(s) of Care that serves the jurisdiction's area in determining how to allocate ESG funds, develop performance standards and evaluate outcomes, and develop funding, policies and procedures for the administration of HMIS.

The City does not currently receive Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds.

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Describe agencies, groups, organizations and others who participated in the process and describe the jurisdictions consultations with housing, social service agencies and other entities
The agencies and organizations listed in Table 3 below were consulted via questionnaires and focus groups and provided input on housing and service needs for the populations they serve. This included ideas for projects to be funded by CDBG and HOME funds.

The City engaged a diverse range of agencies, groups, and organizations (i.e., housing providers, social service agencies) in the consultation process to gather comprehensive input on housing and service needs. As detailed in Table 3, entities were consulted through questionnaires and focus groups. They provided valuable insights into the needs of the populations they serve, including suggestions for projects to be funded by CDBG and HOME funds.

Through these engagements, the City collected extensive feedback on community needs, service gaps, and the effectiveness and sufficiency of existing facilities and services. This collaborative approach ensured that the perspectives and experiences of various stakeholders were incorporated into the planning process, ultimately guiding the development of strategies and projects aimed at addressing the identified needs.

Table 3: Agencies, groups, and organizations who participated No Agency / Group /
Organization Name
Agency /
Group /
Organization
Type
Section of Plan
addressed by
consultation
How was the Agency /
Group / Organization
consulted and what are
the anticipated outcomes
of the consultation or
areas for improved
coordination?
1 Self-Help Enterprises
Community
development
corporation
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.
2 Lindsay Healthy Start
Family Resource
Center
Social service
organization
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.
3 Proteus, Inc.

Community
development
corporation
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.
4 RH Community
Builders LP
Social service
organization
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.
5 Visalia Rescue
Mission
Social service
organization
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.
6 Central CA Legal
Services
Legal aid
services
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey. Discussed needs of
the populations the
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organization serves via
participation in a focus
group.

No Agency / Group /
Organization Name
Agency / Group
/ Organization
Type
Section of Plan
addressed by
consultation
How was the Agency /
Group / Organization
consulted and what are
the anticipated outcomes
of the consultation or
areas for improved
coordination?
7 Tulare County
Library-Visalia Branch
Other public
entity
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.

9 Tulare County HHSA Regional
government unit
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey. Discussed detailed
needs of the populations the
organization serves via
participation in an agency
focus group.
10 Kingsview
Housing
counseling
agency
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey. Discussed detailed
needs of the populations the
organization serves via
participation in an agency
focus group.
11 Tulare County Office
of Education Foster
and Homeless Youth
Services
Other public
entity
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey. Discussed detailed
needs of the populations the
organization serves via
participation in an agency
focus group.
12 Tulare County Health
& Human Services
Agency
Social service
organization
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey. Discussed detailed
needs of the populations the
organization serves via
participation in an agency
focus group.
13 The Source LGBT+
Center
Civil rights
organization
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.
14 Visalia Senior
Housing
Community
development
corporation
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.
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No Agency / Group /
Organization Name
Agency / Group
/ Organization
Type
Section of Plan
addressed by
consultation
How was the Agency /
Group / Organization
consulted and what are
the anticipated outcomes
of the consultation or
areas for improved
coordination?
15 -
16 Kings Tulare
Homeless Alliance
Continuum of
Care
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.
17 Community Services
Employment Training
Social service
organization
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.
18 Housing Authority of
the County of Tulare
Public housing
agency
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey. Discussed detailed
needs of the populations the
organization serves via
participation in an agency
focus group.
19 Champions Recovery
Alternative Programs,
Inc.

Social service
organization
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.
20 TC Hope Other public
entity
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.
21 St. Paul’s Church Religious
institution
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Discussed detailed needs of
the populations the
organization serves via
participation in an agency
focus group.
22 Anthem Blue Cross Social service
organization
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Discussed detailed needs of
the populations the
organization serves via
participation in an agency
focus group.
23 Aspiranet Social service
organization
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Discussed detailed needs of
the populations the
organization serves via
participation in an agency
focus group.
24 Kings/Tulare Area
Agency on Aging
Social service
organization
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Discussed detailed needs of
the populations the
organization serves via
participation in an agency
focus group.
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No Agency / Group /
Organization Name
Agency / Group
/ Organization
Type
Section of Plan
addressed by
consultation
How was the Agency /
Group / Organization
consulted and what are
the anticipated outcomes
of the consultation or
areas for improved
coordination?
25 College of the
Sequoias/Giant
Marketplace
Other public
entity
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Discussed detailed needs of
the populations the
organization serves via
participation in an agency
focus group.
26 City of Visalia
Planning
Other public
entity
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Discussed detailed needs of
the populations the
organization serves via
participation in an agency
focus group.
27 -
29 Anonymous (3)* ---
 Needs assessment
 Strategic plan
 Annual action plan
Contributed views on
community needs via the
Community Organization
Survey.

Identify any agency types not consulted and provide rationale for not consulting.

The City reached out to a wide range of agencies and organizations through various methods, including email to large list servs (ex. KTHA’s email newsletter) and information sharing between entities. This approach was promoted by the City to ensure that as many local entities as possible were provided with an opportunity to contribute to Con Plan priorities. No agency types were excluded from this outreach effort.

Other local/regional/state/federal planning efforts considered when preparing the Plan

Table 4: Other local/regional/federal planning efforts
Name of Plan Lead
Organization
How do the goals of your Strategic Plan
overlap with the goals of each plan?
City of Visalia General Plan
Housing Element, 2023-2031 City of Visalia
The Housing Element assesses the need for
housing for all levels of income and establishes
policies to meet those needs.

The Strategic Plan goals support the
implementation of the Housing Element by
working to construct and rehabilitate new
and existing affordable housing units.

City of Visalia Consolidated
Plan and Action Plans/CAPERs,
2020/21-2024/25
City of Visalia
The City of Visalia’s previous 5-year
Consolidated Plan and Annual Action
Plans/CAPERs provided context for the City’s
previous needs and goals, as well as the
progress the City has made toward those goals.
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City of Visalia 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan

Name of Plan Lead Organization How do the goals of your Strategic Plan overlap with the goals of each plan?
City of Visalia Analysis of
Impediments to Fair Housing
Choice (AI), 2025/26-2029/30
City of Visalia
The City of Visalia’s recently prepared AI
contributed current insight on community
conditions and fair housing needs that could be
incorporated in and complemented by the
2025/26-2029/30 Consolidated Plan.

Kings Tulare Homeless Alliance
2023 Point-In-Time Count
Survey
Kings Tulare
Homeless Alliance
The Point-In-Time Count Survey provides
recent data and patterns regarding the
homeless populations within the counties of
Kings and Tulare.

Continuum of Care Housing
Inventory Count Report
Kings Tulare
Homeless Alliance
This report provides a count of available beds
for homeless populations in the area and
provides context for assessing the City’s need
for additional beds.

Describe cooperation and coordination with other public entities, including the State and any adjacent units of general local government, in the implementation of the Consolidated Plan (91.215(l))
The City of Visalia collaborated with various City departments and public entities to develop the Consolidated Plan. This collaboration ensures a comprehensive approach to addressing community needs and leveraging resources effectively. Regularly the City engages with neighboring local government agencies through participation within the KTHA Continuum of Care (CoC) to address regional issues that cross city boundaries within the region. This includes coordination on housing strategies, economic development projects, and infrastructure improvements. By fostering strong partnerships with adjacent jurisdictions, the City ensures a cohesive and unified approach to regional housing and economic challenges while enhancing its ability to implement the Con Plan effectively, ensuring that the needs of the community are met in a coordinated and efficient manner.

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PR-15 Citizen Participation

1. Summary of citizen participation process/Efforts made to broaden citizen participation

Summarize citizen participation process and how it impacted goal setting.

The City of Visalia conducted community outreach through various channels, including the City’s website, social media, questionnaires for citizens and organizations that focused on housing and community needs, public meetings, and a public hearing. Several organizations listed in Table 5 assisted in promoting these engagement opportunities to their contacts.

Community and Housing Surveys
The City created a total of four questionnaires designed to gather input on community needs from citizens, community organizations and local agencies. The Citizen Questionnaire targeted Visalia residents, asking about housing, supportive services, economic and workforce development, planning and community development, and homelessness. An Organization Questionnaire covering similar topics was also created to gather input from community agencies and organizations. Additionally, a Spanish version of the Citizen Questionnaire was prepared.

The questionnaires were open for responses from July 12, 2024 - August 2, 2024, and were reopened from September 6-13, 2024, in anticipation of a virtual public meeting. A total of 122 individuals responded to the Citizen Questionnaire, while no responses were logged for the Spanish version.

The City’s Housing Division also created two additional surveys for specific events: the 2023 Farmworker Women’s Conference (a Spanish speaking event), and the Citizen CAC community meeting on September 4, 2024. These surveys focused on housing and community development needs, supportive services, economic development, infrastructure, and community facility needs.

Public Meetings and Hearing
The City held several public meetings and hearings to gather public input in the development and during the 30-day public comment period of the draft 2025-2029 ConPlan and 2025 Action Plan.

These meetings garnered input from both the public and City Council members. All meetings were publicized to the community through English and Spanish public noticing in the local newspaper, various organizational listservs, and on the City’s website and social media channels.

During the development of the 2025-2029 ConPlan and 2025 Action Plan the following public meetings and hearings were held to gather input on the highest community needs.  Public Hearing - City Council Meeting on September 3, 2024, at 7:00pm  Community Meeting - Citizens Advisory Committee on September 4, 2024, at 5:30pm  Community Meeting – Virtual Public Meeting on September 9, 2024, at 1:00pm During the 30-day public period the following public meetings and hearings were held.  Community Meeting - Citizens Advisory Committee on April 2, 2025, at 5:30pm  Public Hearing - City Council Meeting (Draft Review) on April 7, 2025, at 7:00pm  Public Hearing - City Council Meeting (Adoption) on April 21, 2025, at 7:00pm 246
City of Visalia 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan

Consolidated Plan Public Comment Period
The draft program year 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan 30-day public period was held from March 21, 2025, through April 21, 2025. A Summary of comments received will be added following the public comment period.

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City of Visalia 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan

Table 5: – Citizen Participation Outreach

Mode of
Outreach
Target of
Outreach
Summary of
Response/Attendance
Summary
of
Comments
Received
Summary of
Comments Not
Accepted
and Reasons
URL (If
applicable)
Public
meeting
Non-English
Speaking –
Specify other
language: Spanish
On November 16, 2023, the City’s
Housing Division survey 107
individuals attending the 2023
Farmworker Women’s Conference held
at the Visalia Convention Center on
housing and community development.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Internet
Outreach
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Community Needs Assessment public
notices and surveys shared on City
social media outlets reaching 22K on
Facebook, 19K on Instagram, and 6K on
Twitter. Community Needs Survey and
information also shared on the City
website and Inside City Halll newsletter.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Other
Non-
targeted/broad
community

Citizen Needs Assessment public
notices and surveys on various email
distribution listservs including the
Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance to 645
individuals, the Homeless Task Force to
over 200 individuals, and the
Community Care Coalition to over 200
individuals.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Other
Non-
targeted/broad
community

Citizen Needs Assessment public
notices shared at various locations City
Hall West, City Hall East, City Hall
North, Visalia Transit, Visalia Senior
Center, Visalia Library, and Visalia
Parks & Recreation locations.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
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City of Visalia 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan

Other
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Citizen community needs survey
launched from 7/12/24 – 8/2/24, and
9/6/24 – 9/13/24, and received 122
individual respondents.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Other
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Organization community needs survey
launched from 7/12/24 – 8/2/24, 8/12-
8/16/24, and 9/25/24-10/4/24, and
received 23 individual respondents.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Newspaper
Ad
Non-
targeted/broad
community

Community needs assessment public
notice posted in the Visalia Delta-Times
newspaper on 8/27/24.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Public Hearing
Non-targeted/broad
community

On September 3, 2024, a City Council
public hearing was held on the development of the ConPlan.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Public
Meeting
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Other: Citizens
Advisory
Committee
On September 4, 2024, a Community
meeting was held on the development
of the ConPlan, and community needs
assessment. 25 individuals attended.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Public
Meeting
Non-targeted/broad
community

On September 9, 2024, a virtual
community meeting on the
development of the ConPlan and
community needs assessment. 10
individuals attended.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
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Public
Meeting
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Other:

Organizations
On September 25, 2024, a focus group
was held on the development of the
ConPlan, and community needs
assessment. 10 individuals attended
from various organizations.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Public
Meeting
Non-
targeted/broad
community

Other:

Organizations
On October 2, 2024, a focus group was
held on the development of the
ConPlan, and community needs
assessment. 12 individuals attended
from various organizations.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Public
Meeting
Non-
targeted/broad
community

On December 3, 2024, a City Council
work session was held to discuss the
development of the 5-year ConPlan.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Newspaper
Ad
Non-
targeted/broad
community

30-day public comment period public
notice was published in the Visalia
Times Delta on 3/21/25 and 4/1/25.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Internet
Outreach
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Draft 2025-2029 ConPlan and 2025
Action Plan were available on the
City's website from 3/21/24 - 4/21/25.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Internet
Outreach
Non-targeted/broad
community

City social media posts on City's
website news page, Facebook,
Instagram, and Twitter pages.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
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Listserv
Notice
Non-
targeted/broad
community
The Kings Tulare Homeless Alliance
and Visalia Chamber of Commerce
listserv notices.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Public Notices
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Public notices posted at the following
city sites: City Hall, Community
Development, Administrative Office,
Recreation, Senior Center, and Visalia
Transit from 3/21/25 - 4/21/25.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Public
Meeting
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Citizens Advisory Committee
community meeting to review draft and
obtain public comment held on 4/2/25.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Public
Hearing
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Public Hearing to review draft 2025-
2029 ConPlan 2025 Action Plan and
obtain public comment held on 4/7/25.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A
Public
Hearing
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Public Hearing to approve the 2025-
2029 ConPlan and 2025 Action Plan
and authorize submission of the plan to
HUD held on 4/21/25.

See
Appendix B N/A N/A

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Needs Assessment
NA-05 Overview
Needs Assessment Overview
The following is a summary of the City of Visalia’s projected housing needs and non-housing needs for the coming five-year period. Housing data included in this portion of the plan has been collected from U.S. Census data, data as provided by HUD, CHAS 2017-2021 data, American Community Survey data (2019-2023 5-Year estimates), the region’s Continuum of Care, the Housing Authority of Tulare County, and through consultation with social service agencies and other entities with whom the City partners.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) receives custom tabulations of American Community Survey (ACS) data from the U.S. Census Bureau. This data, known as the "CHAS" data (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy), demonstrates the extent of housing problems and housing needs, particularly for low-income households. CHAS data included in the tables is from the ACS 2017-2021. The CHAS cross-references each income category with other data, such as, race/ethnicity, home tenure, household size, age of housing, number of vacant housing units, and, as described in the paragraph above, household problems:

 Units with physical defects (lacking complete kitchen or bathroom)  Overcrowded conditions (housing units with more than one person per room)  Housing cost burden, including utilities, exceeding 30 percent of gross income, and  Severe housing cost burden, including utilities, exceeding 50 percent of gross income

Data regarding housing problems, as described above, is cross-referenced with the numbers of households earning low- to moderate- incomes.

The City of Visalia is located along State Highway 198, east of State Highway 99, in the southern portion of the agricultural San Joaquin Valley. Visalia is the oldest San Joaquin Valley town, and the largest in Tulare County, which has an overall population of 477,544.

Nathanial Vise, one of the original inhabitants of a fort built at Four Creeks – named after the watersheds and creeks which emptied in the area from the Sierra Nevada Mountains – was tasked with surveying the town. He envisioned the area becoming the capital seat of Tulare County, and one year later in 1853, Visalia did become the county seat. The City of Visalia takes its name from Visalia, Kentucky, the original home of Nathanial Vise, after whose family the Kentucky city was named.

The City of Visalia is located between Bakersfield and Fresno. The gold rush along the Kern River led to growth in Visalia. Many of its early inhabitants were gold miners who hailed from the South.

Many failed miners stopped and remained in Visalia on their journeys home.

On September 15, 1857, John Butterfield, a businessman and financier out of Utica, New York, won a six-year, $600,000-a-year contract to transport U.S. mail twice a week between St. Louis, Missouri, and San Francisco. To deliver the mail year-round, from St. Louis to San Francisco in 25 days, Butterfield’s route went south through Texas, west through New Mexico Territory, passing Fort Yuma Arizona, and to Visalia before rolling on to San Francisco. Saloons and hotels were built near the stage stop which aided commerce.
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At the outbreak of the Civil War, Camp Babbit was constructed. The Camp was constructed by the federal government to quell sympathy for the Southern cause due to the number of Southern migrants residing in Visalia at the time. Union soldiers were not tasked with fighting but did keep order in the area. During this period, in 1874, Visalia was incorporated as a city with a common council and an ex-officio Mayor and President, and today is a charter city that operates under a Council-Manager form of government. The City of Visalia continued to grow at a steady pace due to its livestock, railroads, hydroelectrical power and irrigation water, which makes the area very suitable for agriculture. Today, many of Visalia’s historic downtown buildings comprise the Main Street shopping and dining district. Visalia is also located in close proximity to Sequoia National Park.

According to the 2019-2023 5-Year estimate from the American Community Survey (ACS), the population of Visalia is 142,649, up 0.9% and 14.6% from the 2020 (141,384) and 2010 (124,442) US Census, respectively. The US Census Bureau’s Gazetteer Files show that Visalia has a total land area of 37.91 square miles. The City’s Finance Department – Housing Division, is responsible for carrying out projects and programs with the use of funds received from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The US Census Bureau reported a slight decrease in average household size in Visalia from 3.00 to 2.99 from 2020 to 2022, compared to an average household size of 2.98 persons per household in 2010. These slight changes are likely indicative of household formation changes remaining relatively constant between 2010 through 2022. Across the same time period, housing stock increased by 9.9% in Visalia according to Esri, but slowed substantially between 2020 to 2022, with housing stock increasing only 0.2%, less than the city’s annual average increase of 0.8% between 2010 and 2022.

Single-family homes within the City of Visalia make up 76.6% of all housing stock, while multifamily housing (2 units or more) makes up 19.9% of the housing stock. The remaining 3.5% is allocated to mobile homes (3.4% of housing stock) and boats, RVs, and vans (0.1% of housing stock). As of 2024, the median price of a home within Visalia is $401,500, up 5.4% from 2023.

According to CoStar and apartments.com, rents range from $1,239 for a studio apartment to $2,599 for a 4-bedroom apartment. Lower income households may be able to afford studio units; however, larger units and homeownership would likely not be affordable to lower income households.

A community’s housing needs depend on different determining factors. For example, different age groups have distinct family types, sizes, and income levels, all of which correspond to different housing needs. Younger adults tend to seek apartments, condominiums, and single-family units that are proportionate to their typically smaller household sizes and more constrained finances.

Adults with children may seek larger single-family homes. As grown children begin to leave home, older adults and seniors often seek to trade their larger homes for smaller single-family homes and condominiums that are typically easier to maintain and afford. The largest age cohort for Visalia is persons between the ages 25 to 44 at 30.1%. Older adults (persons 45 and older) make up 33.3% of Visalia’s population.

Housing Needs Assessment
According to CHAS 2017-2021, 35.4% (16,050) of Visalia’s households earned incomes between zero and 80 percent of the area median income which are extremely low to moderate, according to HUD’s income limits.
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According to Table 9:
 Households with children six years old or younger account for 26.1% of total households below 80% AMI.
 3,995 households are in the extremely low-income bracket, 4,720 are very low, and 7,335 are low-income
 18.4% of extremely low to low-income (0-80% AMI) households contain at least one person 62-74 years of age and
 17.2% percent of low-income households contain at least one-person age 75 or older.

Overall, the data shows two household types with the most need. Small family households at zero to 80% AMI make up 41.4% of total households in this income range, and families with children six years old or younger make up 26.1% of the total households in this income range.

