Iowa City Housing Information

Housing Market Analysis: Significant Characteristics of the Housing Market:
Concentrations of Low Income Households

 

I. Development of the 2001-2006 Consolidation Plan (CITY STEPS) II. Housing & Homeless Needs Assesment III. Housing Market Analysis IV. Strategic Plan V. Certifications VI. Appendices
A. Significant Characteristics of the Housing Market B. Public and Assisted Housing C. Homeless Facilities D. Special Needs Facilities and Services E. Barriers to Affordable Housing F. Housing Discrimination
1. Background and Trends 2. Supply and Demand 3. Condition of the Housing Stock 4. Building Permits and Value of New Construction 5. Cost of the Housing Stock
6. Vacancy Rates 7. Housing Stock Available to Persons with Disabilities 8. Housing Stock Available to Persons with HIV/AIDS 9. Areas if Concentration of Racial/Ethnic Minorities 10. Concentrations of Low Income Households

10. Concentrations of Low Income Households

Iowa City has two areas that meet the definition of low-income concentrations. They are located in the downtown area and within census tract 4 (immediately west of Mormon Trek Boulevard). Downtown Iowa City and the adjacent blocks contain a number of apartment buildings and converted single-family homes, predominantly inhabited by University of Iowa students. Census tract 4, in 1989 and 1990 when the census information was collected, was not heavily developed. Two housing developments comprised the majority of housing units in this census tract in 1990, they were University of Iowa married/graduate student housing and the Pheasant Ridge Apartment Complex (subsidized housing). Since 1990 there has been a great deal of development in this census tract, mostly with upper level housing developments (Southwest Estates, Walnut Ridge, Galway Hills, and Hunters Run). This census tract may not show up as having a low-income concentration in the 2000 census.

a. Definition of Low-Income Concentration

Concentrations of low-income populations are defined as tracts where the majority of households (51% or more) qualify as low income according to HUD definitions. The map entitled "Concentrations of Low-Moderate Income Households" shows that most of these tracts are adjacent to the University campus.

There are several reasons that we find minority and low-and moderate-income households highly concentrated in the same tracts around the campus. First, many of the low-income concentration areas are student neighborhoods. It is expected that many of these people are "temporarily

Map III.2
Click to enlarge (87K)

Map III.3
Click to enlarge (63K)

poor" and once done with college, will move into a higher earning bracket. Second, there are more apartment complexes with high turnover rates in these tracts therefore attracting the temporary citizens of Iowa City. Finally, it appears that location may be more influential than housing costs in these tracts. A quick survey comparing median housing costs in these tracts with the citywide median housing costs reveals that there is little difference between areas cost-wise.

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