survey of Colonia Jessups

Background
This survey is the basis for planning a project to rebuild Colonia Jessups, site of some of the worst housing and living conditions anywhere in the state of Texas.

The survey was developed by Texas Low Income Housing Information Service, Texas Rural Legal Aid and Proyecto Azteca. The field survey was administered by Proyecto Azteca staff and volunteers in Fall, 1996.

The purpose of the survey was to determine:

1. Reason families came to live in Colonia Jessups
2. Attitudes about living in Colonia Jessups
3. Past housing history of the families
4. Demographic characteristics of the families
5. Economic condition of the families
6. How much the families can afford for housing expenses
7. Willingness of families to participate in a self-help housing program
8. Conditions of existing housing

The analysis of the survey was done by Texas Low Income Housing Information Service. The survey's conclusions are presented below.

Proyecto Azteca visited and surveyed fourteen of the fifteen families living in Colonia Jessups. The survey formed the basis for Proyecto Azteca's design and implementation of it's Colonia Jessups Project. The project will assist residents and property owners in Colonia Jessups to relocate to a new, nearby subdivision and participate in a self-help, owner builder new housing construction program.

Survey Results
Only a little more than one-third of Jessups residents moved to the colonia because they knew another family that lived there (38%). Only one family reported moving to the colonia because they were approached by the colonia developer.

In designing a housing program it is important to keep in mind these two goals of the families of Colonia Jessups - to have affordable housing and to own their own home.


Why did you decide to move to Jessups?

Reason

No other affordable place to live Yes: 12 No: 1

Wanted to own a home Yes: 11 No: 2

Wanted to be near relatives Yes: 6 No: 7

Wanted a bigger house Yes: 2 No: 11

Wanted a bigger lot Yes: 2 No: 11

Knew current resident Yes: 5 No: 8

Approached by developer Yes: 1 No: 12

* 13 of 14 respondents answered this question

Economic considerations were the major motivation for making the decision to purchase a lot in Colonia Jessups (79%). Less than half of the families (43%) said they liked the location of Jessups while more half (57%) said they did not like the location.

Few of the families (29%) said they bought the lot because of the financing offered by the developer. Most said that the appearance of the subdivision did not encourage them to buy a lot in Jessups (79%).

Once again the primacy of the economic consideration for the housing decision is clear. Given this strong concern it is apparent that only a housing program resulting in housing which the residents consider as affordable will succeed in meeting the needs of the residents.


Why did you decide to buy this lot?

Liked location Yes: 6 No: 8

Lot was a good price Yes: 11 No: 3

Good financing from developer Yes: 4 No: 10

Liked the way Jessups looked Yes: 4 No: 10

Knew someone who purchased a lot here Yes: 3 No: 11

Related to someone who purchased a lot here Yes: 2 No: 12


2) Attitudes about living in Colonia Jessups

The residents of Colonia Jessups are very dissatisfied with the colonia. When asked to name the best thing about the colonia, almost two-thirds answered "nothing".

This high level of dissatisfaction with the colonia means that the residents will likely be motivated to actively participate in an alternative housing program which would help the families move out of Colonia Jessups. The peaceful environment may be equated to the semi-rural location of Colonia Jessups. This desire for a peaceful environment should also figure into the planning process for selection of the new site for relocation.


What is the best thing about Colonia Jessups?

Nothing - 64%

Peaceful environment - 29%

other responses: good neighbors, low lot payment

Every resident surveyed said the worst thing about Jessups is the lack of water service. The flooding problem was mentioned as a problem by almost all the residents (93%). Residents indicated that the lack of sewage was much less of a problem than the lack of
water (36%).

The adequacy of infrastructure and the guarantee of no flooding will be something residents will probably be concerned about in considering relocation sites

What is the worst thing about Jessups?

No water - 100%

Flooding - 93%

No sewage - 36%


3) Past housing history of Colonia Jessups families

All of the families surveyed reported that they were living on their own (not with parents or other family) prior to moving to Colonia Jessups.

At the home they lived in prior to moving to colonia Jessups the great majority of families reported that they had both water and sewer facilities (79%).

What utilities did you have at the house you lived in before you moved to Colonia Jessups?

Had water and sewer facilities - 79%

Had sewer facilities only (no water) - 18%

Had no water or sewer facilities - 21%

Families overwhelmingly said that the homes they lived in before moving to Jessups provided better living conditions than their home in Colonia Jessups (79%). Only 7% said their previous living conditions were worse

Would you say your living conditions in your previous home were better! worse or the same as your home here in Jessups?

Better previous living conditions - 79%

Worse previous living conditions - 7%

Same previous living conditions - 14%

At first the answers to these questions seem puzzling. Why would families move from homes which generally provided better living conditions and had water and sewer into a colonia which hid no infrastructure and flooded?

Follow up questions indicate that residents bought the land believing that water and sewer would be provided in the near future and before the flooding problems became apparent These alleged misrepresentations of the land seller's are a subject of ongoing legal action. The need to find more affordable housing and the desire to own a home also appear to be strong motivational factors encouraging residents to buy lots in Colonia Jessups and to give up "better" housing.