Disproportionately Greater Need
Housing Problems
The data in Table 18 shows that for the extremely low-income bracket (0 to 30% AMI), 83.2 percent of the jurisdiction experienced housing problems. No individual group in this income bracket is experiencing housing problems disproportionate to the jurisdiction as a whole.

For the very low-income bracket (30 to 50% AMI), 83.8 percent of the jurisdiction experienced housing problems (Table 19), and disproportionate need was experienced by:
 Black/African American households
 American Indian, Alaska Native households

For the low-income bracket (50 to 80% AMI), 69.1 percent of the jurisdiction experienced housing problems (Table 210) and disproportionate need was experienced by:
 Black/African American households

For households earning incomes of 80% to 100% AMI, 35.9 percent of households in the jurisdiction experienced housing problems (Table 21). No individual group in this income bracket is experiencing housing problems disproportionate to the jurisdiction as a whole.

Severe Housing Problems
The data analysis shows that for the extremely low-income bracket (0% to 30% AMI), 74.1 percent of households in the jurisdiction as a whole experience severe housing problems (Table 18). No individual group in this income bracket is experiencing housing problems disproportionate to the jurisdiction as a whole.

For the very low-income bracket (30% to 50% AMI), 47.8 percent of households in the jurisdiction experienced severe housing problems (Table 24), and disproportionate need was experienced by:
 Black/African American households

For the low-income bracket (50% to 80% AMI), 22.9 percent of households in the jurisdiction as a whole experienced severe housing problems (Table 25), and disproportionate need was experienced by:
 Black/African American households

For the 80% to 100% AMI income bracket, 12.4 percent of households in the jurisdiction as a 254
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whole experienced severe housing problems (Table 26), and disproportionate need was experienced by:
 Asian households

Homeless Nees Assessment
Visalia’s share of homeless accounted for 53.66% (587) of the total homeless counted for Kings and Tulare Counties. Approximately, 19.6% were sheltered and 80.4% were unsheltered in Visalia on the night of the 2024 Point in Time count (January 21, 2024).

Non-Homeless Special Needs Assessment
Data gathering and community outreach prioritized needs as follows:

Non-homeless Community Services
 Senior services
 Childcare
 Counseling services

Housing
 Affordable housing, both rental and mortgage
 Need for larger units
 Senior housing

Non-Housing Community Development Needs
 Priority needs identified for Public Facilities are, in order of priority, youth centers, park and recreational facilities, health facilities, senior centers, and childcare centers.  Priority needs identified for Public Improvement are, in order of priority, street improvements, sidewalk improvements, and street lighting improvements.  Priority needs identified for Community Services and Programs are, in order of priority, providing law enforcement services, providing fire protection services, and programs for at- risk youth
 Priority needs identified for Public Services included shelter and counseling, youth services, domestic violence services and, specific to homeless needs, emergency shelters, transitional housing, and permanent housing.

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NA-10 Housing Needs Assessment - 24 CFR 91.205 (a,b,c)
Summary of Housing Needs
Several steps were taken to assess housing needs in Visalia. Analysis of current data shows a need for affordable housing for extremely low and very low-income households. Based upon the community outreach meetings, stakeholder interviews and surveys completed, housing needs identified are mortgage assistance, rental assistance, senior housing, and housing for the disabled. According to a windshield survey of housing conditions, there is also a need for rehabilitation for both renter and homeowner units. Additionally, priority homelessness needs include emergency shelters, transitional housing, and permanent housing.

Between 2010 and 2023, Visalia’s population increased by 14.6%. According to ACS 2019-2023 5-Year estimates, Visalia's populace was estimated at 142,649 individuals. Visalia's population growth outpaced that of Tulare County, which stood at 7.3% for the same period. Visalia’s household count has grown by 12.4% since 2010.

Table 6: Regional Population Growth Trends
Jurisdiction 2010
Population
2020
Population
2023
Population
% Change
2010-2023
% Change
2020-2023
City of Visalia 124,442 141,384 142,649 14.6% 0.9%
Source: 2010 and 2020 Census, 2019-2023 5-Year ACS

Table 7: Household Growth
2010 2023 Percent Change
41,349 46,466 12.4%
Source: 2010 Census (Base Year), 2019-2023 5-Year ACS

Since the mid- to late 20th century, poverty has fallen but income inequality has increased. As indicated in Table 8 below, the median household income for Visalia is $79,952 based on the 2019-2023 5-Year American Community Survey (ACS) estimate. Since the 2010 US Census, the median household income has increased by 20.1%.

Table 8: City of Visalia-Median Household Income
(2010-2023)
Median Household Income Percent Change 2010 2023
$66,549 $79,952 20.1%
Source: 2010 US Census, 2019-2023 5-Year ACS

According to CHAS 2017-2021, 35.4% (16,050) of Visalia’s households earned incomes between zero and 80 percent of the area median income-incomes that are extremely low to low, according to HUD’s income limits.

According to Table 9:
 Households with children six years old or younger account for 26.1% of total households below 80% AMI.
 3,995 households are in the extremely low-income bracket, 4,720 are very low, and 7,335 are low-income
 18.4% of extremely low to low-income (0-80% AMI) households contain at least one person 62-74 years of age and
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 17.2% percent of low-income households contain at least one-person age 75 or older.

Overall, the data shows two household types with the most need. Small family households at zero to 80% AMI make up 41.4% of total households in this income range, and families with children six years old or younger make up 26.1% of the total households in this income range.

Table 9: Total Households
Household Type 0-30% HAMFI 30-50%
HAMFI 50-80% HAMFI 80-100%
HAMFI
>100%
HAMFI
Total Households 3,995 4,720 7,335 5,070 24,260
Small Family
Households 1,145 1,960 3,535 2,005 11,960
Large Family
Households 695 685 885 970 3,440
Household
Contains at least
one-person aged
62-74
758 1,040 1,150 1,395 5,785
Household contains
at least one-person
aged 75+
615 825 1,320 615 1,880
Households with
one or more
children aged 6 or
younger
855 840 2,490 1,639 4,230
Source: 2017-2021 CHAS

Housing Needs Summary
Tables 10 and 11 below contains the number of households earning incomes between zero and 100 percent of the area median income that are experiencing housing problems. Overall, renters experience housing problems more than homeowners and cost burden occurs more often than other problems, followed by overcrowding. Housing cost burden was the problem experienced most, by both owners and renters, followed by severe housing cost burden. Renters accounted for 58.0% of households experiencing housing cost burden and 53.4% of households experiencing severe housing cost burdens.

According to 2017-2021 CHAS (Table 10 and Table 11) a total of 1,325 households were overcrowded (between 1.01 and 1.5 per room) in Visalia, 67.6% of which were renters.

Additionally, 530 renters experienced severe overcrowding (more than 1.51 persons per room) while only 90 owner occupied households experienced severe overcrowding.

Once again, renters experienced the problem of cost burden more so than owners. Of the 5,225 households that were severely cost burdened (those paying more than 50 percent of their income), 53.4% were renters and 46.6% owned their home (see Table 10 and Table 11). For cost burdened households (those paying more than 30% of their income towards housing), 58.0% were renter households and 42.0% were owner occupied households.

Renter households experience substandard housing (lacking complete plumbing or kitchen facilities) at a much greater rate than owner occupied households, accounting for 77.8% of households experiencing substandard housing. Of these renter households, 80 households had extremely low incomes, 85 were very low, 50 were low, and 65 were moderate income.

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Table 10: Housing Problems
Renter Occupied
Household Type 0-30%
HAMFI
30-50%
HAMFI
50-80%
HAMFI
80-100%
HAMFI Total
Substandard Housing-Lacking complete
plumbing or kitchen facilities 80 85 50 65 280
Severely Overcrowded - With >1.51 people
per room (and complete kitchen and
plumbing)
75 205 140 110 530
Overcrowded - With 1.01-1.5
people per room (and none of the above
problems)
240 255 265 135 895
Housing cost burden greater than 50% of
income (and none of the above problems) 1,595 820 365 10 2,790 Housing cost burden greater than 30% of
income (and none of the above problems) 200 1,360 1,870 415 3,845 Zero/negative Income (and none of the
above problems) 295 0 0 0 295
Source: 2017-2021 CHAS

Table 11: Housing Problems
Owner Occupied
Household Type 0-30%
HAMFI
30-50%
HAMFI
50-80%
HAMFI
80-100%
HAMFI Total
Substandard Housing-Lacking complete
plumbing or kitchen facilities 0 0 80 0 80
Severely Overcrowded - With >1.51 people
per room (and complete kitchen and
plumbing)
0 0 10 80 90
Overcrowded - With 1.01-1.5
people per room (and none of the above
problems)
100 110 85 135 430
Housing cost burden greater than 50% of
income (and none of the above problems) 875 785 685 90 2,435 Housing cost burden greater than 30% of
income (and none of the above problems) 165 330 1,520 775 2,790 Zero/negative Income (and none of the
above problems) 105 0 0 0 105
Source: 2017-2021 CHAS

1. Housing Problems
Households with one or more housing problems, as defined by HUD, include units which lack kitchen or complete plumbing, are overcrowded, or the residents are cost burdened. Additionally, severe housing problems are discussed in the following section.

In Visalia, of households earning incomes between zero and 100 percent of AMI, renters make up 55.9% of total households. Additionally, 8,345 Renter households in the 0-100% AMI bracket experience housing problems, while 5,825 owner households experience housing problems.

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Table 12: Housing Problems (cont.)
Renter Occupied
Household Type 0-30%
HAMFI
30-50%
HAMFI
50-80%
HAMFI
80-100%
HAMFI Total
Having 1 or more of four housing problems 2,185 2,730 2,690 740 8,345 Having none of four housing problems 465 240 1,060 1,700 3,465 Household has negative income, but none of
the other housing problems 300 0 0 0 300
Owner Occupied
Having 1 or more of four housing problems 1,140 1,225 2,380 1,080 5,825 Having none of four housing problems 205 525 1,205 1,550 3,485 Household has negative income, but none of
the other housing problems 130 0 0 0 130
Source: 2017-2021 CHAS

Cost Burden
As illustrated in Table 13, renter households that are 0-80% AMI account for a larger portion than owner households in this income bracket with cost burden. Small related households, both renter and owner occupied, are the household type with the largest number of households with cost burden. Other household types and large families were two other household types that have a large number of cost burdened renter-occupied households. For owner occupied households with cost burden, the second two largest household types after small families, were elderly families and elderly non-families.

The number of households that have severe cost burden, housing costs greater than 50 percent of household income, are similar to households with cost burden. The number of renter occupied households with severe cost burden are greater than the number of owner-occupied households with cost burden (Table 14). Most severely cost burdened households are those earning below 50% AMI. Small family households for renters and Elderly Non-Family for owner-occupied households, have the most severe cost burden. For owner occupied households, small family and elderly non-family households also have a high share of households that are severely cost burdened.

Table 13: Cost Burden > 30%
Renter Occupied
Household Type 0-30%
HAMFI
30-50%
HAMFI
50-80%
HAMFI Total
Elderly Family (2 persons, with either or both age 62
or over) 145 85 260 490
Small Family (2 persons, neither person 62 years or
over, or 3 or 4 persons) 680 1,300 1,385 3,365
Large Family (5 or more persons) 460 375 185 1,020
Elderly Non-Family 360 390 90 840
Other Household Type (non-elderly, non-family) 515 495 520 1,530 Total Need by Income 2,160 2,645 2,440 7,245
Owner Occupied
Elderly Family (2 persons, with either or both age 62
or over) 95 290 340 725
Small Family (2 persons, neither person 62 years or 295 470 1,145 1,910 259
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over, or 3 or 4 persons)
Large Family (5 or more persons) 115 125 265 505
Elderly Non-Family 365 190 395 950
Other Household Type (non-elderly, non-family) 230 85 160 475 Total Need by Income 1,100 1,160 2,305 4,565
Source: 2017-2021 CHAS

Table 14: Cost Burden > 50%
Renter Occupied
Household Type 0-30%
HAMFI
30-50%
HAMFI
50-80%
HAMFI Total
Elderly Family (2 persons, with either or both age 62
or over) 125 25 85 235
Small Family (2 persons, neither person 62 years or
over, or 3 or 4 persons) 605 410 225 1240
Large Family (5 or more persons) 380 165 20 565
Elderly Non-Family 300 235 25 560
Other Household Type (non-elderly, non-family) 460 180 55 695 Total Need by Income 1,870 1,015 410 3,295
Owner Occupied
Elderly Family (2 persons, with either or both age 62
or over) 50 260 225 535
Small Family (2 persons, neither person 62 years or
over, or 3 or 4 persons) 285 280 135 700
Large Family (5 or more persons) 115 45 10 170
Elderly Non-Family 280 130 315 725
Other Household Type (non-elderly, non-family) 205 85 0 290 Total Need by Income 935 800 685 2,420
Source: 2017-2021 CHAS

Crowding
As illustrated in Table 15, of households earning between zero and 100% AMI, renter occupied households experience overcrowding, meaning more than one person per room, at nearly three times the rate of owner-occupied households (1,429 compared to 525). Single family households is the largest household type that is experiencing crowding in both renter and owner-occupied households. There is only a small percentage of multiple, unrelated family households and other non-family households experiencing crowding, and the majority of these households are renter households.

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Table 15: Crowding Information 1-2 (More than one person per room) Renter Occupied
Household Type 0-30%
HAMFI
30-50%
HAMFI
50-80%
HAMFI
80-100%
HAMFI Total
Single Family Households 315 430 355 150 1,250
Multiple, unrelated family households 0 30 50 39 119
Other, non-family households 0 0 0 60 60
Total need by Income 315 460 405 249 1,429
Owner Occupied
Single Family Households 65 110 75 215 465
Multiple, unrelated family households 40 0 20 0 60
Other, non-family households 0 0 0 0 0
Total need by Income 105 110 95 215 525
Source: CHAS 2017-2021

Table 16: Crowding Information 2-2
Renter Occupied
Household Type 0-30%
HAMFI
30-50%
HAMFI
50-80%
HAMFI
80-100%
HAMFI Total
Households with Children Present 670 610 1,450 809 3,539 Owner Occupied
Households with Children Present 185 230 1,040 805 2,260 Source: CHAS 2017-2021
Describe the number and type of single-person households in need of housing assistance.

There are 9,018 one-person households, accounting for 19.4% of total occupied housing units, according to the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. Almost half of those households (45.3%) are seniors aged 65 and older, who may need multiple types of housing assistance as they age and may have a fixed income. Of all one-person households, 15.6% (1,411 people) were below poverty level, which is slightly higher than the poverty level in the city, of 11.3%. Although the ACS does not provide additional detailed information on single person households, there are likely single person households in need of housing assistance due to their age and/or poverty status.

Estimate the number and type of families in need of housing assistance who are disabled or victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.

According to the 2024 Kings/Tulare Counties Point-in-Time survey, of the 1,672 homeless respondents for both counties, 33.2% were considered severely mentally ill and 34.8% had chronic substance abuse issues. Approximately one third of Visalia’s homeless population, including sheltered and unsheltered (approximately 226 persons) reported a disabling condition. 261
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Additionally, of the homeless persons surveyed in the Counties of Kings and Tulare, 196 persons (11.0%) reported they were victims of domestic abuse.

Central California Legal Services (“CCLS”) is a non-profit, public interest law firm that provides civil legal assistance to low-income populations in the San Joaquin Valley. CCLS serves eligible clients in Tulare County, and several other counties for health-related cases. Legal services may be provided in the areas of health, housing, domestic violence, utilities, employment law, elder’ law, immigration, and public benefits. CCLS’s client community lacks safe, healthy, and affordable housing. A major portion of CCLS’s client community consists of households at or below the 125% Federal Poverty Level (“FPL”), which is approximately 30% Area Median Income (“AMI”) for Tulare County.

The Housing Authority of Tulare County (HATC) reported that 58 tenants of Public Housing are disabled and 451 utilize the tenant-based Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) from HUD.

HATC reported that, for non-elderly disabled tenants, 10 use the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing voucher (HUDVASH) (see Table 2930).

The 2024 Point in Time count reported that 202 homeless clients have a mental illness, and 226 homeless clients have a disabling condition in Visalia. Additionally, 92 people interviewed in the Point in Time count were homeless due to mental health issues or domestic violence.

What are the most common housing problems?
Housing cost burden was the problem experienced most, by both owners and renters, followed by severe housing cost burden. Renters accounted for 58.0% of households experiencing housing cost burden and 53.4% of households experiencing severe housing cost burdens.

Households earning zero to 30 percent AMI experience the most cost burden. Small, related households that are renters experience the most cost burden out of other categories. Renters also experience overcrowding more than homeowners.

Are any populations/household types more affected than others by these problems?
As discussed above, renters tend to experience housing problems more often than homeowners, especially renters in the zero to 30 percent of AMI income bracket.

Describe the characteristics and needs of Low-income individuals and families with children (especially extremely low-income) who are currently housed but are at imminent risk of either residing in shelters or becoming unsheltered

91.205(c)/91.305(c)). Also discuss the needs of formerly homeless families and individuals who are receiving rapid re-housing assistance and are nearing the termination of that assistance.

Total Households with household income of zero to 80 percent of AMI, with one or more children 6 years old or younger is 4,185, or 26.1% of households with incomes that are low to moderate (see Table 9). This accounts for 9.2 percent of total households in Visalia. The data shows that 855 households earning 0-30% AMI have a child present.

The total number of families on the HATC waiting list for public housing is 16,132, of which 8,568 are families with children. The number of families on the HATC waiting list for public housing who are Extremely Low-income (0-30% AMI) is 11,333; the number of Very Low-income (31-50% AMI) 262
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is 3,143, and Low-income (51-80% AMI) is 1,212.

Table 17: Demographics of HATC Waiting Lists
Household Type
Housing Choice
Voucher -
County
Public
Housing -
Visalia
Project Based
Rental Assistance
Number of Families on Waiting List 13,844 16,132 320
Extremely Low-income (0-30% AMI) 9,233 11,333 213
Very Low-income (31-50% AMI) 3,009 3,143 72
Low-income (51-80% AMI) 1,135 1,212 27
Families with Children 7,748 8,568 11
Elderly Families 1,063 1,608 265
Families with Disabilities 3,281 3,852 188
Waiting List by Race
White 10,193 12,987 270
Black 2,250 1,856 28
Asian 344 318 11
American Indian/Native Hawaiian 1,057 971 11
Waiting List by Ethnicity
Hispanic 8,255 9,728 127
Non-Hispanic 5,589 6,404 193
Source: Housing Authority of Tulare County, 2024

Central California Legal Services (CCLS) is a non-profit, public interest law firm that provides assistance to low-income populations in the County of Tulare. CCLS provides legal services related to health, housing, domestic violence, and more. CCLS reports that a large portion of their client community consists of households that are at or below 30% of the AMI for Tulare County and that many low-income families must remain in substandard housing due to their inability to relocate. Individuals and families displaced by natural disasters and hazards also create a need for housing assistance, according to CCLS.

According to the Kings Tulare Homeless Alliance (the region’s Continuum of Care), many households enrolled in rapid re-housing do not receive enough income to maintain housing once they exit the program. The Alliance reports that because of the poverty issue in Tulare County, those earning low incomes are unable to sustain housing.

If a jurisdiction provides estimates of the at-risk population(s), it should also include a description of the operational definition of the at-risk group and the methodology used to generate the estimates.

Extremely low-income (ELI) households are defined as those households with incomes under 30 percent of the area median income. Extremely low-income households typically consist of minimum wage workers, seniors on fixed incomes, the disabled, and farmworkers. This income group is likely to live in overcrowded and substandard housing conditions. This group of households has specific housing needs that require greater government subsidies and assistance, housing with supportive services, single room occupancy (SRO) and or shared housing, and/or rental subsidies or vouchers. In recent years, rising rents, higher income requirements and credit standards imposed by landlords, and insufficient government assistance has exacerbated the problem. Without adequate assistance, this group has a high risk of homelessness.
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Specify housing characteristics that have been linked with instability and an increased risk of homelessness.

Rent is unaffordable for people with extremely low incomes (at or below 30% AMI). There are 3,995 households in Visalia with extremely low incomes as shown in Table 9. Without resources to assist them, a lack of affordable units could potentially put extremely low-income households at risk of homelessness.

