Wake County, North Carolina, includes the major urban city of Raleigh as well as the smaller jurisdictions of Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell, and Zebulon. The economic growth that characterized Wake County generally in the 1980s affected each jurisdiction differently. Although much of the Research Triangle region of Wake County prospered, residents experienced varying degrees of economic benefits. As a result, the county must develop individualized economic opportunities and strategies suited to each jurisdiction. Raleigh and Holly Springs are submitting their own Consolidated Plans; data regarding them are, for the most part, not included in this plan.
The Consolidated Plan for Wake County has a budget of $1,706,000 of which $1,687,000 comes from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and $19,000 from program income. An additional $589,425 in HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds is incorporated into the plan.
As the lead agency, the Housing and Community Revitalization Division of Wake County sponsored five public meetings throughout the county to encourage citizen participation at the onset of the Consolidated Plan's development process. These meetings were advertised in local newspapers and mailings were sent to those who attended previous public hearings. The towns also provided the county with names of interested persons. A press release sent to local news media listed additional meetings. The final draft of the Consolidated Plan was placed in the town halls of each participating town and in the Wake County office building. A summary of the document's contents and a list of locations was published in all local newspapers and mailed to interested parties.
Wake County also consulted with a variety of public and private agencies to prepare the Consolidated Plan. The Housing and Community Revitalization Advisory Committee was responsible for providing input on specific projects and the Local Government Housing Committee was responsible for increasing communication among all agencies on housing- related issues. Among the participants were the Wake County Maternal and Child Health Division, Wake County Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services, the Wake County Public Housing Authority, the Raleigh Community Development Department, the Raleigh Housing Authority, the Wake County Human Services Department, and CASA, a local housing nonprofit organization.
Wake County's total population in 1990 was 426,000, with 53 percent of county residents living in the Raleigh urban area. The 1990 census identified 165,743 occupied housing units in Wake County, of which 101,008 were owner-occupied, and 64,735 were renter-occupied.
Although income levels varied from town to town, the 1994 median family income (MFI) in Wake County was $46,800. In 1990 the town of Cary had the highest MFI -- $53,225. The total number of persons living in poverty was 34,249, or 8.4 percent of the county's population.
Minorities comprise 13 percent of the population in Wake County. Large concentrations of minorities lived in the towns of Zebulon, Fuquay-Varina, and Wake Forest. The towns with the lowest percentages of minority population were Rolesville and Cary.
Wake County experienced a 41-percent increase in population between 1980 and 1990, well beyond the State of North Carolina's 12.7-percent growth rate. Much of the county's growth can be attributed to increased employment opportunities, especially in and around the Research Triangle Park.
According to the 1990 census, Wake County home values nearly doubled between 1980 and 1990. As of February 1995, the average price for a single-family home was $145,000. Using the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) benchmark of affordability as paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing, the minimum income needed to afford a house in this price range was $54,560 -- higher than Wake County's 1994 MFI.
Housing prices rose disproportionately throughout the county. For example, between 1980 and 1990, the town of Morrisville experienced a 30-percent annual increase in housing prices, which was significantly higher than the countywide increase of 9 percent. The difference in housing prices limited the ability of low-income households to find housing in certain sections of the county, leading to decreased access to public and private facilities and neighborhood isolation.
Low vacancy rates also contributed to the rise in housing costs. The vacancy rate for apartments in Wake County was 1.2 percent, indicating that demand exceeded supply. The county speculated that rent increases will follow this trend and make housing even less affordable to low-income groups. Vacancy rates were equally as low for owner-occupied units.
In 1990, 9,371 housing units throughout Wake County had been built prior to 1939, most of which were located in the towns of Morrisville, Fuquay-Varina, Wake Forest, Wendell, and Zebulon. Of this number, 1,834 units were substandard.
There were 11,000 low-income households that overpaid for housing -- 6 percent of the total Wake County population, excluding Raleigh and Holly Springs. According to the 1990 census, there were 6,606 low-income households that paid more than 30 percent of their gross income for housing. An additional 4,390 paid more than 50 percent of gross monthly income for housing in the county, excluding the city of Raleigh. Within every jurisdiction, renter households experienced higher rates of overcrowding compared to homeowners.
Since the majority of the homeless population in Wake County were found in the city of Raleigh, most of the facilities and services for this population were located within the city limits. Nevertheless, homelessness transcends geographic boundaries and should be addressed as a regional concern. Wake County estimated that between 800 and 1,200 people were homeless on any given night. Approximately 30 percent of the homeless population were white, 65 percent were African American, and 5 percent were of other ethnic or minority groups.
Wake County's Continuum of Care strategy includes temporary, permanent, and transitional housing, social supports, day care and respite child care, health services, transportation, job training, and educational opportunities.
