Projects for the coming year include financing property rehabilitation for low and moderate income homeowners, code enforcement and small house repair; homebuyer education; maintenance of city-owned housing; improving parks and developing a recreation area in public housing; expanding a temporary shelter for battered women and homeless children; demolition of hazardous buildings, continued child victim advocacy and literacy programs; removal of architectural barriers in public areas; and support for public awareness of fair housing laws and opportunities.
Two public hearings were held in the course of preparing the 1995-2000
Consolidated Plan for the City of Warner Robins. The first hearing was held on
December 6, 1994, to inform citizens and various agencies of the process and to
request their guidance and assistance. The second hearing was held on March 29,
1995, midway through the draft Consolidated Plan public review period, to
further publicize the document and obtain comments on it. Both sets of hearings
were preceded by letters and phone calls to affected parties and agencies, as
well as two publications of the hearing notice in a local newspaper of general
circulation two weeks before the public hearing.
Warner Robins is located in the center of the state and is easily accessible to both interstates I-75 and I-16, giving the city major transportation patterns in every direction. It is essentially a large suburb that grew up to house employees of the air force base that was built in 1942. Warner Robins grew in an agricultural area when the Army Air Corps located a maintenance and supply depot in Houston County in 1941. The population of Warner Robins was 44,000 in 1990, including 12,808 children aged 18 or under. Of this population, 23,022 persons were in the labor force, with 21,740 being employed. The unemployment rate was 6.1 percent.
Median family income (MFI) for Warner Robins was $33,721, versus a statewide MFI of $33,529. Of the 16,749 households in the city (as of 1990), 44% had annual incomes of 80 percent or less of MFI. Overall, Houston County had the 18th highest median household income of the 159 counties in Georgia. 81% of the population 25 and over has graduated from high school (vs 71% for Georgia) but only 15% has a bachelor's degree or higher (vs. 19% for Georgia).
Census data show the following levels of low- and moderate-income households:
In 1990 Warner Robins population was divided into the following racial/ethnic classifications:
The housing stock during the last decade has grown 22%, but six of the 13 census tracts lost housing. The median age of population has grown 28 percent (versus only 16 in Macon) and those over 62 from 4 to 11 percent.
A glance at the overall population projections for Warner Robins makes two trends clear. The increase in the 25-54 age group suggests an increased demand for home ownership, as this is the prime age for home purchase. The increase in the 55+ age group suggests increased demand for specialized housing and housing services such as meals, personal care, medical care, personal services, homemaker services and transportation for the elderly. The mentally and physically disabled are in need of many of the same services as the elderly. Affordable housing is a problem for renters and homeowners alike with lower income households. Additional rental assistance and down payment assistance for first time homebuyers through state regulated programs can alleviate some of the problem. Rental rehabilitation through HOME program funds is creating additional affordable rental units within the city.
Warner Robins' total population grew 10% from 1980-1990; households grew by 22%; families increased 11%. The percentage of Warner Robins households made up of families declined from 79% to 72%. Even so, the housing supply rose faster than household formation, that the number of persons per housing unit declined while the number of vacant housing units increased.
A survey of properties in the City conducted in 1990 determined that approximately 2,571 housing units were substandard. Based on this survey, it was estimated that an additional five percent, or 904 units, would have interior or structural defects not visible from the outside and therefore also be substandard. This survey thus estimated that a total of 3,475 residential units, or 19% of the city's total units, were substandard.
The median value of owner-occupied housing rose 56% from 1980-1990. This was about the same as the rise in household income, 59%. However, the median cost of housing rose far more than did incomes or values; up 86% for renters, up 89% for homeowners with a mortgage.
There is a shortage of rental units available for under $250 a month, but plenty of units available in the $400 to $600 a month range.
Incomes rose 56 percent in the decade ending 1989 while housing costs increased 89 percent. The burden on existing homeowners is growing.
In the extremely low-income household category, 84% of the renter households were cost burdened, 61% were severely cost burdened; 79% of the homeowner households were cost burdened, 54% were severely cost burdened.
Of the very-low income households 62% of the renter households were cost burdened, 14% were severely cost burdened; 49% of the homeowner households were cost burdened, 20% were severely cost burdened.
Of the low-income households 32% of the renter households were cost burdened, 2% were severely cost burdened; 41% of the homeowner households are cost burdened, 6% were severely cost burdened.
Of the moderate-income households 14% reported having housing problems, almost all of which involved paying more than 30% of income for housing.
The 1990 Census reported 13 homeless persons in Warner Robins. This small number may be due in part to the close proximity of homeless shelters in the City of Macon. Warner Robins has two homeless shelters with 33 beds.
As yet homeless needs have not been found to any great extent, but there may be need in the future for additional emergency shelters or transitional. Many of the 1,138 households whose annual income was less than 30 percent of median are probably only one or two paychecks away from being homeless, particularly the 694 who were paying more than 50 percent of their income for housing.
There are 443 units in the inventory of the Warner Robins Housing Authority and 150 families on the waiting list. Most of the units are substandard, although the Housing Authority is in the midst of a three-year $2.6 million project to rehabilitate their housing stock.
