This Consolidated Plan proposes using $413,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding primarily for housing rehabilitation. About 10 percent of the funds will be used by local nonprofit agencies serving low- and moderate-income residents citywide.
The city of Concord's 1995 Consolidated Plan was developed and coordinated by the community development administrator and staff. As part of this planning process, the city of Concord consulted with citizens, businesses, financial agencies, nonprofit organizations, churches, other public agencies, and those involved in housing development. It specifically sought input on the needs of children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and homeless persons.
The city conducted a public hearing January 10, 1995, to receive citizens' comments regarding the Consolidated Plan development. That discussion led to further brainstorming and collaboration between agencies to attempt to meet the city's needs. The city made the 1995 Consolidated Plan available to the public for comment from April 12 to May 12. The city will offer citizens and organizations the opportunity to assess and comment on the performance of the plan.
The city of Concord covers 39.25 square miles and has roughly 32,400 people. There are 10,807 occupied housing units and 4,220 renter occupied units.
Seventy-eight percent of the 32,400 people in Concord are white, 20 percent are black, and 2 percent are listed as "other." The median income is $41,700. The average household size is 2.44 people.
The housing needs of Concord are as follows:
Given that 61 percent of occupied housing in Concord is owner-occupied, the city places high priority on rehabilitation efforts targeted at this segment of the city's housing stock. Of that 61 percent, 1,278 (19.4 percent) of these units are substandard and are occupied primarily by very low-income and elderly homeowners.
In addition, 36 percent of rental units in the city are substandard. Since rents are high in newer multifamily units, many low-income renters are forced to live in substandard units while still spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing. High rehabilitation costs keep landlords from making repairs. With the recent annexation of approximately 14 square miles, the city needs to hire additional code-enforcement staff.
Historically, Concord has had a stable but slow growing housing stock. Increased and diversified industrialization during recent years combined with the influx of new residents kept Concord's vacancy rate extremely low. The demand for new owner and rental housing has increased in recent years while affordability has decreased.
Current trends in housing development indicate that new homes are being constructed mainly in the southwest suburbs of the city. These homes tend to cost between $110,000 and $175,000 and are typically occupied by middle- and upper-income white families. Older housing around the inner city continues to be occupied by low- to moderate-income white and black families. There is a gap in standard housing priced between $45,000 and $65,000.
Concord recognizes affordable housing as the single greatest housing issue. The term "affordable housing" in Concord is new or existing housing priced between $45,000 and $65,000. However, the lowest priced new homes in the county start at about $79,000. Most existing milling-class homes sell between $40,000 and $60,000. They often need $10,000 to $20,000 worth of repairs to upgrade them to standard condition and make needed energy related improvements.
The city, Low-Income Housing Development Corporation, the Cabarrus County Community Development Corporation, and Citizen Savings bank are in the process of constructing 14 affordable housing units in the Sidestown-Shankeltown target area. The Community Development Department has submitted a $100,000 budget request to the general fund for acquisition, rehabilitation, and new construction activities for first-time homebuyers throughout the city. These would be revolving funds.
Homeless families are a major concern of the city of Concord. Since there is a shortage of low-rent housing, many of these families become homeless because of loss in income, drug or alcohol dependency, or eviction because of inability to pay high rents.
Concord has about 20 homeless families and 130 individuals who are homeless. The city does not have adequate facilities to serve this population. Only one shelter, Winter Night, provides a sleeping facility and meals for the homeless in Concord. It is only open from November to March and does not have the staff to serve occupants with severe mental illness.
Serenity House provides residential and rehabilitation services to recovering alcoholics and drug addicts of low-and moderate-income. A majority of Serenity House's occupants are homeless or threatened with homelessness. It is the only facility that offers residential supportive services. Supportive services for females and a large number of males who aren't admitted to Serenity House are needed.
After researching the homeless needs in Concord, the Homeless Task Force, the Cooperative Christian Ministry (CCM), and the city have identified several key areas to be addressed:
Concord has 3 public housing sites totaling 152 units. The units, constructed in 1951, are in good structural condition, but some need repairs such as new roofs, replacement of furnaces, and new windows and doors. To better serve the needs of handicapped individuals, the city needs to provide auxiliary services and remove physical barriers in public housing.
