Columbia is the county seat of Richland County and the capital of South Carolina. Founded in 1786 as the new capital, Columbia is in the geographic center of the State. It is now South Carolina's largest city in both population (103,477 in 1990) and land area.
In its Consolidated Plan, Columbia describes its housing and community development needs and priorities and a 5-year strategy for addressing these needs. For the first year of the plan, Columbia is requesting $1.8 million in Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and $686,000 in HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funding. These monies will be used to finance the 14 housing and community development activities planned for Fiscal Year 1995-1996.
Citizen participation in development of the Consolidated Plan was a continuation of earlier outreach and collaboration efforts. In the fall of 1990, Columbia invited all segments of the community to participate in addressing affordable housing needs. The high level of community involvement resulted in a ground-breaking report, Building New Foundations.
Columbia was not selected for Enterprise Community designation when it applied in 1994, but the process enhanced community relationships and grassroots involvement.
Public involvement in development of the Consolidated Plan began with two advertised public hearings in March 1995 to inform citizens about the process and to collect public comment. The draft Consolidated Plan was described in a public notice published in The State newspaper on April 2, and copies were placed in branch libraries. Before a final plan was submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), there was a 30-day public comment period.
Columbia, the capital city of South Carolina, is located in a region in the center of the State known as the Midlands. The city is the political, educational, cultural, commercial, manufacturing, and transportation center for both the State and the surrounding multicounty metropolitan area, which has a population of 453,000 people.
Columbia is the home of Fort Jackson, one of the U.S. Army's largest training facilities. There are 10 institutions of higher learning in the metropolitan area, including the main campus of the University of South Carolina, with more than 26,000 students.
The influence of these government, military, and university forces on the city is mixed. They provide a stable economic climate that has fueled the growth of upper income housing development and the rebirth of some in-town neighborhoods. These institutions, however, have put additional pressure on the supply of affordable housing.
More than 44 percent of the households in Columbia earn less than $20,000 a year. Per capita income in the city was $12,210 in 1990, compared with $13,618 in the metropolitan area. More than 3,000 families, or 15.8 percent of all families, had incomes below the poverty level.
Minority racial or ethnic populations tallied by the 1990 census include:
Homeownership is declining; more families are unable to afford their own homes and shrinking homeownership threatens the stability and future growth of Columbia.
Affordable housing needs include:
The housing stock of Columbia totaled 36,928 year-round units, according to the 1990 census. Of these, 33,919 were occupied, 18,649 (55 percent) by renters and 15,270 (45 percent) by owners. It is estimated that 14 percent of all rental property is substandard (not meeting all housing codes) and that 7.4 percent of all owner-occupied housing is also substandard.
Household income levels of the city's residents have not kept pace with the inflationary cost of living. Inflation has also affected the construction industry, resulting in higher prices for new housing. Another increase in construction costs of up to 15 percent is expected before the end of 1995.
Columbia has a sizeable low-income population and a disproportionate share of subsidized housing. The city has only 21 percent of the area's population but almost 50 percent of all its subsidized housing. Subsidized housing makes up more than 12 percent of Columbia's total housing stock.
The average cost of a home in the metropolitan statistical area is $88,000; the average cost of a home purchased with Columbia's CityLender Loan Program is about $55,000.
Ample property is available to rent or purchase at reasonable rates and terms within Columbia. However, the incomes are so low that they still do not match the housing market. Many lower income rental households are cost-burdened by paying more than 30 percent of their gross income for housing, including utilities. Some are severely cost-burdened, paying more than 50 percent of their income for housing expenses. In 1990, 8,845 households (26 percent of all the city's households) were cost-burdened, living in households too expensive for their income.
Local providers estimate the city's homeless population to be more than 2,000 people. Some estimates for the four-county Midlands area are as high as 4,500 homeless. The Midlands Area Consortium for the Homeless conducted a point-in-time survey in February 1995 in the city's six emergency shelters and six transitional housing facilities. The survey indicated that there are about 500 homeless persons within the city limits at any given time.
