It is proposed that commencing with this submission that the FY95 program year for the Consortium be abbreviated to conclude March 31, 1996. The new program year (FY96) should one be authorized, will begin April 1, 1996 consistent with the City of Sumter's CDBG Entitlement new year.

Action Plan

The basic premise of the consolidated plan framework for the Santee-Lynches HOME Consortium is to utilize HOME monies to undertake tasks in addition to housing rehabilitation in order to provide the implementation linkage that will bring publicly and privately funded housing and community development programs in the region together to focus on community priorities.

The consortium's Consolidated Plan includes a one year action plan for FY95 HOME fund expenditures ($1,148,000) that has taken into consideration current affordable housing and community development activities previously funded by one or more of HUD's, HOME, CDBG, ESG, and HOPWA, programs.

Citizen Participation

The various elements of the consolidated plan, either historical or current, are based upon active citizen participation from the community as outlined in the various citizen participation plans adopted by each individual local government jurisdiction. This participation included the utilization of a community forum to help develop and review various elements of the plan. Community meetings were advertised in local newspapers, posters were distributed, and direct mail distributed in each of the four counties participating in the Consortium to help stimulate community involvement. The tabulated results of local surveys along with announcements of opportunities to review the draft plan were distributed to all counties by May 15, 1995.

A public hearing during the required 30 public review period to receive direct public comment was held on June 12, 1995. The Santee-Lynches consortium voted unanimously to adopt the HOME Consortium Plan during this hearing.

The Santee-Lynches HOME Program Consortium jurisdiction boundaries correspond to the political jurisdiction boundaries of the member county governments (Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee and Sumter Counties) and the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments (COG). The Santee- Lynches Region is located in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina, with its boundaries lying approximately 23 miles east of downtown Columbia, 46 miles north of Charleston, South Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean, and 14 air miles south of the North Carolina State Line.

The principal urban areas in the Region are the cities of Sumter, Camden, Bishopville, and Manning, each serving as the county seat for their respective counties of Sumter, Kershaw, Lee and Clarendon. The City of Sumter, being bothcentrally located and the largest city in the Region, serves as the Primary Growth Center of the region and offers a variety of economic and social activities and community quality of life opportunities.

A synoptic profile of the characteristics of the social and economic bases of the four counties participating in the consortium:

Clarendon and Lee Counties

Persistent poverty counties ranked in the lowest income quarter for the past three decades. They are differentiated by their population profiles and their rural characteristics, not by their mix of economic activities. High proportions of people in these counties have low educational levels, are elderly with disabilities, have households headed by females, and are minorities. Such persons have limited economic opportunity wherever they live and whether or not jobs are readily available. Transfer payments per capita (reflecting dependence on public aid programs) in these counties do not differ from those of other counties with much higher incomes and fewer people in poverty.

Sumter County

Typical of counties specializing primarily in government functions scattered throughout the nation. These counties have had rapid population increases, and average incomes are lower than in most other county groups. Heavy dependance on Federal and State government activities means that shifts in governmental functions and in public spending priorities could affect this county.

Kershaw County

Comparable to other counties in the southeast primarily dependent on manufacturing which have larger populations, somewhat lower per capita incomes, are more urbanized, are subject to goods-producing recessions, and may be vulnerable to foreign competition.

As of July 1992, the Santee-Lynches Consortia population was estimated to be 198,210. This represents approximately a 2.5% growth since the 1990 census (population 193,123). The projected population for the Consortia area in the year 2000 could reach 215,520.

In 1990, nine (9) non-urban census tracts demonstrated poverty levels for individuals as much as 20% or greater, four (4) additional census tracts demonstrated 25% or greater individual poverty levels.

1991 County Median Family Income (MFI) income for a family of four is as follows: Clarendon $24,000, Kershaw $33,200, Lee $24,700, and Sumter $24,700.

Substandard housing problems included, in addition to other physical deterioration defects, a lack of indoor plumbing facilities concentrated in specific census tracts and lead based paint problems associated with older (pre 1955) housing units.

