Johnson County, Kansas, is directly west of Kansas City, Missouri, and is part of the 11- county metropolitan area that includes both Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri. It has experienced rapid growth over the past several decades, and contains Kansas' fourth and fifth most populous cities--Overland Park (111,790) and Olathe (63,352), the county seat. Overland Park receives a separate entitlement of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and submits its own Consolidated Plan.
Johnson County expects to combine a range of Federal programs to support such activities as housing rehabilitation, infrastructure improvement, assistance to the homeless, and provision of supportive housing, and to generate public-private ventures. Included will be funds from Community Development Block Grants, Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS. Through a consortium it formed with the largest city, Overland Park, to administer a Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) program, it will provide funds for low- and moderate-income housing and rehabilitation. The consortium has allocated 15 percent of its resources to a community housing development organization to develop homeownership opportunities for low-income persons, including persons with special needs.
Before drafting the Consolidated Plan, Johnson County gathered information on community needs by sending surveys to 19 cities in the county, omitting only Overland Park because it prepares its own plan. The County Administrator's Office, which is the lead agency for development of the plan, also consulted with such public and private entities as the County Health Department, Human Services and Aging, Parks and Recreation, the district courts, Catholic Social Services, the Salvation Army, United Community Services, the Mental Health Center, and the Olathe Housing Authority. The first of three public hearings on the plan was held to give citizens the opportunity to express views on housing and community development needs. At a second hearing, citizens commented on the county's proposed use of funds for 1995 and on the performance of past programs. Comments were generally supportive. Some participants offered statistics to document specific needs, which were incorporated into the plan's needs assessment. The third public hearing was held to review previous issues and obtain additional comments. Public notices in area newspapers preceded these hearings. After a 30-day comment period, the plan was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners.
MAP 1 depicts points of interest in the jurisdiction.
Although the unemployment rate is relatively low, in 1994 Johnson County began promoting its efforts to attract new aviation-related businesses to its Industrial Airport, renamed the New Century AirCenter. In 1995, the county committed $356,000 to the development of a Technology Innovation Center, and has pledged to award annual grants ranging from $294,000 to $417,000 to the center over the next 10 years. The center is expected to "graduate" 35 new firms over the next decade. It is estimated that these fledgling companies will add 887 jobs to the county's economy and generate $156.7 million in sales and $89 million in income for Johnson County 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.
Together, extremely low-income (0-30 percent of median family income [MFI]) and very low- income households (31-50 percent of MFI) account for slightly more than 10 percent of the total households in the county. This combined income category experiences the highest percentages of housing problems, as well as the highest percentages of cost burden. With few exceptions, those households within the 0-30 percent of MFI range have more housing problems and experience higher percentages of cost burden than those households within the 31-50 percent of MFI range. This is particularly true of homeowners in this income range. In this category, small families account for the largest number of renters, and the elderly constitute the largest number of homeowners.
Although large families are comparatively few in number (all at 0-30 percent of MFI), they also report housing problems, which could be partly due to overcrowded conditions. A slightly higher percentage of minority-headed households fall into this combined income category than the Johnson County population as a whole. Other low-income households (51-80 percent of MFI) account for 13 percent of households in the county. Fewer than 9 percent of families in the county fall into the moderate-income (81-95 percent of MFI) category. A few elderly renters and one- and two-member households in this group experience housing problems and cost burdens.
It is estimated that supportive housing is needed by households in which at least 1 member has one of the following types of impairment: severe mental illness (576), developmental disability (760), or physical disability (706). The Johnson County Health Department reports that 8 to 10 residents infected with the AIDS virus need supportive housing. The county expects an increase in housing-related needs of senior residents. The needs of the mentally ill and mentally retarded will likely increase, with continuation of a trend toward deinstitutionalization of such individuals.
The 1990 median value of a home in Johnson County, $91,500, was 35 percent higher than the median of $58,600 for the rest of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The median homeownership cost (that is, principal, interest, taxes, and insurance) for the county is $874, compared with $687 for the remainder of the metropolitan area. Nevertheless, nearly 70 percent of the county's housing units are owner occupied.