An estimate of 483 homeless includes 154 persons in 61 families with children, 42 youth (17 years of age or younger), and 287 adults who are not in families. Of these, two youth remained unsheltered. The rest were served by emergency shelters or transitional housing.
Subpopulations of the homeless with special needs are as follows:
The Columbia Housing Authority (CHA) operates 2,329 public housing units in 540 buildings, 86 percent of them within the city. CHA reports that the number on the waiting list for public housing is more than 2,800, the occupancy rate is 99 percent, and average turnover is about 17 percent a year.
There are 18 public housing communities. Of these the 10 built during the 1980s and 1990s are in need of minor repairs and some modernization of bathrooms, kitchens, and elevators, as well as replacement roofs. Pre-1980s' construction, however, needs heating systems, water lines, and comprehensive modernization. CHA is applying for $3.8 million from HUD's Comprehensive Grant Program, which funds public housing modernization and rehabilitation work.
The Section 8 rental assistance program in Columbia and Richland County provides 1,869 certificates and vouchers. There are also 616 units assisted under the Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation program.
The costs and incentives for developing, maintaining, and improving affordable housing can be affected by public policies, local taxes, land-use controls, zoning ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, and growth limits. None of these are barriers in Columbia.
Return on investment is the important factor in the city. Rental investors are typically looking for an unusually high return, little or no actual cash investment, tax credits, and grants. This approach has saturated Columbia with subsidized rental housing.
One barrier is the conflicting policies of two Federal programs. While some policies encourage the deconcentration of minorities and low-income households in the name of diversity and balance, other policies provide tax credits and higher incentives for housing minorities and lower income people in the same areas.
The Community Relations Council Housing Program promotes fair housing. The council provides a hotline to receive fair housing complaints and a referral and information service to expand public awareness of equal housing opportunity. Workshops and other public forums are used to address rental and homeownership issues.
Based on the age of housing in Columbia, it is estimated that 16,452 housing units in Columbia contain some lead-based paint. However, only 11 cases of lead poisoning have been identified in the city during the past year. Despite this low rate, the city will continue to adhere closely to Federal guidelines concerning lead-based paint hazards.
There are also housing and supportive needs for those who are mentally disabled, mentally ill, physically disabled, substance abusers, and victims of domestic violence. In general, the needs of each group are similar for affordable and accessible housing, differing somewhat in the mix of appropriate supportive services.
There is no need for more housing for the elderly. There are 497 units of privately developed Section 202 housing for the elderly (and handicapped) and 331 Section 8 units for the elderly operated by the CHA. Waiting lists are usually short.
CHA has applied for 85 three-bedroom units for families of persons with physical disabilities, but there is a sufficient supply of one-bedroom units for single disabled persons.
Columbia has 9 of the 11 mental treatment centers in the Midlands; there is a need for housing for persons recently released from treatment for mental illnesses. CHA is not equipped to provide supportive services for this segment of the population.
CHA also reports that AIDS is a difficult issue to address, since many applicants with AIDS will not indicate they have the disease. The authority estimates that there are currently about 50 to 60 active applications from persons with AIDS. The problem of housing these persons is complicated by waiting lists. Since the average wait is 18 to 24 months, independent living may no longer be an option by the time housing is available.
The nonhousing community development needs common to Columbia and its target areas, including the Enterprise Community area, are as follows: employment, education, public safety, transportation, health and human services, child care, and economic factors such as training in self-sufficiency skills.
Columbia's vision for the year 2004 is to be an exciting, active, and prosperous community. The vision was described in the city's 1994 Enterprise Community application, People Helping People:
By the year 2004, the Columbia Enterprise Community will be a model for inner-city revitalization. Job and business opportunities will have restored economic stability to the area, and innovative partnerships will have developed a comprehensive delivery system for required human services. Homeownership is the rule, not the exception, and people take pride in the appearance of their neighborhoods. There is no place for crime, drugs, or violence. Children and families grow healthy and strong and safe in a community enriched by racial, cultural, and economic diversity. Life-long learning is highly valued, and a wealth of educational opportunities are available to people of all ages and special needs. Community-based assistance enables at-risk families and youth to stabilize more quickly. People are empowered to take responsibility for themselves and their families. This once debilitated area has become a vital, vigorous, self-reliant community in the City of Columbia -- thanks to the difference that "People Helping People" can make.
