Canton is a 36-square mile township located at the southwestern edge of Wayne County, Michigan. It is centrally located between the educational, research, and business centers of Ann Arbor and Detroit. The I-275 expressway, which runs north-south through the eastern Canton, provides quick access to the northern suburbs and Toledo, 50 miles to the south. At one time a typical bedroom community, Canton, with one of the highest growth rates in the state, is rapidly becoming a multi-faceted community offering a full range of amenities.
Canton participates in the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. In 1995, it received $432,000 in CDBG funds. Canton observes the 15% limit in public service spending, supporting several local human service agencies in ongoing programs. In addition, it is in the final two years of a five-year program for construction funds towards a $12 million community center. The CDBG program will ultimately contribute $750,000 towards the construction of a seniors center and handicap-accessible building elements. Canton also administers a small housing rehabilitation program. Remaining funds are used for neighborhood improvement projects such as playground improvements and drain repairs.
In compliance with the two public hearings mandated in the Consolidated Plan development process, Canton held public hearings before the CDBG Advisory Council on January 16 and February 13, 1995. The Council is a citizen advisory committee, made up five Township residents from all walks of life and background. It has major responsibility for program selection and funding recommendations to the Township Board of Trustees.
Canton held a third public hearing on March 13, 1995. In addition to newspaper publication, individual notices were mailed to all Canton homeowners associations and multi-family complexes. Neighboring communities and human service agencies were also notified.
The Final Statement and Consolidated Plan were submitted to the Board of
Trustees and adopted at a regular meeting on March 28. The 30-day public
comment period began on April 6, 1995. Copies of the proposed document were
deposited with the Township Clerk, the Canton Public Library, and the Resource
Development Division. An announcement and program synopsis was published on
April 6, 9 and 13 in the legal newspaper. On May 7, the Consolidated Plan was
signed by the Township Supervisor and forwarded to the Depart of HUD.
Canton's 1990 census population is 57,040, a 17.3 percent increase over the 1980 census population of 48,616. Reasons for the increase in population include the ideal location with respect to jobs and business centers, and the Township's relatively affordable housing market for upper-income families. A new home in Canton still sells at a discount compared to the same home in some other affluent communities. The typical new home in Canton, however, can cost $200,000.
Canton is a relatively affluent community. According to the 1990 census, the median household income is $52,161. Of all Canton families, 37.8 percent reported incomes of $60,000 or more. Township-wide, 4.1 per cent of all families earn less than $10,000.
Racially, Canton continues to be overwhelmingly white, with whites accounting for 93 percent of the population. Asians and Pacific Islanders constitute 4.5 percent of the population. While blacks have more than doubled in population since 1980, they still only comprise 2.1 percent of the population. Minorities are well-integrated into Canton's population-- there are no distinctly ethnic or racial neighborhoods.
The subdivision home is popular in Canton. Of the 19,544 occupied housing
units reported in the 1990 census, 14,279 were owner-occupied, and of this
number, 12,122 units, or 62 percent, were single-family detached homes.
Canton is one of the fastest-growing communities in the State. Historically, unemployment has been low in Canton, hovering just below or above four percent. Typically, Canton's unemployment rate is barely half that of the Detroit MSA at any given time. Employment is skewed towards the higher-paying white-collar jobs, with more than 30 percent employed in the managerial and professional specialties, including executive and administrative positions. Nearly 60 percent of employed residents work in wholesale, finance, insurance, real estate, business services, and professional health and education.
Despite Canton's rapid rate of growth, substantial portions of western Canton remain in farming. Demand for acreage in western Canton has driven up land costs and there is a concerted effort to maintain higher-priced housing development there.
The provision and maintenance of affordable housing are the primary areas of concern described in the Consolidated Plan. Because community funding for housing efforts is limited, Township involvement must be wisely targeted.
Over all, Canton's housing stock is relatively new-- the housing construction boom did not begin until the mid-1970's-- and so in absolute terms, the number of physically distressed older housing units is quite small. Multiple-family complexes are also well-maintained. There are several government-subsidized apartment complexes in Canton and the Township government is appropriately attestative towards preserving the quality of life and safety of residents.
The 1990 census reported 19,542 housing units in Canton. Of this number, only 765 units were vacant, for a vacancy rate of .8 percent for homeowner units and 6.6 percent for rental units. The relatively high percentage of vacancies in rental units may be reflective of the volume of new multi-family construction at the time. Owner-occupied units numbered 14,279 and renter-occupied units numbered 5,263.