Discussion
Housing costs have the potential to cause housing problems in a community. If housing costs are high, relative to household income, there will be higher cases of cost burden and overcrowding.

This section summarizes cost and affordability for the City of Visalia. Data from the American Community Survey shows a 46.9% increase in median home value between 2010 and 2023 and a 53% increase in contract rent during the same period.

The high cost of home ownership makes it prohibitive for low-income households to purchase housing in Visalia. Affordable rent for a 3-bedroom unit, in the City for a four-person household with low-income is $1,953. According to the 2019-2023 5-Year ACS estimate, the median contract rent is $1,162. According to CHAS 2017-2021, 1,265 households have an income of less than 30 percent of the AMI; an affordable rent to four-person household earning an extremely low-income is $867, making the average rental in the City unaffordable to these households.

According to Table 12, 58.9% (8,345) of low to moderate income households in the City are renters that experience one or more housing problem; 41.1% (5,825) of low to moderate income households in the City that own their home experience one or more housing problem. Overall, the problem most experienced is cost burden, as shown in Table 11, 35.9% (5,225) of all households (Renter and Owner Occupied) experiencing housing problems have a severe cost burden (housing cost burden greater than 50% of income).

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NA-15 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Problems – 91.205 (b)(2)
This section identifies any racial or ethnic group(s) that has disproportionately greater need in comparison to the jurisdiction as a whole.

Introduction
A key task of the Consolidated Plan is identification of racial or ethnic groups that may experience a disproportionately greater extent of housing problems in the community. A disproportionately greater need exists when the members of racial or ethnic group at a given income level experience housing problems at a greater rate (percent change of 10 or more) than the income level as a whole.

HUD identifies four housing problems:

1. Housing unit lacking complete kitchen facilities

2. Housing unit lacking complete plumbing facilities

3. Overcrowded with more than 1 person per room not including bathrooms, porches, foyers, halls, or half‐rooms.

4. Cost burdened, with household paying more than 30 percent of income toward housing costs (including utilities)

The data in Table 18shows that for the extremely low-income bracket (0 to 30% AMI), 83.2 percent of the jurisdiction experienced housing problems. No individual group in this income bracket is experiencing housing problems disproportionate to the jurisdiction as a whole.

For the very low-income bracket (30 to 50% AMI), 83.8 percent of the jurisdiction experienced housing problems (Table 19), and disproportionate need was experienced by:
 Black/African American households
 American Indian, Alaska Native households

For the low-income bracket (50 to 80% AMI), 69.1 percent the jurisdiction experienced housing problems (Table 20) and disproportionate need was experienced by:
 Black/African American households

For households earning incomes 80% to 100% AMI, 35.9 percent of households in the jurisdiction experienced housing problems (Table 21). No individual group in this income bracket is experiencing housing problems disproportionate to the jurisdiction as a whole.

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Table 18: Housing Problems
0%-30% AMI
Racial/Ethnic Makeup
Has one or more of
four housing
problems*
Household has no
housing problems or
cost burden not
computed*
Percent of
Households
experiencing housing
problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 3,325 670 83.2%
White 1,455 225 86.6%
Black / African American 95 25 79.2%
Asian 175 125 58.3%
American Indian, Alaska
Native 10 4 71.4%
Pacific Islander 0 0 0.0%
Hispanic 1,545 285 84.4%
Source: CHAS 2017-2021
*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30%

Table 19: Housing Problems
30%-50% AMI
Racial/Ethnic Makeup
Has one or more of
four housing
problems*
Household has no
housing problems or
cost burden not
computed*
Percent of
Households
experiencing severe
housing problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 3,955 765 83.8%
White 1,395 465 75.0%
Black / African American 195 0 100.0%
Asian 135 45 75.0%
American Indian, Alaska
Native 30 0 100.0%
Pacific Islander 0 0 0.0%
Hispanic 2,115 245 89.6%
Source: CHAS 2017-2021
*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30%

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Table 20: Housing Problems
50%-80% AMI
Racial/Ethnic Makeup
Has one or more of
four housing
problems*
Household has no
housing problems
or cost burden not
computed*
Percent of
Households
experiencing severe
housing problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 5,070 2265 69.1%
White 1,610 850 65.4%
Black / African American 59 0 100.0%
Asian 95 80 54.3%
American Indian, Alaska
Native 4 4 50.0%
Pacific Islander 0 0 0.0%
Hispanic 3,185 1200 72.6%
Source: CHAS 2017-2021
*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30%

Table 21: Housing Problems
80%-100% AMI

Racial/Ethnic Makeup
Has one or more of
four housing
problems*
Household has no
housing problems
or cost burden not
computed*
Percent of
Households
experiencing
severe housing
problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 1,820 3250 35.9%
White 1,085 1575 40.8%
Black / African American 10 40 20.0%
Asian 80 110 42.1%
American Indian, Alaska
Native 0 0 0.0%
Pacific Islander 0 0 0.0%
Hispanic 625 1450 30.1%
Source: CHAS 2017-2021
*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30%

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Table 22: Housing Problems
0%-100% AMI

Racial/Ethnic Makeup
Has one or more of
four housing
problems*
Household has no
housing problems
or cost burden not
computed*
Percent of
Households
experiencing severe
housing problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 14,170 6,950 67.1%
White 5,545 3,115 64.0%
Black / African American 359 65 84.7%
Asian 485 360 57.4%
American Indian, Alaska Native 44 8 84.6%
Pacific Islander 0 0 0.0%
Hispanic 7,470 3,180 70.1%
Total 28,073 13,678 67.2%
Source: CHAS 2017-2021
*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30% Discussion
The data analysis for households experiencing housing problems revealed that some racial/ethnic groups in select income brackets experienced housing problems disproportionately. For the very low-income bracket (30% to 50%), Black/African American and American Indian/Alaska Native households experienced disproportionate need. In the category 50% to 80% AMI, one group, Black/African American, experienced disproportionate need.

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NA-20 Disproportionately Greater Need: Severe Housing Problems –

91.205 (b)(2)
This section identifies any racial or ethnic group(s) that has disproportionately greater need in comparison to the jurisdiction as a whole.

Introduction
A disproportionately greater need exists when households in a given racial or ethnic group at a given income level experience severe housing problems at a greater rate (10 percentage points or more) than the households in that income level as a whole.

HUD identifies four severe housing problems:

1. Housing unit lacking complete kitchen facilities

2. Housing unit lacking complete plumbing facilities

3. Overcrowded with more than 1.5 persons per room not including bathrooms, porches, foyers, halls, or half‐rooms.

4. Cost burdened, with household paying more than 50 percent of income toward housing costs (including utilities)

The data analysis shows that for the extremely low-income bracket (0% to 30% AMI), 74.1 percent of households in the jurisdiction as a whole experience severe housing problems (Table 23). No individual group in this income bracket is experiencing housing problems disproportionate to the jurisdiction as a whole.

For the very low-income bracket (30% to 50% AMI), 47.8 percent of households in the jurisdiction experienced severe housing problems (Table 24), and disproportionate need was experienced by:
 Black/African American households

For the low-income bracket (50% to 80% AMI), 22.9 percent of households in the jurisdiction as a whole experienced severe housing problems (Table 25), and disproportionate need was experienced by:
 Black/African American households

For the 80% to 100% AMI income bracket, 12.4 percent of households in the jurisdiction as a whole experienced severe housing problems (Table 26), and disproportionate need was experienced by:
 Asian households

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Table 23: Severe Housing Problems
0%-30% AMI

Racial/Ethnic Makeup
Households
experiencing
severe housing
problems
Household has no
severe housing
problems or cost
burden not
computed*
Percent of
Households
experiencing
severe housing
problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 2,965 1,035 74.1%
White 1,330 355 78.9%
Black / African American 60 60 50.0%
Asian 150 145 50.8%
American Indian, Alaska Native 10 4 71.4%
Pacific Islander 0 0 0.0%
Hispanic 1,380 455 75.2%
Source: CHAS 2017-2021
*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than 1.5 persons per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 50%

Table 24: Severe Housing Problems
30%-50% AMI

Racial/Ethnic Makeup
Households
experiencing
severe housing
problems
Household has no
severe housing
problems or cost
burden not
computed*
Percent of
Households
experiencing
severe housing
problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 2,255 2,460 47.8%
White 905 960 48.5%
Black / African American 155 40 79.5%
Asian 50 130 27.8%
American Indian, Alaska Native 15 20 42.9%
Pacific Islander 0 0 0.0%
Hispanic 1,110 1,250 47.0%
Source: CHAS 2017-2021
*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than 1.5 persons per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 50%

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Table 25: Severe Housing Problems
50%-80% AMI

Racial/Ethnic Makeup
Households
experiencing
severe housing
problems
Household has no
severe housing
problems or cost
burden not
computed*
Percent of
Households
experiencing
severe housing
problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 1,680 5,655 22.9%
White 560 1,900 22.8%
Black / African American 30 29 50.8%
Asian 50 130 27.8%
American Indian, Alaska Native 0 10 0.0%
Pacific Islander 0 0 0.0%
Hispanic 1,030 3,345 23.5%
Source: CHAS 2017-2021
*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than 1.5 persons per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 50%

Table 26: Severe Housing Problems
80%-100% AMI

Racial/Ethnic Makeup
Households
experiencing
severe housing
problems
Household has no
severe housing
problems or cost
burden not
computed*
Percent of
Households
experiencing
severe housing
problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 630 4,440 12.4%
White 235 2,425 8.8%
Black / African American 10 40 20.0%
Asian 70 120 36.8%
American Indian, Alaska Native 0 0 0.0%
Pacific Islander 0 0 0.0%
Hispanic 325 1,755 15.6%
Source: CHAS 2017-2021
*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than 1.5 persons per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 50%

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Table 27: Severe Housing Problems
0%-100% AMI

Racial/Ethnic makeup
Households
experiencing
severe housing
problems
Household has no
severe housing
problems or cost
burden not
computed*
Percent of
Households
experiencing
severe housing
problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 7,530 13,590 35.7%
White 3,030 5,640 34.9%
Black / African American 255 169 60.1%
Asian 320 525 37.9%
American Indian, Alaska Native 25 34 42.4%
Pacific Islander 0 0 0.0%
Hispanic 3,845 6,805 36.1%
Total 15,005 26,763 35.9%
Source: CHAS 2017-2021
*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than 1.5 persons per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 50% Discussion
The data analysis for households experiencing severe housing problems revealed that two racial/ethnic groups in these income brackets experienced severe housing problems disproportionately. For the very low-income bracket (30% to 50%), one group, Black/African American households experienced disproportionate need. For the low-income bracket (50%- 80%), one group, Black/African American households experienced disproportionate need. In the category 80% to 100% AMI, one group, Asian households, experienced disproportionate need.

As shown in Table 27, across these income levels (0% to 100% AMI), Black/African American households are disproportionately impacted compared to other racial/ethnic groups.

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NA-25 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Cost Burdens –

91.205 (b)(2)
This section assesses the need of any racial or ethnic group that has disproportionately greater need in comparison to the jurisdiction as a whole.

Housing Cost Burden
The CHAS data shows that 13.4% of households in the jurisdiction are severely cost burdened.

The race/ethnicity group experiencing disproportionate need is Black/African American, with 25% of these households being severely cost burdened (nearly 12 points higher than the jurisdiction as a whole).

Table 28: Greater Need - Housing Cost Burdens AMI
Housing Cost Burden <=30% 30-50% >50%
No/negative
income (not
computed)
Cost
Burdened
Severely
Cost
Burdened
Jurisdiction as a whole 29,435 8,605 5,965 424 19.4% 13.4% White 15,055 3,460 2,720 100 16.2% 12.7%
Black / African American 405 200 210 25 23.8% 25.0%
Asian 1,480 180 240 110 9.0% 11.9%
American Indian, Alaska
Native 85 45 25 4 28.3% 15.7%
Pacific Islander 0 0 0 0 0.0% 0.0%
Hispanic 12,410 4,720 2,770 185 23.5% 13.8%
Source: CHAS 2017-2021
Discussion
The data shows that an estimated 13.4 percent of households in the City are severely cost burdened, and 19.4% are cost burdened.

Only one race/ethnicity group, according to Table 28, is experiencing disproportionate need:

Black/African American at 25.0 percent having severe cost burden.

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NA-30 Disproportionately Greater Need: Discussion – 91.205(b)(2) Are there any Income categories in which a racial or ethnic group has disproportionately greater need than the needs of that income category as a whole?
The CHAS data in NA-15, NA-20, and NA-25 (Tables 18-28) show that three racial/ethnic groups experienced housing problems disproportionately as compared to the jurisdiction as a whole for given income groups. Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native groups experienced the most disproportionate housing problems in relation to the Asian group.

NA-15, which assesses disproportionate needs of racial/ethnic groups based on a disproportionate share of the group having a housing problem when compared to the jurisdiction as a whole, found that some racial/ethnic groups in select income brackets did experience housing problems disproportionately. Housing problems are defined as:

1. Housing unit lacking complete kitchen facilities

2. Housing unit lacking complete plumbing facilities

3. Overcrowded with more than 1 person per room not including bathrooms, porches, foyers, halls, or half‐rooms.

4. Cost burdened, with household paying more than 30 percent of income toward housing costs (including utilities)

For the very low-income bracket (30% to 50%), Black/African American and American Indian/Alaska Native households experienced disproportionate need. In the category 50% to 80% AMI, one group, Black/African American, experienced disproportionate need. There were no disproportionate needs experienced in the 0% to 30% or 80% to 100% AMI groups.

NA-20, which performs the same analysis as NA-15 but focuses on severe housing problems, also found disproportionate needs for some income groups. Severe housing problems are the same as housing problems, except that the overcrowding threshold is 1.5 persons per room, and cost burden is defined as a household paying more than 50 percent of income toward housing costs.

Two racial/ethnic groups experienced severe housing problems disproportionately. For both the very low-income bracket (30% to 50%) and low-income bracket (50% to 80%), Black/African American households experienced disproportionate need. In the category 80% to 100% AMI, Asian households experienced disproportionate need. Across income levels (0% to 100% AMI), Black/African American households were disproportionately impacted compared to other racial/ethnic groups.

NA-25 assesses disproportionate need for racial/ethnic groups based on the share of housing cost burden for each group. An estimated 13.4 percent of households in the City are severely cost burdened, and 19.4% are cost burdened. Only one race/ethnicity group is experiencing disproportionate need: Black/African American, with 25.0 percent having severe cost burden.

If they have needs not identified above, what are those needs? All races and ethnicities in the City experience cost burden and other housing problems. Other problems include difficulty obtaining housing through lending, racial discrimination when searching for rental housing, and high concentrations of both minorities and low incomes.

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Are any of those racial or ethnic groups located in specific areas or neighborhoods in your community?
Map 1 shows minority concentrations at the block group level. Tract 11 is Visalia’s racially and ethnically concentrated area of poverty. A concentration is a non-White population of 50 percent or more. Racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (R/ECAPs) must also have a non-White population of 50 percent or more. Regarding the poverty threshold, Wilson (1980) defines neighborhoods of “extreme poverty” as census tracts with 40 percent or more of individuals living at or below the poverty line. See the map for race/ethnicity below.

According to U.S. Census American Fact Finder (2022), Map 1, Minority Concentrations, the R/ECAP (Census Tract 11 outlined in red) has a Hispanic population of 79.4%. 275
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Majority White
Majority Hispanic
Majority Asian
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NA-35 Public Housing – 91.205(b)
Introduction
There are currently 166 public housing units in the City of Visalia, which include a mix of 1, 2, 3, and four-bedroom single-family homes.

The Housing Authority of Tulare County (HATC) is the governing body of the Housing Choice voucher program and Public Housing within Tulare County as well as the City of Visalia. These programs work to provide rental assistance to extremely low and very low-income households.

Income qualifying residents pay 30 to 40% of their adjusted gross income (AGI) towards rent, while HUD pays the remaining portion of the rent directly to the landlord on behalf of the resident.

In total, HATC provides 1,123 vouchers to residents across the county to help extremely low- and low-income households maintain rental affordability.

The federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program provides rental assistance to very low- income households for housing. According to the Housing Authority of Tulare County the average annual income for a Project Based Voucher participant in Visalia is $17,249. Rent (as of 10/2024) in Visalia, ranges from $1,120 for a studio apartment to $2,366 for a unit with four or more bedrooms, which, if not for the HCV program, would require anywhere from 78% to 164.6% of monthly household income to go toward a rent payment.

Housing data available from the Tulare County Housing Authority indicates that the agency administers 1,123 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. Of that total, 510 or about 45.4% of the vouchers are held by disabled families. The percentage of current voucher households with disabilities makes evident the need for affordable housing for individuals with disabilities.

Totals in Use

Table 29: Program Type

Public
Housing
Section 8 Vouchers
Total
Project Based
Vouchers
Tenant Based
Vouchers
Special
Purpose -
VASH
Total Units/Vouchers
in Use 166 1,123 63 1,040 20
Source: Housing Authority of Tulare County, 2024

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Characteristics of Residents

Table 30: Characteristics of Public Housing Residents by Program Type

Certificate Mod-
Rehab
Public
Housing
Section 8 Vouchers
Total
Project
Based
Vouchers
Tenant
Based
Vouchers
Special
Purpose
- VASH
Special
Purpose -
Family
Unification
Average
Annual
Income
- - $37,035 $25,192 $17,249 $25,928 $16,055 -
Average
Length of
Stay
- - 4.95 4.61 1.9 4.8 3.71 -
Average
Household
Size
- - 3 2.08 1 2 1 -
# Homeless
at
Admission
- - 170 1,123 63 1,040 20 -
# of Elderly
Program
Participants
(>62)
- - 29 498 58 427 13 -
# of
Disabled
Families
- - 58 510 49 451 10 -
# of
Families
Requesting
Accessibility
Features
- - 12 33 2 30 1 -
# of

HIV/AIDS
Program
Participants
- - n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a -
# of DV
Victims - - n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a -
Source: Housing Authority of Tulare County, 2024

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Race and Ethnicity of Residents

Table 31: Breakdown by Race
Certificate Mod-
Rehab
Public
Housing
Section 8 Vouchers
Total
Project
Based
Vouchers
Tenant
Based
Vouchers
Special Purpose
VASH Family
Unification
White 0 0 147 1,029 58 945 26 0
Black/African
American 0 0 13 81 5 75 1 0
Asian 0 0 3 21 1 20 0 0
American
Indian, Alaska
Native
0 0 0 8 0 8 0 0
Pacific
Islander 0 0 2 4 0 4 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Hispanic 0 0 120 654 29 618 7 0
Non-Hispanic 0 0 45 489 35 434 20 0
Source: Housing Authority of Tulare County, 2024

Table 32: Demographics of HATC Waiting Lists Housing Choice Voucher - County
Public Housing
- Visalia
Project Based
Rental Assistance
Number of Families on Waiting List 13,844 16,132 320
Extremely Low-income (0-30% AMI) 9,233 11,333 213
Very Low-income (31-50% AMI) 3,009 3,143 72
Low-income (51-80% AMI) 1,135 1,212 27
Families with Children 7,748 8,568 11
Elderly Families 1,063 1,608 265
Families with Disabilities 3,281 3,852 188
Waiting List by Race
White 10,193 12,987 270
Black 2,250 1,856 28
Asian 344 318 11
American Indian/Native Hawaiian 1,057 971 11
Waiting List by Ethnicity
Hispanic 8,255 9,728 127
Non-Hispanic 5,589 6,404 193
Source: Housing Authority of Tulare County, 2024

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Section 504 Needs Assessment: Describe the needs of public housing tenants and applicants on the waiting list for accessible units.

The Visalia Area Manager for the Housing Authority for Tulare County maintains a separate waiting list for accessible Public Housing units in the City of Visalia. As an accessible unit becomes available, preference is given to physically handicapped applicants on the accessible units’ waiting list. There are a total of 11 accessible units in public housing stock in the City of Visalia. Currently, there are no households on the accessible units’ waiting list for the public housing units in Visalia.

Most immediate needs of residents of Public Housing and Housing Choice voucher holders.