An inventory of operating shelters in Raleigh found eight emergency shelters able to accommodate 169 persons. These shelters included: Agape Place, the Ark Shelter, Interact, Cornerstone, the Overflow Homeless Shelter, the Raleigh Rescue Mission, the Salvation Army Shelter, and the Wrenn House. One transitional housing program, Carying Place, was located in the town of Cary. There were 11 providers of transitional housing with a capacity to serve 184 individuals within 94 units in Raleigh. These providers were CASA, Cornerstone, Emmaus House, Families Together, Matthew House, Raleigh Rescue Mission, Raleigh Incentive Program, Sharing House I and II, Step-up Ministries, Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network, and Winter's House.
The Housing Authority of the County of Wake (HACW), which administered the public housing program in Wake County outside the city of Raleigh, had approximately 277 applicants waiting for one of the 343 public housing units in 1993. The County Housing Authority had 67 one-bedroom units, 112 two-bedroom units, and 98 units with three or more bedrooms.
The Raleigh Housing Authority had 1,623 applicants waiting for vacancies in the 2,181 available units. Of these apartments, 277 were one-bedroom units, 806 were two-bedroom units, and 540 had three or more bedrooms.
Section 8 certificates and vouchers, administered by both housing authorities, can be difficult to use because they are not well accepted in the private market. In 1993, 965 Section 8 certificates and 248 vouchers were under contract, but 109 certificates and vouchers went unused. There was a waiting list of 2,811 Section 8 applicants.
The Consolidated Plan for Wake County identified the following barriers to affordable housing:
Wake County implemented a fair housing strategy to educate and work with the public and private sectors to guarantee policies and procedures that will discourage housing discrimination while expanding housing choices available to members of the community.
The county's Housing and Community Revitalization Division (HCR) serves as a point of contact for fair housing complaints that are forwarded to the North Carolina Human Relations Commission for investigation. HCR also sponsors affordable housing fairs, local homes shows and seminars, and fair housing workshops to educate the public on fair housing.
HACW estimated that of the 11,058 housing units in the county that were built before 1960 and the 3,147 built prior to 1940, 4,976 units occupied by low-income households were at risk of containing lead-based paint hazards.
Among persons with special needs, the AIDS Service Agency estimated that there were approximately 166 persons diagnosed with AIDS in the county. In 1995 Wake County had only one family care home, which offered five beds.
In Wake County 46,182 persons are over age 60. Of this group, 5,541 live below the poverty level. For those needing institutionalized care, nursing homes and rest homes provide 4,000-4,200 beds countywide. The lead advocacy organization for the elderly in the county, the Wake County Resources for Seniors, established a comprehensive program to allow the elderly to remain in their homes. This program includes the Home Repair Program, the Weatherization Assistance Program, and the Consumer Housing Information Service.
The Consolidated Plan for Wake County identified the following community development needs:
HCR of Wake County served as the lead agency in the coordination and implementation of the Consolidated Plan.
Wake County seeks to 1) provide opportunities for decent and affordable housing; 2) develop livable neighborhoods by eliminating slums and blight; and 3) encourage expanded economic development to benefit low- and moderate-income persons and persons with special needs.
The Consolidated Plan for Wake County identified the following housingpriorities for 1995-1999:
The Consolidated Plan for Wake County identified the following community development priorities:
Wake County's antipoverty strategy, which is tied into the overall economic development program for the county, includes employment growth, increased job quality and wage levels, tax base growth, and community revitalization and development.
The following are Federal resources that Wake County may use to implement planned activities:
Two useful State programs administered by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency are the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program and the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund. The Trust Fund supports new construction and substantial rehabilitation projects with for-profit, nonprofit, and local government developers.
NationsBank's Community Investment Program made a 10-year, $10 billion commitment to community development lending. The money will strengthen sectors that traditionally have been underserved, such as low- and moderate-income areas, nonprofits, agricultural areas, and special purpose credit programs such as the Child Care Development Loan Fund. NationsBank has also been instrumental in supporting small and minority-owned businesses.
Private developers also help Wake County meet its affordable housing needs. In 1993, for example, a private developer secured public and private funding to convert an old textile mill into 56 units of affordable housing.
Nonprofit housing agencies of particular interest include the Southeast Raleigh Community Development Corporation, the Downtown Housing Improvement Corporation (DHIC), Habitat for Humanity, and Episcopal Housing Ministry. DHIC, for example, packages low-income development with funding from low-income housing tax credits, and other public and private sources. In 1995 DHIC is developing 32 units in Cary, 41 units in Raleigh, and 41 units in Wake Forest.
Wake County coordinates with participating jurisdictions through the Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee. It works in collaboration with various agencies and organizations, such as the Local Government Housing Committee, which is a coordinating committee composed of members from housing and community development, human services, social services, health, and mental health departments.
The Consolidated Plan for Wake County identified the following key projects:
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).