In 1990, Canton was still in the midst of housing construction boom that began in the mid- 1970's. In 1970, Canton's census population was 11,026. By 1980, its population had increased to 48,616, growing by 340.9 percent. In 1990, its 57,040 population count reflected a comparatively sedate 17.3 percent increase since 1980.
According to the census, the percentage of substandard owner-housing units is a very low .1 percent, or only 20 units. No rental units were substandard.
Most housing built in Canton in recent years is priced well beyond the means of low-income families. Western Canton in particular is seeing the construction of larger homes on larger lots. This is a self-replicating phenomenon as western Canton is now seen as an ideal location for expensive homes: the setting is rural and higher-density single-family housing (four and five lots to an acre) and all multi-family housing is far to the east. Large lot housing west of Canton Center Road is protected by zoning and the Township master plan and the involvement in the political process of affected residents and homeowners groups.
Among existing housing, however, there remains a significant percentage of units that are affordable to low and moderate income families. The 1990 census reported 4,955 housing units in multi-unit structures of two or more units. Of those, a substantial portion, 22..7 percent, or 1,126 units, are in the five federally subsidized, multiple-family housing complexes. In addition, eight mobile home parks, the last built in 1988, provide another 2,300 units of non- subsidized but affordable housing.
In the aggregate, land and home costs in Canton are significant impediments to the low or moderate income home buyer. With the wide-spread perception in southeastern Michigan that Canton is a desirable place to live, new home costs in combination with the disappearance of vacant land is bound to keep the cost of housing high.
Canton is fortunate in that it has a small and vanishing homeless problem. Only four homeless families could be found for the 1994-95 CHAS, and all were in a shelter for victims of domestic violence.
The primary local source of programs serving the homeless is the Plymouth branch of the Salvation Army, located in the City of Plymouth. It is here that persons who need assistance in obtaining shelter, meals, and other services are referred. The Plymouth branch can make referrals to Salvation Army shelters in Ann Arbor and Detroit, as well as to the Wayne County Family Center in the City of Westland. The County facility received a contribution of block grant funds from Canton to help establish the facility.
First Step operates a safe house in Canton for victims of spousal abuse. Displaced families can stay up to 60 days at the shelter, which has 40 beds. First Step is a major recipient of Canton CDBG funds, receiving an annual allocation of approximately $25,000.
There is no public housing in Canton. There are, however, five multiple-family housing complexes, all subsidized through Program 221(d)(3) of the National Housing Act. All together they provide 1,126 units of affordable housing,
The largest of the assisted housing complexes, Canton Commons, with 452 units, having passed the 20-year mortgage benchmark, is currently for sale. However, given the location and physical attributes of the complex plus the HUD restrictions on sale, the complex is likely to continue to offer affordable rents regardless of ownership. There is no local concern about the future of Canton Commons and the Township is actively involved in the life of complex through a publicly lauded community policing program and block grant funded service.
Canton has no housing commission, instead being serviced by the Plymouth Housing Commission, The Plymouth Housing Commission maintains the Section 8 waiting list.
Put simply, there is a demand for lower cost housing in Canton that the private market is unable to supply. There is a demand because Canton is an increasingly prestigious community to call home. The demand drives up the cost of remaining vacant land which mandates the construction of expensive homes in order to realize acceptable profits. New residents are protective of their investment and pay close attention to plans for neighboring vacant properties. A respected school system also acts as a magnet to families with school-age children.
To focus the affordable housing debate on new housing, however, would be too narrow an approach. It should be remembered that in 1990, nearly a quarter of the multiple-family units were in federally subsidized apartment complexes. Eight mobile home parks, covering more than 300 acres, accounted for 2,300 living units alone, or more than 10 percent of the total housing units in Canton. Budgetary as well as pragmatic political considerations dictate that Canton's Consolidated Plan concentrate on preserving the existing affordable housing supply, not in creating additional affordable units.
Canton published an Impediments to Fair Housing Analysis in 1993. The document was researched and prepared under contract by the then Institute for Public Policy and Social Research of Michigan State University.
The analysis found eight housing complaints relating to Canton Township filed with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights during the period 1987-92. Of these, six were dismissed due to lack of evidence and only one case, based on age discrimination, was settled between the parties. One remained under investigation. Using statistical analysis, it was determined that Canton had one of the lowest complaint rates in Wayne County.