The Consortium's combined unemployment rate has been substantially higher than that rate for the State of South Carolina as a whole. The Region's average unemployment rate for 1992 was 8.6% as compared to a S.C. unemployment rate of 6.5%.

The average weekly public and private earnings for the Santee-Lynches Consortia Counties for 1992 was $358.00. This was a $20.00 a week increase above the 1990 figures, but is lower than other multi-county regions in the South Carolina Crop Belt.

Conditions

Two of the four counties in the Santee-Lynches Consortia's region are classified as persistent poverty counties, one dominant county specializes in government functions both military and civilian, and the fourth county primarily depends upon the manufacturing sector, specifically the synthetic fiber industry. Each county has its own particular dependencies in today's economic and political environments, both national and global. These economic circumstances, from both a historical and current perspective, pre-condition a diversified but coordinated regional response to local affordable housing and community development needs and opportunities.

Housing Needs

Consortium service area citizen responses to local needs assessment surveys indicate a strong perception that housing rehabilitation/physical defects assistance in both owner and rental units are a high priority in all sub-regional local government jurisdictions. Of equal importance is the need for a strategy for financial assistance to assist with first time home ownership.

Economic conditions in the Consortium's service area contribute to a wage base that has remained relatively static. These conditions have over time accounted for a significant percent of renters and home owners experiencing problems with excessive cost burdens.

Other housing needs falling into the moderate category, but which vary county by county: Indoor plumbing assistance, new construction of owner and rental units, special emphasis on alleviation of over crowding conditions by remodeling or new construction of 4-5 bedroom units, rent subsidiaries, housing for homeless and persons with special needs; perception of the need for housing for persons with AID's, in general rated low, but varied county by county.

Housing Market Conditions

Two fundamental conditions dictate the housing market circumstances within the Consortium's service area:

• Individual and median family income
• Rural/urban population distribution

In 1994, manufacturing was the major industrial category in the region employing 17,932 or 29.4% of the region's workforce, (average wage of $472/wk). The wholesale/retail trade sector was the second highest employer in the region accounting for 13,240 workers or 21.7% of the workforce, (average wage of $248/wk).

Trends in the 1979 - 1991 median family income figures reflect a common trend for each of the consortia's four counties and have nearly doubled in each county:

The State of South Carolina as a whole, however; has shown a much more significant shift in increased median income levels: $17,016 (1979) to 40,220 (1991).

General Housing characteristics define the consortia's housing stock. Based on the 1990 census, there were 71,133 housing units of which 7,002 were determined to be vacant. The average number of persons per household for the consortia is 2.90. The median value of owner housing varies significantly among the consortium counties $42,000 (Lee County) to $60,200 (Kershaw County). The median rents paid also show a similar variation: $199/mo (Clarendon County) to $241/mo (Sumter County).

In 1990, the number of persons per household within the City of Sumter is 2.78. The median value of a household unit is $59,000. The median rental fee is $249/mo.

A comparison among counties within the consortia indicates a relatively consistent percentage of home ownership based on the total number of housing units per county; at a 10% differential with an average of 67.2%. Clarendon and Sumter Counties fall below this average; while Lee and Kershaw Counties are above. Sumter County has a significantly higher percent of the total housing stock in rental units (32.5%). This average percentage for the other three counties is 18.1%.

Affordable Housing Needs

Lack of housing stock availability, poor physical condition, and excessive cost burden reflect the similar patterns regardless of tenancy: owner or renter status of occupancy. Individuals and family units within income sub-categories of <51% MFI have very limited affordable housing options. Current limitations on availability of rent subsidy dollars largely limits opportunities for access to safe, sanitary, and affordable housing to either rehabilitation of existing units, or to non-publicly funded options initiated and implemented within each community by special interest groups with long term commitments to addressing the needs of the local homeless persons and families and those threatened with homelessness.

