Glendale (PDF) - Hazard Mitigation Web Portal - State of California

Natural Hazards Mitigation PlanCity of Glendale, CaliforniaSection 2 – Community Profileextreme, but real example of this is New Orleans; a year after Katrina, entire neighborhoods arevacant, the houses still in ruin. Past residents of these communities have started new lives inother cities and states and many do not plan to come back, substantially diminishing NewOrleans’ tax base, and hindering the City’s ability to rebuild and recover.In the year 2000, the median value of homes in the city of Glendale was estimated at $326,700(2000 Census). However, the demand for housing has outpaced the available supply, and therecent low interest rates have further fueled this demand. As a result, in 2004, the median homeprice in Glendale was estimated to be over $557,000, which is about a 70 percent jump in valuefrom the 2000 values. Even at these prices, the demand for low- to medium-priced homescontinues to be strong, given the few existing homes available. There are approximately 73,611total housing units in the city of Glendale. Of these, 29,492 (40 percent) are single-familyhomes, 7,276 (10 percent) are condominiums, and 36,843 (50 percent) are apartments. Seventysix(76) percent of these housing units were built before the 1980s, before the more recent (andstringent) building and fire codes for public safety were adopted. To address developmentissues, Glendale’s Department of Community Development and Housing has engaged inactivities that promote the quality of life for the citizens of the city of Glendale. The large-scaleeffort includes neighborhood and other public facility improvements, rehabilitation of existinghousing, new housing development, and home purchase assistance.There is an increased concentration of resources and capital in Glendale. The best indicator ofthis is the increasing per-capita income in the region since the 1970s. Per-capita income is anestimate of total personal income divided by the total population. This estimate can be used tocompare economic areas as a whole, but it does not reflect how the income is distributed amongresidents of the area being examined. For example, the City's per-capita income has beenincreasing at a faster rate than that of California and the United States, and yet, as reportedabove, Glendale also has a relatively large percentage of population living below the povertylevel. This shows that wealth in the area is distributed unevenly among different segments ofthe population.Subtle but very measurable changes occur constantly in communities that increase the potentialloss that will occur in a major disaster. There are a number of factors that contribute to thisincreasing loss potential. First, populations continue to increase, putting more people at riskwithin a defined geographic space. Second, inflation constantly increases the worth of realproperty and permanent improvements. Third, the amount of property owned per capitaincreases over time. Information from the U.S. Census Bureau shows gains in average housingstandards in the United States (Table 2.6).Table 2.6: Historical Trends in Housing Standards in the United StatesPROPERTY PER PERSON 1975 1998Average size of new homes 1,645 sq. ft. 2,190 sq. ft.Homes with 4+ bedrooms 21% 33%Homes with 2½ or more baths 20% 52%Source: U.S. Census BureauIf we look at the greatest recorded earthquakes in American history, and compare the level ofpopulation and development today with that which existed at the time of these events, the scaleof potential damage is staggering (Source: Risk Management Solutions).2006 PAGE 2 - 10