Sumter, South Carolina, the seat of Sumter County, is located 45 miles east of Columbia, the State capital. As a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement community within a consortium, the city is required to submit only the Nonhousing Community Development Plan and the One-Year Action Plan portions of the Consolidated Plan. The Santee-Lynches Regional Consortium Consolidated Plan presents a more complete description of the region's housing and community development data, needs, and strategies.
Sumter is requesting a CDBG allocation of $666,000 to fund a variety of community development projects, including improving the city's drainage, code enforcement, parks and recreation, and street paving.
Grassroots organizations played an important role in Sumter's consolidated planning process. Three well-attended community meetings were held in strategic locations throughout the city to encourage maximum citizen and agency participation. The Sumter Community Development Department had lead responsibility for developing the Consolidated Plan. The planning process relied on input from citizens, the Regional Consortium, the Economic Development Board, the Sumter City-County Planning Commission, grassroots community organizations, nonprofit organizations, housing providers, and the city's Public Housing Authority. In addition, the Sumter City Council held an open forum for public comment and strategy development.
The Sumter area economy relies on basic materials such as lumber and wood, stone, clay, glass, and metals, as well as food and textiles. As of the 1990 census, the city had a population of about 43,000. Sumter County's poverty rate was 20.6 percent, compared with 15.4 percent for the State.
Economic conditions in Sumter have been improving, however. Recent expansion of 10 industrial sites created more than 300 new jobs in the area. In October 1994, Sumter's unemployment rate was down to 7.4 percent.
[Note: Because Sumter was only required to submit the nonhousing community development and action plan section, this plan does not contain demographic and housing information.]
The most recent data available show 103 vacant and boarded housing units in Sumter, as well as 151 housing units lacking plumbing.
Specific records on homeless families and individuals in Sumter are sketchy and difficult to substantiate, but it is estimated that at least 100 to 150 households become homeless at some point during a 12-month period. Risk factors contributing to homelessness in the city are loss of income, unsanitary housing conditions or eviction, divorce or separation, drug or alcohol addiction, chronic disability, and dysfunctional family environment. The population of homeless families or persons at risk of becoming homeless typically includes:
The city of Sumter is working toward a continuum of care model for addressing homeless needs. There is one emergency shelter, one shelter for abused and battered women, one shelter for runaway or abandoned youth, and one shelter for the mentally ill. Services for unsheltered homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless include a soup kitchen, noncash vouchers for goods and services, and short-term financial assistance for temporary shelter.
The city will continue to support the Sumter Public Housing Authority through the following projects:
Sumter continues to play an integral role in developing the Housing Authority's plan to improve the quality of life for public housing residents. Joint efforts have improved the overall character of public housing. Items addressed include drainage and security, street lights, and drug prevention.
Tenant-based rental assistance provided by the Housing Authority has made homes throughout the city affordable to Sumter residents. In 1994, the Housing Authority adopted a "homebuyer opportunity" policy offering residents the opportunity to become homeowners through self-sufficiency initiatives, seminars, and workshops. Families participating in the program represent 20 percent of the city's public housing residents.
Many barriers deter affordable housing in Sumter. One of the most significant is the city's zoning ordinance. As recently as 1993, countywide zoning passed that established general minimum requirements for residential construction and reconstruction and restricted lot size. Another pertinent barrier is the city's lack of water and sewer extensions. The rural water companies operating in the vicinity of Sumter do not have the capacity to serve a large number of people. Another barrier is access to affordable mortgages. City officials will encourage lending institutions to assist low-income families by lowering interest rates or by leveraging funds through the city, Habitat for Humanity, and other nonprofit organizations.
To reassess fair housing activities and needs, Sumter is proposing to establish a Fair Housing Task Force. Task force members will represent a wide variety of organizations and will be expected to complete their report by early 1996. A short-term goal is the provision of fair-housing services to the entire community.
Sumter has the fourth highest number of lead-poisoned children in South Carolina, and the city has been targeted to participate in a 5-year study funded by the Centers for Disease Control. This grant expands the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control's statewide lead screening and followup activities for children under 6 years old. The grant does not provide for abatement or temporary housing needs. The city hopes to continue to provide blood-lead level testing for children, health management to those in need, and lead-based paint abatement services. Census data indicate that 110 occupied housing units in Sumter have a lead-based paint problem.
Affordable housing and economic development are key elements of Sumter's envisioned future. Housing and economic development goals are an intricate part of the vision statement. These goals include good quality, reasonably priced housing, and a strong relationship between housing and economic development.
Nonhousing community development can be categorized in seven main areas: public facilities needs, infrastructure improvements, public service needs, accessibility needs, economic development needs, other community development needs, and planning. Short- and long-term goals have been established for each of the seven areas. The Sumter community has the greatest need for the following activities:
Public facilities needs include senior centers, youth centers, neighborhood facilities, child care centers, park and recreational facilities, and parking facilities.
Infrastructure improvements include solid waste, flood drains, drinking water, streets, sidewalks, sewers, and asbestos removal.
Public service needs include services for the elderly, persons with disabilities, and youth, along with improved public transportation, employment training, crime awareness, fair housing activities, tenant and landlord counseling, and health services.
Accessibility needs relate to improving accessibility to public facilities.
Historic preservation is needed for the downtown area from Main Street to Calhoun Street to Liberty Street, which is recognized on the Historical Register, and for the Opera House, which is on the list of National Historic Places.
Economic development is a collaborative effort of the Sumter City-County Planning Commission, the Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Board, the area's electric power companies, and the Sumter city and county governments. With city support, the nonprofit Regional Development Corporation provides microbusiness loans to local startup ventures.
Sumter is committed to reducing the number of households with incomes below the poverty line by giving low-income persons and families the opportunity to attain the knowledge, skills, and motivation necessary to become fully self-sufficient. The city, other providers, and units of local government need to work together to provide low-income persons and families with supportive services. The city realizes that housing, particularly the cost of housing, is the most critical problem faced by people living in poverty. Sumter will continue to seek additional housing resources and services such as housing counseling and homeowner workshops, and will work with the Santee-Lynches Community Housing Development Organization to develop regional strategies. In addition, there is a large network of agencies in Sumter County providing human services.
The following resources have been committed in support of Sumter's housing and community development activities:
Sumter will utilize its CDBG allocation for 1995 in support of 16 initiatives, including the following key projects:
The geographic distribution of funds is based on pocket concentrations of low- to moderate-income residents throughout the city. The South Sumter and the North Main Street regions have the highest concentrations of low- to moderate-income residents and are most in need. The areas of Miller Road, Crosswell, and Boulevard Road also deserve the city's attention.
The Sumter City Council oversees the city's CDBG and HOME grants and is the body that ultimately approved the city's Consolidated Plan. The city manager has delegated the responsibility for administration of these programs to the Community Development Department, which makes recommendations to the City Council for official action.
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 project(s) from a street level vantage point.