Excluding Overland Park, Johnson County has a total of 96,112 housing units. Of these, 68 percent are owner occupied, 27 percent are renter occupied, and 5 percent are vacant. Following a national trend, the number of persons per household fell from 2.76 in 1980 to 2.58 in 1990. The County Appraiser's Office shows 3,980 housing units to be of below average condition, with 3,321 of those fair, 531 poor, and 84 very poor.
The comparatively high cost of housing can limit homeownership opportunities for low- to moderate-income residents. However, unemployment in the county is relatively low, as are interest rates, which tend to promote homebuying opportunities. Rental property in the county commands relatively high rates, which tends to encourage the building of more rental housing.
In 1990 census enumerators found 60 sheltered homeless people in Johnson County. A survey by United Community Services of Johnson County of four area agencies that consistently aid the homeless showed that in a 6-month period of 1991, a total of 385 households, including 994 persons, requested housing assistance. Of these, 403 were homeless (had no permanent address). The remaining 591 were declared "near homeless" (persons in imminent danger of losing their homes).
Olathe, the county seat, has three public housing projects containing a total of 130 units. One project consists of 66 apartments in a 4-story, low-rise building for elderly tenants. A second project consists of 34 general-occupancy units on 9 scattered sites. In the third project, 30 general-occupancy units are located on 7 scattered sites. The Olathe Housing Authority and the Johnson County Housing Authority administer 1,307 Section 8 vouchers or certificates, which provide housing subsidies to eligible applicants. Rental assistance is available for 112 units in rural areas of the county under a Farmers Home Administration program.
Barriers identified at the public hearings during plan preparation included extensive waiting lists for the Section 8 program. The Johnson County Housing Authority maintains a combined list of as many as 1,710 families; the average waiting time for some types of units is up to 4 years. Also cited at the hearings was a declining willingness among landlords to accept Section 8 certificates.
Subdivision regulations have been modified to allow manufactured homes in single-family neighborhoods. In addition, the sanitary code has reduced minimum lot size for septic tanks from three to two acres in response to opposition from homebuilders, who argued that the larger requirement would preclude affordable developments. These two public policies were identified as potential barriers in the 1994 Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy.
The county recently adopted a fair housing policy and monitors the fair housing activities of the cities that participate in the CDBG program to ensure they are taking steps to further fair housing. April is proclaimed annually as fair housing month.
The county estimates that 20 percent of its 40,898 households occupy housing that could contain lead-based paint. This estimate is based on the assumption that lead-based paint was used in 90 percent of pre-1940 dwellings, 80 percent of units built from 1940 to 1959, and 62 percent of those built from 1960 to 1979. In 1994, blood tests of 65 children revealed that 3 of them, all under the age of 2, were found to have elevated levels of toxicity.
Of the county's 19 cities, 16 of them responded to a survey to determine community development needs. A clear majority (14) favored making street improvements the highest priority. This preference was confirmed through telephone interviews with a random sample of 400 county residents. A majority of the respondents (70 percent) indicated a willingness to pay a little more in taxes for improvement and construction of major roads. Sidewalks (named by nine municipalities) were rated second in the survey of cities, followed by public facilities (eight), accessibility needs (seven), and water improvements (six).
In the next 5 years, Johnson County intends to target assistance for small families (both renters and homeowners) whose median family income is 0-30 percent and 31-50 percent, particularly those experiencing a cost burden of greater than 30 percent of their income. The county has taken a leadership role in assisting the mentally ill and mentally retarded. County and municipal programs already proven effective in addressing affordable housing needs and reversing neighborhood decline will continue to be supported. Examples of such programs are Section 8 housing rental assistance, owner-occupied home rehabilitation, and CDBG-related neighborhood improvement projects.
Small families comprise almost 35 percent (5,398) of the low- to moderate-income renter households in Johnson County (15,434). At the lowest income level (0 to 50 percent of MFI) for renter households, small families comprise the largest percentage (33 percent). Both statistics are significant in that they point out the relatively large number of small families at the low- to moderate-income levels that rent, as well as the concentration at the end of the income spectrum. Although low- to moderate-income large families that rent seem to experience a higher percentage of housing problems, those types of households are substantially fewer in number, comprising slightly more than 6 percent of the total. There appears to be a number of vacant units suitable for this category of renter (0 to 2 bedrooms).
