Located in the center of Oakland County in southeastern Michigan, Waterford borders the west side of Pontiac. The township is about 20 miles north of Detroit. Although most of the land in the township has been developed, a small percentage of farms and rural areas still remains, primarily in the southwest section of the township. The principal industrial facilities include the General Motors Parts Division, which is primarily a warehouse facility. Almost 15 percent of Waterford's more than 35 square miles is under water, almost entirely in lakes. To a great extent, the opportunity to live near one of these lakes has been the prime catalyst of Waterford's population growth.

Action Plan

Waterford's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement for Consolidated Plan program year 1995-96 is $517,000. The township also has available $33,140 in current year funding that will be reallocated and an estimated $100,000 in housing rehabilitation loan repayments that is expected during the coming program year. Waterford will have a total of $650,140 to devote to its community development goals. Some activities for the first program year include drainage improvements and interest-deferred loans for single-family home rehabilitation.

Citizen Participation

During the preparation of its Consolidated Plan, Waterford developed a citizen participation plan.

Waterford's 1990 population was 66,692, an increase of almost 4 percent since 1980. Minorities represent about 5 percent of the population, with the largest group being Hispanic. The elderly population, which comprises about 14 percent of the 1990 population, has increased by 2,688 people since 1980. The number of female-headed households is 2,564, a 22 percent increase since 1980.

Conditions

Waterford experienced rapid growth and development from the 1950s to the 1980s. Because that growth has slowed in recent years, a few vacant parcels of land are still available for future residential, industrial, and commercial development. No public transportation is available in the township, but private carriers can meet limited travel needs.

Housing Needs

The greatest housing need in Waterford is for moderate rehabilitation of single-family housing units, which comprise the overwhelming majority of the township's housing units. Nearly 75 percent of these units were constructed between 1940 and 1969. Most are structurally sound, but need slight to moderate rehabilitation to ensure that the structures maintain their affordability and liveability. Through this one objective alone, housing affordability in Waterford can be maintained for not only the general population but for low-income (0-80 percent of median family income [MFI]) and moderate-income households (81-95 percent of MFI). The 1990 census showed that there were 1,130 renter households with incomes between 0-80 percent of MFI who spent 50 percent or more of their income on housing.

Housing Market Conditions

The township has a stable housing market with a variety of housing units, although the majority are single-family homes. It is believed that this stability will continue as long as the current level of rental assistance is maintained and the condition of the single-family housing stock in Waterford is not allowed to fall into serious disrepair.

Growth and development within the township have been strong during the past 10 years -- an average of 342 new dwelling units have been constructed annually. Forty-seven percent of the units constructed between 1980 and 1989 were multifamily units. About 76 percent of the township's total housing stock are single-family units, and 24 percent are multifamily units.

According to the 1990 census, less than 1.5 percent of owner-occupied housing units and 6 percent of all rental units were vacant. There is no indication that this situation will change within the next 5 years. In 1988 the average selling price for a single-family home was $64,636.

Homeless Needs

The 1990 Street and Shelter Night Count by the census found no homeless in Waterford. However, two other efforts to count the homeless in Oakland County have been conducted during the past 5 years; the highest number recorded in these surveys was 27. None of the nine homeless facilities serving Oakland County is located in Waterford.

Public and Assisted Housing Needs

There are only three assisted housing complexes in Waterford. All three of these complexes are community-based Section 8 developments, with a total of 594 units. Of these, almost 60 percent are reserved for the elderly. These communities have no vacancies, and persons could be on the waiting list for up to 3 years. There are no unused vouchers, and no units are expected to be lost from the inventory.

Barriers to Affordable Housing

During the past decade, many of Waterford's low- and moderate-income homeowners, particularly the elderly, have found the State's property taxes overly burdensome. It is hoped that this problem will be resolved because the State legislature and the governor are working on property tax relief and reform.

Fair Housing

In 1990 the township entered into a contract with the Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit to prepare the Fair Housing Needs Analysis for the Charter Township of Waterford. The township entered into this contract to obtain fair housing counseling, complaint reception, investigation, and resolution services for citizens and potential citizens. Between January and June 1994, the Fair Housing Center investigated 19 fair housing complaints in Waterford. Of those complaints, four were for discrimination on the basis of age or family status; eight were for race status; two were for national origin status; two were for gender or marital status; and three were for handicapped status.

In accordance with the recommendations of the Fair Housing Needs Analysis Report, the township continues to broadcast its belief in the positive benefits of an open community through its support of fair and open housing. Waterford Township provides assistance in the form of referrals, information dissemination, and complaint processing to residents and non-residents wishing to relocate to the township. It also provides information to landlords and tenants regarding fair housing law and tenant-landlord rights. The township also disseminates information on services provided by the Oakland Livingston Legal Aid, including efforts to enforce fair housing laws.