Homeless Needs

There are a limited number of shelter opportunities in the consortiums' region: Clarendon (1), Kershaw (3), Lee (0), and Sumter (2). Those persons most at risk of homelessness are single females with children. Estimates are that 35% of single adult homeless males are mentally ill, 35% are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and 30% are "near homeless", being impacted by a declining economy or obsolete job skills; only 3.5% of the homeless are "street people".

Public and Assisted Housing Needs

The Housing Authority of the City of Sumter serves the Sumter urban area and the Town of Pinewood in Sumter County with public housing. Public housing needs of the City of Camden are directed through the S.C. Housing Finance and Development Authority, located in Columbia, South Carolina, the State Capital, 32 miles southwest of the city.

The City of Sumter Housing Authority maintains a total of 327 units. A waiting list of approximately 400 is on file.

The general condition of the units is good to excellent with only minor repairs needed.

The age of the facilities range from 1970 to 1984.

Typical Waiting Times for a Rental Assisted Unit as follows: Low-rent Public Housing(6.1 months); HUD-Section 202(8.7 months); HUD Rent Supplement(15.2 months); and FmHA Section 515 (5.9 months); {Source: SC Commission on Aging, 1992}.

Rent subsidy programs affected both by HUD and FmHA are liberally distributed throughout the Consortium's service area. Future assessments of the distribution patterns and characteristics of unmet needs should be coordinated in order to insure appropriate distribution of available resources in areas of greatest documented need.

Non-Homeless Persons with special needs, by definition, contains several subsets and is inclusive of both very low income groupings (0-30% of MFI and 31-50% of MFI) and the low income grouping (51- 80% MFI) of persons and households in the consortia region.

These significantly underserved populations include:

1. the elderly and, in particular, frail elderly;
2. the black single females with dependant children;
3. populations with disabilities, physical and mental;
4. families experiencing burnout;
5. individuals with AIDS or other communicable diseases;
6. persons with alcohol or drug addictions;
7. migrants and other seasonal workers.

Barriers to Affordable Housing

Rental housing or rent assisted housing for all categories of target population groups is the highest demand housing within the consortia region. This demand is driven geographically by chronic low income levels and it tends to group individual and family units in very low and low income categories. A condition currently exists wherein available renter units, whether rent assisted or unassisted, are insufficient to meet local or regional demand. Unfortunately, the cost of construction of new unassisted units equals that of owner occupied units, therefore, the market place is dictating the number and kinds of units available.

Other Specific barriers to addressing the needs of those seeking rental assisted housing or those renters occupying substandard housing units include the following:

• lack of information about rent assisted programs;
• lack of personal skills or capacity to pursue, unassisted, available housing resources;
• lack of consistency and availability of newly constructed rent assisted housing units due to federal and state allocations and the competitive nature of the programs themselves;
• community resistance to location of rent assisted units within neighborhoods where property or infrastructure is available;
• zoning barriers or general lack of understanding within the jurisdiction of the wide ranging housing needs of its diversified population;
• consumer resistance to relocation due to the risk of forfeiting access to support group resources;
• for those relocating from substandard to new rental housing, there is a need for lifestyle training to include basic property management and maintenance skills, and a basic understanding of the full cost house operation.

Most opportunities in the Consortia region for home ownership would be limited to the upper portion of the low income group (51% - 80% median family income) depending on county of choice for residence. Private sector and nonprofit programs (Habitat for Humanity) are not equally distributed in the region.

Fair Housing

Within the consortia's region there are no current court orders, consent decrees, or HUD-imposed sanctions that effect the provisions of housing solutions. Local government jurisdictions have historically participated in HUD-CDBG programs and actively promoted fair housing programs in support of creating affordable housing opportunities for citizens.

Lead-Based Paint

The lead-based paint problem potential, in the consortia region is significant based on census data and information supplied by the county health departments. Twenty-five (25%) percent or 19,515 of the existing housing units in the region were built before 1955; and, therefore, have the potential for lead- based paint problems. It is estimated that eighty (80%) percent or 15,612 units are occupied by low- to-moderate income persons. Clarendon County responses to Consortium's needs as a recent survey indicates a lack of awareness of lead-based paint concerns associated with older housing units in the consortium service center.

