The Borough of Carlisle is a community of 18,419 people which is located in southcentral Pennsylvania. Carlisle was established in 1751 as the seat of Cumberland County. The Carlisle area is home to Dickinson College, Dickinson Law School, the United States Army War College, nationally-famous collector car shows, quaint antique stores and other retail establishments, and a number of light to medium industries. The Carlisle area is located at the intersection of several major interstate highways, making it a prime location for manufacturing distribution centers.
The Consolidated Plan is a document which presents a comprehensive assessment of the Borough of Carlisle's housing and community development needs. The One Year Action Plan is essentially the Borough's budget for spending its annual entitlement allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant funds, as well as any program income received under the CDBG Program. The Borough receives approximately $440,000 in CDBG years annually.
The CDBG Program is designed to assist communities in meeting their affordable housing and non-housing community development needs. Communities have broad discretion in how to spend the funds within certain guidelines. However, at least 70% of program funds must be used to benefit low and moderate income households.
Unlike other entitlement recipients of CDBG funds, the Borough does not receive direct allocations of HOME Investment Partnerships funds or Emergency Shelter Grant funds. Therefore, the action plan does not reflect the use of these resources.
In order to assess its affordable housing needs, the Borough formed an advisory committee composed of a number of affordable housing providers who work in the Borough. Their comments helped form the Borough's original affordable housing strategy, and this committee has reviewed and commented on subsequent strategies proposed by the Borough.
In addition, the Borough advertised the availability of the Consolidated
Plan in the local newspaper, and then made the plan available at the local
library, the Borough Hall, and the Redevelopment Authority for review. The Plan
was distributed to all adjacent municipalities and the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania as well. No comments were made on the FY 1995 Consolidated Plan.
After a 30 day comment period, the Borough Council approved the Plan for
submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Plan
was submitted to HUD on May 15, 1995. The CDBG Program Year begins July 1.
The Borough of Carlisle is a small community of 18,419 persons. The Borough is fully developed, therefore growth has been modest despite the good economy of region. By comparison, growth in the rural adjoining townships has been much greater, at rates in the double-digits.
As the County seat, the Borough is the primary location for many social service programs and low income housing facilities. Forty-one percent of the population is of low or moderate incomes. The 1990 Census revealed that the median income for the Borough is $26,151. This is only 76% of the County median of $34,493. The neighborhoods surrounding the Downtown make up the Borough's low/mod income area.
The majority of the Borough's population is Caucasian (93%), five percent are African- American, and the balance are Hispanic or Asian. Only a small number of persons are Native American.
One neighborhood in the Borough defined roughly as the Memorial Park area or
Census Tract 123, Block Group 1, has a high concentration of minorities (28%)
and is also disproportionately low income (77%).
Carlisle is located in Cumberland County, which currently has the lowest unemployment rate in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Carlisle's economic base consists of county and local government, light to moderate industries, professional services, other services, and retail. In addition, distribution centers can be found within minutes of Carlisle along the state and interstate highways.
The Borough has identified three priority housing goals: continuing efforts in housing rehabilitation, code enforcement, and homeownership assistance. In addition, the Borough listed the support of family self-sufficiency programs and coordinated special needs service programs as goals in its Consolidated Plan.
In general, households who earn low incomes are the same households who have housing needs. Among owners, housing needs frequently are related to housing conditions because low income owners often not have sufficient income to afford expensive repairs. Ironically, the most expensive repairs are required in older, more affordable homes.
Among renters, ability to pay rent is a primary concern. This concern is addressed in Carlisle by federal subsidized housing programs and nonprofit housing programs. Housing conditions are also a problem for renters, particularly if the landlord is more concerned about a good return on investment rather than the health and safety of the tenant.
In both owner and renter occupied housing, low income elderly have the greatest need. Moreover, minority and female-headed households tend to be disproportionately low income.
There are a total of 7,690 year-round housing units in the Borough of Carlisle. Of these units, 3,650 (47.9%) are renter-occupied and 3,603 (46.9%) are owner-occupied. The balance of the units are either vacant for rent or for sale. There are only a few vacant properties which are "board-ups".
