U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Community Development and Planning
This document introduces a new consolidated planning process to the county of Summit, Ohio, for two programs: Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME). The National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 requires th at each jurisdiction must have a Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) to qualify for certain U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds. The Consolidated Plan replaces this strategy.
The mission for the years 1995-1999 is to effectively address the affordable and supportive housing and community development needs of the County of Summit Consolidated Plan Jurisdiction, which is comprised of cities, villages, and townships covering 343 square miles surrounding the entitlement cities of Akron and Barberton.
To accomplish this mission, we wish to achieve the following goals in order of priority:
The Consolidated Plan promotes a comprehensive approach to strategic planning programming. It requires jurisdictions to unite all local parties interested in community development in a joint effort to identify community needs and formulate strategies for addressing those needs.
The County of Summit Department of Development (DoD) has been designated to lead and coordinate the Consolidated Plan and submission effort. Through this planning process, DoD has developed a series of collaborative relationships/partnerships which will e nable the county to effectively marshal resources to meet the Plan's goals and objectives. These relationships include:
Two public hearings were conducted during the Consolidated Plan development period prior to the required 30-day period for public comment on the proposed Consolidated Plan. These public hearings were scheduled in accessible meeting places, at convenient t imes, and in both the northern and southern parts of the county, ensuring citizens an opportunity to participate. In addition to these efforts, the county has implemented steps designed to ensure maximum coordination and cooperation with other entitlement communities located within the county.
MAP 1 depicts points of interest in the jurisdiction.
The planning area is comprised of 99,293 households and has been growing at a rate about the same as the national average. It has experienced significant growth in its elderly and minority communities, but minorities still represent only 3 percent of the overall population. A disproportionately high percentage of black (37 percent) and Native American households (45 percent) have low incomes. Of these households, up to 80 percent are below the median family income (MFI) (compared to 28 percent of the tota l population).
Only 58 percent of black and 39 percent of Native American households have incomes above 95 percent of the MFI compared to 63 percent for all households. In addition, both groups are disproportionately represented in the very low-income category (0-50 per cent of the MFI)--23 percent for blacks and 19 percent for Native Americans--compared to 14 percent for all households. The area's 1990 MFI of $35,192 is the lowest of Ohio's six major urban counties.
Three key political developments have influenced housing affordability in the planning area in recent years, including:
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.
The 13,928 very low-income households comprise 14 percent of all households in the planning area. Fifty-seven percent of these households own their homes, and 43 percent are renters. Renter households are dominated by the elderly, 1-to-2 member households , and small families. Seventy percent of renter households have a housing cost burden (housing cost >30 percent of income), with over 60 percent of these having a severe housing cost burden (>50 percent). Overcrowding is a severe problem for these renters . There is a severe shortage of rental units with three or more bedrooms that are affordable to these households.
Very low-income owners comprise 10 percent of all area homeowners. Minorities represent only 1.5 percent of owners, a rate equivalent to only half their representation in the population. Fifty-five percent of these owners are cost-burdened, with 28 percen t experiencing a severe cost burden. Low-income households comprise 14 percent of all households in the area and are largely owners (70 percent). Cost burdens continue as a major problem for this group as well. Again, there is a severe shortage of large r ental units that are affordable to these households.
Moderate-income households comprise 9 percent of all households--owners constitute 73 percent of this group. Cost burden represents the major housing problem for these households, though this burden is severe for less than 2 percent .
Summit County has experienced a dramatic increase in the number and visibility of homeless persons over the past decade. Estimates as to the number of homeless, however, vary widely. The figures presented in this Consolidated Plan for the sheltered homele ss population present a one-day count, based upon a point-in-time survey of homeless facilities in the county conducted on August 29, 1994. This count was undertaken by the Emergency Assistance Task Force, in conjunction with the City of Akron.
A broad range of services, facilities and programs have been developed in the county of Summit in response to the needs of the homeless population, which range from emergency food and shelter to services directed at long-term needs, such as job skills and locating permanent housing.
Although a total of 183 emergency shelter beds are available in the county of Summit, it is generally believed that the emergency shelter needs of the homeless are not being adequately addressed. Approximately 57 percent of shelter beds are designated for men, 33 percent for women and children, and 10 percent for families (including men).