Another housing related environmental concern is radon gas. The extent of this potential problem is undetermined.

Within the four (4) county consortium service area, the 1990 census indicates nearly 1,900 housing units lack complete indoor plumbing facilities.

Community Development Needs

The basis for organizing this plan element was the priority assigned by local government officials and the citizen participation groups to general need categories other than housing. For these prioritized subjects, data was collected and analyzed to determine their relative rank within a particular need discipline. Combined community input summarized on a regional/local basis revealed the following:

Public Water and Fire Protection:

Consistent response ratings of high and medium reflected in all four county jurisdictions indicated their awareness of the need to provide public water services to existing residential areas/rural communities and in the need to increase the number of fire protection facilities/service delivery systems.

Sewer:

Based on questionnaire responses, general public perception is that existing collection systems are adequate, and that services to existing industrial areas should be a moderate to high priority when system expansion is contemplated.

Roads and Drainage:

Consistently, improved roads (rural) and alleviation of persistent drainage problems is perceived to be a high priority for infrastructure improvement throughout the consortium service area.

Community Facilities:

Three of the four (4) county jurisdictions consistently rated the following public facilities as having a high need. The Kershaw County response demonstrated an exception in the level of priorities:

• Rural Community Centers: meeting sites/public service sites
• Senior Centers
• Parks, Playgrounds, and Youth Centers
• Child Care Facilities
• Rural Police/Law Enforcement Protection
• Health Care Facilities and Services

Economic Development:

Heightened public awareness that in the economy of the mid to late '90s, job training and retraining, and job opportunity identification are essential elements of both a local and regional economic development strategy was consistently confirmed by the questionnaire process.

Also, the perception that provision of technical assistance to acquire business capital, conduct market analysis, improve business management skills for small business enterprises should also be an essential element in an overall economic development/anti-poverty strategy for the region was also constant in survey responses.

Other Issues

Problems and areas of contention identified by the Santee-Lynches HOME Consortium that will affect implementation of an effective system to address the Consortia's Consolidated Plan strategy and proposed activities:

1. The response capacity of the at-large communities, both public and private, to specific HUD housing program requirements, is too low to effectively assess with consistently present availability of local resources.
2. The response capacity of many of the targeted need categories of persons assessed on either an individual or family basis is well below the minimum required for identification of specific programs and their capacity to access available resources. For some individual and households in these groups, resources do not exist in the public sector.
3. The general availability of geocoded rural data essential for computerized targeting the specific location of priority needs sites (a housing unit on a tract of land) is limited. Therefore, significant problems are encountered when intentionally seeking to geographically link particular target need population categories with available resources.
4. With the exception of the City of Sumter, limited recognition of the current need for a coordinated local and regional affordable housing strategy remains evident, but is improving.
5. Prior to the Consortia's HOME Consolidated Planning effort, the absence of an effective systemized approach and process to guide need assessments and linkage of priority need categories with available resources remained a major consortia-wide problem to be overcome by the region's local government jurisdictions.

Coordination

Improving the citizen participation process skill capacity of the general public by creating opportunities and programs for direct citizen and community based organization (CBO) direct involvement in the process of needs assessments, resource identification, and the process of developing linkages between public and private resource providers and priority community needs is critical to consolidated plan strategy implementation.

Part of the process for successfully implementing the strategic plan is the enhancement of skills to recognize, then link existing resources with identified needs. The Consolidated Plan lays out the basic process for initiating integrated resource planning (IRP) for utilization of available resources to address priority housing and community needs in an orderly manner. Plan activity implementation within the context of IRP will improve institutional and at-large community capacities to better plan and utilize all available resources, both public and private, to address priority needs in their proper sequence.

The Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments which staffs the HOME Consortium has by motion previously adopted a policy of recommending to participating member units of local government that they utilize an "Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) Process" when responding to requests for major public investment in capital improvement and community program projects.

Vision for Change

Many visions are to be found in the Santee-Lynches HOME Consortium service area which belong to local government, other public institutions, public and private nonprofit organizations, community based organizations (CBOs), families, individuals, and private business and industry. Each has its' own particular set of parameters and special conditions for successful realization. A general analysis of each vision will reveal common interdependencies necessary to achieve the desired corporate and individual results. The sum of these individual visions does not, however, equal the power and potential of a collective vision adopted by the broader more diversified regional community.

Change though inevitable, need not necessarily be negative. This statement is conditioned upon the realization that individuals and family units, neighborhoods, private business, public institutions, and governments must adequately prepare for change by developing, in advance, capacity building process to enable communities to acquire the skills necessary to effectively recognize and act positively to community change through community consensus on issues of common concern.

A clearer local community focus coupled with available resources could achieve the broad goals and priorities developed by the at-large regional community served by the HOME Consortium.

Housing and Community Development Objectives and Priorities

The premise for the consortia's' strategy for beginning consolidation of HUD grant programs is set forth in three basic goals which are closely related to the major commitments and priorities of that federal government department:

FIRST, the programs are to provide decent housing. SECOND, the plans and activities are to include a focus on providing a sustainable community living environment for individuals and families. The THIRD major goal of the program is to identify and then expand economic opportunities. Each of these goals when implemented must primarily benefit low to moderate income persons.

The top three perceptions from three different system surveys for what should be a number one priority for public expenditure provides the following pattern:

#1 Within the Statewide System

• Community Infrastructure
• Economic Development
• Safe, decent, affordable housing

#1 Priority Among Regional Local Government Officials/Administrators

• Economic Development
• Community Infrastructure
• Safe, decent, affordable housing

#1 Priority Within the Consortia's Regions at-large Community

• Safe, decent and affordable housing
• Economic Development
• Community infrastructure

One interpretation of these results would be that those community groups interested in housing activities will have to compete for public funds, local and state, with other interest groups seeing community infrastructure and economic development as having a higher priority than housing.

Housing Priorities

The first priority group includes (1) small, related households (2-4 persons); (2) large, related households (5 or more persons); (3) homeless persons (families); and (4) non-homeless persons with special needs.

The income range for this group includes both extremely low income categories (0-30% and 31-50% of MFI) and low income (51-80% of MFI).

The kinds of activities desired were described in more detail in the questionnaire responses and include acquisition assistance, rehabilitation, new construction, rental assistance, support facilities and services.

The second priority grouping includes elderly (1 and 2 member households) and existing homeowners.

This priority group includes the two extremely low income levels and low income. Activities for this grouping as a whole will involve acquisition assistance, rehabilitation, rental assistance, and support facilities and services.

The third and final priority group includes the following two diversified groups: the elderly (1 and 2 member households and first time home buyers with children.

The income level for the elderly priority group is low income (51-80%) of MFI. This category has been included in specific recognition of the current and projected increase in elderly population with slightly higher levels of income. It also recognizes that resource programs are available for the extremely low income housing needs in this group as provided through the public and private resource programs.

The first time home buyers with children includes the low income category (51-80% FMI). Activities addressed here include acquisition assistance, rehabilitation, new construction, home buyer assistance, support facilities and services.

Non-Housing Community Development Priorities

The basis for the organization of this plan element was the priority assigned to the general need categories other than housing. Within these prioritized subjects, data was collected and analyzed to determine relative rank within a particular need discipline. Community input summarized on a regional/local basis revealed the following economic development activities, community infrastructuring, and community facilities are all high priorities in the consortia's region. Needs, however, vary county by county and within each specific community.

Child care facilities, public transportation, and job training were also rated a high priority by individual respondents.

