Demographic Profile of Sunnyvale

This report recommends that Council approve an amendment to Sunnyvale’s Consolidated Plan 2005-2010, approved by City Council in May 2005 and accepted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The amendment updates the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) including Appendix A Affirmative Marketing Policies and Procedures for Affordable Housing.  Sunnyvale is required to affirmatively further fair housing and complete an AI every three to five years, or as demographic changes or other changing conditions occur. The Consolidated Plan, adopted last year, documented rather dramatic demographic changes that had occurred as indicated by Census data; it is these demographic changes, and specifically the large increase in persons of limited English proficiency, which require that an update to the AI be undertaken.  For the purpose of updating the AI and preparation of this report, all data contained in the AI is limited to federal 2000 Census Data and does not include references of current population data from the State of California Department of Finance.  Staff recommends that the City Council approve the attached AI which updates and replaces the City’s current AI, which initially covered the period July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2005 and was last amended on January 28, 2003.

The demographic profile in the Consolidated Plan comparing recent and historical Census data found that from 1990 to 2000, the proportion of non-Hispanic White residents decreased from 64.6% to 46.6% of the City’s population.  In contrast, the proportion of Asian residents increased significantly during the same period, from 19% to 32.6%, and the share of Hispanic residents also increased from 12.8% to 15.2%.  Asians are currently the second largest racial/ethnic group in the City. 

The diversity of the local population supports a rich multicultural atmosphere, but it also creates some special needs in terms of service provision.  Census data in 2000 estimated 27,932 foreign-born residents in Sunnyvale, which comprises approximately 33.0% of the total population.  Of the foreign-born population, approximately 35.0% entered the United States between 1990 and 2000.

Approximately 45.0% of Sunnyvale’s population age five and older speaks a language other than English at home, and 9,231 adults reported that they speak English “not well” or “not at all.”  Households that speak English not well or not at all may become “linguistically isolated” from the mainstream culture. Language and cultural barriers must be bridged in an effort to ensure that all residents have equal access to, and have an understanding of available housing opportunities.

The 2000 Census indicates that, of the 9.2% of Sunnyvale households that speak Spanish (4,863 households), 22% (1,081 households) were linguistically isolated.  Of the 22.1% of Sunnyvale households that spoke an Asian or Pacific Island language (11,618 households), 30.2% (3,514 households) were linguistically isolated.  This aspect of linguistic isolation affecting over 5000 households in Sunnyvale was unknown at the time of the AI update in 2003.   The analysis of the data clearly indicated that, although many of the goals and actions described in 2003 are still current and relevant to issues in Sunnyvale, actions to address issues related to “linguistically isolated” households must be included in the AI.

Source: Sunnyvale website, Census