Columbia's redevelopment target areas are located either in the city's Enterprise Community or adjacent to it. The city's goals are to upgrade, improve, or revitalize low-income neighborhoods or those adversely affected by slums or blighting conditions and to improve the quality of life for low-income households.
The high percentage of subsidized rental properties within the city, combined with the dwindling number of homeowners, is a clear threat to the financial and social stability of the city. Every effort must be made to provide new homeownership opportunities to low- and moderate-income households. The 5-year goal for homeownership is to provide -- through new construction, purchase and rehabilitation, and purchase-only programs -- 433 housing units for new homeowners with incomes of 30-80 percent of the area's median family income.
In addition, the city and the Columbia Housing Development Corporation plan to rehabilitate 350 rental units for lower income households and individuals.
The most pressing concerns are employment and education for Columbia's citizens to assist in attracting new businesses into the area. The city will also support the Community Relations Council Employment Program, which provides job training, development, and placement to homeless and low-income residents.
The city will enhance recreational, cultural, and social resources available to all citizens and all ages. It will fund a summer intern program for 30 promising high school juniors and seniors; at least 51 percent of them will be from low-income families.
Improving economic development will be a continuing goal of the city. One project that is expected to make a significant impact is the redevelopment of the 25-acre former Central Corrections Institute site into a mixed-used facility.
In Columbia 21 percent of the population live in poverty, according to the 1990 census. This is 50 percent higher than the poverty rate for the Nation (14.5 percent) and 122 percent higher than in Columbia's suburbs (9.5 percent).
To help reduce the number living in poverty, the Community Development Department is addressing the problem through strategic goals and CDBG activities. The department strives to do the following: provide safe and decent housing, revitalize neighborhoods, and expand economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income persons living in Columbia. In addition, the city works in conjunction with neighborhood and local nonprofit organizations to provide supportive services to help low-income families become economically self-sufficient.
The resources to carry out the 5-year plan include the $2.5 million in CDBG and HOME funds to be received this year. It is anticipated that similar levels of HUD support for community development and housing activities will be available to Columbia during the remaining 4 years of the strategic plan. The city also plans to use assistance from a variety of Federal, State, and other sources.
Columbia's Community Development Department will serve as the lead agency for the coordination and implementation of the Consolidated Plan. Columbia's Comprehensive Housing Policy Planning Process, begun in 1990, has provided a solid foundation for coordination between housing providers and health and social services agencies. During the past 4 years, cooperation on Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy planning and on the application for Enterprise Community funding has strengthened the communication and collaboration between participating entities.
The city is at a disadvantage compared to municipalities elsewhere in that it does not have its own health and social agencies. Columbia's city government and agencies must rely on the willingness and ability of outside entities to participate without any administrative or financial incentives. However, the Columbia community has a recent history of successful coalition building. Special task forces are a hallmark of the city; some, such as the Community Relations Council and Fighting Back, have evolved into permanent community assets. With this Consolidated Plan, the city of Columbia and its Community Development Department will seek to further improve coordination efforts.
For the program year 1995-1996, Columbia plans to use $3 million in CDBG, HOME, and program income funds for activities that address specific housing, community development, and human services needs.
Allocations for housing include:
For economic development activities, $623,279 is budgeted, including:
For community development activities, budgeted projects include:
Most planned activities will take place in or focus on low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, especially the city's targeted redevelopment areas.
Housing activities included in this year's Action Plan are expected to result in 105 new or rehabilitated housing units. It is projected that other planned activities will benefit 64 community organizations, 636 households, and 397 persons (including 30 youths).
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).
Richard Semon
Community Development Director
Box 147
Columbia, South Carolina 29217
803-733-8459
