Analysis of Impediments Update

Transcription

1 2014 Analysis f Impediments Update Cherise Schell Greene Cunty Department f Develpment 6/2/2014

2 Summary Greene Cunty Department f Develpment and the Fair Husing Office invite yu t review this update t see what impediments have been addressed during the past year. This reprt is cmpiled annually fr the entire cunty which includes all municipalities except fr the City f Fairbrn. The Cunty administers the Fair husing activities fr Fairbrn; hwever they are an entitlement recipient f CDBG frm HUD and cmplete an independent Analysis f Impediments f this reprt. Incidentally, as f June 1, 2014 Greene Cunty will n lnger be prviding fair husing services t the City f Fairbrn as they nw have staff t prvide thse services t their residents. Methdlgy Ppulatins, changes in demgraphics, existing and emerging impediments and cunty services are areas that were reviewed. A cmplete analysis was cmpleted in 2011 and this reprt serves an annual update t that and helps us t be aware f any unmet needs in the cmmunity. The Ohi Develpment Services Agency s Hw t Analyze Impediments t Fair Husing and Develp a Plan/Nvember 2008 is utilized as the basis fr this structure. Funding Outreach and advcacy activities utlined are supprted by the Greene Cunty Bard f Cmmissiners and the Cities f Xenia and Fairbrn Cmmunity Develpment Blck Grant fair husing allcatins. Demgraphic Data Greene Cunty is in the suthwest crner f the state and 2011 census data estimates indicate a ppulatin ver 162,000 with 68,000 husehlds. Husehlds and Families 130,239 persns are emplyed but 12.8% f the 162,000 residents are belw the pverty level. If yu lk even further, families with children under the age f 5 have a pverty rate f 20.8% and families with female head f husehld inch even higher t 31.7%. There are 3,373 mre females than men. Of the 76,000+ cmmuters, 64,181 rides alne, 5,523 carpl, 350 utilize public transprtatin and 2,600 walk t wrk. The average cmmute time is just under 20 minutes. The Caucasian race is prminent thrughut the cunty alng with Black/African American, Hispanic/Latin, Asian, and Asian Indian as the next leading races in that rder. There are ver 68,000 husehlds f which 62,588 are ccupied and 5,266 are vacant; 62.8% f ur husing stck is 43 years ld r lder. Apprximately 42,800 (68.4%) residents wn their hmes and 19,800 (31.6%) rent. Thse that wn (5, %) pay mre than 35% f husehld incme n the mrtgage. Renters n the ther hand (8, %), pay mre than 35% f their incme n rent. ~ 2 ~

3 Pverty and participatin in Gvernment Prgrams Since 2009 the number f husehlds receiving Scial Security benefits has mre than dubled. Persns receiving public assistance is 8.5% r 5,331. Impediments fund in the 2012 Update fr the Cunty and City f Xenia During the implementatin f the 2011 impediments the fllwing items cntinue t be an verwhelming cncern and are wrught with cnstraints that are quite difficult t undertake. The need t educate elected and appinted cunty fficials and staff, especially thse wh deal with planning, zning and cde enfrcement, n the issue f hw fair husing relates t planning and land use. This will be an area requiring extensive training and insight with the lcal fficials in the City f Xenia and Greene Cunty. Crdinatin with lcal fficials is nging and it is hped a training event can be scheduled fr late Explre the pssibility f develping a landlrd assciatin. Resurces and time are just tw f the majr hurdles with undertaking this item. Staff f the cunty cnsists f ne persn and feels that this shuld be taken in smaller cmmunities befre expanding t the cunty level. Develpment f an Affirmative Marketing Plan fr all new residential husing develpments and buildings. This cntinues t be quite a substantial prject and will require many parties at the table t ensure cperatin and adptin. Testing fr illegal real estate practices against members f the seven federally prtected classes. Crdinatin with cntracted municipalities is required t undertake and all are in agreance this is a gd explratry tl; hwever, the implementatin f impediments fund culd be a stumbling blck t imprvements. The City s zning is at dds with the Fair Husing Act t prvide reasnable accmmdatins t current zning regulatins fr persns with disabilities and all shuld be reviewed s that affirmatively furthering fair husing is integrated int the cdes. There are many layers f cmpliance that will need t be addressed; hwever cnstructin f a multi family apartment building that will serve the severely and persistently mentally ill ppulatin will sn begin in the City. There were sme cncessins made with regard t the number f units and parking requirements n the part f the develper/management, but the ultimate apprval f the prject can nly be seen as prgress. Cntinued impediments within the cunty that are f significant imprtance and always need addressed are: Accmmdatins fr persns with mental illness are limited ~ 3 ~