Public Housing households have an average income of $37,035; this presents the economic hardship that most program participants endure. Public housing programs in Visalia work to encourage and facilitate self-sufficiency. However, program participants continue to lack adequate access to employment opportunities that will enable them to achieve higher incomes.

Enhancing economic opportunities within the area is a critical need for public housing and Section 8 HCV program participants.

How do these needs compare to the housing needs of the population at large? A great need exists for Visalia residents that are not living in public housing or using Housing Choice Vouchers, especially because of possible rent fluctuations and housing cost burdens. As mentioned in Table 9, according to CHAS 2017-2021 data, 35.4% (16,050) of Visalia’s households are low-income, earning incomes between zero and 80 percent of the area median income. Of total households in Visalia 8.8% (3,995) of households are extremely low-income (0- 30% AMI); 10.4% (4,720) are very low-income (30-50% AMI); 16.2% (7,335) are 50-80% AMI. In addition, 11.5% of total households experience housing cost burden greater than 50% of income and 14.6% experience housing cost burden greater than 30% of income. Households utilizing public housing or housing choice vouchers only account for 2.8% of total households in Visalia.

Discussion
In response to the great need for housing affordable to low-income households, the City is dedicated in continuing to support the construction of new affordable units and preservation of existing affordable units through the Consolidated Plan process and other resources identified.

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NA-40 Homeless Needs Assessment – 91.205(c)
National Homeless Estimates
The “Annual Homeless Assessment Report (“AHAR”) to Congress” prepared by HUD provides the best and most comprehensive insight into the current state of homelessness in the United States. It should be noted that the 2021 national Point-in-Time (“PIT”) counts were considerably impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the public health crisis, HUD encouraged communities to determine whether conducting an unsheltered PIT count posed a high risk of exacerbating COVID-19 transmissions, given the lack of widespread access to COVID-19 vaccines at the time. As a result, less than half of communities conducted a full sheltered and unsheltered count. While this report includes some data on all people in sheltered locations in 2021, incomplete unsheltered data is not included. Analysis of changes over time are generally limited to those between 2022 and 2020 or earlier. Key changes in the sheltered population between 2021 and 2022 will be included in text boxes at the end of each chapter.

Key findings of the report with respect to the number of Homeless include/indicate:

On a Single Night in January 2024
 771,480 people – or about 23 of every 10,000 people in the United States – experienced homelessness across the United States.
 Six in 10 people experiencing homelessness stayed in sheltered locations, and four in 10 were unsheltered, that is, staying in a place not meant for human habitation.  About one in every five people experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024 was age 55 or older. People who identify as Black, African American, or African continue to be overrepresented among the population experiencing homelessness. People who identify as Black made up just 12 percent of the total U.S. population and 21 percent of the U.S. population living in poverty but were 32 percent of all people experiencing homelessness

Changes in Homelessness Over Time
From 2023 to 2024:

 Nearly all populations reached record levels, including homelessness among people in families with children, individuals, individuals with chronic patterns of homelessness, people staying in unsheltered locations, people staying in sheltered locations, and unaccompanied youth.
 Nearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024, reflecting a 33 percent increase (or 32,618 more children) over 2023. Between 2023 and 2024, children (under the age of 18) were the age group that experienced the largest increase in homelessness.
 Veterans were the only population to report continued declines in homelessness. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness declined by eight percent, or 2,692 fewer veterans.

Demographic Characteristics of All people Experiencing Homelessness The AHAR has been reporting demographic information on people experiencing homelessness on a single night since 2017. In 2024, HUD made significant changes in the way data on gender and data on race and ethnicity were collected. Individuals were able to identify both their gender and their race more inclusively, by selecting more than a single gender or race.

Hispanic/Latina/e/o status, historically collected separately, is now listed among the race 281
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categories. Given these changes, comparisons to prior years for gender and race are not included in the report.
 Most individuals experiencing homelessness were between the ages of 25 and 64 (84%).

The groups most likely to be in shelter rather than observed in unsheltered locations were unaccompanied children (that is, children not experiencing homelessness with a parent or legal guardian age 18 or older), youth, and individuals 55 and older.  The number of individuals experiencing homelessness increased across nearly all age groups and shelter statuses between 2023 and 2024. The only populations to decrease during this period were people in child-only households and unsheltered unaccompanied youth.
 In 2024, more than two-thirds of individuals experiencing homelessness identified as men and 30 percent as women. Two percent identified as a gender other than singularly woman or man. A somewhat higher share of unsheltered individuals identified as men and as more than one gender.
 Individuals of color, particularly Black, African American, or African and American Indian, Alaska Native, and Indigenous populations are considerably overrepresented among individuals experiencing homelessness (accounting for 69% of individuals experiencing homelessness).
 The number of homeless veterans, both unsheltered and sheltered, continues to decrease across the nation, as illustrated in Table 33.

Nationwide Homeless Statistics

Figure 1: PIT Estimates of People Experiencing Homelessness by Sheltered Status, 2007-2024 Source: 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report

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Table 33: Changes in the Number of Veterans Experiencing Homelessness Over Time by Sheltered Status, 2011-2024
2011 2020 2024 Percent Change
2011-2020
Percent Change
2020-2024
All Veterans 65,455 37,252 32,882 -43.1% -11.7%
Sheltered Veterans 40,033 22,048 19,031 -44.9% -13.7%
Unsheltered Veterans 25,422 15,204 13,851 -40.2% -8.9%
Source: 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report
State of California CoC Homeless Estimates
Continuum of Care (“CoC”) Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports provide counts for sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons by household type and subpopulation, available at the national and state level, and for each CoC. The reports are based on Point- in-Time (“PIT”) information provided to HUD by CoCs in the application for CoC Homeless Assistance Programs. The PIT Count provides a count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night during the last ten days in January.

The HUD 2024 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations report offers an insight into the number of homeless individuals residing in the State of California. The report indicates that there were an estimated 160,784 homeless households within the State of California as of January 2024. Of these households, 112,482 were “unsheltered” while the remainder (48,302) were considered to be in a shelter of some sort–either an emergency shelter or transitional housing.

Age/Household Type
Across the entire homeless population, 10,857 were between the ages of 18 and 24, while 160,925 were over the age of 24. Homeless households with at least one adult and one child numbered approximately 25,639 and those comprised of only children totaled 489. Overall, the study indicated that across all households there were 187,084 homeless persons.

Demographics
Of the 187,084 homeless individuals:
 69,029 were Hispanic/Latino (36.9%)
 118,045 were non-Hispanic/non-Latino (63.1%)
 62,975 were female (33.7%)
 119,727 were male (64.0%)
 4,382 were considered transgender or non-conforming (2.3%)

Table 34: State of California Breakdown by Ethnicity and Race Sub-group Number of
Individuals
Percentage of All
Homeless Individuals
American Indian/Alaskan
Native/Indigenous
4,371 2.3%
Asian/Asian American 4,011 2.1%
Black/African American/African 41,696 22.3%
Hispanic/Latina/e/o Only 43,203 22.3%
Middle Eastern or North African 466 23.1%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 1,620 0.2%
White 59,703 0.9%
Hispanic and One or More Race 25,826 13.8%
Non-Hispanic and Multiple Race 6,188 3.3%
Source: HUD 2024 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations (California) 283
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Other Reporting Information
Several other populations/classifications of homeless individuals were also reported in the HUD 2024 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations report. The number of homeless individuals within these subgroups is represented in this table, as well as the percentage of all homeless individuals that fall into these subgroups. It is important to note that individuals may belong to multiple categories of sub-group (such as an individual who is severely mentally ill and is a veteran). The following are further sub- groups of the homeless population:

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Table 35: State of California Homeless Sub-Group Populations Sub-group Number of
Individuals
Percentage of All
Homeless Individuals
Severely Mentally Ill 44,628 23.9%
Chronic Substance Abuse 42,949 23.0%
Veterans 9,310 5.0%
HIV/AIDS 3,101 1.7%
Victims of Domestic Abuse 16,695 8.9%
Unaccompanied Youth 9,052 4.8%
Parenting Youth 850 0.5%
Children of Parenting Youth 1,035 0.6%
Source: HUD 2024 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations (California)

Table 36: State of California CoC Homeless Estimates
(2016-2024)
Year
Number
Homeless of
Households
% Change
Number
Homeless of
Persons
% Change
2016 99,675 - 118,142 -
2017 114,072 14.4% 134,278 13.7%
2018 109,394 -4.1% 129,792 -3.3%
2019 127,448 16.5% 151,278 16.6%
2020 136,358 7.0% 161,548 6.8%
2021* 42,309 - 57,468 -
2022 145,854 - 171,521 -
2023 154,028 5.6% 181,399 5.8%
2024 160,784 4.4% 187,084 3.1%
Average 130,952 7.3% 154,380 7.1%
Source: HUD 2024 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations (California) *In 2021, HUD gave communities the option to cancel or modify the unsheltered survey portion of their counts based on the potential risk of COVID-19 transmission associated with conducting an in-person survey. As a result, HUD has excluded the unsheltered population sub-totals and all unsheltered sub-population data for this reporting period. The user is cautioned that the total homeless counts reported here are missing data. Users may refer to the CoC-level reports to review the unsheltered PIT count numbers for CoCs that conducted an unsheltered PIT count.

CA-513: Visalia/Kings, Tulare/Kings Counties CoC
The HUD 2024 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations report offers an insight into the number of homeless individuals residing in the CA-513: Visalia/Kings, Tulare Counties CoC. The report indicates that there were 1,672 homeless households within CA-513: Visalia/Kings, Tulare/Kings Counties CoC as of 1/22/2024. Of these households, 1,341 were considered to be “unsheltered” while the remainder (331) were considered to be in a shelter of some sort–either an emergency shelter or transitional housing.

Age/Household Type
Across the entire homeless population, 101 were between the ages of 18 and 24, while 1,426 were over the age of 24. Homeless households with at least one adult and one child numbered approximately 73 and those comprised of only children totaled 0. Overall, the study indicated that across all households there were 1,672 homeless persons.

Demographics
Of the 1,672 homeless individuals:
 784 were Hispanic/Latino (46.9%)
 888 were non-Hispanic/non-Latino (53.1%)
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 613 were female (36.7%) and 1,015 were male (60.7%)
 12 were considered transgender or non-conforming (less than 1%)

Table 37: Breakdown by Race
Sub-group Number of
Individuals
Percentage of All
Homeless Individuals
Black/African-American 113 6.8%
White 827 49.5%
Asian 18 1.1%
American Indian/Alaskan Native 113 6.8%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 19 1.1%
Multiple Races 71 4.2%
Hispanic/Latino 784 46.9%
Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino 888 53.1%

Other Reporting Information
Several other populations/classifications of homeless individuals were also reported in the HUD 2024 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations report. The number of homeless individuals within these subgroups is represented in this table, as well as the percentage of all homeless individuals that fall into these subgroups. It is important to note that individuals may belong to multiple categories of sub-group (such as an individual who is severely mentally ill and is a veteran). The following are further sub- groups of the homeless population:

Table 38: Homeless Sub-Group Populations
Sub-group Number of
Individuals
Percentage of All
Homeless Individuals
Severely Mentally Ill 555 33.2%
Chronic Substance Abuse 582 34.8%
Veterans 82 4.9%
HIV/AIDS 15 0.9%
Victims of Domestic Abuse 196 11.7%
Unaccompanied Youth 83 5.0%
Parenting Youth 8 0.5%
Children of Parenting Youth 13 0.8%

Table 39: CA-513: Visalia/Kings, Tulare Counties CoC Estimates (2016-2024) Year
Number of
Homeless
Households
% Change
Number of
Homeless
Persons
% Change
2016 626 - 792 -
2017 716 14.4% 853 7.7%
2018 801 11.9% 967 13.4%
2019 908 13.4% 1,064 10.0%
2020 1,105 21.7% 1,297 21.9%
2021* 373 - 494 -
2022 1,082 - 1,235 -
2023 1,284 18.7% 1,470 19.0%
2024 1,485 13.5% 1,672 12.1%
Average 931 15.6% 1,094 14.0%
*In 2021, HUD gave communities the option to cancel or modify the unsheltered survey portion of their counts based on the potential risk of COVID-19 transmission associated with conducting an in-person survey. As a result, HUD has excluded the unsheltered 286
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population sub-totals and all unsheltered sub-population data for this reporting period. The user is cautioned that the total homeless counts reported here are missing data. Users may refer to the CoC-level reports to review the unsheltered PIT count numbers for CoCs that conducted an unsheltered PIT count.

Visalia, CA Homeless Estimates
The Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance (“KTHA”) conducts a Point in Time count within Kings and Tulare County, and further breaks down the data by city, including the City of Visalia. The following homeless information for the City of Visalia is taken from the KTHA 2024 Point in Time Report.

Table 40: Homeless Populations, City of Visalia
Sub-group Number of
Individuals
Percentage of All
Homeless Individuals
Unsheltered 472 80.4%
Emergency Shelter 78 13.3%
Transitional Housing 37 6.3%
Veterans 37 6.6%
Disabled 226 38.5%
Unaccompanied Youth 32 5.5%

Table 41: Homeless Needs Assessment

Estimate the # of
persons experiencing
homelessness on a
given night
Estimate the #
experiencing
homelessness
each year
Estimate
the #
becoming
homeless
each year
Estimate the #
exiting
homelessness
each year
Estimate the #
of days
persons
experience
homelessness Unsheltered Sheltered
Persons in
Households
with
Adult(s)
and
Child(ren)
42 54 1908 656 170 96
Persons in
Households
with Only
Children
0 0 2 2 2 unknown
Persons in
Households
with Only
Adults
973 191 2829 1961 375 99
Chronically
Homeless
Individuals
364 23 893 673 132 105
Chronically
Homeless
Families
unknown unknown 153 57 25 145
Veterans 58 8 110 73 27 91
Persons
with HIV 10 1 47 22 6 unknown
Source: Kings United Way, Tulare County

Age/Household Type
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Across the entire homeless population, 36 were between the ages of 18 and 24, 23 were under the age of 18, and 528 were over the age of 24. There were 32 homeless unaccompanied youth and overall, the study indicated that across all households there were 587 homeless persons.

Demographics
Of the 587 homeless individuals:
 249 were Hispanic/Latino (42.4%)
 302 were non-Hispanic/non-Latino (51.4%)
 36 were an unknown ethnicity (6.1%)
 189 were female (32.2%)
 376 were male (64.1%)
 5 were considered transgender or non-conforming (less than 1%)

Table 42: Breakdown by Race
Sub-group Number of Individuals Percentage of All
Homeless Individuals
Black/African-American 29 4.9%
White 360 61.3%
Asian 8 1.4%
American Indian/Alaskan Native 40 6.8%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 3 1.2%
Middle Eastern 2 0.3%
Unknown 36 6.1%

Table 43: Homeless Needs Assessment
Unsheltered Sheltered
White 509 158
Black/African American 69 18
Asian 12 3
American Indian or Alaska Native 84 14
Pacific Islander 12 2
Ethnicity:

Hispanic 509 143
Non-Hispanic - -
Source: Kings United Way, Tulare County
Note: Hispanic was considered a race category within the CoC's PIT Count Reporting and Clients can identify as more than one race. Not included in the table is 1 Sheltered and 2 Unsheltered Middle Eastern Clients, as well as 64 unsheltered Clients with unknown race.

Table 44: City of Visalia Point in Time Trends (2016-2024) Year
Number of
Homeless
Individuals
% Change Number of Chronically
Homeless Individuals % Change
2016 322 - 78 -
2017 410 27.3% 130 66.7%
2018 462 12.7% 115 -11.5%
2019 481 4.1% 111 -3.5%
2020 540 12.3% 167 50.5%
2021* - - - -
2022 469 - 108 -
2023 434 -7.5% 133 23.1%
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2024 587 26.06% 152 12.5%
Average 412 12.5% 110 23.0%
*Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, data was not collected for 2021.

National Veteran Homeless Estimates
“The 2024 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (“AHAR”) to Congress” is produced annually and is the single federal estimate on veteran homelessness.

The 2021 national Point-in-Time (PIT) counts were considerably impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the public health crisis, HUD encouraged communities to determine whether conducting an unsheltered PIT count posed a high risk of exacerbating COVID-19 transmissions, given the lack of widespread access to COVID-19 vaccines at the time. As a result, less than half of communities conducted a full sheltered and unsheltered count. While this report includes some data on all veterans in sheltered locations in 2021, incomplete unsheltered data is not included.

Communities began reporting PIT data on veterans experiencing homelessness in 2009. As such, this report uses 2009 as the baseline measure of veterans experiencing homelessness in the United States.

Key findings of the report with respect to the number of Homeless Veterans include/indicate:

On a Single Night in January 2024
 32,882 veterans were experiencing homelessness in the U.S., approximately seven percent of all adults experiencing homelessness.
 About six in every ten veterans experiencing homelessness were sheltered, and the other four in ten were unsheltered.
 Veterans made up five percent of all adults experiencing homelessness in the United States. The share was the same across sheltered status.

Changes in Veteran Homelessness over Time
Given that more than half of communities did not conduct full unsheltered counts in 2021, changes over time are limited to those between 2023 and 2022 or earlier.  The number of veterans experiencing homelessness decreased by 8 percent between 2023 and 2024. This decrease in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness was the same for the sheltered and unsheltered populations, however, the percentage decline for veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness was larger, at 11 percent.  Based on the new categories, the race and ethnicity of veterans experiencing homelessness changed slightly between 2023 and 2024, showing a reduction in the number of veterans who identified as White (any ethnicity). This may reflect the addition of three new race/ethnicity categories: Middle Eastern or North African Only, Middle Eastern or North African and Hispanic/Latina/e/o, and Hispanic/Latina/e/o (only). In 2024, 2,260 veterans (7%) identified as one of the newly available racial/ethnic categories.

Demographic Characteristics of Homeless Veterans
The AHAR has been reporting demographic information on people experiencing homelessness on a single night since 2017. In 2024, HUD made significant changes to the way the Point-in- Time count collected data on gender and data on race and ethnicity. People were able to identify both their gender and their race more inclusively, by selecting more than a single gender or race.

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categories. Given these changes, numerical comparisons to prior years (i.e., changes in the number of people experiencing homelessness) for gender and race are not included in the AHAR.  Men accounted for almost nine of every ten veterans experiencing homelessness in 2024 (88.8% or 29,189 veterans).
 Veterans who identified as women made up a slightly higher share of veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness than of veterans experiencing sheltered homelessness (12% vs 9%).
 Across all veterans experiencing homelessness, about 49 percent identified as White (only), and 30 percent identified as Black, African American, or African (only). People who identified as Hispanic/Latina/e/o, of any race, were more likely to be experiencing unsheltered homelessness, making up 17 percent of unsheltered veterans compared to nine percent of sheltered veterans.
 Veterans who identified as White and Hispanic/Latina/e/o had the highest sheltered rate at 71 percent.

Nationwide Homeless Statistics

Figure 2: Percentage of All Veterans Experiencing Homelessness by State, 2024 Source: 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report

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Figure 3: PIT Estimates of Veterans Experiencing Homelessness by Sheltered Status, 2009-2024 Source: 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report

Table 45: Proportion of Adults Experiencing Homelessness Who are Veterans by Sheltered Status, 2024
Sheltered Status
All Veterans
Experiencing
Homelessness
All Adults
Experiencing
Homelessness
Percent of Adults
Experiencing
Homelessness Who
Are Veterans
Sheltered 19,031 360,097 5.3%
Unsheltered 13,851 263,145 5.3%
Total People 32,882 623,242 5.3%
Source: 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report

Based on the research conducted from multiple sources, veterans make up a disproportionate share of homeless people and are overrepresented. It is estimated that veterans represent anywhere between 5.3 and 26 percent of the homeless population but only 8.3 percent of the civilian population 18 years and older.