Transitional housing is the largest shelter service gap in the community. Transitional Housing Grant funds from HUD provide a significant amount of building rehabilitation funds and a 5-year commitment of operating revenue. Two buildings, which contain a total of 12 units, were acquired and renovated in 1994. Child care, transportation, education and counseling that permit clients to develop capacity for secure, independent living are also provided. The need for this type of housing has increased as the a vailability of subsidized housing assistance has diminished.
A total of 2,494 homeless individuals were served by those shelters for which information was available. Shelter providers indicated that they were unable to serve 558 individuals, or an additional 22 percent. Fifty-five percent of the individuals served were minorities and 45 percent were white. African Americans accounted for 99 percent of the minorities served.
In FY1993, the Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Board spent nearly $25 million supporting the following programs:
The Board is currently planning for the expansion of several components of these residential services programs.
In addition to those persons who are homeless, there are substantial numbers who are threatened with homelessness. The single most important factor contributing to homelessness is the lack of low-cost housing. In the county of Summit, as elsewhere, the pr oblems of mental illness and substance abuse affect a significant portion of the homeless population, but common to all is the shortage of decent, safe, affordable, and accessible housing. Those most at risk for homelessness appear to include the severely mentally ill; alcohol and substance abusers; persons leaving institutions and foster care settings; single adults, particularly those not eligible for general assistance; low-income families with children; victims of domestic violence; ex-offenders; pers ons with HIV/AIDS or AIDS-related diseases; and developmentally and physically disabled persons.
There is a critical need to expand services to persons threatened with homelessness in the following areas:
There also exists within the planning area a large number of people who are not homeless but have special supportive housing needs. When housing assistance and social services are linked, most people that have special needs can--and do--live effectively i n the community.
As of September 1993, there were 607 conventional public housing units within the planning area (excluding Akron and Barberton). As of October 29, 1993, these units had a 99 percent occupancy rate. There are currently 5,000 applicants--a disproportionate number of large families--on waiting lists for public housing assistance. The Comprehensive Grant Program will provide $11.2 million for capital improvements to public housing developments in 1994.
As of October 1994, there were a total of 132 families occupying Section 8 housing units. Section 8 Annual Contribution Contracts for 1993 totaled $18.4 million. Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority expects no loss of Section 8 units within the planning a
rea in 1994.
The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 specifically requires that the local government assess lead based paint hazards by estimating the number of housing units with such hazards that are occupied by low-income families. Summit Coun
ty has not yet completed its survey of units that may contain lead-based paint. Therefore, no estimate is available. In the development of this Consolidated Plan, the county of Summit established a Consolidated Plan Lead-Based Paint Task Force and consult
ed with Summit County Health Department Officials on lead-based paint hazards.
According to the 1990 U.S. Census, the planning area had a total of 105,753 year-round housing units. Of these, 94 percent were occupied, and 6 percent were vacant. From 1980 to 1990, the growth in the number of housing units in the planning area (12 p ercent or 10,928 units) exceeded the rate of population growth in the jurisdiction. Seventy-eight percent of the occupied units are owner-occupied, while 22 percent are occupied by renters. The high rate of homeownership (78 percent) in the planning area exceeds both the 1990 national and State averages.
Thirty percent of the owner-occupied households within the planning area are classified as low-income households. Ten percent of the owner-occupied households are very-low-income, and 20 percent are low-income. A bare majority of the renter households (51 percent) have low incomes. Thirty percent of the renter households have very low incomes, while 21 percent have incomes of 51-80 percent of the median family income.
In 1993 a total of 6,979 homes were sold at an average price of $101,988. The relatively high price of homes sold in the planning area illustrates the fact that housing prices tend to be beyond the reach of many low- and moderate-income households. Of the owner-occupied and for-sale units in the planning area, only one-third are affordable to low-income households. There are approximately 7 percent more low-income owner households (27,830) than there are affordable housing units (26,004) for this income c ategory.
Fair market rents tend to exceed what is affordable to very low-income households for all units that have one or more bedrooms. The gap between affordability and what is affordable increases with the size of the unit. Fully 70 percent of the very low-inco me renter households have cost burdens in excess of 30 percent, and 60 percent of those with excessive housing cost burdens have a cost burden in excess of 50 percent.
Our community has experienced significant growth over the past three decades, and as a result, the housing stock tends to be newer than other housing in the area. Seventy-nine percent of the county's housing stock was built after 1960, compared with only 51 percent in Akron and 52 percent in Barberton. Low-income households tend to occupy a disproportionate share of the jurisdiction's older housing units. This is especially pronounced for low-income renters, who occupy 95 percent of the rental units built before 1960 and 92 percent of the rental units built between 1960 and 1979.