Small homeowning families fall into the category of "all other owners." These comprise almost 61 percent (8,857) of the total low- to moderate-income, homeowning households in the county (14,572). Suitable vacant housing units (0 to 2 bedrooms) for purchase by those in this category seem to be in short supply.
At the very low-income level, the housing problem percentages reported are comparable for renters; however, at the other low-income and moderate-income levels, the housing problem percentages reported are higher for homeowners. Based on this information, it appears that this category can benefit most from rental assistance due to the preponderance of small families that rent. It also appears that housing rehabilitation programs for homeowners and homebuyer assistance for this category would be appropriate.
Assistance to homeless families and individuals in the next 5 years will take the form of rental assistance and assistance with utility bills. The county also regards this type of assistance as most applicable to prevent low-income individuals and families with children from becoming homeless. For lower income elderly homeowners, Johnson County places a priority on such programs as housing rehabilitation and weatherization--assistance that will enable them to remain in their homes, if possible. It will also emphasize assistance for elderly renters.
Two adverse trends are apparent among clients with severe mental illness or developmental disabilities. They and/or their families have declining incomes while their problems are becoming more severe. Rental assistance, dispersed housing, and supervised living arrangements are needed for both of these groups. Efforts to improve accessibility for the disabled need to include provisions for impairments other than reduced mobility. This is particularly important in Olathe, which has a sizable number of hearing-impaired residents because the Kansas School for the Deaf is located there.
Because of the wide range of responses from communities in the county and the extensive needs outlined, all eligible projects will continue to be evaluated in the CDBG review process. The program focus will likely remain on public infrastructure projects, with less emphasis on social services and economic development. A list of priority community development needs totaling nearly $692 million includes projects in the county's 5-year capital improvement plan, along with some private-sector needs. Most of these needs will have to be addressed by resources such as general tax revenues rather than with CDBG entitlement funds, which will total $1.6 million this fiscal year.
In terms of dollar value, street improvements, with an estimated cost of $167.7 million, and sewer improvements, estimated to cost $92.1 million, rank first and second on the county's list of priority needs. This reflects the preponderance of interest in improving infrastructure that municipalities expressed in the community development needs surveys.
The county's goal over the 5-year plan period is to keep the level of poverty from rising above its 1990 goal of 3.6 percent. As it did in supporting airport development and business incubation, the Board of Commissioners will continue to promote growth and job development and maintain a strong economy. Beyond this, the county sees itself as the "life net" for residents who are unable to secure necessary health and social services elsewhere.
In carrying out its 5-year strategy, Johnson County will combine funds from 10 Federal programs with State, local, and private-sector resources. Through a consortium it formed with Overland Park, it will have access to funds from a HOME grant for rehabilitation and homeownership assistance.
The County Administrator's Office will coordinate activities to be carried out under the 5- year strategy. County officials will work primarily with two existing public-private networks. The Johnson County Housing Coalition coordinates activities of public and assisted housing providers. The coalition includes representatives of the County Housing Authority, Catholic Social Services, the Mental Health Association, the Area Agency on Aging, United Community Services, and private individuals. The county is encouraging the coalition to establish itself as a Community Housing Development Organization and become directly involved with the HOME program. The other key participant is the Human Services Task Force, an alliance of agencies and civic organizations charged with exploring ways to improve delivery of human services and to make recommendations to the county commissioners and other governing bodies.
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; as well as, provides a table with information about the project(s).
The county intends to place major emphasis on the use of Section 8 rental assistance, CDBG and HOME funds, and the provision of rehabilitation and supportive housing.
No particular areas of the county will be specifically targeted. However, under the CDBG program, activities must be undertaken in locations where at least 30 percent of the residents earn low or moderate incomes.
The Board of County Commissioners' office administers the CDBG program, and the Human Services and Aging office administers the HOME program.