Anti-Poverty Strategy

Studies of the economic structure including employment patterns and wage bases within occupations typical of the Consortium counties indicates, particularly during the last five years, a static trend in wages associated with employment categories accepting skill levels typical of persons needing access to affordable housing. Employment opportunities or the lack thereof and wage levels have defined over the long term the physical condition and kinds of existing housing stock, the ratio of owner to renter occupied units, and the relative market values assigned to these units.

There are essentially two directions that may be taken by individuals seeking to elevate themselves above poverty and to obtain access to adequate affordable housing. One strategy involves acquiring the necessary skills, technical and workplace, currently in demand and to offer for employment. The other option is to, by training or experience, to seek self-employment opportunities accessing, through public and private sources, capital for business development or expansion.

Within the region, economic development and new job creation activities are a high priority among local governments. Public and private job training programs target increased productivity through skill level enhancement.

Public and private business capital for expansion and new job creation is available to provide a variety of options for the private sector to increase new job opportunities.

Upward economic mobility, either through the acquisition of additional marketable skills or through self- employment, is largely dependent upon individual motivation based upon personal expectation of success when pursuing endeavors.

Housing and Community Development Resources

Within the Santee-Lynches Consortium Region there are multiple state and federal programs which can contribute to both housing, community development, and economic opportunities.

Specialized programs under U.S. Department of Labor, JTPA; Health and Human Resources, Older Americans Act; and Department of Commerce, EDA and SBA Business Capitalization Programs offer opportunities to compliment HUD's Housing, Community Development, and Economic Opportunity programs.

In addition to the above, several nonprofit organizations, and CHDO's have an active interest and resources from the private sector available to contribute implementation of the Consolidated Plan's goals and objectives.

Coordination of Strategic Plan

Coordination of the Strategic Plan is build around the collaboration activities part of the integrated resource planning process of bringing to bearthe technical expertise and resources among the diverse affordable housing interests in the region.

Public policy forums on affordable housing issues initiated by the Council of Governments as the administrative agent of the Santee-Lynches HOME Consortium will guide the sites selection input process, needs identification, and local assessments. Date collected through this process will be routed to resource providers and special interests within the affordable housing functional group for strategic development and specific project support through implementation. Results of the process are to be reported, at a minimum annually to the community through the HOME consortium.

Description of Key Projects

The Santee-Lynches HOME Consortium One-Year Action Plan outlines the proposed use of approximately $0.8 million in HOME funds, in addition to program income. These funds will be spent mainly on an array of housing activities, including:

With the CDBG funding currently available to counties and municipalities approximately 125 housing units will be rehabilitated within the plan year.

Carryover funding from the FY93 HOME program year will be combined with FY94 monies to complete or develop additional units and to lay the foundation for the FY95 program strategy.

Locations

Based on the Santee-Lynches HOME Consortium's policy, each of the four counties in the region are allocated a percentage of the funds through the CPD Consolidated Plan Program. These funds are to be distributed to the local governments for use in the implementation of specific project proposals submitted by local CHDO's, CBO, and public sector organizations. Once funds are distributed to the local governments, implementation of specific projects will be as prescribed in the new guidelines administered by the Santee-Lynches HOME Consortium. In addition, significant HOME funds are allocated to nonprofit Community Housing Development Corporations (CHDOs).

Housing Goals

The Santee-Lynches HOME Consortium's housing goals for the first year include increasing the supply of affordable housing for 54 households through rehabilitation, (27 units), acquisition/new construction (23 units), transitional housing (4 units) and temporary relocation assistance (9 families).

Maps

MAP 2 depicts low-moderate income areas and proposed HUD funded project(s).

MAP 3 depicts unemployment levels and proposed HUD funded project(s); in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).

MAP 4 depicts Neighborhood points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and proposed HUD funded project(s).

MAP 5 depicts Neighborhood points of interest, minority concentration levels, and proposed HUD funded project(s).

MAP 6 depicts Neighborhood points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and proposed HUD funded project(s).

MAP 7 depicts Neighborhood points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and proposed HUD funded project(s).

James T. Darby, Jr.
Phone 803-775-7381