Located about 25 miles northeast of Indianapolis, near Mounds State Park, the city of Anderson, Indiana, has a population of 59,500. The General Motors manufacturing plant located within the city boundaries is a major source of jobs.
For the first year of the Consolidated Plan, the city of Anderson has requested $1.16 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and $435,000 in HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds. The CDBG funds will be used to finance 22 community development projects planned for the coming year.
Anderson drafted an extensive citizen participation plan that provides for and encourages active involvement by low-, very low-, and extremely low-income residents in determining how and where housing and community development funds should be spent.
Nearly 85 percent of Anderson's residents are Caucasian, and more than 14 percent are African American. Other racial and ethnic groups constitute less than 1 percent of the population.
As with many other communities, Anderson is adjusting to a shift in the local economy from manufacturing to service industries. In 1974 manufacturing accounted for one-half of the city's employment; by 1988 it had dropped to 34 percent. New businesses are opening, but many of them do not pay wages that are above the area median income.
Three major factors affect the city's approach to providing housing opportunities during the 5-year period covered by the Consolidated Plan: Anderson's declining population; the age of the housing stock; and the trend of declining employment at the General Motors plant, the city's major employer.
Between 1980 and 1990, Anderson saw a net loss of more than 230 units in its housing stock. The current housing stock is of concern because 89 percent of the homes were constructed prior to 1970 and nearly 50 percent prior to 1950. With virtually no growth in the city's affordable housing stock, significant housing rehabilitation and restoration will be required to meet the demand for housing, particularly among low- and very low-income persons.
There are 26,362 housing units in Anderson, and 24,311 are occupied. Of these, 15,515 are owner-occupied, and 8,796 are renter-occupied. This inventory includes 5,696 substandard units.
Overall, Anderson's housing market can be described as stagnant or regressive. This jurisdiction lost 168 units of subsidized low-income housing in 1991, when the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) terminated Section 8 assistance to the Pinetree Village Apartment complex because of longstanding, excessive building code violations. Only one major apartment complex has been constructed in the past decade, and this was marketed to upper-middle- and upper-income persons. The median rent for an apartment is $300 per month.
The loss of the 168-unit Pinetree Village Apartments and relocation of its residents nearly exhausted Anderson's supply of safe, affordable housing, in particular for low-income minority persons. Large families have been most severely impacted. With no new starts of affordable housing, conditions can only get worse.
In 1993, 4,960 extremely low-income households (earning 0-30 percent of median family income [MFI]) reported spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs (the threshold for cost burden). Of the 3,000 very low-income households (31-50 percent of MFI), just over one-half experienced cost burden. There are 4,670 low-income (51-80 percent of MFI) households. In Anderson 80 percent of median family income for a family of four is $28,550. A total of 373 owner households in this income category reported cost burden.
Many of Anderson's low-income families find themselves competing for a shrinking supply of local affordable housing. Only 18 new housing units have been provided for very low-income families since 1993. The high cost of apartments is a problem for homeless persons and those threatened with homelessness. In Anderson and Madison Counties, some 5,000 persons have been sheltered in emergency or transitional housing during the course of the year.
The jurisdiction has many emergency shelters, including two for the homeless, two for families, and one for victims of domestic violence. The Christian Center, Dove Harbor, and Women's Alternatives also provide emergency shelter. These and other agencies provide a wide range of services for homeless persons and those threatened with homelessness.
With 132 public housing units in the city, there are still 650 families on the Anderson Housing Authority waiting list. Seven privately owned apartment complexes serve low- to moderate-income families and elderly persons. There are 623 subsidized units in this Section 8 housing group.
Enforcing fair housing policies is a priority for the city. Recently the city witnessed an increase in the number of complaints about obtaining credit, financing, and housing.
Because 26,135 homes that were built before 1979 are likely to contain lead-based paint, Anderson recognizes a need to work with local and State public health agencies to make residents aware of the hazards of lead-based paint poisoning, especially for children under age 7.
Anderson's elderly population constitutes 23 percent of all households, and this population is growing. More affordable and accessible housing is needed for this group. At present Anderson does not adequately meet the needs of persons with HIV/AIDS. A community care residence is needed to provide a lower cost alternative to institutional care. The nonprofit Center for Mental Health operates 3 recently constructed apartment buildings, providing 44 units for mentally handicapped persons. It also operates five group homes.
A number of community improvement needs have been recognized. These include: curb and sidewalk replacement; street resurfacing; and electric, water, and sewer lines upgrades. However, no new parks or playgrounds are planned for low- to moderate-income areas; instead five parks will be divested from the Parks and Recreation Department. A major emphasis of Anderson's nonhousing development programs will be on creating employment opportunities.
Priorities include: upgrading the existing stock of affordable housing; providing more low-cost housing units; and serving the needs of special populations, such as the elderly and mentally handicapped. Delivering affordable housing is the city's highest priority, which it will accomplish through the following activities and programs:
The city will continue to work in partnership with nonprofit organizations and State and Federal agencies to serve wide ranging needs of low-income citizens. Expenditures are anticipated for the following activities:
The city has implemented a number of programs to reduce the number of households with incomes below the poverty level. Among these programs are:
During the next 5 years, Anderson expects to use numerous resources and programs to provide affordable housing opportunities to its residents.
Federal resources include:
State resources include:
Municipal resources include:
Private, for-profit resources include:
The Anderson Department of Community Development will be the lead agency in developing the Consolidated Plan, establishing a system of coordination with other government and nonprofit groups to conduct the federally funded community development projects.
Anderson's priority projects include the following:
All projects funded through the Consolidated Plan will be located in low-and moderate-income neighborhoods.
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 projects.
MAP 6 is a map, sectioned by neighborhood, which depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 7 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within one of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 8 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within another of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 9 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).