Lead-Based Paint

Based on the age of the 26,509 housing units in Waterford, a minimum of 20,500 housing units are estimated to contain lead-based paint. Waterford will continue to monitor cases and inspect for lead-based poisoning within its jurisdiction. The township will continue to check about 40 low- and moderate-income housing units annually and to distribute 60 to 70 lead-based paint hazard notices to prospective housing rehabilitation loan applicants through the township's housing rehabilitation loan program.

Other Issues

Less than 1 percent of Waterford's population have special housing needs. The director of the Oakland County Community Mental Health Services Board reports that there are 62 adults with chronic mental illness who live dependently. The township has 165 adult residents who have chronic mental illness, 230 mentally ill adults, and 74 developmentally disabled adults. The highest priority for people in this group is moderate rehabilitation to meet accessibility needs. The second need of this group is rental assistance. Also needed is a stronger and closer collaborative relationship between the township and the Community Mental Health Services Board.

Community Development Needs

Waterford's Community Development Department is devoted to improving the living conditions and economic opportunities for the township's citizens, principally for people with low to moderate incomes. The general economic and community development needs within the township have been offered as concerns by its citizens. The township has identified six areas of need:

• Code enforcement and blight/environmental cleanup. Through code enforcement, property maintenance, and safety activities, the township believes it can address blight and environmental concerns.
• Public improvements. The township has four public improvement needs: streets, sidewalks, drainage, and public facilities.
• Public services. The township's senior citizen, handicapped, and low- and moderate-income populations have long-term needs not only in housing, but also in areas such as: transportation, meals, recreation, emergency situations, and public facilities. With the aging of the population and a polarized job market, the need for these services is expected to grow.
• Parks and recreation. The township has a 5-year parks and recreation plan in place, which began in 1991. This plan outlines in detail all existing park and recreational facilities in the township. According to the plan, the township will need about 76 more acres of land for development of community parks and play fields to meet the needs of the township's citizens. The township will need about 75 more acres to satisfy increasing demand for neighborhood-type park and recreational facilities. Another 94 acres will be needed to be set aside as nature areas.
• Planning/capacity building. Planning for a community of nearly 70,000 citizens spread over an area of nearly 36 square miles requires many resources. More staffing and funding are necessary to achieve the planning goals set through the township's master plan and building and zoning ordinances. The township is in need of modern equipment and data-gathering resources to begin and complete long-range planning activities, such as a geographic information system.
• Economic development. The economic development needs of the township revolve around streamlining and maintaining the economic development that has already occurred. In particular, the following are needed: transportation and traffic control improvements; business facades, landscaped parking, access, and other physical and functional quality improvements; and maintenance of a quality education system. The township also needs a database of businesses and other employers in Waterford that can be accessed by local government and the business community.

Vision for Change

The township's long-term objectives for its 5-year plan include the following:

• Eliminate blight and prevent blighting influences in the township, including eliminating and preventing deteriorated properties and neighborhoods.
• Eliminate conditions that are detrimental to health, safety, and public welfare through housing rehabilitation assistance and related revitalization through public and private activities.
• Expand and improve the quality and quantity of community services and facilities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons, youth, and the elderly.
• Expand and conserve the township's housing stock to provide a decent, safe, and suitable living environment for all residents.
• Provide more rational uses of land and better arrangement of residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational activities.
• Introduce new, needed businesses and industries into the township to strengthen the economic base.
• Provide expanded employment opportunities for low- and moderate-income people.
• Establish a working public-private partnership to facilitate implementation of economic development strategies.
• Develop park and recreational facilities that serve primarily lower income neighborhoods.
• Preserve public and private facilities and eliminate barriers for the handicapped.

Housing Priorities

Waterford remains ready to address any possible changes in the current housing needs during the next 5 years. Some of the housing priorities it has identified for action include:

• Provision of rental assistance to low-income renters. The township plans to assist 700 additional rental households through rental assistance available through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and Section 8 rental assistance program.
• Assistance to low- and moderate-income single-family residential homeowners to maintain and upgrade their homes. Waterford hopes to assist 200 households through its housing rehabilitation program.
• Provision of homebuyers' assistance to first-time low- and moderate-income homebuyers. The township will actively search for and pursue financial resources so that it will be able to offer assistance to first-time homebuyers. The goal is to assist 50 low- and moderate-income households.
• Encouragement of additional rental housing construction for the elderly. As the elderly population grows, additional housing units will be needed to ensure that older people are secure in their quality of life. The township's objective is to assist in the construction of 700 additional rental units to be used by the elderly.