There are 475 Section 8 recipients in Houston County, of which perhaps 460 are residents of Warner Robins. Of these, approximately 117 are project-based recipients and 343 are tenant-based recipients.
There is one privately owned, Farmers Home Administration 221(d)(3) subsidized housing complex in the city, the Randall Heights apartments. There are 52 units in this complex. All are currently occupied; the residents are 100% minority.
There does not appear to be any single significant barrier to constructing affordable housing among the local public policies of Warner Robins. Barriers to affordable housing in Warner Robins may include:
Support will be provided to a local Community Housing Resource Board whose primary purpose is to increase public awareness of federal, state, and local fair housing laws and opportunities. Activities for 1995 include various speaking engagements and seminars, a poster contest, and homebuyer education classes.
Information on the incidence of lead-based paint and problems arising from it was developed for the 1994 Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) and has been used in this Plan. Incidence of children identified as suffering from lead-based paint poisoning were very low. Because of the relative youth of the city's housing stock, the incidence of lead-based paint will be less than in many other cities.
Based on information available from the Middle Georgia Health District 5-2, estimates are that there are four cases of AIDS in Warner Robins, likely living with their families. While there are no support services for AIDS patients in Warner Robins, the city of Macon, 20 miles to the north, does offer support groups, clinics, etc.
A problem elderly people encounter with public housing is fear for personal safety. Agencies serving the needs of the mentally ill have had difficulty in placing them in the community due to both economic barriers and social barriers. Women forced to flee homes because of domestic abuse represent another group in need of assistance.
Greatest need in public facilities is parks, recreation and neighborhood facilities. In For infrastructure the greatest needs are street and sidewalk, sewer and water, and flood drain improvements. In public services, greatest needs are transportation, substance abuse, and youth services. Greatest economic development needs are commercial-industrial rehabilitation, and infrastructure improvements.
The Community Development Division consulted with other agencies within the
City, with the County of Houston and the City of Centerville. The Middle Georgia
Regional Development Center provided input in preparation of the plan. The City
has no control over the activities of the Warner Robins Public Housing
Authority.
The city's goal is that all its citizens be housed in decent affordable quarters.
The City will explore other means of reducing housing costs, such as zoning changes that reduce the cost of producing housing (e.g. reducing minimum residential lot size, allowing the addition of "mother-in-law" rental units to owner-occupied single family homes. Assist low income homeowners, especially elderly, to maintain the physical quality of their housing.
To assist very low income households in securing standard, affordable housing by providing rental assistance and moderate and substantial rehabilitation; homeownership and new construction of public housing will play smaller roles. For women suffering from domestic abuse, assist in the acquisition or construction of a physically adequate emergency shelter to house at least 24 persons. Also, to provide 50 units of transitional housing to assist substance abusers.
Renovate every park and playground within the Neighborhood Strategy Area; eliminate architectural barriers in public facilities; maintain the habitability of city-owned rental units housing social service agencies and low-income families; and renovate and extend sidewalks to provide safe walking areas separate from roads.
For economic development, the city's goal is to provide the capital and non-capital resources needed to promote business creation and expansion, creating jobs for low and moderate income persons.
For public services, the city's goal is to provide the resources necessary to improve the community's public services, including but not limited to employment, crime prevention, child care, health, drug abuse, education, energy conservation, welfare and recreational needs.
The City's strategy is to help poor people to improve their economic status and assist borderline people to remain out of poverty. This involves education, job training, and job creation; health services; and services to assist people struck by emergency situations. The City will provide 20 loans annually through the Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program. It will continue support for minor rehabilitation for elderly homeowners through funding material costs.
In addition to the public housing units cited above, there are 550 Section 8 recipients in Houston County, of which perhaps 520 are residents of Warner Robins. Approximately 117 are project-based and 403 are tenant-based. Section 8 is channeled through the Georgia Housing and Finance Authority, which has 75 candidates on a waiting list.
The relatively small size of the City assists formal coordination efforts. An informal network operates effectively to keep the city and private providers aware of each others' activities and of new opportunities and problems as they arise. The City's Community Development Office maintains a social services information center. Houston County Family Connections Family Connections consists largely of representatives of most of the public and nonprofit service agencies. It serves as a referral and guidance agency to assist families.
The City of Warner Robins will continue to consult with area agencies,
nonprofit organizations, local governments, and citizens to determine the future
needs of our community.
Total CDBG funding at $734,000, with administration ($135,000), includes the following activities:
Warner Robins City Development Department has the lead for preparation and coordination. The Housing Authority also has a major role to play.
To provide 100 additional units of rental housing affordable to extremely low and low income households over the next five years. Support major rehabilitation of 100 homes and minor rehabilitation of 100 homes owned by extremely low- and moderately-low income and elderly households.
MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.
MAP 3 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and minority concentration levels.
MAP 4 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and unemployment levels.
MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded project(s) from a street level vantage point; in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).
Kathy Hart
CDBG Program Director
(912) 929-1118