Since the publication of the Analysis, Canton has maintained a membership in the Fair Housing Council of Metropolitan Detroit. The Center is a recognized leader in the advancement and protection of housing access, and maintains close relations with the Department of HUD. The Center's newsletter and programs provide an excellent barometer of fair housing issues and problems in southeastern Michigan, and are used by Township staff as a guide to areas of potential local concern.
Of the 6,960 housing units occupied by very low and other low income households, 4,482 housing units were estimated to present a lead-based paint hazard. Of the 3,581 rental units affordable to very low and other low income households, 2,294 were estimated to have lead- based paint hazard. Of the 3,379 owner units affordable to these income groups, 2,188 were estimated to pose a lead-based paint hazard.
The Wayne County Public Health Department reported no case of lead poisoning in Canton during the most recent three-year reporting period.
Canton is fortunate in being a relatively prosperous community. In addition, most of its housing stock was built after 1970, which means physical deterioration related to age is minimal. (It also means, however, that like the "baby boomers" much of the housing stock is aging together-- a potential concern for the future.)
Canton is presently preoccupied with managing intense development pressures while attending to the needs of a substantial established community which has in recent years seen increases in some of the problems-- such as crime and gang activity-- once associated with older communities,
Canton's rapid development as primarily a bedroom community meant that no real down-town had a chance to develop. Canton is currently attempting to develop a sense of a downtown along Ford Road, its major commercial thoroughfare. The existing strip development, however, will probably never generate the pedestrian traffic associated with the traditional downtown.
The construction of a new $12 million community center building at the geographic center of the Township may create a true community focus. The project is responsible for a significant portion of the residential development in central Canton. Before announcement of the community center project, most new residential development was in northeast Canton.
The community center was designed to meet the recreational needs of families with school-age children and seniors, Canton's most significant population groups. The use of block grant funds in the project assures accessibility to recreational opportunities at the center for low and moderate income residents.
As stated in the Consolidated Plan, the primary source of funds to address housing affordability is community development block grant. Because Canton is small for an entitlement community, its annual block grant allocation is proportionally small which limits the scope of housing activities the Township can undertake.
Canton has used its block grant funds to assist housing in a direct sense through its housing rehabilitation program, which is, however, necessarily small because of the modest total annual block grant allocation. The housing rehabilitation program is administered by the Canton Township Resource Development Division.
Canton assists housing indirectly-- and arguably more efficiently-- in its
judicious use of block grant funds to support those human service agencies with
a strong base in the community and which have a major clientele in residents
more likely to live in assisted or substandard housing. Through its block grant
program, Canton has maintained long-term (a decade or more) relationships with
the Salvation Army, First Step, and Growth Works. These agencies have provided
residents with significant and sustained services in the areas of childrens'
summer recreation, domestic violence, and youth and family counseling and job
training. They also coordinate their efforts to avoid duplication of services
and have been active in identifying unmet or developing needs. The agencies
have high credibility with the Township administration and are consulted when
the Township has questions or concerns in their areas of expertise.
Canton's housing and community development goals are to provide stability in the market for existing and older housing while accommodating comparatively expensive low-density new housing.
Low and moderate income homeowners will be assisted through the housing rehabilitation program. Modest demand for the program (three or four applicants annually) and a corresponding modest budget dictated by the comparatively small annual block grant allocation means that housing rehabilitation will not have a major impact on affordable housing. It is, however, currently sufficient to prevent or forestall the loss of affordable single-family detached housing units.
Low and moderate income tenants will be assisted indirectly through the funding of the human service agencies most cognizant of their needs. (Home-owners are equally eligible for those services, numerically, however, they are far less significant.) Categorically, public service spending is limited to 15 percent of the block grant allocation. Canton therefore will continue to target assisted housing complexes and mobile home parks for bricks-and-mortar projects such as playground improvements and renovation of facilities. Because these complexes are privately-owned and managed, the range of improvements is necessarily limited, but work with management and owners has been promising.
The preservation of existing affordable housing is a key Township housing priority. This recognizes the economic disincentives in the private housing market to provide new housing affordable to low and moderate income families. Given the limited Township funds available for housing purposes, the housing rehabilitation program is the sole vehicle for providing direct homeowner assistance. Although the total assistance is limited quantitatively, the impact is significant considering the relatively few affordable housing units actually vulnerable to loss in the community at any given time. The affordable single-family detached home is an increasingly scarce commodity in Canton and every home saved is an asset preserved. Because homes in need of rehabilitation are scattered throughout the community, each rehabilitation project has the additional benefit of checking the beginnings of blight in an older neighborhood.