 5.3 percent of the homeless population are Veterans
 The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
 “Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness: The 2024 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress.“

 16 percent of the homeless population are Veterans
 Abt Associates Inc. and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans.
 Veteran Homelessness: A Supplemental Report to the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress”

 23 percent of the homeless population are Veterans
 U.S. Interagency Council on the Homeless (USICH)
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 “The Forgotten Americans-Homelessness: Programs and the People They Serve”

 26 percent of the homeless population are Veterans
 National Alliance to End Homelessness
 “Vital Mission-Ending Homelessness Among Veterans”

Additional homelessness and Veteran data within the State of California, Tulare County, and the City of Visalia is reported by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Housing Assistance Council, and the United States Census Bureau.

 40.9 percent of homeless Veterans are unsheltered
 National Alliance to End Homelessness
 “State of Homelessness: 2022 Edition”

 10,395 (6.1 percent) homeless people were Veterans within the State of California during 2022
 National Alliance to End Homelessness
 “SOH: State and CoC Dashboards”

 1,243 (8.8 percent) of Veterans within Tulare County are below the poverty line  United States Census Bureau
 S2101: Veteran Status – 2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates

 4,480 (31.7 percent) of Veterans within Tulare County have a disability  United States Census Bureau
 S2101: Veteran Status – 2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates

 460 (7.7 percent) of Veterans within the City of Visalia are below the poverty line  United States Census Bureau
 S2101: Veteran Status – 2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates

 1,642 (27.4 percent) of Veterans within the City of Visalia have a disability  United States Census Bureau
 S2101: Veteran Status – 2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates

 1,235 people were homeless within CA-513: Visalia/Kings, Tulare Counties CoC during 2022
 National Alliance to End Homelessness
 “SOH: State and CoC Dashboards”

 67 (5.4 percent) homeless people were Veterans within CA-513: Visalia/Kings, Tulare Counties CoC during 2022
 National Alliance to End Homelessness
 “SOH: State and CoC Dashboards”

Many other veterans are considered near homeless or at risk of homelessness because of their poverty, lack of support from family and friends, dismal living conditions in hotels or in overcrowded or substandard housing. It should also be noted that the estimated number of veteran homeless does not include those who were at risk of homelessness. Based on estimates 292
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provided by the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ “Vital Mission-Ending Homelessness Among Veterans” report, an additional 89,553 to 467,877 veterans were potentially at risk of homelessness. However, at the local level the City of Visalia has a substantial number of veterans at-risk of homelessness due to lower-incomes, mental health issues, substance abuse, lack of employment, difficulty transitioning to civilian life, and the trauma experienced during military service.

Veterans on the Housing Authority waitlist are given preference that puts them on the top of the waitlist and referred to the Veterans Affairs Supporting Housing (VASH) program. The VASH program combines Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless veterans with case management and supportive services provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA).

Recent Presidential Administrations’ decisions to drawdown a considerable number of troops from Afghanistan, Iraq and the greater Middle East Region will likely increase the number of veterans throughout the Nation in the next several years. The impact of these decisions on veterans and the time lag between becoming a veteran and potentially experiencing homelessness is not clear.

The rate of homelessness among this group could rise as the time since coming home increases.

Veterans with personal resources and a strong support network may avoid homelessness for many years or avert it altogether, while others with fewer resources and support may become homeless more quickly.

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NA-45 Non-Homeless Special Needs Assessment - 91.205 (b, d) Introduction
Populations with special needs may have more difficulty finding housing and may require specialized services or assistance. Because of their circumstances, they are more likely to have lower incomes and often have a relatively higher cost of living. These groups include the elderly, large households, single-parent-headed (female and male) households, persons with disabilities (mental, physical, and developmental), and persons with HIV/AIDS.

Describe the characteristics of special needs populations in your community Special needs populations in the City include the senior and elderly population, persons with disabilities, large households, single parent households, and persons with HIV/AIDS.

Seniors and Elderly
HUD defines elderly as age 62 and older, while the U.S. Census commonly defines elderly as age 65 and older. The population 65 and over represents approximately 12.7 percent of the City’s total population, amounting to 18,183 individuals.

Table 46: Senior Profile
2020 Senior
Pop. (% of
Total Pop.)1
2024 Senior
Pop. (% of
Total Pop.)2
Percent Change
(2020-2023)
With a
Disability2
% of Senior
Households
with LMI3
% of Senior
Households with
Housing
Problems3
17,512 18,183 +3.8% 34.2% 32% 53%
Data Sources: 1) ACS 2016-2020 5-Year Estimate; 2) ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimate

According to the City’s Housing Element, senior households face unique housing challenges.

Those who receive fixed retirement incomes may not receive enough to cover the cost of utilities, repairs, and housing insurance. Further, seniors who are no longer able to drive may need alternative forms of transportation, such as public transit, ride sharing, and safe walking routes.

Persons with Disabilities
According to 2019-2023 5-Year ACS estimates, disabled persons make up approximately 11.7 percent of all persons in the City. The City owns and operates 9 accessible public housing units.

According to the City’s Housing Element, persons with disabilities may require unique housing accommodations. These housing modifications may include a need for wheelchair ramps, elevators, and modified fixtures and appliances. Additionally, persons with disabilities who receive social security income as their primary source of income may have trouble paying for market-rate housing.

Large Households
Large households are defined by HUD as having five or more members. These households are usually families with three or more children, or households that have extended family members such as in-laws or grandparents present. According to 2019-2023 5-Year ACS estimates, there are 8,186 large households in the City, representing 17.6% of all households.

Large households are a special needs group because the availability of adequately sized, affordable housing units is often limited. In order to save for necessities beyond housing, such as food, clothing and medical care, some large families may be forced to reside in smaller units, 294
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resulting in overcrowding.

Single Parent Households
Single parent households with children may sometimes require special accommodations in housing. Due to the likelihood of only one income to support a family, single parent households often require special consideration and assistance because of their need for affordable housing, along with paying for accessible daycare, health care and other supportive services for their families. Because of their lower incomes and higher living expenses, female-headed households with children have even more limited opportunities to find affordable, decent and safe housing.

For the City, according to 2019-2023 5-Year ACS Estimates, there are 11,718 single parent households. Of these households, 67.2% (7,876 households) were female-headed.

Persons with HIV/AIDS
Persons with HIV/AIDS sometimes face biases and misunderstanding about their illness that affect their access to housing. In addition, persons with HIV/AIDS may also be targets for hate crimes, which include crimes committed because of hatred directed toward an assumed sexual orientation. The National Commission on AIDS states that up to half of all Americans with AIDS are either homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless because of illness, lack of income or other resources, or a weak support network.

The California HIV Surveillance Report-2022 published by the California Department of Public Health, Center for Infectious Diseases in Sacramento, California on March 13, 2022, reported a total of 586 individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the County of Tulare. Of these cases, 56.7% of those affected are of Hispanic race or ethnicity.

What are the housing and supportive service needs of these populations and how are these needs determined?
In addition to the data mentioned above, based upon stakeholder and community input, priority needs include:

Service Needs
 Youth services
 Homeless/homeless prevention services
 Mental health services
 Expanding reach of existing services
 Job training

Housing Needs
 Affordable rental housing
 Senior housing
 Emergency shelter
 Permanent supportive housing
 Aged out foster youth housing
 Transitional housing
 Home rehabilitation programs for seniors and disabled persons  Tenant-Based Rental Assistance

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Conditions of Housing/ Housing Choice
 There are not enough low-cost choices for low-income housing, subsidized housing, transitional housing, or senior housing.
 Permanent supportive housing is lacking for extremely low-income-30% AMI  As the owner of a mobile home park, 2-bedroom units are in demand.  Landlords willing to lease to homeless/low-income individuals is uncommon.  Property owners willing to rent to people who have been evicted.

Needs for persons with HIV/AIDS were identified based upon the community outreach meetings, stakeholder interviews and surveys completed.

Discuss the size and characteristics of the population with HIV/AIDS and their families within the Eligible Metropolitan Statistical Area Persons with HIV/AIDS sometimes face biases and misunderstanding about their illness that affect their access to housing. In addition, persons with HIV/AIDS may also be targets for hate crimes, which include crimes committed because of hatred directed toward an assumed sexual orientation. The National Commission on AIDS states that up to half of all Americans with AIDS are either homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless because of illness, lack of income or other resources, or a weak support network.

The California HIV Surveillance Report-2022 published by the California Department of Public Health, Center for Infectious Diseases in Sacramento, California on March 13, 2022, reported a total 586 persons living with HIV/AIDS in the County of Tulare. Of the 448 cases, 56.7% are of Hispanic race or ethnicity, 11.7% are reported as female and 86.4% as male. On the evening of the Point-In-Time homeless count by the Continuum of Care, seven cases of HIV were reported in the Bi-County, with two cases in the Visalia PIT Survey count.

Discussion
The City of Visalia will continue to work with the service providers it has traditionally worked with and new experienced non-profit providers in order to support special needs populations.

Additionally, the City will explore other ways to improve upon support provided in the past.

Based upon the Community Outreach and Housing Surveys, the following top priorities, in order, were identified:

Housing Needs
 Affordable rental housing
 Senior housing
 Emergency shelter
 Permanent supportive housing
 Home rehabilitation for seniors and disabled persons
 Rental assistance

Service Needs
 Homeless services
 Homeless prevention services
 Youth services
 Mental health services
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 Substance abuse services
 Job training programs
 Domestic abuse services
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NA-50 Non-Housing Community Development Needs – 91.215 (f) Describe the jurisdiction’s need for Public Facilities
The priority needs identified for Public Facilities are, in order of priority, include:

1. Youth centers

2. Park and Recreational facilities

3. Health facilities

4. Senior centers, and

5. Childcare centers

Additionally, facilities to care for the homeless were identified as priority needs.

How were these needs determined?
Needs for Public Facilities were identified based upon the community outreach meetings, stakeholder interviews and surveys completed.

Describe the jurisdiction’s need for Public Improvements Priority needs identified for Public Improvement are, in order of priority, included:

1. Street improvements and

2. Sidewalk improvements with ADA improvements.

How were these needs determined?
Needs for Public Improvements were identified based upon the community outreach meetings, stakeholder interviews and surveys completed.

Describe the jurisdiction’s need for Public Services
Priority needs identified for Public Services are, in order of priority:

1. Special needs populations (i.e., homelessness)

2. Youth

3. Domestic abuse

4. Mental health services

5. CoC and fair housing supportive services

6. Job training

7. Substance abuse treatment, domestic violence support

8. Support services for elderly (meals, transportation)

9. Rent/utility payments

10. Tenant-based rental assistance
How were these needs determined?
Needs for Public Improvements were identified based upon the community outreach meetings, stakeholder interviews and surveys completed.

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Market Analysis
MA-05 Overview
Housing Market Analysis Overview
Many neighborhoods in the City have previously contained affordable housing, however, after the macro-economic changes following Covid-19 the City and County have seen a drastic increase in home and rent prices. This makes the City and County similar to California as they struggle to create more affordable housing units within its various Cities and Counties. Because land and housing costs are cheaper when compared to California as a whole, affordable housing projects are developed in mostly residentially zoned areas in the City. This section is dedicated to providing data and analysis that describe housing conditions, housing costs, cost burdened households, and tenure.

Housing Market Characteristics
In the City there are a total of 18,770 affordable units available to households earning 80% or less AMI (see Table 52), and however, there are 16,050 households within this income bracket in need of housing. However, the majority of affordable units in the City fall into the 50-80% AMI category which has a surplus of units. Shortages of affordable housing are significant in the 0-30% and 30-50% AMI categories. According to 2017-2021 CHAS data, about one in every three households (32.7%) in Visalia are cost burdened. There are more renter households in the City that are cost burdened compared to owner-occupied households; almost half of renter households (43.6%) are cost burdened. Such findings indicate significant numbers of residents experiencing cost burden. Housing market statistics provided by HUD (2019-2023 ACS Estimates; 2017-2021 CHAS Data) provide evidence that there is not an adequate supply of units affordable to low- and moderate-income households in the City:

 48,737: number of units in Visalia (Table 47)
 46,466: total occupied units of which 39.2% are renters and 60.8% are owners (Table 48)  Larger units: Most occupied units are two or more bedrooms: 27,479 for owners and 16,168 for renters (Table 48)
 0-30% AMI: There are 3,995 households living in this income category, yet there are only 1,265 affordable units available to these households in the City (Table 9 and Table 52)  30-50% AMI: There are 4,720 households living in this income category yet there are only 3,655 units available (Table 9 and Table 52)
 50-80% AMI: there are 7,335 households in this income category and there are 13,850 units (Table 9 and Table 52)
 4.7%: The housing vacancy rate of 4.7% in the City is considered low (Table 47 and Table 48)

Housing Conditions
The City follows the California Health and Safety Code when it comes to substandard housing.

This includes units having structural hazards, faulty weather protection, fire, health and safety hazards, or lacking complete kitchen or plumbing facilities.

Housing for Persons with Special Needs. The Housing Authority of Tulare County (HATC) provides rental assistance to very low- and moderate-income families, seniors, and disabled persons and their families throughout the County. Public housing in the County has a good conditions rating. Homeless populations are considered to be a special needs category. In 2024 299
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there were a total of 587 homeless persons in the City of Visalia, of which 472 were unsheltered and 115 sheltered (Table 40). There was a 22% increase in homelessness in Visalia since 2019, when the number of unhoused people was 481(Table 44). There are currently 313 shelter beds in Kings and Tulare County, according to the HUD Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Housing Inventory Count Report 2024 (Table 60) as well as a comprehensive provision of facilities and services that meet the needs of persons who require supportive housing and programs but are not homeless.
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MA-10 Number of Housing Units – 91.210(a)&(b)(2)
Introduction
The housing stock in the City is primarily owner-occupied detached single-family homes with a small number of multifamily units. Specifically, out of 48,737 total housing units, 38,808 (78.9%) are single-family homes of which 93.9% are detached structures (Table 47). Beyond single-family homes, the housing stock consists of 8,447 multi-family units, which represents just 17.3% of units (Table 47). Most multi-family apartment buildings consist of 2-4 units (60.8%). Other types of housing units available (1,482 units or 3.0% of the total housing stock) include mobile homes, boats, RVs, and vans (Table 47).

The vacancy rate in the City is considered low according to the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. A healthy vacancy rate is somewhere between 7 and 8 percent. Out of the total 48,737 units comprising the housing stock for the City, 46,466 are occupied (Table 48), which equates to a vacancy rate of 4.7%. The occupied housing stock is primarily represented by owner-occupied units (60.8%) compared to renter-occupied households (39.2%) (Table 48). Most owner-occupied units are three or more bedrooms (88.3%), while most renter-occupied units are two bedrooms (83.3%).

All Residential Properties by Number of Units

Table 47: Residential Properties by Unit Number
Property Type Number % of Total Units
1-unit, detached structure 36,455 74.8%
1-unit, attached structure 2,353 4.8%
2-4 units 5,136 10.6%
5-19 units 1,804 3.7%
20 or more units 1,507 3.1%
Mobile home, boat, RV, van, etc. 1,482 3.0%
Total 48,737 100.0%
Data Source: 2023 5-Year ACS

Unit Size by Tenure

Table 48: Unit Size by Tenure
Number of Bedrooms Owners Renters
Number Percentage Number Percentage
No bedroom 257 0.9% 475 1.2%
1 bedroom 535 1.9% 1,552 8.6%
2 bedrooms 2,516 8.9% 7,662 83.3%
3 or more bedrooms 24,963 88.3% 8,506 6.9%
Total 28,271 100.0% 18,195 100.0%
Data Source: 2023 5-Year ACS

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Describe the number and targeting (income level/type of family served) of units assisted with federal, state, and local programs.

According to information provided by the City, since 2015, 596 housing units targeting very low-, low-, and moderate-income households have been developed within Visalia (Table 49). Table 49 lists multi-family housing receiving government assistance in the City. Included in the table is the funding source, year built, the number of units, and the target income.

Table 49: Affordable Housing Developments within the City of Visalia Name of
Development Address Sponsor Funding
Sources
Year Built /
Funds
Provided
Affordability
Period End
Date
# of
Units
Type / Target
Income Groups
Clark Court 626-630 E. Tulare
Ave HATC RHCP 1983 2030 24 Supportive Housing
Visalia Garden
Villas
4901-5075 W.

Crenshaw Ave. HATC LIHTC, RHCP 1987 2042 60 Senior; very low & low-income
Westport Village 3123 S. Avocado
St. TCHA LIHTC 1989 2029 25 Senior; low &
moderate income
Fairview Village 2700 N. Willis St. HATC LIHTC, CDBG 1994 2049 8 Very low-income Willowbrook
Estates
1819 North Tipton
Street TCHA Visalia RDA,
HOME 1996 2051 10 Low-income
Kimball Court 303 West Kimball
Ave. HATC Visalia RDA,
LIHTC 1999 2054 95 Senior; very low &
low-income
The Meadows 3900 W. Tulare
Ave.

Christian Church
Homes Visalia RDA 2001 2054 99 Senior; low-income
Transitional
Mental Health 546 E. Tulare Ave. TCHA Visalia RDA,
HOME 2003 2058 17 Very low-income
Oak Meadows 111 W. School Ave. Christian Church
Homes HUD 2004 2057 60 Senior; low-income
Mill Creek
Parkway Family
Apartments
3433 Manzanita
Ave.

Buckingham
Property
Management
Visalia RDA 2007 2061 70 Low & Moderate
Income
Robinwood
Court
5817-5842 W.

Robinwood Ct. HATC HOME, Visalia
RDA, LIHTC 2008 2037 10 Very low, low &
moderate-income
TMHSA
Housing
653, 657, 701 E.

Tulare Ave. HATC HUD 2009 2058 22 Supportive Housing
Encina Triplex 301 W. Encina St. Kaweah
Management
HOME, Visalia
RDA 2009 2064 3 Very low-income
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Name of
Development Address Sponsor Funding
Sources
Year Built /
Funds
Provided
Affordability
Period End
Date
# of
Units
Type / Target
Income Groups
Sierra Meadows
Senior
Apartments
1120 E. Tulare Ave. Christian Church
Homes

HUD, HOME,
LIHTC 2011 2062 43 Senior; low-income
Paradise &
Court
Apartments
1526 S. Court St.

City of Visalia;
VIAAH; Kaweah
Management
HOME,
Visalia RDA,
LIHTC
2012
2065
20 Very low-income
Confidential Confidential Confidential Visalia RDA,
HOME 2012 2055 3 Very low-income
East Kaweah 632-644 E. Kaweah
Ave. TCHA Visalia RDA 2013 2064 8 Very low & low-
income
Highland
Gardens
2401 N. Highland
St.

Self Help
Enterprises
HOME,
LIHTC 2016 2071 36 Very low & low-
income
Santa Fe
Triplex
617-619 S. Santa
Fe St. TCHA Visalia RDA 2017 2072 6 Very low & moderate- income
Encina Self-
Help
Enterprises
517-527 N. Encina
St.

Self Help
Enterprises HOME 2018 2073 6 Very low, low &
moderate-income
Town Meadows 115 W. Murray Ave.

Thomas Safran
& Associates
Development,
Inc.

LIHTC, HUD 2018 2073 100 Senior; supportive
housing
Myrtle Avenue
Senior
Apartments
4316 W. Myrtle Ave.

Pacific West
Communities,
Inc.

LIHTC 2021 2076 66 Senior; very low &
low-income
Lofts at Fort
Visalia 300 E. Oak Ave Self-Help
Enterprises
LIHTC,
HOME,
Visalia RDA
2022 2077 80 Supportive Housing
(40); low-income
Rancho Colegio 3520 N. Court St. Self-Help
Enterprises
LIHTC,
HOME 2025 2080 80 Very low-income
Demaree Street
Apartments
N. Demaree St. &
Houston Ave.

Pacific West
Communities,
Inc.

LIHTC 2025 2080 222 Very low, low &
moderate-income
Data Source: City of Visalia Housing Element 2023-2030; Note: All developments listed have a 55-year affordability covenant. 303
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Provide an assessment of units expected to be lost from the affordable housing inventory for any reason, such as expiration of Section 8 contracts.

Table 49 above, Affordable Housing Developments within the City of Visalia, lists affordability period end dates, or the date units may convert to market rate. Although most affordability period end after 55-years, most sponsors choose to restrict the property to the original target population.

No Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) contracts will expire.