Carlisle has witnessed an increase of 3% in the number of renter-occupied units as compared to owner-occupied units in recent decades. Owner occupied units have declined proportionately. This trend can be attributed principally to the presence of a growing college in the Borough, as well as the construction of all of the public housing since 1980.
A preponderance of rental units in a community can have a detrimental effect on the quality of life. For example, absentee landlords may not maintain their properties. In addition, renters typically do not demonstrate the same "pride in ownership" or commitment to their neighborhoods as owners. This is especially true in the case of college rentals, which have a high turnover rate by their very nature.
16% of the Borough's rental units have been determined to be substandard, and 9.6% of the owner-occupied units are substandard. Less than one percent of all housing units are not suitable for rehabilitation.
The Carlisle area's housing stock has appreciated considerably over the past twenty years. For example, in 1980 the median housing value was $43,100. In 1990 it was $77,900, an increase of 80.7%. During that same period, median income has increased, but at a slower rate. In 1980, the median income was $14,994 and in 1990 it was $26,151. This reflects a 74% increase. This seems to reflect national trends in the erosion of consumer buying power.
The Borough has determined that households who spend more than 30% of their incomes on housing tend to have a housing affordability problem. Among renters, 21% of renters spend more than 30% but less than 50% of their income on housing. These households are not likely to qualify for subsidized housing because they do not meet the federal priority of 50% of cost burden. However, they have problems making ends meet. Homeownership programs, which have a financial counseling component, are designed to address the needs of this segment of the population.
Of owners, 15% have a cost burden which exceeds 30% of their incomes. This means their cost burden is higher than it was when they initially qualified for a mortgage. Typically, these persons are elderly. Housing rehabilitation programs are helpful for these households if affordability problems are being caused by maintenance. In cases where the burden is too great, senior owner-occupants can apply for federal subsidized housing and move after selling their home.
Cumberland County as a whole does not have a real problem with street homeless. The primary homelessness concern in Carlisle is the problems of the near-homeless. The near- homeless live in tenuous circumstances, often with relatives or friends, or they are battered spouses. A dispute can easily result in the loss of housing. Another form of homelessness found in Carlisle is transient homeless who travel through the area for one night or a week per year. Both types of homelessness are difficult to quantify.
Often homelessness is indicative of another problem, such as substance abuse or mental illness. The Cumberland/Perry County Mental Health and Mental Retardation reveals that 35% of known homelessness cases are mentally ill. When drug and alcohol addiction is added into the equation, this figure rises to 70%. This is particularly true among single persons who are homeless.
The Carlisle area has three main facilities to serve the homeless: the Salvation Army (short- term), the James Wilson Safe Harbour (bridge housing), and the Domestic Violence Shelter. Currently the Salvation Army is expanding to increase capacity and help better coordinate services. The Borough listed among its goals in the Consolidated Plan a commitment to consider grants to shelters improve existing facilities in order to better serve this population.
The Borough has 199 units of public housing, including 50 units of elderly public housing which were completed in 1992. In addition, approximately 350 or 40% of the County's Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance vouchers and certificates are located in the Borough. Finally, there are 130 units of senior housing apartments in a Section 202 development in Carlisle and there are 171 project based certificates in a privately-owned townhouse development known as College Park.
Although Carlisle has less than 10% of the County's population, it has all of the County's "traditional" public housing. This concentration occurred naturally because many low income services are located in the Borough. However, it should be noted that the Borough and the Housing Authority have had discussions about having other communities host new public housing units. This benefits both the Borough and the tenants. It benefits the Borough by holding the line on the number of its tax-exempt housing units. It also benefits the tenant by preventing disruptive moves from as far a twenty-five miles away and by integrating public housing into the County. The Housing Authority has since constructed 9 units of elderly public housing in another Borough, and has undertaken public housing homeownership programs (resulting in 50 units) in four other communities.
The Borough's family public housing stock is in excellent condition. The relatively small number of units and design (townhouse as opposed to highrise) lends itself to better upkeep. The elderly housing public housing highrise is also well maintained. The public Housing Authority has successfully competed for CIAP grants in recent years to undertake necessary upgrades at older public housing sites in order to maintain this standard of excellence.
