The Citizen's Summary is intended to provide an overview of the Consolidated Plan of the City of Aiken, South Carolina. The Plan sets forth the City's goals and objectives for addressing housing and community development needs with the primary emphasis on assisting low-income citizens.
The City of Aiken Consolidated Plan sets forth a vision of action to address housing and community development needs. Included is a one-year Action Plan for spending $287,000 of FY 1996 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, HOME funds, and Program Income. The primary activities to be carried out by the City are housing rehabilitation, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development.
The City of Aiken held two public meetings in addition to a public hearing before City Council in order to obtain citizen input for the Consolidated Planning process. The meetings were advertised through newspaper articles as well as through the distribution of flyers in target areas. In order to encourage citizen involvement, two meetings were held at different locations in the target areas.
Several entities were involved in the planning process including the City's
Housing Committee, Lower Savannah Council of Governments, the South Carolina
Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the Aiken Housing
Authority. In addition, various non-profit organizations which provide services
to the homeless and those with special needs were also consulted.
Aiken, South Carolina is located in west central South Carolina about 15 miles east of Augusta, Georgia and has a population of about 21,000. Now in its 160th year of incorporation, Aiken is not only an historic city with a distinctive town plan but is also a center of the horse-training industry. The City has experienced significant growth in recent years and has residents from all parts of the nation primarily as a result of its proximity to the Savannah River Site, a large Department of Energy facility. Aiken is also one of the top locations for retirees in the nation.
The target area for the CDBG-funded activities is primarily the northern
portion of the original grid where the majority of the population is black and
low-income. The Consolidated Plan identifies racial and ethnic groups that have
increased in numbers and describes areas of low- income concentrations shown on
maps.
Many of Aiken's citizen's experience some form of housing problems including cost burdens, overcrowding, and substandard conditions. Greater employment opportunities are needed for low-income people. The Savannah River Site is the largest employer in the area, however, due to defense cuts there have been numerous layoffs. In addition, many other layoffs are anticipated. The City is actively trying to attract new employers to create jobs for low-income citizens.
The primary needs are for affordable housing and for rehabilitation of substandard units. There is a shortage of affordable housing (in the $60,000 range). Cost burden affects 50% of the renters and owners in the Very Low Income category, experience cost burden; the Consolidated Plan states that blacks are affected disproportionately by cost burden. This condition results in many families living in substandard conditions. As a result, there is a need for housing rehabilitation assistance to upgrade the many dwellings which are in various stages of disrepair.
There is a significant amount of substandard housing, but there is also a large amount of expensive housing including both historic and new structures. Most of the substandard housing is located in Old Aiken, the area of the original grid laid out in 1835. Much of the expensive historic housing is also located in Old Aiken. The newer expensive housing is located to the south of Old Aiken in the direction of Aiken's growth toward the Savannah River Site. There is a considerable amount of mid-priced housing, but much of it is still beyond the affordability of low-income citizens.
Much of the housing built in recent years is not affordable to low-income households, and the supply of housing to that group has not increased significantly; much of the housing that is affordable is substandard. Many more units affordable to low-income people are needed, as well as, rehabilitation to address the existing substandard housing.
Homelessness is not a severe problem in the City of Aiken. Existing service providers identified in the Plan are adequately meeting the needs of homeless people as well as those with special needs.
The Plan identifies the public housing units as well as the number of Section 8 units and unused rental assistance vouchers. The Plan explains the activities that the Aiken Housing Authority will undertake using funds from the Comprehensive Grant Program. Public housing resident initiatives are also described in the Plan.
The plan identifies barriers to affordable housing as being cost burdens, lack of downpayment assistance, and lack of homeownership education. Aiken's black citizens are affected by these barriers in a disproportionate manner. Another major barrier is the lack of employment opportunities and the lack of job skills among low-income citizens.
The City of Aiken is committed to promoting fair housing. City Council has adopted a fair housing ordinance and has held housing fairs at which fair housing has been emphasized.