Does the availability of housing units meet the needs of the population? There are more low and extremely-low income households in need of affordable housing in the City than there are affordable housing units for those income ranges. In the City there are a total of 18,770 units considered to be affordable to households earning 80% or less AMI, and 16,050 households within this income bracket that are in need of housing. This creates a false impression of supply adequate to meet the overall demand and requires a closer look at the data broken down by each income category. Just over one-third of the households (35.4%) in Visalia earn 80% and below AMI . However, when examining lower income levels, such as extremely low-income (0- 30%AMI), there is a gap in housing available compared to the need. For example, there are 3,995 extremely low-income households within the City, yet there are just 1,265 units affordable to this population, representing a gap of 2,730 units. There are 4,720 low-income households, earning between 30-50% AMI, but only 3,655 housing units available, which leaves a gap of 1,065 units.

Overall, lower income household groups have gaps between the number of units affordable to those households and the number of households at that income level. Data provided in this paragraph references Table 52 and Table 9.

Describe the need for specific types of housing:

Data gathered from community outreach showed a need for affordable units, both for rent and sale as well as a need for larger units for families and senior housing. The overall need for affordable housing is also evidenced by the fact that HATC maintains a waiting list for housing vouchers; however, data for this list is not published.

Discussion
See above.

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MA-15 Housing Market Analysis: Cost of Housing - 91.210(a) Introduction
The cost of housing within a jurisdiction is an important consideration as it determines the affordability of housing to residents within various income groups. The housing tables below indicate that housing costs have substantially increased from 2010 to 2020 and 2020 to 2023 for both owners and renters. The median home value increased 81.8% from $187,300 in 2010 to $340,600 in 2023 (Table 50). Median monthly rent has increased by 50.9% from $770 in 2010 to $1,162 in 2023 (Table 50). Overall, owners are being squeezed by the increased cost of housing as wages have only increased 55.4% across the same time period (Table 50). However, when considering the change from 2020 to 2023, home values grew by 33.8% and rents grew by

27.7%while incomes grew at a considerably lower rate, at 19.9%. This shows that housing is becoming more unaffordable in Visalia for renters as well as owners.

Table 50: Cost of Housing
2010 2020 2023 % Change
Median Home Value $187,300 $254,600 $340,600 81.8%
Median Contract Rent $770 $910 $1,162 50.9%
Median Household Income $51,464 $66,668 $79,952 55.4%
Data Source: 2010 1-Year ACS, 2020 5-Year ACS, 2023 5-Year ACS

Table 51: Rent Paid
Rent Paid Number %
Less than $500 569 3.3%
$500-999 2,318 13.5%
$1,000-1,499 7,260 42.3%
$1,500-1,999 4,106 23.9%
$2,000 or more 2,912 17.0%
Total 17,165 100.0%
Data Source: 2023 5-Year ACS

Table 52: Housing Affordability
Number of Units
Affordable to HH’s
Earning
Renter Owner
30% HAMFI 1,265 N/A
50% HAMFI 2,630 1,025
80% HAMFI 9,460 4,390
100% HAMFI 4,900 4,405
Total 18,255 9,820
Data Source: CHAS 2017-2021

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Table 53: Monthly Rent
Rent Type Studio 1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom 4+Bedroom Fair Market Rent $1,082 $1,089 $1,429 $1,967 $2,272
Low HOME Rent $770 $825 $990 $1,143 $1,406
High HOME Rent $977 $989 $1,264 $1,452 $1,600
Data Source: HUD FY 2025 Fair Market Rent; HUD HOME Rent Limits FY 2024 Is there sufficient housing for households at all income levels? The tables above combined with CHAS data for 2017-2021 show that there is not an adequate amount of housing affordable to LMI households, especially for extremely low- and very low- income households. There are not sufficient housing units for the lower income categories.  0-30% AMI: There are 3,995 households living in this income category, yet there are only 1,265 units available that are affordable to these households in the City. (Table 9)  30-50% AMI: There are 4,720 households living in this income category yet there are only 3,655 units available. (Table 9)
 50-80% AMI: There are 7,335 households in this income category and there are 13,850 units. (Table 9)
How is affordability of housing likely to change considering changes to home values and/or rents?
Table 50 above shows the recent changes to factors affecting affordability including income, rent and home value. Since 2010, median income has increased at an annual rate of 4.2% per year from 2010 to 2023. Although the growth in median contract rent (+3.9% per year) grew at a similar rate to income since 2010, it is clear that rental housing prices are outpacing income growth since 2020. This may continue to strain affordability in the rental housing market and lead to higher rates of housing cost burden, especially for LMI households. Additionally, when looking at the owner market, ownership is even less attainable now than it was previously in 2010. This is evidenced by the fact that median home value has shown a significant increase of over 6.2% per year.

How do HOME rents / Fair Market Rent compare to Area Median Rent? How might this impact your strategy to produce or preserve affordable housing? Since the majority of low- and moderate-income households in Visalia are renters (Table 12), the cost and affordability of rental housing is of particular importance. High median rents in the City pose a challenge to strategies seeking to increase the availability of affordable housing and lessen the impact of rental housing assistance programs to households in need. Table 53 shows comparative rent figures. Area median rent for the City is higher than all categories of Fair Market Rent. This again points to a lack of affordable housing, especially for extremely low-income and very low-income households, and shows a need to preserve and produce affordable rental housing options in Visalia. The affordability gap for these populations has been detailed in previous sections.

Discussion
See discussion above.

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MA-20 Housing Market Analysis: Condition of Housing – 91.210(a) Introduction
This section reviews significant characteristics of the existing housing supply such as the age and condition, risk of lead-based paint hazards, and the number of vacant units. This housing data is important in understanding the possible need for housing rehabilitation programs and lead-based paint abatement to maintain safe and sanitary housing as an affordable housing option in the community.

Describe the jurisdiction’s definition for “standard condition” and “substandard condition but suitable for rehabilitation”
HUD’s definition of housing “conditions” is similar to its definition of housing problems previously discussed in the Needs Assessment. These conditions are overcrowding, cost burden, or a lack of complete plumbing or kitchen facilities.

The City further defines substandard housing as buildings or units that are not in compliance with the California Health and Safety Code. This includes units having structural hazards, faulty weather protection, fire, health and safety hazards, or again lacking complete kitchen or plumbing facilities. Standard condition housing is defined as being in compliance with the California Health and Safety Code.

Table 54: Condition of Units
Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied
Condition of Units Number Percentage Number Percentage With One Selected Condition 7,746 27.4% 8,104 44.5%
With Two Selected Conditions 248 0.9% 975 5.4%
With Three Selected Conditions 0 0.0% 185 1.0%
With Four Selected Conditions 0 0.0% 0 0.0%
No Selected Conditions 20,277 71.7% 8,931 49.1%
Total 28,271 100.0% 18,195 100.0%
Data Source: 2023 5-Year ACS

Table 55: Year Unit Built
Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied
Year Built Number Percentage Number Percentage
2000 or later 9,440 35.5% 4,225 22.5%
1980-1999 7,485 28.1% 6,135 32.7%
1960-1979 6,390 24.0% 5,495 29.3%
1940-1959 2,610 9.8% 2,345 12.5%
1939 or earlier 665 2.5% 580 3.1%
Total 26,590 100.0% 18,780 100.0%
Data Source: 2017-2021 CHAS

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Table 56: Risk of Lead-Based Paint Hazard
Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied
Year Built Number Percentage Number Percentage
Total Number of Units Built Before
1980 9,665 36.3% 8,420 44.8%
Housing Units Built Before 1980 with
Children Present* 1,545 16.0% 2,179 25.9%
Data Source: 2017-2021 CHAS; *Children under 6 years of age present.

Table 57: Vacant Units
Year Built Suitable For
Rehabilitation
Not Suitable for
Rehabilitation Total
Vacant Units - - 2,271
Abandoned Vacant Units - - -
REO Properties - - -
Abandoned REO Properties - - -
Data Source: 2023 5-Year ACS
Data for units suitable for rehab is not collected by the City; Vacant Units 2023 5-Year ACS Need for Owner and Rental Rehabilitation
As shown in Table 54, there is a different level of need for owner and rental rehabilitation. For owner-occupied units, 71.7% of units have zero selected housing conditions showing that the stock is in relatively good shape. However, almost half of rental units have at least one selected housing condition. This shows the need for rental unit rehabilitation throughout the City. Also, rental housing stock is older than the owner housing stock, with 44.8% of rental units being built before 1980 compared to just 36.3% of owner units.

Estimated Number of Housing Units Occupied by Families with Lead-Based Paint Hazards.

The use of lead-based paint in housing was banned in 1978. For the purposes of this plan, the number of units built before 1980 occupied by households with children serve as a default baseline of units that contain lead-based paint hazards. According to 2017-2021 CHAS data, 9,665 owner-occupied units and 8,420 renter-occupied units may be hazardous due to the potential presence of lead-based paint, accounting for 39.59% of the total occupied housing units of 45,375 units. For housing units with children under the age of 6 present, there were 1,545 households to both have children and also be built before 1980, compared to a total of 2,179 for renter-occupied units.

Discussion
See above.

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MA-25 Public and Assisted Housing – 91.210(b)
Introduction
HATC provides rental assistance to very low- and moderate-income families, seniors and people with disabilities and their families throughout the County. Many housing programs are offered and include but are not limited to the conventional public housing program, the housing choice voucher program, the farm labor program for families with farm labor income, and senior housing programs. HATC also owns or manages individual subsidized rental complexes that do not fall under the previous categories. Table 58 below shows public housing and housing voucher details for the County.

Table 58: Program Type

Certificate Mod-
Rehab
Public
Housing
Vouchers
Total
Project
Based
Vouchers
Tenant
Based
Vouchers
Special
Purpose
- VASH
Special
Purpose –
Family
Unification
Program
Special
Purpose
–
Disabled*
Total
Units/Vouchers
in Use
0 0 166 1,123 63 1,040 20 0 0
Accessible
Units/Vouchers** - - 12 30 1 29 0 - -
Data Source: Housing Authority of Tulare County, 2024
*Includes Non-Elderly Disabled, Mainstream One-Year, Mainstream Five-year, and Nursing Home Transition **Families requesting accessibility Features
Describe the supply of public housing developments
While Table 58 presents data for the County overall, there are 166 Public Housing units within the City. Sixty public housing units are occupied by disabled families and a further 499 disabled families have housing vouchers.

Describe the number and physical condition of public housing units in the jurisdiction, including those that are participating in an approved Public Housing Agency Plan:

All public housing units are in satisfactory physical condition (Table 59), having been recently renovated or having annual maintenance performed. HATC works diligently to routinely maintain and rehabilitate all public housing units within their housing stock portfolio.

Public Housing Condition
Table 59: Public Housing Condition
Public Housing Development Average Inspection Score
Visalia #CA030000815 94
Data Source: Housing Authority of the County of Tulare, HUD Describe the restoration and revitalization needs of public housing units in the jurisdiction.

HATC will continue to own and manage 166 units in the City of Visalia. In Fiscal Year 2023, HATC invested a total of $1,573,365 in Capital Fund improvements. The expenditures facilitated the completion of capital rehabilitation projects, including roof replacements, landscaping, carpet replacements, and air conditioning and heating improvements. Additionally, the Fiscal Year 2025 309
City of Visalia 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan

plan estimates a total investment of $1,978,380 towards Capital Fund improvements.

Describe the public housing agency's strategy for improving the living environment of low- and moderate-income families residing in public housing.

HATC, established in 1945, initially sought to provide affordable housing for returning WWII veterans and their families. Currently, HATC provides affordable and well-maintained rental housing to over 5,000 households throughout Tulare County. Since its establishment, HATC has incorporated numerous programs into its housing portfolio. These programs are funded by various types of agencies that include the HUD, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Tax Credit Allocation Committee of the State Treasurer’s Office (LIHTC), California’s Rental Housing Construction Program (RHCP), HOME, City Redevelopment Successor Agencies (SA) and other local agencies. HATC is also a current participant of the Moving to Work (MTW) Demonstration Program.

Families participating in the MTW program either pay a fixed rent for public housing or receive a fixed subsidy for voucher. Because rents are not tied to income, MTW participants are able to keep the full amount of any extra earnings they make while on the program. However, assistance is terminated when a family's income reaches 120 percent of the area median or after five years in the program, whichever comes first.

Families have the option of Housing Authority owned public housing units as they become available, or voucher rental assistance. Public housing applicants will have to pass normal screening procedures, and, if housed, pay a flat rental amount based on the unit bedroom size.

Voucher families receive a flat rental subsidy amount, depending on the unit size the family qualifies for, or the actual unit size rented, whichever is smaller. Families pay the difference between the rent charged by the landlord and the flat subsidy amount. HATC inspects units to ensure that they meet Housing Quality Standards. Either public housing or voucher families who have members who are not citizens or eligible aliens have an increased flat rent amount or decreased subsidy amount of $25 per ineligible family member.

All new families admitted from the waiting list shall be admitted under the MTW program rules. If a new family has a Head of Household that qualifies as Elderly or Disabled, those families would be allowed into the program with their rent being calculated at either MTW flat rents or based on their income. If the MTW flat rent is selected the term limits shall apply to the family. Incomes will be verified annually for statistical purposes but will not affect rental or subsidy amounts unless verified income exceeds the income limits. Interim redeterminations and utility allowances are eliminated. Hardship situations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

MTW gives participants the opportunity to save as their incomes rise, thus providing an incentive to seek out employment or better jobs. The five-year time limit on assistance also increases the motivation for families to gain employment and self-sufficiency skills, so that they will be able to afford alternative housing once their assistance is terminated. The time limits also reinforce the notion that rental assistance is not a lifetime benefit but a helping hand to families as they move toward self-sufficiency. HATC hopes that at the end of five years, families will have earned and saved enough to purchase a home.

Additionally, the Housing Choice Voucher Program offers affordable, decent and safe housing in open market rentals selected by Voucher holders. Under the MTW program, residents receive a fixed subsidy, which HATC pays directly to the landlord, and the resident pays the rest of the rent for the unit. There is a five-year time limit to this type of rental assistance in most cases, because 310
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the fixed subsidy helps families to stabilize their housing costs as they work to achieve self- sufficiency and save for other housing opportunities. Elderly families, whose head or co-tenant is over 62 or disabled that do not possess the capabilities to work, will have their rent based on their income rather than the fixed subsidy amounts, however time limits do not apply to these households.

Discussion
See above.

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MA-30 Homeless Facilities and Services – 91.210(c)
Introduction
The Kings Tulare Homeless Alliance (Alliance) is the Continuum of Care for the region that includes Visalia. Each year, the Alliance conducts a Point in Time (PIT count) of the number of people experiencing homelessness within Kings and Tulare Counties. Information gathered through the PIT survey is used by the Alliance to understand the issues associated with homelessness, including causes of homelessness, service needs of the homeless, the region’s unmet housing needs, and trends over time of homelessness in the region.

The 2024 PIT count was held on January 22, 2024. A total of 587 persons were counted in the City, with 472 found to be unsheltered and 115 sheltered.

Table 60: Facilities and Housing Targeted to Homeless Households Types of Homeless
Households
Emergency Shelter Beds
Transitional
Housing
Beds
Permanent Supportive
Housing Beds
Year-Round
Beds
(Current &
New)
Voucher /
Seasonal /
Overflow
Beds
Current &
New
Current
& New
Under
Development
Households with Adult(s)
and Child(ren) 153 0 15 46 0
Households with Only
Adults 160 0 134 269 0
Chronically Homeless
Households 0 0 0 153 0
Veterans 0 0 0 0 0
Unaccompanied Youth 0 0 20 0 0
Data Source: HUD Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Housing Inventory Count Report 2024 Describe mainstream services, such as health, mental health, and employment services to the extent those services are used to complement services targeted to homeless persons.

The Alliance works closely with mainstream benefit providers to ensure that persons experiencing homelessness are connected to mainstream benefits. The Tulare County SSI Advocacy unit participates in the annual PIT count through the Project Homeless Connect (PHC) events.

Led by the Alliance, the Local Initiatives Navigation Center (LINC) holds agency “fair” at the Bethlehem Center. The fair walks individuals through the process of applying for needed services.

From urgent housing assistance to Veterans services and more, between 15 and 20 agencies are available to offer services. Participants include CalWorks to offer CalFresh (food stamps), MediCal, and General Relief assistance.

In addition to LINC, Tulare County Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) program also attends and offers substance abuse treatment beds or outpatient services, as appropriate. The Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency has recently implemented the Housing Disability Advocacy Program 312
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(HDAP) to enroll clients in mainstream benefit programs, with a special focus on SSI benefits.

The Alliance also has a strong partnership with healthcare organizations such as Family Healthcare Network, Kaweah Delta, and Anthem Blue Cross. These providers participate in the Point in Time count as well as LINC events. Assistance includes signing people up for insurance, providing on-site medical services, arranging transportation to/from appointments, etc.

The Alliance ensures that service providers are updated on new mainstream benefit programs.

Information is disseminated in a variety of ways such as through the Alliance listserv, membership presentations, and required trainings. The Alliance also requires that CoC-funded agencies participate in the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) SOAR training annually.

SOAR is designed to increase access to Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Income for eligible homeless adults who are and have a mental illness and/or a co- occurring substance use disorder. SOAR and other community efforts have been effective in increasing the number of homeless persons receiving SSI/SSDI.

List and describe services and facilities that meet the needs of homeless persons, particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth. If the services and facilities are listed on screen SP-40 Institutional Delivery Structure or screen MA-35 Special Needs Facilities and Services, describe how these facilities and services specifically address the needs of these populations.

Table 61: Services and Facilities that Meet the Needs of Homeless Persons Agency Program(s) Description

Family Services of
Tulare County
PSH II Myrtle Court
PSH III United Way
Tulare Housing First
Tulare Housing First II
Tulare Housing First II Bonus
Permanent Supportive Housing for
Chronically Homeless households.

Family Services of
Tulare County
Transitional Housing +
Services
Transitional housing for households with
children who are victims of domestic
violence.

Family Services of
Tulare County Karen’s House Emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence.

Community Services &
Employment Training
Visalia PSH and
Tulare County PSH
Permanent Supportive Housing for Chronically
Homeless households.

Community Services &
Employment Training ESG 2 Rapid Rehousing assistance for homeless households.

Turning Point Casa de Robles Transitional and permanent supportive for single males with disabilities.
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Agency Program(s) Description
Turning Point Court Street Transitional housing for single men.

Visalia Rescue Mission Overnight Guest Overnight emergency shelter for single men who are homeless.

Visalia Rescue Mission
Shelter of Hope
Overnight emergency shelter for single women
and women with children who are homeless.

Visalia Rescue Mission House of Hope Transitional housing program for single women experiencing homelessness.

Visalia Rescue Mission
House of Restoration
Residential treatment program that serves
homeless and non-homeless men.

Visalia Rescue Mission Women’s Transitional Program Transitional housing program for single women experiencing homelessness.

Department of VA VASH Program Permanent housing for homeless veterans and their families.

Uplift Families THP Plus Housing and services for transitioning age youth Age 18-24

Bethlehem Center N/A
Provides hot meals six days a week (breakfast
and lunch M-F) and lunch only Saturday and
Sunday, emergency food and clothing.

Visalia Emergency Aid N/A Food pantry, clothing, financial counseling and homeless prevention.

Family Healthcare
Network N/A Provide Medi-Cal and dental assistance on a sliding scale/ability-to-pay fee structure.

Visalia Corps
(Salvation Army)

N/A
Food basket distribution, material assistance,
youth activities, and emergency and
miscellaneous services.

Visalia Health Clinic

N/A
Provide Medi-Cal enrollment and provide
health care for persons who do not qualify for
Medi-Cal and meet the eligibility criteria.
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Agency Program(s) Description

Central Valley
Recovery Services

N/A
Residential treatment, methamphetamine,
withdrawal from opiates, outpatient treatment,
and drug addiction help.

Tulare County HHSA Veteran’s Service Office Veterans Services (County HHSA).

Tulare County HHSA Visalia Adult Integrated Clinic Mental health services.

Tulare County HHSA Transitional Living Center Transitional housing for single men and women with a serious mental illness.