4) Demographic characteristics of Colonia Jessups families

The Proyecto Azteca survey of Colonia Jessups collected demographic data on the families living in Colonia Jessups in an attempt to better understand the families and their housing needs.

One of most significant survey findings is that the age structure of families living in Colonia Jessups differs markedly from the state of Texas as a whole.

• Almost 60% of the residents of Colonia Jessups are eighteen years old or younger. This compares to 30% for Texas as a whole.

• Less than I % of Colonia Jessups population is 60 years or older (one family consisting on a single elderly homeowner) compared to about 13% for the state.

• Colonia Jessups is mainly composed of young (usually aged 19 to 35 year old), two parent households who have more children than average for a Texas family.
The fact that these are almost all young, two parent households makes them strong candidates for a housing program which involved the labor of the homeowner to reduce the cost of building the home.

A two parent household is better able to handle child care while one adult member works on constructing the house. The relative youth of all but one Colonia Jessups family makes it more likely that the physical demands of labor for home construction can be met by the households.


5) Economic condition of the families

The most important characteristics of the families in their poverty. The low income of the families in Colonia Jessups are striking even among colonia residents. Almost all of the residents are farmworkers whose employment is low wage and seasonal.

The average income for a Texas family is about $27,000. The average income for a family living in Colonia Jessups is $9,524, about one-third of the state level. The per capita income in Colonia Jessups of $2,088 is actually worse in comparison to the rest of the state because family size in Jessups is much larger than the state average. The average family in Jessups is composed of 5.5 persons.

The families surveyed receive a very low level of public assistance from public programs compared to other families with such low incomes. The average amount of public assistance is $225 per month.

Incomes, before public assistance, in Jessups are generally a little more than one-third of state average income, with the exception of only one Jessups family.

It is important to remember that Jessups families are, on average much larger than the average family in the state. This means that the relative poverty of families in Colonia Jessups is much greater.

The design of any housing program for the families of Colonia Jessups must deal with their acute poverty.


6) How much Colonia Jessups families can afford for housing

Families with extremely low incomes such as those living in colonia Jessups experience a very difficult time affording housing. These families search for housing they could afford brought them to Colonia Jessups, a place that virtually none of the families reported liking (see section 2 above). In most urban areas families with such low incomes would live in or be on the waiting list for public housing.

These families have a strong stated desire and demonstrated willingness to sacrifice in order to own their own home which must be considered in planning for any housing program for them.

Arriving at an estimate of what these families can afford to pay is difficult. Traditional rules which apply to the borrowing capacity of middle income homebuyers do not apply in Jessups.

There are certain fixed living costs which must be met by the base income available to a family. With only one possible exception, the families of Colonia Jessups have not reached that base income level.

We have calculated an estimate of the families' housing budget, based on their self-reported incomes. The calculations took the families' monthly incomes, including federal cash and non-cash assistance, and subtracted from that income the families' monthly regular debt payments, not counting utilities. A fifty dollar per month, per child deduction was subtracted from the remaining income to derive a net income figure.

A housing affordability cost multiplier of .25 was applied to arrive at a figure for each family's maximum possible housing debt. This debt includes principal, interest, taxes and insurance. The amount families can afford under this formula ranges from $58 per month to $383. The average is $192.

Based on a house and property value of $25,000, property taxes are estimated to be approximately $50 per month. Basic homeowner's insurance is estimated to cost $10 per month. Based on the average of $192 available for housing debt derived from the table above, $l32 remains for debt service for a home.


7) Willingness of families to participate in planned Colonia Jessups housing program

Exactly two-thirds of the families living in Colonia Jessups built their own home with their own labor.

This demonstrates a strong ability to successfully participate in a self-help, owner-builder housing program.

All families surveyed indicated that they would be willing to participate in building their own homes on another lot, in another subdivision under the proposed Proyecto Azteca project.


8) Conditions of existing housing in the colonia

The average amount spent by families in Colonia Jessups to build their existing home was
$2,023.

All but one of the homes is overcrowded. None have adequate kitchen or bathroom facilities. None have indoor plumbing. None have access to potable water. None have an approved system of sewage disposal. All of the homes in the colonia flood after heavy rains.

Photographs taken in Colonia Jessups illustrate the poor housing conditions.

A note about the data this survey is based on:
The information presented here is the self-reported data provided by the families of Colonia Jessups. Income data is unverified.


Conclusions

I) The primary concern of the families of Colonia Jessups is to obtain a home they can own and afford with their very low incomes.


2) The families are very dissatisfied with their present living situation, particularly the flooding and lack of water.


3) All but one of the families contain young teens and adults who are capable of supplying the labor to construct a new home. Two-thirds built their present home themselves.


4) The families have very low incomes. The maximum monthly principal and interest payment they can afford is about $125 per month.


5) Existing houses in the colonia are in very poor condition and are generally not suitable for moving or rehabilitation.


6) All the families state they are willing to relocate to another subdivision to get away from the flooding problem and obtain water service.