The Plan states that about 2300 of the housing units in the low-income areas were built before 1978, and it is likely that the large majority of these have lead-based paint. Each house on which work is done under the Housing Rehabilitation Program is evaluated to determine whether lead-based paint is present, and, if so, measures are taken to remove or cover it properly.
In addition to housing rehabilitation, homeownership, and neighborhood revitalization efforts, programs are needed to improve job skills among low-income citizens and assist small businesses to help create jobs. Streetscape improvements are needed in the low-income neighborhoods to create a more pleasing appearance and help create a sense of pride among the residents in their areas; such improvements include sidewalks, landscaping, and decorative streetlights of the same type a those being installed in the central business district. In addition, improvements are needed to parks to provide more recreation opportunities.
The Plan points out that numerous agencies were contacted during its
preparation and that there is ongoing discussion with these various entities in
an effort to meet the needs of low- income citizens.
The Consolidated Plan states that the highest priority is the provision of affordable housing, and the primary vehicle to address this will be the Housing Rehabilitation Program. Some 45 houses are to be rehabilitated over the next five years using CDBG funds and HOME funds from the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority. Another vehicle will be the City's Homeownership Program to assist low-income, first-time homebuyers by providing down payment assistance and closing costs. Since homelessness is a relatively minor problem in Aiken, the Plan states that existing facilities and services are adequate to meet the needs of this group. However, the strategic plan does include a temporary housing facility for the homeless as a long-term goal to be accomplished over the next fifteen years.
Aiken will promote economic development through the creation of a loan pool to assist small businesses. The focus of this activity will be to create jobs for low income citizens near the north side of the Old Aiken area where there exists a concentration of low income citizens. The Aiken Corporation is to be involved in this economic development effort. In addition, the City will work to upgrade low income neighborhoods of Old Aiken by doing streetscape improvements. Improvement will also be made to public facilities such as Eustis Park.
Aiken's anti-poverty strategy emphasizes increasing employment opportunities for low-income citizens by attracting new employers both small and large. More business parks are being planned and the City plans to assist small businesses which will employ low-income people. The City will also coordinate its efforts with other agencies in an effort to combat poverty.
The primary source are Community Development Block Grants, HOME funds, and Section 8 assistance. In addition, the City is working more closely to see what joint efforts can be undertaken. The City also cooperates with the Mental Health Association, Department of Social Services of Aiken County, the Aiken Area Council on Aging, the Aiken/Barnwell Community Action Commission, the Aiken/Barnwell Mental Health Center, and the Aiken Hoising Authority.
The City's Department of Planning and Community Development is the lead
agency in the Consolidated Plan process and its implementation. The department
works with the City Council, the Housing Committee, the Housing Authority, other
government agencies, and non- profit entities in the planning process. The
Department administers the CDBG and HOME funds as well as program income funds.
The City will receive $287,000 in CDBG funds during FY95 and is also set to receive an additional $200,000 in HOME funds from the South Carolina Housing Finance and Development Authority. The City also has $90,000 in CDBG program income funds generated from the State CDBG program to be used for eligible activities. The funds will used to create revolving loan funds for housing rehabilitation, homeownership, and economic development and will be used in the coming year. The key projects are as follows:
The City of Aiken Planning and Community Development Department will be responsible for carrying out these activities.
Most of the funds will be spent in the Northern half of the Old Aiken area, the original grid of the town. The neighborhoods in this area are predominantly black and low-income. However, assistance will be City-wide provided applicants are income eligible.
The City plans to rehabilitate at least five houses during the year using revolving loan funds and eight houses will be rehabilitated using HOME funds. Approximately 10 families will be assisted in purchasing their first home through the homeownership revolving loan fund. Additionally, eight new units will be constructed in the Old Aiken area utilizing HOME funds.
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 proposed HUD funded projects at street level for one neighborhood.
TABLE (without associated map) provides information about the project(s).
Ed Evans
Community Development
PH: (803) 642-7608