The public housing waiting list is currently at 60. The Section 8 Rental Assistance waiting list is much larger at around 800. The Housing Authority has noticed a doubling of the waiting list since 1990. Staff believe that the recession of 1990-91 caused job losses that were not recovered. In addition, new service jobs pay at lower rates than those paid for the lost jobs.
The greatest need for housing seems to be among very low income (earning less than 30% of the County median income) female-headed households. Most applicants are small families requesting two-bedroom apartments. There is also a need for service- assisted housing in the County for the frail elderly and those with mental health problems.
The Borough does not have any policies which constitute barriers to affordable housing. The Borough has been a partner with the Housing and Redevelopment Authorities of Cumberland County, Carlisle Opportunity Homes, Inc., and Carlisle Senior Housing Associates in developing affordable housing over recent years. The Borough aims to continue to address affordable housing needs in a manner which is mutually beneficial to the client and the Borough. For example, infill first-time homebuyer new construction housing is particularly interesting to the Borough. Such programs not only provide new quality housing at a subsidized price for lower income clients, but also result in revitalized neighborhoods and added tax base.
The Borough participated in a regional Fair Housing Analysis in 1991, which was recently updated. No significant fair housing issues were raised. The Borough's administrative agency for the CDBG Program, the Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority, has distributed fair housing information to local banks, landlords, and realtors.
Fair housing complaints in the Carlisle area are filed with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. The Commission has indicated that most complaints from Cumberland County involve employment and not housing. Data is not readily available on cases from Carlisle specifically. However, there are no current court orders, consent decrees, or HUD-imposed sanctions that affect the provision of fair housing remedies.
The Borough is an older municipality, and the inner-most neighborhoods primarily contain housing which is in excess of 100 years of age. A total of 4,840 or 63% of the Borough's housing stock was built prior to 1950, which constitutes the highest risk of high lead concentrations. Despite this fact, lead poisoning of children does not appear to be a large problem for the Borough. While there have been in excess of ten lead cases over the past three years in the Carlisle area, only three cases have been identified over the past 12 months.
All of the Borough's public housing was constructed after 1978. Therefore, there are no lead based paint hazards in this housing.
Under the Section 8 rental assistance and owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program, all peeling and flaking paint surfaces are corrected. If a child living in an assisted unit is tested as having high lead levels in its blood, then abatement procedures are implemented.
In addition, the Borough has provided funds to another local nonprofit low income housing provider (Carlisle Opportunity Homes) to abate lead surfaces in its older rental housing units.
The Borough's community development needs include affordable housing
programs, infrastructure improvements, economic development efforts (especially
in the Downtown), family self-sufficiency programs for those living in assisted
housing, special needs housing, improved shelter facilities, and public service
activities. These activities can be implemented through the Borough's CDBG
programs, as well as through partnerships or the support of local nonprofit
corporations.
The Borough envisions implementing a community development and housing strategy which improves the community's quality of life and gives low income persons a step-up, while making the Borough stronger socially and economically.
The Borough's housing priorities fall into the areas of housing rehabilitation (renter, shelter, and owner), expanding homeownership, and code enforcement.
The Borough's community development needs fall into three major categories: public services, infrastructure improvements, and economic development.
Affordable housing priorities include: continuing efforts currently underway to rehabilitate owner- and renter-occupied housing, continuing the code enforcement program, continuing efforts to promote homeownership, consideration of planning strategies by the Housing Authority in developing homeownership opportunities for its residents, and encouraging self sufficiency programs which are designed to assist low income housing tenants to become upwardly mobile.
Homelessness alleviation priorities include consideration of options for the rehabilitation of short term, bridge, and single room occupancy housing facilities.
The non-homeless special needs population housing priority is the encouragement of supported living housing for frail seniors, those with mental health problems and persons with mental and physical disabilities.