Tulare County HHSA

East Tulare Avenue Cottages
Permanent supportive housing for single men
and women with a serious mental illness.

Westcare Supportive Services for Veteran
Families (SSVF)
Rapid Rehousing Program for veteran
households experiencing homelessness.

Visalia Homeless
Center Visalia Warming Center Seasonal overnight Emergency Shelter.

Self-Help Enterprises Eden House Transitional Housing Transitional housing for chronically homeless households.

Self-Help Enterprises
The Lofts at Fort Visalia
Santa Fe Commons I & II
Palm Terrance I & II
Sierra Village I & II
Permanent supportive housing & low-income
housing mixed.

Self-Help Enterprises/
Salt + Light Neighborhood Village Permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless households.

RH Community Builders
Sequoia Village
Madison Gardens
Majestic Gardens
Permanent Supportive Housing for chronically
homeless households.

UPHoldings Finca Serna
Northstar Courts
Permanent Supportive Housing & low-income
housing mixed.

CSET/TC Hope/
Self-Help Enterprises Visalia Navigation Center Transitional housing for homeless households.

Data Source: County of Tulare 2025

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MA-35 Special Needs Facilities and Services – 91.210(d) Introduction
Special needs populations often have an increased need for housing, services and facilities.

Identified special needs populations in the City include the elderly (including frail elderly), and persons with disabilities.

Special needs populations often benefit from supportive housing, which is a combination of housing and services intended to help people live more stable, productive lives. Supportive housing is widely believed to work well for those who face the most complex challenges and is coupled with such social services as job training, life skills training, substance abuse programs, educational programs, and case management.

Including the elderly, frail elderly, persons with disabilities (mental, physical, developmental), persons with alcohol or other drug addictions, persons with HIV/AIDS and their families, public housing residents and any other categories the jurisdiction may specify and describe their supportive housing needs.

These Populations referenced face a two-fold challenge as it pertains to their housing needs. Not only do they need well-maintained affordable housing, they require the necessary supportive services to be able to remain in good health. HATC has made it a priority to address such needs through various collaborations with social service providers. HATC has an extensive number of partnerships with various social service agencies. These partnerships allow stakeholders to maximize available funding and not duplicate services. HATC continues to allocate a number of Section 8/Housing Choice Vouchers to various social service provider agencies such as:

Community Services Employment Training (C-SET), Central Valley Regional Center (CVRC), Tulare County Child Welfare Services, Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance and the California Department of Rehabilitation. The noted partnerships allow program participants to receive both rental assistance/subsidized housing from HATC, along with the necessary social services by their partnering agencies.

HATC has expanded the Transitional Living Center, collaborating with the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Visalia and Tulare County Mental Health Services, by acquiring an additional 17 units (Liberty & Court) in which Tulare County Mental Health Services provides services and case management on-site. This is in addition to similar collaborations with Tulare County Health and Human Services at Clark Court (24 units) and the existing Transitional Living Center which houses up to 40 occupants in an 11-bedroom house as well as an apartment building. HATC also continues a partnership with CVRC as they provide full-time living assistance to individuals who are developmentally disabled at the Kaweah Triplex for Mentally Challenged Adults. The City of Visalia assisted in the development of the Kaweah Triplex for Mentally Challenged Adults by providing Redevelopment Low Mod funding toward rehabilitation.

Tulare County Health and Human Services purchased Casa Grande a former assisted living facility to convert into a 96-bed behavioral health supportive service housing center to serve Tulare County residents experiencing mental health conditions.

Describe programs for ensuring that persons returning from mental and physical health institutions receive appropriate supportive housing.

The City has a number of licensed community care facility beds available for persons with health- related conditions. This may include the following type of licensed care facilities:
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 Small Family Homes: Small Family Homes provide 24-hour care in the licensee's family residence for six or fewer children who are mentally disabled, developmentally disabled, or physically handicapped, and who require special care and supervision as a result of such disabilities.
 Group Homes: Group Homes are facilities of any capacity and provide 24-hour non- medical care and supervision to children in a structured environment. Group Homes provide social, psychological, and behavioral programs for troubled youth.  Adult Residential Facility: Adult Residential Facilities (ARF) are facilities of any capacity that provide 24-hour non-medical care for adults ages 18 through 59, who are unable to provide for their own daily needs. Adults may be physically handicapped, developmentally disabled, and/or mentally disabled.
 Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly: Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) provide care, supervision and assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing and grooming. They may also provide incidental medical services under special care plans. The facilities provide services to persons 60 years of age and over and persons under 60 with compatible needs. RCFEs may also be known as assisted living facilities, retirement homes, and board and care homes. The facilities can range in size from fewer than six beds to over 100 beds. The residents in these facilities require varying levels of personal care and protective supervision. Because of the wide range of services offered by RCFEs, consumers should look closely at the programs of each facility to see if the services will meet their needs.
 Social Rehabilitation Facility: A Social Rehabilitation Facility is any facility that provides 24-hours-a-day non-medical care and supervision in a group setting to adults recovering from mental illnesses who temporarily need assistance, guidance, or counseling.

Table 62: Licensed Adult Residentials And Day Programs Care Facilities Facility Name Facility Address Capacity
Creative Center, The 410 E. Race St. 115
Social Vocational Services, Inc 1120 S Ben Maddox Way Ste 100 90 Life Skills Learning Center 2505 N Shirk Rd. 76
Central Valley Training Center 9838 W. Grove Ave. 75
Social Vocational Services, Visalia #2 3140 W. Caldwell Ave. 75 People's Care Bliss Center Visalia 909 W. Murray Rd 60
Links 26818 S. Mooney Blvd. 50
Transitional Living Center 546 E. Tulare Ave. 38
Chances Learning Center 823 W. Center Ave. 36
Plumlee's Board And Care #1 2030 N Bridge St. 15
Plumlee's Board And Care #2 2032 N Bridge St. 15
Transitional Living Center #2 1108 E Liberty Ct. 10
Dago Residential Facility 1741 W. Vine Ave. 6
Deena's Care Home 3537 W. Cutler Ave. 6
Diaz Care Home 3 2313 S. Jacques St. 6
Diaz Care Home Ii 2128 S. Ashton Ct. 6
Diaz Family Care Home 1603 S. Peppertree Ct. 6
Diaz Oak View Home 144 W. Oak View Dr. 6
D.P. Butler Home 3500 W. Victor Ave. 6
Ewing Palm Home, Llc 4836 W. James Ct. 6
Kenyon Home #2, The 2541 E. Mary Ave. 6
Sandoval Home 1537 W. La Vida Ave. 6
Sandoval Home Ii 3815 S. Silvervale St. 6
Sandoval Home Iii 13851 Ave 320 6
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Facility Name Facility Address Capacity
Sue's Care Facility 1616 Castleview Dr. 6
Valley Care Home 3600 W Oakridge Ave. 6
Valley Care Home 331 E. Riverway Ave. 6
Walnut Grove House, Inc. Dba Lewis Graves
Arf #1 25401 Road 152 6
Zanyk Ii 421 N. Divisadero St. 6
Abarquez Homes Inc. 312 NW 4th St. 4
Ambitions - Mae Carden 2126 N. Mae Carden Ct. 4
Ambitions - Sumter Court 1020 N. Sumter Ct. 4
Bryant-Little Home 2 2733 W. Country Ln. 4
Crowe House Llc, The 13274 Perry Ct. 4
Diaz Oak View Home 2 2850 S. Maselli Ct. 4
Discovery In The West 12143 Avenue 322 4
Dorothy Wilson Home 3611 W. Millcreek Dr. 4
Grove Home Llc, The 3413 E. Grove Ave. 4
J&M Home 616 W. Loyola Ave. 4
Kaiser Specialized Residential Taylor 2816 W. Taylor Ave. 4 Kaiser Specialized Residential Vassar 4224 E. Vassar Ave. 4 Kenyon Home #1, The 2511 N. Liberty Ct. 4
Lee's Country Home 11282 Avenue 272 4
Martinez Residence 3527 W. Oakridge Ave. 4
Patriot In The West 3702 N. Sallee St. 4
People's Care Damsen 6502 W. Damsen Ave. 4
People's Care Marlin 12744 Marlin Ave. 4
Pira Home Care 4222 S. Rova St. 4
Sails Sunnyside 5712 Sunnyside Dr. 4
Transitional Living Center #4 1136 S. Liberty Ct. 4
Walnut Grove House, Inc. Dba Lewis Graves
Arf #3 3143 Douglas Ave. 4
Transitional Living Center #3 1142 S. Liberty Ct. 3
Data Source: State of California Department of Social Services: https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/carefacilitysearch/DownloadData Specify the activities that the jurisdiction plans to undertake during the next year to address the housing and supportive services needs identified in accordance with

91.215(e) with respect to persons who are not homeless but have other special needs. Link to one- year goals. 91.315(e).

The non-profit organization Community Services Employment Training (CSET) helps provide services within the jurisdiction. CSET connects the public to integrative programs at senior centers, to Family Resource Centers that are one-stop shops, giving families access to services ranging from nutrition, health and education to housing, utility assistance and employment training. Also, the City works with the Citizens Advisory Committee that acts as a liaison between the general public and the City Council concerning community problems and needs, as well as the Citizen’s Advisory Committee that includes two members from the disbanded Disability Advocacy Committee that advises the City on the needs of the disabled community in the City and promotes physical, social, communication and attitudinal access for every citizen of the City.

Furthermore, this Consolidated Plan includes plans to fund a Single-Family Home Repair Program and Senior Mobile Repair Program for senior and disabled low-income owner-occupied households. Repairs will include but are not limited to accessibility improvements, roof repairs/replacements, floor repairs, plumbing repairs, and energy efficiency improvements to 318
City of Visalia 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan

assist senior and disabled low-income owner occupants remain in their home longer. The City also plans to fund ADA accessibility improvements throughout the City to assist the disabled and special needs community within the City.

For entitlement/consortia grantees: Specify the activities that the jurisdiction plans to undertake during the next year to address the housing and supportive services needs identified in accordance with 91.215(e) with respect to persons who are not homeless but have other special needs. Link to one-year goals. (91.220(2)) Please see above.

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MA-40 Barriers to Affordable Housing – 91.210(e)
Negative Effects of Public Policies on Affordable Housing and Residential Investment A potential barrier to housing opportunities can be related to public policies. Such policies include tax policy, land use controls, zoning ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limits, and other policies that affect the return on residential investment. Amending local zoning and land use laws or allocating funding for affordable housing through grants are mechanisms that can support the development of affordable units. Changes in policies can also help a community to overcome disparities in access to opportunity by the implementation of plans that will revitalize areas with existing affordable housing by improving services, schools and other community assets, sidewalks, and other infrastructure.

The City’s 2025-2030 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) found that land use and zoning laws are a factor in a lack of affordable housing, with residents vulnerable to displacement. The 2023-2031 City of Visalia Housing Element examines land use controls, building codes, processing and permit procedures, fees, and infrastructure requirements as potential barriers. Goals to encourage construction and maintenance of affordable housing in the City have been included in the 2023-2031 Housing Element. The City has made gradual improvements in all areas to reduce barriers to the development of affordable housing.

Free Market as Barrier to Development of Affordable Housing The 2023-2031 Housing Element identifies the availability of financing, land costs, and construction costs as barriers to the development of affordable housing.

The City lists sites available for development in its sites inventory list, for which the free market will determine who will develop and when development will occur. There are sites listed in the sites inventory with an entitlement status as “approved tentative subdivision map” or “ready to build with building permits”.

Visalia has demonstrated in its Housing Element that it has the capacity to accommodate the Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) for the planning period from December 1, 2023, to December 31, 2031. Visalia has been allocated 10,791 units among the four income levels. The locations of the “RHNA sites” that make up the site inventory are listed and shown in the Site Inventory and Analysis RHNA section of the 2023-2031 Housing Element.

Land Use Policies
Policies to guide future development and achieve a vision for the community are contained in the City’s General Plan. Two of the seven State mandated General Plan elements – Housing and Land Use Elements – have direct impact on the local housing market in terms of the amount and range of housing choice. The City’s Zoning Ordinance, which implements the Land Use Element, is an important document that influences the amount and type of housing available in a community – the availability of housing choice.

The City of Visalia’s ordinances contain a variety of zoning districts that allow a range of housing opportunities for persons with special needs, including people with disabilities and people requiring transitional or supportive housing. The City of Visalia periodically evaluates local zoning laws and policies that may affect fair housing choice. The AI identified certain zoning provisions that can prevent the development of certain housing types, including high-density housing, emergency shelters, and supportive or transitional housing.

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Visalia has made changes to residential zone districts based on the adoption of its General Plan in 2024. The highest allowed multi-family density permitted by right is 15 to 35 units per acre, provided that the development does not exceed 80 units. The City’s 2014 General Plan Update formally established two new land use designations: CMU (Commercial Mixed Use), and DMU (Downtown Mixed Use). Both new designations encourage vertical and horizontal mixed-use developments. Both designations encourage high commercial floor area ratios (2.0 for CMU and

5.0 for DMU) and also allow residential densities as high as the site and setting can facilitate.

Entitlement Process
The actual entitlement process requires several types of review. Following completion of site plan review, necessary entitlements could include zoning and general plan land use designation change, tentative subdivision map approval, and planned development approval. The Housing Element proposes providing an impact fee waiver for housing projects with 100% of units affordable for low-income households.

Overall, there is a need for incentives for developers to develop housing, especially to develop housing that is affordable, both for rent (multi-family) and for purchase (smaller, lower priced homes for sale). Developers require financial feasibility and certainty in the entitlement process as well as a clear understanding of community needs based upon stakeholder input. There is a lack of a variety of housing types, including townhouses, condos, small apartment complexes, and ADUs on the properties of single-family homes. A more streamlined entitlement process or elimination of the need for the processing of certain entitlements could incentivize developers to build more affordable units.

Community Engagement
The opinions of the community can also constrain housing development. Sometimes individual neighborhoods can influence development decisions. For example, residents may resist changes in their community, which can contribute to a lack of vision for a City in terms of planning. When change occurs, it can also displace residents, gentrify an area, and create undesirable impacts.

Environmental Constraints
Visalia rests in the heart of the Kaweah River Delta system. Terminus Dam, which forms Lake Kaweah about 18 miles to the east, controls river flows of the Kaweah River. The St. John’s River, a branch of the Kaweah River, extends along the City’s northeastern city limit line. In addition, the City contains an extensive network of creeks and irrigation ditches that carry programmed releases of water from Lake Kaweah and from the Friant Irrigation Canal to area farms and orchards. These creeks and ditches also channel and carry area-wide and local storm water runoff through the City in a generally northeast to southwest pattern, terminating west of the City near the Tulare Lakebed

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MA-45 Non-Housing Community Development Assets – 91.215 (f) Introduction
This section of the Consolidated Plan describes the City’s economic development asset needs.

This section will focus primarily on the City and regional economy and workforce.

Economic Development Market Analysis
Table 63: Business Activity
Business by Sector Number of
Workers
Number
of Jobs
Share of
Workers
%
Share of
Jobs
%
Jobs less
workers
%
Agriculture, Mining, Oil & Gas Extraction
2,998

1,954

4.7 5

0 Arts, Entertainment,
Accommodations

5,877

3,713

9.2 14

5 Construction 4,803 4,097 7.6 5 -3
Education and Health Care Services 16,390 19,982 25.8 16 -10 Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate 2,249 2,520 3.5 7 4 Information 1,102 1,308 1.7 1 -2
Manufacturing 5,062 5,540 8.0 7 -2
Other Services 3,480 3,227 5.5 4 -2
Professional, Scientific, Management
Services

5,044

4,677

7.9 5

-3
Public Administration 5,033 3,485 7.9 0 -8
Retail Trade 6,334 8,371 10.0 18 8
Transportation and Warehousing 4,215 5,837 6.6 4 -3
Wholesale Trade 994 809 1.6 5 3
Total 63,581 65,520 -- -- --
Data Source: 2019-2023 ACS (Workers), 2023 Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (Jobs).

City of Visalia, Economic Development Division, June 2024

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Table 64: Labor Force
Employment Characteristics Number of People
Total Population in the Civilian Labor Force 67,594
Civilian Employed Population 16 years and over 67,594
Unemployment Rate 5.9
Unemployment Rate for Ages 16-24 12.0
Unemployment Rate for Ages 25-65 5.0
Data Source: 2019-2023 ACS

Table 65: Occupations by Sector
Occupations by Sector Number of People
Management, business and financial 21,652
Farming, fisheries and forestry occupations -
Service 13,004
Sales and office 12,911
Construction, extraction, maintenance and repair 7,570
Production, transportation and material moving 8,404
Data Source: 2019-2023 ACS.

Table 66: Travel Time
Travel Time Number Percentage
< 30 Minutes 42,672 74.9%
30-59 Minutes 11,306 19.9%
60 or More Minutes 2,980 5.2%
Total 56,958 100%
Data Source: 2019-2023 ACS

Table 67: Educational Attainment by Employment Status
Educational Attainment
(Population 18+ years)
In Labor Force
Civilian
Employed

Unemployed
Not in Labor
Force
Less than high school graduate 5,274 332 3,969
High school graduate (includes
equivalency)

12,293

1,174

5,052
Some college or Associate's degree 21,275 1,008 5,251
Bachelor's degree or higher 14,199 375 1,558
Data Source: 2019-2023 ACS

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Table 68: Educational Attainment by Age
Educational Attainment
Age In Years
18–24
yrs.
25–34
yrs.
35–44
yrs.
45–64
yrs.
65+
yrs.

Less than 9th grade 106 507 1,017 3,770 1,683
9th to 12th grade, no diploma 1,304 491 1,142 2,648 858 High school graduate, GED, or
alternative 4,333 6,012 4,717 7,829 4,753
Some college, no degree 5,042 7,183 4,558 7,324 4,370
Associate's degree 883 2,874 2,802 2,834 2,088
Bachelor's degree 580 3,681 2,848 3,793 2,580
Graduate or professional degree 22 1,426 2,071 2,359 1,851 Data Source: 2019-2023 ACS

Table 69: Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months
Educational Attainment Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months Less than high school graduate 30,275
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 36,337
Some college or Associate's degree 48,883
Bachelor's degree 75,872
Graduate or professional degree 101,032
Data Source: 2019-2023 ACS

Based on the Business Activity table above, what are the major employment sectors within your jurisdiction?
Education and healthcare services (25.8%), retail trade (10.0%), and arts, entertainment, and accommodations (9.2%) are the top employment sectors for the City according to Table 63.

Additionally, the manufacturing; professional, scientific, and management services related occupations; and public administration sectors combined yield almost one quarter of employment, at 23.8%.

Describe the workforce and infrastructure needs of the business community.

Priority sectors for the City receiving targeted support and investment according to Employment Connection are:
 Green Energy: Includes renewable energy production, energy-efficient technologies, and environmental conservation efforts.
 Advanced Manufacturing: Includes food processing, biotechnology, and high-tech manufacturing.
 Transportation & Logistics: Includes trucking, warehousing, distribution, and supply chain management services; this sector benefits from Tulare County’s transportation network and geographic location.
 Agri-business: Agriculture is central to the Tulare County economy and includes activities like crop production, food processing, agricultural technology, and distribution.

Healthcare: Includes a need for medical professionals, administrators, and support staff. 324
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Construction: Includes residential and commercial construction as well as infrastructure projects.

Workforce skill needs correspond to these priority industries.

Describe any major changes that may have an economic impact, such as planned local or regional public or private sector investments or initiatives that have affected or may affect job and business growth opportunities during the planning period. Describe any needs for workforce development, business support or infrastructure these changes may create.