More housing is needed since 430 persons are on the waiting list for public housing. The city also needs more Section 8 vouchers and certificates to reduce the current 7-year wait for such assistance.
The biggest barrier to affordable housing for many working families with children is the inability to acquire homeowner loans because of credit problems, high debt-to-income ratios, and inability to accumulate funds for downpayment.
Otherwise, the barriers to affordable housing would appear to be negligible in Concord. The zoning ordinance allows for many affordable housing opportunities such as manufactured housing, multifamily housing, and accessory housing units. Zoning for construction of single-family homes is available in 3 districts on lots of 5,000 square feet. Concord has no impact fees applicable to residential development, nor does it place construction moratoriums on such development.
Concord will conduct an analysis of impediments to fair housing choice within the jurisdiction, take appropriate actions to overcome the effects of any impediments identified through that analysis, and maintain records reflecting that analysis and actions are being taken.
Concord has a significant number of older mill houses, making the existence of lead-based paint a high possibility and a hazard that needs to be addressed. Although the city has not had extensive lead-based paint hazard reduction activities, it has, through its Community Development Department, reduced lead-based paint hazards to make low- to moderate-income housing lead-safe but not lead-free. For families who receive any assistance from Federal funds, the Cabarrus County Health Department tests children under 7 years old and provides any necessary followup services.
Concord applied for a $1,000,000 Housing and Urban Development grant for lead abatement, testing of children for lead, and lead-awareness education in 1993, but did not receive funding. It will explore the possibility of applying for future lead-based paint hazard reduction funds.
Concord is focusing on continued code enforcement efforts to eliminate the blight. Economic development activities are necessary to ensure that each neighborhood is as viable and productive as it can be, but such activities are few. The city wants to take an active role in seeking economic development funds to help create jobs and develop new businesses and services.
Because more than 61 percent of Concord's housing is owner-occupied, the city's 5-year strategy focuses primarily on rehabilitating owner-occupied and rental units through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and through the HOME Investment Partnership Program, with an emphasis on low-, very low-, and extremely low-income households, those who have disabilities, and elderly households. Concord also wants to emphasize providing more affordable housing, developing multifamily housing, and improving and creating homeless shelters and creating transitional housing.
Concord's Strategic Plan identifies four housing priorities:
For the homeless, three priorities have been established:
The city has identified three non-housing community development priorities: code enforcement, economic development, and lead-based paint hazards. The city plans to take an active role in seeking economic development funds to help create jobs and develop new businesses and services. The city will participate in the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) Section 108 loan program and the Economic Development Incentive Program.
Concord seeks to reduce the number of households with incomes below the poverty line by supporting agencies, programs, or policies designed to fight poverty, including job training, adult education and literacy, and personal finance management training. It will continue to make efforts to reduce the number of households who cannot afford good housing. That involves a twofold effort: households must have sufficient income to purchase a home and the home must be affordable.
The city regularly recruits commercial and industrial facilities in an effort to expand the existing job market and to provide a source of employment for people without jobs. To lower the cost of housing, Concord will continue to seek funding from the Federal and State governments and other sources such as the Housing Finance Agency, financial institutions, and private grant organizations.
Concord's Community Development Department and Housing Department participate in federally funded programs including Section 8, CDBG, HOME, and Drug Elimination. The Housing Department is totally funded with Federal funds and approximately 60 percent of the Community Development Department funds are Federal. Of the remaining 40 percent, about 35 percent are Federal funds administered through the State or the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. Five percent comes from private sources.
The city has long recognized that agencies must work together and share each other's resources to be successful in seeking and administering resources. For years, the city of Concord, its Social Service Department, public and private housing providers, health agencies, and other government entities have successfully coordinated their efforts. Ultimately, however, the Community Development Department and the Housing Department are responsible for implementation of the objectives in the Consolidated Plan. Both departments oversee and coordinate with outside agencies in administering Federal programs.
Agencies that are sometimes involved with the two departments include Cabarrus County Health Department and Mental Health Department, the Low-Income Housing Development Corporation, and the Concord Community Development Organization.
The 1-year strategy will prioritize owner-occupied rehabilitation with an emphasis on very low-income households, those with disabilities, and the elderly. Some of the key projects include:
MAP 1 depicts points of interest in the jurisdiction.
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).