The Borough's ability to fully meet these goals directly is limited because it only receives Community Development Block Grant funds as an entitlement. However, it can consider supporting applications by local nonprofits and the County for funds to address these needs in the area. It should also be noted that many of the housing priorities have a County-wide focus due to Carlisle's small size. As is the case in many rural and suburban areas, the County distributes most homelessness and special needs funds.
Public services activities include such activities as grants to nonprofits to operate neighborhood improvement or job training activities. Such grants are meant to be temporary assistance to help get programs up and running, or to assist programs which have suffered budgetary set-backs caused by circumstances beyond their control.
Infrastructure activities include activities such as the removal of architectural barriers to the handicapped, street improvements, park improvements, and traffic signalization.
Economic development activities include such activities as low interest loans to new businesses, business start-up grants, the possible establishment of a small business incubator, and other initiatives. Although not technically economically development, commercial facade rehabilitation grants help preserve the historic character of the Downtown so that businesses and residents find it to be attractive.
The Borough understands that poverty cannot be eliminated simply through bricks-and -mortar projects or subsidized rental payments. The Borough's anti-poverty strategy is designed to promote the coordination of programs and initiatives so that problems are addressed in a holistic manner. For example, family self-sufficiency programs are implemented in tandem with rental assistance. Economic development initiatives help provide job opportunities to rental assistance clients. The ultimate goal is to have these persons become financially independent. Independence increases their self-esteem and reduces the burden of local, state and federal government.
The Borough's primary housing and community development resource is the Community Development Block Grant Program. In addition, the County receives HOME funds (competitively), ESG, Community Services Block Grant, and various state housing, job training, and social service program funds, which it distributes, in part, to Borough housing providers. The County Housing Authority receives Section 8 and public housing funds. The Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority works with the Borough and the County to improve housing and the community as a whole (e.g., helping with tax credit applications, bond issues, etc). There are a number of private nonprofit organizations in the Borough which provide affordable housing, social services, and/or community development funding. Finally, banks provide assistance to low income households under the Community Reinvestment Act, e.g., by providing mortgages to qualifying homebuyers.
The Borough of Carlisle and the Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority
work as a team to implement the Borough's Community Development Block Grant
Program in an effective and efficient manner. The Borough has little control
over other grant funding coming into the community. However, the Borough can
exercise initiative by supporting nonprofit organizations in their endeavors
either through seed funding or through written support for funding applications.
Also, the Borough has encouraged the continued cooperation and coordination of
the various nonprofit housing providers which are located in or around the
Carlisle area.
The Borough of Carlisle's Fiscal Year 1995 allocation of CDBG funds was $446,000. Although this is a small amount compared to the allocations received by very urban communities, these funds represent a significant component of the Borough's budget.
The Borough's FY 1995 projects are as follows:
The Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority is the CDBG Program administering agent for the Borough. The Borough is directly involved in the implementation of public facility improvements activities. The Authority implements all housing rehabilitation activities and coordinates and monitors projects undertaken by nonprofit organizations.
Homeownership activities are Borough-wide to maximize effectiveness, but tend to be limited to the oldest residential neighborhoods because acquisition costs are lower there. Similarly lead based paint abatement is Borough-wide, but tends to be concentrated in the older sections of Carlisle. Code enforcement is limited to the Borough's low income areas. Special renter rehab activities are targeted at key buildings in the Downtown. Public service grants tend to be targeted at certain neighborhoods, such as the area around Memorial Park in CT 123, BG 1. Most public infrastructure improvement activities are limited to low income areas due to CDBG regulations, with the exception of activities which remove architectural barriers to the handicapped. Economic development activities tend to most feasible if undertaken in the Downtown, although other avenues are being explored, such as in the case of the small business incubator, which would be located in a residential area.
The Borough's FY 1995 affordable housing goals include promoting homeownership, continuing rehabilitation activities, continuing code enforcement, and supporting family self-sufficiency programs. The Borough will consider options for improving short term, bridge, and single room occupancy homeless facilities, and it will encourage supported living housing for the non- homeless special needs populations.
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 Neighborhood Segments and streets with proposed HUD funded projects; in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).
Ms. Diana White
CD Coordinator
PH: (717) 249-1315
