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ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW DRAFT Ethnicity and Linguistic Isolation San Leandro became much more ethnically diverse during the 1990s. The percentage of Hispanic, Asian, and African -American residents increased from 34.1 percent of the total population in 1990 to 52.9 percent in 2000. By 2000, San Leandro's demographics were almost a mirror image of the Bay Area. Approximately 20 percent of the City's residents were Hispanic or Latino, 24 percent were Asian or Pacific Islander, and 10 percent were African American. Some 6 percent of the population identified themselves as multi -racial. The changes are even more significant when viewed in a historical perspective. In 1970, the Census reported that 97 percent of San Leandro's residents were white. By 2000, that figure was 51 percent. 2000 Census data on linguistic isolation, in other words, the number of non-English speaking households, is not yet available. In 1990, the Census reported that 25 percent of the City's households spoke a language other than English at home, and further that 5 percent of the City's households did not speak English well or at all. Given the growing cultural diversity in the City, it is likely that these figures have increased during the last 10 years. It is important that housing programs and other social services in the City recognize the need for translation services and multi-lingual information, and are sensitive to cultural differences related to housing needs and living arrangements. Tenure The 2000 Census indicated that 39.4 percent of San Leandro's households were renters and 60.6 percent were owners (see Table 3-4). The percentage of renters declined from 41.4 percent in 1990, primarily because almost all of the housing added during the 1990s was owner -occupied. This reversed the trend of the 1970s and 80s, when the percentage of renter -occupied units was on the rise as apartment construction outpaced single family home construction. Detailed data from the 2000 Census on the characteristics of renter and owner households is not yet available. The only data released to date is on household size (indicating an average household size of 2.70 for owners and 2.36 for renters). The 1990 Census indicated that owner households tended to be much older than renter households and had substantially higher incomes. In fact, 89 percent of all owner -occupied households were headed by someone over 34. By contrast, 41 percent of all renter -occupied households were headed by someone under 34. It is especially interesting to note that 38 percent of San Leandro's homeowner households were over 65 in 1990, a high percentage relative to other cities in the Bay Area. This suggests a potential need for programs assisting lower income seniors with home repair and maintenance. In 1990, 90 percent of San Leandro's owner -occupant households lived in single family homes, with most of the remainder living in mobile homes. By contrast, renters were concentrated in buildings of 5 units or larger. About 30 percent of the City's renter -occupied households lived in single family homes. While data for 2000 is not available, these statistics have probably not changed dramatically (based on housing start data for the 1990-2000 period). Table 3-5 indicates tenure by unit type as of 1990. LH'OUSING ELEMENT - 3-6 SAN LEANDRO GENERAL PLAN L )I:Z-