4 Husing Slutins f Greene Cunty is an advcacy rganizatin whse purpse is t prvide permanent supprtive husing fr individuals with mental illness via clse cnnectin with TCN Behaviral Health Services wh currently huse many persns within the City limits f Xenia and Fairbrn. They have cleared many hurdles with zning variances and such ver the past year and half and recently held a grundbreaking ceremny fr a 7 unit husing cmplex with permanent services n site. This will be the first new cnstructin f such husing in many, many years within the cunty. Hmecrft, Inc. acts a landlrd while renting single family residences t citizens with develpmental disabilities. Assistance is given t them t ensure safe, affrdable, accessible husing thrugh a variety f chices and ptins reasnably directed by the individual. Greene Cunty Department f Develpment dnated a new 1,600 square ft hme t them via the Neighbrhd Stabilizatin Prgram during This will be hme t tw residents that are very excited (as are their families and care givers) t have a newly cnstructed accessible hme. Lack f affrdable rental husing and fr sale prperties The Neighbrhd Stabilizatin Prgram charged Greene Cunty with rejuvenating neighbrhds that have experienced mre freclsures, abandned and blighted structures. Over the past few years, many things have taken place surrunding this. The cunty has been able t demlish 4 severely blighted structures and replace with new units that nw are hme t thriving families. The City f Xenia demlished structures The City f Fairbrn cnstructed tw new hmes and acquired, rehabbed and sld ne prperty. Greene Metrplitan Husing Authrity clsed their waiting list during 2012 and t date it is still clsed. The federal sequestratin has als hindered the agency with assisting even the hmeless persns within the cunty as what vuchers were previusly available even with the list clsed, are nw nt even available. Cuntless residents are feeling these effects which will cntinue fr quite sme time. Single persns are faced with the lack f emergency husing resurces Cmmunity Actin Partnership f Greene Cunty currently manages Harding Place that is lcated in the City f Xenia, that prvides transitinal husing fr 16 single persns (mstly males) alng with intense case management centered n self sufficiency. This is the nly agency within the cunty t address any single residents fr extended perids. Interfaith Hspitality Netwrk (headquartered in City f Xenia) is rganized t assist persns wh need shelter nightly thrugh crdinatin with lcal churches. Neighbrhd perceptins Tday s neighbrhds still harbr ideas that thse kinds f peple will hinder their hme values, sense f wrth r safety if allwed t live there. Case after case filed with any given lcal, state, and federal curt brings this t the frefrnt in tday s sciety. Needs fr mdificatins fr persns with mbility issues ~ 4 ~

5 The dwnturn in the ecnmy has severely hurt all residents in the Cunty. Sme may have lst jbs, experienced sme medical issues r simply cannt affrd the area rent due t cst f living and wages paid. Many f these issues are ut f their cntrl and when an emergency happens, they are in even mre desperate times. S, what happens when a disabled persn experiences ne f these catastrphes? What happens when that persn is n a fixed incme and has anther medical need they are unable t meet? These are experiences that all t many residents are living with n a daily basis. The unmet need f resurces available t assist them is always rising. As yu can see, the need is great within ur cunty and resurces are limited at best. The fair husing ffice cntinues t mnitr these areas and prvide assistance whenever pssible t service agencies, tenants, landlrds, etc. ~ 5 ~