A second housing priority is a non-demolition strategy. Canton's last experiment with the condemnation and demolition of homes in the furtherance of an economic strategy was in the early 1980s. It proved costly and, ultimately, unsuccessful: the land acquired (ironically with federal dollars) is still vacant and the neighborhood long gone. Canton now recognizes homeowners as a community strength and actively promotes the participation of homeowners groups in the land use planning process.
A third housing priority is support for applications by third parties to establish affordable housing in Canton when those applications are consistent with Township master planning or the best interests of the community. In 1993, Canton revised its Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy to permit support for an application to HUD by the owners of the Canton Place Seniors high rise for funds to build 56 additional seniors apartments on an adjacent parcel of prime property donated by the Township.
Canton uses a significant portion of its block grant funds for bricks-and-mortar projects that benefit the residents of assisted housing complexes. Projects have included playground improvements, sidewalks, and parking lot expansions. Through use of the pre-obligation waiver, Canton is able to devote $750,000 in block grant funds over a five-year period to the construction of the seniors elements of the new community center building. The community center, which opens in January, 1996, is proving key to the development of central Canton and is doing much to erase the "north-south" mentality that has stigmatized southern Canton for three decades.
Canton is using non-federal funds for the creation of a downtown development district (DDA) along a half-mile section of Ford Road, the main commercial strip in Canton. The project, a decade in gestation, is paying off in decorative and distinctive street lighting, building facade treatments, and coordinated landscaping features.
In 1994, Canton, in conjunction with two other townships, completed a massive eight-year sanitary sewer project. The project was financed in 1989 and 1991 by bond sales totaling $182 million. The project added sewerage capacity to western Canton as well as increasing capacity in the remainder of the Township. The total capacity is now sufficient to accommodate all projected growth capacity for the Township.
Canton, through financial support for such agencies as the Salvation Army and Growth Works, described previously, assists in programs to combat poverty. In addition, in 1994 Canton created the position of Volunteer Coordinator. The part-time position is funded with both block grant and general fund monies. The Volunteer Coordinator works closely with human service agencies, community-based volunteer groups, and individual volunteers, to coordinate volunteer efforts in Canton. As the Governor's "Social Contract" program to reduce welfare state-wide is phased in, the Volunteer Coordinator will work with the Department of Social Services office serving Canton to be the community's point-of-contact for the mandatory volunteer component of the program. A liaison with the area DSS office has already been established.
The only federal funds directly available to the community for housing assistance in Canton are in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Canton's FY 1995 allocation is $432,000. The funding priorities for these funds have been previously described. State assistance is available through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), which administers any local (Canton) participation in the HOME programs. The only private for-profit resource is First of America Bank, which is the sole bank in the area offering an Initiative Mortgage to low and moderate income home buyers. The program is available in Canton census tract #5640.
The Resource Development Division in the Canton Township Administrative Services Department has primary responsibility for coordination of the Consolidated Plan. The Consolidated Plan component with the most leverage is the CDBG program, which is administered by the Division. The Division has primary responsibility for the housing rehabilitation program and is instrumental in CDBG project development. Resource Development works with the Building Department and other Township departments in project administration.
The Canton Community Development Block Grant Advisory Council is a five-member body appointed by the Township Supervisor subject to approval by the Board of Trustees. The Council is responsible for project selection and funding recommendations to the Board of Trustees, which has ultimate decision-making authority over the block grant program. The Resource Development Division works closely with the Council. Project proposals are solicited from interested residents and the human service community. Other projects are proposed by Staff. All project proposals, however, are subject to Council scrutiny. The Council meets monthly and is consulted on program policies and program amendments.
The Township maintains close ties with the human services community.
Service agencies receiving block grant funding maintain regular contact with the
Advisory Council and are accountable to the Township for program performance.
Resource Development monitors performance and project proponents must request
funding renewal at a public hearing before the Council each program year.
Canton participates in only the CDBG program. The FY 1995 CDBG allocation is $432,00. Because of the relatively small size of the program, there are relatively few projects each year and the spending focus remains fairly narrow. Key projects are:
Project locations are described above. The most site-specific activities, however, are the community center building, the Harrison Drain improvements, and the Canton Commons ball field improvements.
Goals are to complete two or more limited repair housing rehabilitation projects, to continue to assist the agencies described above which offer services which encourage family stability and self-sufficiency and thereby prevent homelessness, and to encourage bricks-and-mortar projects which benefit assisted housing complexes and mobile home parks.
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 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within one neighborhood.