Non-housing Community Development Priorities

The township has identified a number of community development priorities to be addressed during the Consolidated Plan period, including:

• Code enforcement. The wages and benefits of one full-time code enforcement officer and of one seasonal code enforcement assistant should be funded for the next 5 years.
• Public services. Service providers, such as: the Waterford Senior Center, Waterford Community Activities, Inc., Open Door of Union Lake, Waterford Food Depot, the Waterford library, the Waterford School District, and the Waterford Parks and Recreation Department, will work to ensure that the public services that each organization provides will be available to all low- and moderate-income citizens of Waterford who are in need of such services.
• Planning/capacity building. Funds will be allocated during the period of this plan to compile information and prepare special planning documents and studies that will further Waterford's achievement of its community development goals and objectives.
• Public improvements. CDBG funds will be used to upgrade four streets, five sidewalks, and two drainage areas during the period of this plan. Public facilities to be improved include: the Waterford Senior Center, the Community Activities, Inc., building, the Hess-Hathaway farm, and the Drayton Plains nature center.
• Parks and recreation. Parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities for youth, senior citizens, and low- and moderate-income residents may be developed and expanded during this program period.
• Clearance projects. Run down, unusable buildings may be cleared in an effort to structurally and visually improve commercial areas in the township where the development of new businesses has been discouraged because of blight.
• Environmental cleanup. The township may implement special garbage, trash, and debris removal operations to clean physically deteriorated target areas and to instill neighborhood pride in these areas.
• Economic development. Street and sidewalk improvements, retail center facade improvements, and parking and traffic flow improvements will be completed to improve one of the township's retail areas that is experiencing problems.

Anti-Poverty Strategy

The township does not control any anti-poverty resources except its annual CDBG funds. These funds have been used primarily for housing preservation through rehabilitation and for public improvements, all of which have been aimed at the township's low- and moderate-income citizens. The township also uses its CDBG funds for such projects as operation of a food bank or expansion of the senior center's kitchen, which is used to cook meals that can be delivered to homebound senior citizens.

The township's goal is to continue funding such projects to fight poverty. The success of this anti-poverty strategy is directly related to the Federal and State governments' remaining partners with local governments in pursuing these strategies.

Housing and Community Development Resources

Waterford will use several resources to accomplish its housing and community development strategy during the next 5 years. The primary source of financing will be the CDBG program, but other Federal, as well as State, local and private funding resources are expected to be available to help achieve the goals of this plan.

Another resource is rental assistance funding through MSHDA. The township will use these funds to supply rental assistance to low- and moderate-income households. Other funding through MSHDA will be used to construct new rental housing units for elderly citizens and, if available during the next 5 years, for first-time homebuyers' assistance. The township will continue to search for and receive additional funding from Federal, State, and private sources so that it can meet all of its priorities.

Coordination of Strategic Plan

To better achieve its community development objectives and provide the best possible programs to its citizens, Waterford seeks to coordinate its programs and activities with other public and private agencies providing supplementary or complementary services. The following are agencies the township will work with on a regular basis:

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• Michigan Department of Civil Rights.
• Michigan State Department of Commerce.
• Michigan State Department of Transportation.
• Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
• Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.
• Area Agency on Aging/United Community Services.
• Oakland County Department of Social Services.
• Oakland County Health Department.
• Oakland County Planning Department.
• Open Door of Union Lake.
• Waterford Community Activities, Inc.
• Waterford Food Depot.
• Waterford Parks and Recreation Department.
• Waterford Planning Department.
• Waterford Public Works Department.
• Waterford School District.
• Waterford Senior Citizens Center.

Description of Key Projects

Below are listed a sample of projects to be implemented by Waterford in the first year of its Consolidated Plan:

• $291,000 to provide interest-free, deferred payment loans to income-qualified residents for single-family home rehabilitation improvements.
• $25,000 to pay the salary of a code enforcement officer to perform code enforcement activities from July 1, 1995, through June 30, 1996.
• $7,000 to provide assistance to the Open Door program that will help needy low- and moderate-income Waterford residents with food, clothing, emergency utility and mortgage payments, education in home budgeting concepts, and referral to other services and agencies.
• $2,500 to purchase computer equipment to be used for Waterford Training Institute classes and programs.
• $45,000 to construct drainage improvements to eliminate flooding problems in the Brunswick-Cruse drain area in the central section of the township.
• $16,500 to make street improvements on Josephine Street between Elizabeth Lake Road and M-59 on the east side of the township.
• $20,000 to fund the final phase of sidewalk improvements along Hallman Street on the east side of the township.

Maps

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.