Sarah L. Coffin, Ph.D ., AICP Saint Louis University Center for Sustainability

1. The Promises and Pitfalls of TIF in the St. Louis Metro: A Look at the Economic and Racial Disparities Sarah L. Coffin, Ph.D., AICP Saint Louis University Center for Sustainability

2. Distributional effects of TIF • Report focused on distributional effects of documented summary uses of private investment. • Examined sub-regional relative racial and economic patterns related to TIF investment. • Developed a ‘distress index’

3. Project scope and methods • Data sources and limitations • Differences between IL and MO • TIF typology • Distress Index • Property indicators: % renters, % vacant units, % units built prior to 1950 • SES indicators: % HH earning < ½ metro median income, % pop 25+ years over with < high school education, % unemployed, % female headed households

4. TIF Typology

5. TIF Municipal Findings • Municipal Racial and Economic Disparity at time of 1st TIF project: • 22% mod to very high concentrations of non-white persons • 34% mod to very high concentrations of white persons • 37% mod to very high concentrations of low-income households • 35% moderate to very low concentrations of low-income hhlds

6. TIF Project Findings • For all 347 TIF projects 1985-2011: • 47% were approved by municipalities characterized by moderate to very high concentrations of non-white persons • 16% with moderate to very high concentrations of white persons • 21% with low to very low concentrations of low-income households • 63% with high to very high concentrations of low-income households

7. TIF Block Group Findings • At the time the TIF was approved: • 28.96% of the block groups had a low to very low relative proportion of poor households to the regional mean • 27.27% were near the regional mean in proportion of poor households • 43.77% had a high to very high proportion of poor households relative to the regional mean • 28.96% had a high to very high non White population relative to the regional mean • 42.42% were near the regional mean in proportion of non White population • 28.62% had a high to very high White population relative to the regional mean

8. Economic Separation by Municipality

9. Racial Separation by Municipality

10. TIF Distress Index • Municipal Distress attime of 1st TIF project : • 37% were moderate to very stable • 35% were moderate to very distressed • 40% showed an overall decrease in neighborhood distress between 1990 and 2011 • 60% showed an overall increase in neighborhood distress between 1990 and 2011.

11. TIF Distress Index • For all 347 TIF projects 1985-2011: • 18% were approved by municipalities characterized by moderate to very high stability relative to neighborhood distress. • 66% were approved by municipalities characterized by moderate to very high neighborhood distress • 22% of the TIF projects were approved by municipalities that showed an overall decrease in neighborhood distress between 1990 and 2011 • 78% of the TIF projects were approved by municipalities that showed an overall increase in neighborhood distress between 1990 and 2011

12. TIF Distress Index • At the time the TIF was approved: • 26.26% of the block groups had low to very low distress compared to the regional mean. • 28.96% of the block groups were near the regional mean relative to neighborhood distress. • 44.78% of the block groups had moderate to very high distress compared to the regional mean.

13. Neighborhood Distress by Municipality

14. Conclusions • Wealthier communities initially use TIF to preempt distress • TIF can be used creatively in distressed urban core areas • Broader capital improvement planning will support TIF investment