We estimate that 5 percent of the owner-occupied units within the planning area are "substandard." Of these units, an estimated 53 percent (or 2,076 units) are estimated to be occupied by low-income households. Four percent of the occupied rental units--a pproximately 838 units--are substandard. Of these substandard rental units, 69 percent are believed to be occupied by low-income households.
Economic vitality and a sound infrastructure are essential to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the planning area. Currently, the county has a significant investment in its core infrastructure and continues to direct available resources t o its expansion in four broad categories: transportation, public facilities, recreational facilities, and sanitary sewer and water facilities.
The county is a major trucking center with 162 freight carriers having offices or terminals there. Three airports serve the region. The master plan for the regional airport calls for capital improvements in the amount of $46 million to be made from 1989 t o 2008.
During 1994 DoD expected to spend $21,646,500 to design or construct various sanitary sewer improvements. Projects included transferring waste water flow from an obsolete waste water treatment plant to the Springfield plant; upgrading 10 waste water treat ment plants; studying infiltration and inflow in 1 major trunk sewer system and several local collection systems; replacing or expanding 5 local collection systems; and improving 7 pumping stations.
The Akron Regional Development Board reported that total industrial development in the county (excluding expenditures for hospitals, educational facilities, government and office buildings, retail and commercial structures, churches and residential proper ty) totaled $173.3 million in 1992.
The county has undertaken and supported numerous programs to further area economic development, including the Akron-Summit Industrial Incubator Project; Polymer Research and Development; Cascade Community Development Corporation, Inc., and CAPP; Urban Job
s and Enterprise Zones; and a Local Linked Deposits Program.
The county's mission is to effectively address the affordable and supportive housing and community development needs within the planning area. Based on our needs analysis, it is clear that our needs are great--more than $445 million is needed. We have dev eloped a 5-year strategic plan designed to comprehensively address priority housing and balanced community development needs.
In the implementation of the 1995-1999 Consolidated Plan, the county of Summit will seek to:
Summit County, like most major urban counties in the State of Ohio, has experienced a very significant increase in the poverty rate in recent years. The most important cause of this growth in poverty has been a major shift in the economic base and the num bers of families headed by a single, female parent; minority households; children living in poverty; and households headed by persons with low educational levels. To foster lasting opportunity for such households, the county will pursue both economic deve lopment and social service strategies.
The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA) provides housing to 450 families within the planning area (and many more families within the City of Akron). AMHA is very important because it provides housing and social services to low-income families who live in public housing. Three major efforts are underway to improve public housing programs: 1) Public Housing Improvements--Management and Operations; 2) Public Housing Improvements--Living Environment; and 3) Public Housing Resident Initiatives.
In addition, the following specific lead-based paint strategies will be implemented:
The county will also consider ways in which public funds might be utilized to facilitate lead poisoning prevention and lead-hazard reduction efforts.
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 of Summit has developed plans to implement a variety of housing, supportive services, and community development activities in FY1995. Developed with citizen input, the Action Plan flows from an analysis of needs and resources. In its strategic plan, the county of Summit placed high priority on addressing several major categories of housing and supportive needs. The county plans to implement a comprehensive program of housing services in FY1995, using a variety of Federal and non-Federal resourc es. The services will be provided by a variety of nonprofit and for-profit organizations, in addition to county agencies.
The county is working in partnership with numerous governmental entities, agencies and departments, and public and private organizations to carry out the plan during FY1995. Each organization operates autonomously and is responsible for implementing and m anaging programs described in the Consolidated Plan, with the county retaining responsibility for the Plan's overall implementation.
Successful implementation of the county's 1995 Consolidated Plan Annual Plan housing programs and activities will require extensive efforts to leverage and coordinate additional public, private, and inkind resources.
AMHA will implement activities in FY1995 that are designed to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in the management of public housing and participate in homeownership. In addition to an AMHA Drug Elimination Project, two additional initiatives addressing the problem of alcohol and drugs in public housing units will be implemented.
The county of Summit will undertake all steps necessary to ensure that all housing activities undertaken in conjunction with the Consolidated Plan are in full and complete compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and local statutes and requirements.
The county will coordinate its lead-based paint hazard reduction activities with the public housing authority, local health departments, medical facilities, and other governmental units and related parties and organizations.