Upcoming economic impacts and trends in the City include but are not limited to the following (data sourced from HUD’s State of the Cities Data Systems (SOCDS) Building Permits database, CoStar, and the Census Bureau):
 Single-family and multifamily residential units were issued 212 and 327 permits in 2024, the lowest count since 2012, respectively, according to HUD’s State of the Cities Data Systems (SOCDS) Building Permits Database
 A number of workforce development efforts are underway but an emphasis on industrial job growth and workforce availability must continue to be a focus among education and workforce development partners in the region
 2022 had the highest new residential building permit activity and new commercial building permit square footage since the early 2000’s. The construction industry will experience a considerable job increase in the area at least in the short term  There have been 240 units of positive absorption and 440 units of net deliveries in the last year in the City
 The state minimum wage increased to $16.50/hr. effective January 1, 2025, and is likely playing a factor in the automation of certain jobs across sectors. This is also increasing the cost of goods and services in the region
 There are numerous other private sector developments currently underway or planned to be underway that will create additional jobs in the local economy. However, an economic slowdown could impact the timing of many of these projects How do the skills and education of the current workforce correspond to employment opportunities in the jurisdiction?
The City labor population has done a fairly sufficient job of meeting employment opportunities.

This is evidenced by comparing the total number of jobs in a sector to the total number of workers in that sector, as shown in Table 63. Several sectors, including Education and Health Care Services; Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate; Information; Manufacturing; Retail; and Transportation and Warehousing, face the condition of having more jobs than workers. Gaps are largest in Education and Health Care, Retail, and Transportation and Warehousing.

Describe any current workforce training initiatives, including those supported by Workforce Investment Boards, community colleges and other organizations.

Describe how these efforts will support the jurisdiction's Consolidated Plan.

There are many workforce training initiatives occurring in the City, led by various organizations:
 Training on soft skills and leadership, quality systems and continuous improvement, industrial automation, manufacturing, food safety, computer software skills, and social media (currently being done by College of the Sequoias Training Resource Center [COS TRC])
 Making skill development more financially accessible (being achieved locally in a variety 325
City of Visalia 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan

of ways including, but not limited to, COS college coursework for VUSD high school students/dual enrollment, increased emphasis on internships and job shadowing in VUSD, increased efforts to create apprenticeship programs, and the COS TRC successfully acquiring an Employment Training Panel Multiple Employer Contract)  Aligning and expanding traditional education (this is visible in VUSD’s emphasis on Career Pathways/Linked Learning Academies and partnership with COS for Career Technical Education)
 Maximize hiring through a subsidized employment program (i.e., the Work Investment Board [WIB], TulareWORKs)
 Upskill Tulare County – A community-wide initiative focused on increasing the skills of entry level workers to meet demands of middle skilled positions. This practice encourages employers to “grow their own” staffing resources, while promoting upward mobility in the workplace. Training courses include:
o Essential workplace skills
o Basic math for manufacturing industry
o Certified logistics associate
o Emergency medical tech refresher course
o Front line supervisor
o Intro to lean systems
o Preventive controls for human foods training
o Welding
o Intro to computer hardware and maintenance
o Intro to sourcing and onboarding
o Intro to Windows 10
 Sequoia Community Corps (SCC) offers vocational training in the trades of construction, solar, weatherization, urban forestry, recycling, electronic waste collection, oil collection and recycling education. SCC has been successfully operating in Tulare and Kings Counties for the past 30 years and has provided over 4,000 young adults with valuable job training and educational opportunities.
 Proteus – operates the William M. Maguy School of Education (WMSE) and provides workforce development services “to assist the poor of Central California in meeting their employment and education needs by conducting educational and training programs on their behalf as well as expanding the range of job opportunities available to them.” Since 1967, the non-profit organization has provided Adult Basic Education and ESL educational services to farmworkers in Tulare County and in 1972, the organization was incorporated and expanded to include the counties of Kings, Kern and Fresno. Today, in addition to education, Proteus also provides programs to families and individuals, some of which include workforce development, youth services, community service programs, energy services, foster care, and others.
 Community Services Employment Training (CSET) provides workforce development services that assist local businesses to thrive, while training residents of all ages to find their path to good jobs. These services are funded by the WIB, Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency, Kings/Tulare Area Agency on Aging, and others. CSET is the WIB's One-Stop Operator for the Employment Connection - a proud partner of America's Job Center of California Network - in Visalia and Porterville, with satellite services in Tulare. Each location is equipped with a Resource Room including computers, printers, and internet access. Businesses attend specialized workshops to speak with job seekers who learn about employment opportunities. Youth gain work readiness and leadership skills, plan for college and careers, and gain valuable experiences through work-based learning.
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Does your jurisdiction participate in a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)?
No
If so, what economic development initiatives are you undertaking that may be coordinated with the Consolidated Plan? If not, describe other local/regional plans or initiatives that impact economic growth.

Though the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation (TCEDC) has not developed a strategy document, the corporation facilitates the annual Sequoia Regional Economic Summit, where it presents the results of annual economic outlook reports that inform state, regional, and local economic development stakeholders of recent trends and developments in the regional economic climate. Tulare County’s development is also guided by its General Plan, which is regularly updated.

Discussion
See above.

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MA-50 Needs and Market Analysis Discussion
Are there areas where households with multiple housing problems are concentrated? (include a definition of "concentration") The map below (Figure 4) illustrates census tracts where at least 51 percent of households are LMI (HUD’s definition and requirement for “concentration”). As described in the Needs Assessment, multiple housing problems are experienced primarily by LMI households.

Figure 4: 2025 CDBG Low to Moderate Income Areas
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Are there any areas in the jurisdiction where racial or ethnic minorities or low- income families are concentrated? (include a definition of "concentration") The map below (Figure 5) displays areas of racial or ethnic concentrations. See the map above for LMI concentrations.

To be considered a racially or ethnically concentrated area, the non-white population must be greater than 50%, while neighborhoods of “extreme poverty” are regarded as census tracts with 40% or more of individuals living at or below the poverty line. According to the California Department of Public Health, the 2024 Federal Poverty Level is $20,783 for one individual, calculated by multiplying the national federal poverty level by 138%.

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Figure 5: Racially/Ethnically Concentrated Areas

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What are the characteristics of the market in these areas/neighborhoods? Some examples of market characteristics in these areas include:
 Tract 10.09 through 10.12’s main commercial corridor is along Dinuba Boulevard, from Houston Avenue. to Riverway Drive. This area mainly consists of neighborhood commercial and mixed-use commercial zoning. This long stretch of primarily retail uses has sub development potential. Adjacent to this tract at the northwest corner of Dinuba and Riggin is the site of Orchard Walk West, which is part of the Donahue Schriber Orchard Walk retail center development. Orchard Walk East is fully developed and is across Dinuba Boulevard, anchored by Target, Vallarta, Ross and TJ Maxx- the major retail center for the north Visalia community. The final portion of Orchard Walk West, a 54,000 square foot in-line retail center anchored by Tractor Supply and Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, was approved for construction during the summer of 2024 and is nearing completion with many businesses now open. Further south near Ferguson and Dinuba is another shopping center anchored by a Food 4 Less, a Dollar Tree and a DD’s Discounts and several office facilities, including a TulareWORKs office. There is also a long stretch of professional and administrative office zoning along Houston on the southern border of this tract that could see additional development and/or redevelopment. There have been several mixed-use master plans submitted for the northern commercial and residential areas near the Riverway Sports Park with some development already having occurred.

The Visalia Navigation Center is also located within this area.  Tract 11 is included in the City’s Opportunity Zone and contains a variety of zoning options.

Main nodes would be the Oval Park area (commercial mixed-use zoning), including the Court/Locust downtown mixed-use corridor connecting downtown ‘proper’ to the Oval area and the Goshen/Murray commercial corridor from Divisadero to Santa Fe. The Oval features several restaurants and small businesses around the perimeter of the Oval Park, and a large office building that houses Visalia Youth Services, a division of Turning Point of Central California. Further up NW 3rd Avenue is the ‘Community Campus’ which is the location of several office facilities including CSET, Proteus, the Wittman Village Community Center, the Samaritan Center, and a Visalia Police Department substation.

Also, there is a new community garden in an existing vacant lot adjacent to the substation.

In addition, Milk Specialties Global is a dairy nutrition processing facility near the western edge of this tract in its only light industrial zone.
 Tract 12 includes the downtown proper’ and is the heart of the city. Mainly consisting of downtown mixed-use zoning, it also contains some commercial mixed use, office conversion, professional/administrative office, and single and multifamily residential. As the core of downtown, this is a major jobs center with retail, entertainment, nonprofit, government, professional and healthcare employment opportunities. The largest employer in this tract is also one of the largest employers in the city, Kaweah Health Care District.

In addition, Family Healthcare Network is based in this tract as well.  Tract 13.06 extends beyond current city limits to the east but includes most the city’s service commercial zoning, the east downtown area, the future site of the city’s civic center, and the future site of the city’s next big major regional park, the East Side Regional Park. The 200-acre park around Mill Creek and Packwood Creek east of Tower Street will also serve as groundwater recharge but will feature disc golf, riparian trails along the 331
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creeks, an interior park road, a large special event area, restrooms/storage facilities, picnic arbors, playgrounds parking, a cricket field, lighted soccer fields, baseball and softball fields, tennis and pickle ball courts, an amphitheater and an education barn. The east downtown area is seeing new development with the recent Microbrewery/Micro winery overlay district to encourage these types of craft uses to extend the vitality of the downtown core eastward. Additionally, the city’s future civic center is underway with the first facility constructed, the Visalia Emergency Communications Center (VECC). The VECC is a 2 story 18,790 square-foot, state of the art, essential services facility that houses 911 Dispatch, Fire Administration, the City’s Emergency Operation Center, the Traffic Management Center, and the City’s secure Data Center. The next phase of the project is supposed to break ground by the Summer of 2025 and will include the civic center, public safety building, police department processing, storage building, city council chambers, and an outdoor pavilion area.
 Tract 17.01 has a broad mix of zoning types, including multifamily, single family, light industrial, neighborhood commercial, office conversion, professional/administrative office, commercial mixed use and service commercial. There are two main activity centers in this tract, the Kaweah Delta Urgent Care medical area along Court at Paradise and the Olive Plant industrial space along Santa Fe and the neighborhood and service commercial corridor adjacent to the north. There are other medical users near the Kaweah Delta Urgent Care facility and Walgreens on the northwest corner of Walnut and Court nearby.

There is also Advanced Food Products, which is a food processing facility near the northeastern edge of this tract that is a quality employer in the area. Lastly, adjacent to this tract is the city’s main auto row along Ben Maddox and Mary’s Vineyard shopping center and Walmart.

Are there any community assets in these areas/neighborhoods? Some examples of community assets in these areas include:
 Tract 10.09 through 10.12- Tulare County Public Health Clinic, Bethlehem Center, Tulare County WIC office, Proteus Administration office, Social Vocational Services, Highland Gardens (Self Help Enterprises housing development), Manuel Hernandez Community Center, Crowley Elementary, Shannon Ranch Elementary, and Riverview Elementary.  Tract 11 – Creative Center and Ice House Theater (Visalia Players), Family Healthcare Network Walk in Clinic, Visalia Rescue Mission shelter facilities, Visalia Emergency Aid Council, ProYouth, Houston Elementary, and Highland Elementary.  Tract 12 – Visalia Transit Center, Visalia Arts Consortium, Town Meadows senior housing, Visalia Senior Center, Oak Meadows senior housing, Tulare County Library, Turning Point Youth Services, Source LGBT+ Center, Visalia Police Department, Redwood High School, Anthony Community Center, Community Water Center, Planned Parenthood, and Visalia Veteran’s Memorial Building.
 Tract 13.06 – City Hall, Visalia PAL, and the Visalia Rescue Mission.  Tract 17.01 – Sierra Meadows senior housing, Tulare County Health and Human Services Mental Health Clinic, Washington Elementary, Boys and Girls Club, Victory Outreach Women’s Recovery Home, and Eden House.
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Are there other strategic opportunities in any of these areas? Tract 10.09 through 10.12 –The northern end of this commercial corridor is the main retail power center in North Visalia and is across from an extremely popular regional park. There are plans in the works for more retail and residential development in this area as well as to the west. The Dinuba Boulevard corridor can realize additional development as a result.

Tract 11 – The Oval Park commercial area features a number of excellent small businesses and restaurants and is connected to the Downtown core via the Court/Locust downtown mixed-use corridor. Efforts must be made to encourage more foot traffic in this retail area from the downtown corridor and greater region as it is a destination of its own. Additionally, more efforts could be made to assist residents and families in the immediate vicinity to improve their abilities to generate wealth. This could potentially include additional programs to assist with job training and entrepreneurship and subsidized childcare services. There are sites that could be redeveloped and developed in this area, and again, this tract is in the Opportunity Zone.

Tract 12 – There are a number of projects underway in the downtown core. As always, parking availability and safety continue to be integral to the downtown’s continued success.

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MA-60 Broadband Needs of Housing
Describe the need for broadband wiring and connections for households, including low- and moderate-income households and neighborhoods.

The City of Visalia recognizes that access to reliable, high-speed broadband internet is vital for economic opportunity, education, healthcare, and overall quality of life for its residents. While identified as a need, numerous households and residents still lack adequate high-speed internet connections. Limited access to high-speed broadband internet contributes to an ongoing digital divide that adversely impacts individuals residing in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.

The lack of access can significantly hinder the ability of residents to obtain critical resources and services that are essential for maintaining a good quality of life. Consequently, neighborhoods with limited or no access to high-speed internet face various challenges in acquiring equitable opportunities for learning, employment, medical care, etc. This disparity can further perpetuate economic and social inequalities, impacting the ability of residents to fully participate in the digital economy and access vital online services.

Speed and Service Across Visalia
According to data from BroadbandNow, approximately 95% of Visalia residents have access to broadband internet speeds of at least 25 Mbps. However, this leaves an estimated 5% of the population without access to basic broadband speeds. More concerning is the limited availability of high-speed fiber internet, which is accessible to only 24% of Visalia residents. Throughout Visalia, broadband access varies significantly by connection type. As seen below in Figure 1, satellite internet is available to 100% of residents, ensuring coverage even in rural areas, though it typically has high latency. DSL service, which offers on average 100 Mbps in terms of speed but is generally slower than cable or fiber, is available to 56.23% of the population. Cable internet, with speeds ranging from 250 Mbps to 1 Gbps is accessible to 92.28% of residents. However, fiber internet, which provides the fastest speeds at 1 Gbps or higher, is only available to 21.29% of Visalia residents, highlighting a significant gap in access to high-speed infrastructure.

Figure 6 - Provider Connection Types in Visalia, CA (BroadbandNow.com) Visalia Service Providers
BroadbandNow also shows that Visalia residents have access to 23 internet service providers.

Data reflected in Figure 7 below from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) highlights the top 10 broadband service providers that offer coverage across the city. As a result, Visalia's 334
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population has multiple options when selecting an internet service provider, though access to high-speed options such as fiber remains limited in certain areas.

Figure 7 - Top 10 Broadband Providers (Federal Communications Commission)

Visalia Broadband Needs
The FCC National Broadband Map (as of December 31, 2023) also reflects areas throughout the City of Visalia where coverage is not readily available for several residential areas. Figures 8 and 9 below reflects several areas of the City considered to be low- to-moderate income where coverage is either not available, or available in a limited capacity. Areas of no coverage are primarily located in the following areas:

 South of W. Noble Ave., east of S. Demaree St.
 North of W. Tulare Ave., east of N. Ben Maddox Way
 South of E. Goshen Ave., east of N. Tipton St.

Based on the Highest and Lowest Income Map shown at BestNeighborhood.org (Figure 10), these areas of the City are considered to be low- to-moderate income neighborhoods, which are more likely to be disproportionately impacted by limited broadband access.

Provider Residential
Viasat 100% coverage

56.3K units
UnWired 100% coverage

56.3K units
Space
Exploration
100% coverage

56.3K units
Hughes 100% coverage

56.3K units
Comcast 98.5% coverage

55.5K units
AT&T 82.7% coverage

46.6K units
T-Mobile 77.91 coverage

43.9K units
OACYS 31.0% coverage

17.6K units
Wireless 25.9% coverage

14.6K units
Cal.net 22.5% coverage

12.7K units
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Figure 8 - south of W. Noble Ave., east of S. Demaree St.; north of W. Tulare Ave., east of N. Ben Maddox Way

Figure 9 - south of E. Goshen Ave., east of N. Tipton St.

Figure 10 – Highest and Lowest Income Areas in Visalia, CA.

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Low-income households face particular challenges in accessing broadband. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was providing critical support, offering up to $30 per month to help cover internet costs for eligible low-income families.

With the expiration of this program in June 2024, many households have had to reduce their internet plans or lose service entirely. According to a FCC survey completed December 2023, 77% of ACP enrollees reported they would need to change or stop their broadband service without the benefit.

The FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), launched in December 2021, provided up to $30 monthly to assist eligible low-income households afford internet service. With the expiration of the ACP in June 2024, many households found themselves needing to downgrade their internet plans, while some found themselves needing to terminate their broadband internet service completely. An FCC survey from December 2023 revealed that 77% of ACP enrollees indicated they would need to alter or discontinue their broadband service without access to the ACP benefit.

This data highlighted the program's importance in maintaining broadband access for low-income families and the potential negative impact of its expiration.

Describe the need for increased competition by having more than one broadband Internet service provider serve the jurisdiction.

The current market landscape and its effects on residents highlight the City’s need for greater competition among multiple broadband internet service providers in Visalia, CA. While the City has 23 internet service providers, access to high-speed options like fiber remains limited, with only 21.29% of residents having access to this fastest internet technology. The lack of competition in high-speed services has led to continued disparities in coverage, particularly among low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, widening the digital divide. Increased competition could drive providers to expand their coverage, improve service quality, and offer more affordable options for low-income households struggling to maintain their internet service. By fostering a more competitive broadband market, Visalia could address coverage gaps, improve internet access, and advance digital equity for all socioeconomic groups.

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MA-65 Hazard Mitigation
Describe the jurisdiction's increased natural hazard risks associated with climate change
The City of Visalia has historically experienced multiple climate-related hazards, including flooding, extreme heat events, wildfires, and drought conditions. Based on current climate projections, these environmental risks are anticipated to increase in both frequency and intensity due to ongoing climate change impacts. Analysis indicates that the City's Low- and Moderate- Income (LMI) population is disproportionately vulnerable to climate change impacts. Demographic and geographic data reveal that 100% of the LMI population resides in areas with historically higher exposure to climate-related hazards compared to the average exposure levels across California.

Figure 11 (below) shows that around half of the geographical area occupied by LMI households would face an overall hazard exposure exceeding the 35th percentile relative to other locations in the State, while the other half would face an overall hazard exposure exceeding the 70th percentile. All of the City’s LMI households live in areas that have a hazard exposure exceeding the 85th percentile in at least one of the four hazard categories mentioned above, and none of the City’s LMI households reside in an area with no hazard exposure.

Figure 11 Visalia hazard exposure and LMI concentration map

Flood Risk Increase
Due to the City’s proximity to the Kaweah River distributary system, flooding has historically been a problem and is expected to worsen as climate change brings stronger storms and higher sea levels. These events create heavier rainfall may exceed the capacity of the area's existing flood management infrastructure. This risk is particularly pronounced during El Niño seasons, which are characterized by above-average rainfall and have shown a trend of increasing intensity in recent decades.

Furthermore, the Kaweah River distributary system originates in the Sierra Nevada Mountains – with increasing temperatures due to climate change, ice melting and runoff from these mountains could also strain groundwater stores and further increase the likelihood of severe flooding in the area. Tulare County, in which the City of Visalia resides, also hosts a significant portion of its population within the 100-year and 500-year floodplains. 338
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Figure 102 Visalia Flood Map
Heat Risk Increase
Due to climate change, days with higher temperatures will increase in both frequency and intensity. This is expected to prolong dry seasons, leading to more frequent and severe heatwaves. According to data from First Street, a reliable climate risk data analysis firm, Visalia is trending towards experiencing 109 days per year with temperatures above 90ºF. Extreme heat events (categorized as over 84ºF) present serious health risks to human life, such as cardiovascular and respiratory-related mortality, while also increasing hospital admissions and emergency room visits.

Figure 113 Visalia Heat Map

Wildfires Risk Increase
Rapidly increasing temperatures and lengthened dry seasons are prime causes for wildfires, particularly in areas near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Tulare County Hazard Mitigation Plan lists an expectation of 2 to 3 wildfires per year within the County. This risk is exacerbated by the County’s overstocked forests, severely overgrown vegetation, and lack of 339
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