Chesterfield County, Virginia is part of the Richmond Metropolitan Area in Central Virginia. It is a rapidly growing suburban community of 239,000 citizens.
The Chesterfield County Consolidated Plan represents a strategy for the use of federal CDBG and HOME funds as well as matching County and private resources. The objective of these programs is to revitalize low and moderate income areas of the County. It includes a One- Year Action Plan for spending over $1.9 million in CDBG and HOME funds.
The Chesterfield County CDBG Office began the formal planning process for
the 1995-96 CDBG Program and Consolidated Plan in November, 1994. County staff
met with staff from the City of Richmond to consult with them about their
consolidated planning process. The County Staff then began a process involving
a series of meetings with County departments and agencies, held workshops for
non-profit and community groups and solicited input and perspective from a
variety of interests. The main topic of discussion was the pressing housing and
community development needs in the County. A meeting was also held with
representatives from all neighboring jurisdictions including staff from two
Planning District Commissions. The next step of the planning process was the
formation of a review committee which met to consider project requests for the
1995-96 plan. A recommendation was made to the County Administrator which was
subsequently reviewed and prepared for presentation to the County Board of
Supervisors. A work session with the Board of Supervisors open to the public
was held followed by a public hearing whereupon a CDBG Program was adopted along
with the Consolidated Plan in July of 1995. Before the public hearing and for a
30 day period, copies of the draft Consolidated Plan were available for public
review and comment.
Chesterfield County, Virginia is located within the Richmond-Petersburg Metropolitan area. The latest estimates from the County Planning department indicate a population of over 239,000. According to the 1990 Census, Chesterfield County is the fourth largest county in Virginia and its sixth largest jurisdiction. County household characteristics reflect such national trends as the aging of the population and the increase in two earner families without children.
In 1990 median family income was $48,640. 4.5% of the County's households
were in poverty. a total of 47,641 persons were within the low to moderate
income range in the County. The greatest concentrations of low to moderate
income families are in two areas of the County: the Jefferson Davis Highway
Corridor and the Village of Ettrick.
With an increase of 67,902 persons between 1980 and 1990 (from 141,372 to 209,274), the County's total population growth during that period was exceeded by only 3 other localities in the state. The growth has been concentrated primarily in the newer areas to the north and west in the County. Many older suburban areas lost population and were most likely to have experienced an increase in "empty nester" households.
Several important needs are identified in the Consolidated Plan: increasing home ownership, rehabilitating existing single family housing, and constructing new single family housing in target areas. Low income families have the greatest need for affordable housing. There is also a need for affordable rental housing for large families. In 1993 there were 634 families on a County waiting list for rental assistance. By 1995 that list was down to 461 families. The wait is still 3 to 5 years.
As of January, 1995, there were 87,500 dwelling units in the County. There were 784 subsidized housing units. 1990 Census figures indicated that 3,230 owner occupied housing units were valued at less than $50,000. There were 2,500 mobile homes in the County. These figures indicate that there is a substantial number of affordable housing units in the County. However many of the more affordable houses were in greater disrepair and clustered in the County's CDBG target areas.
A 1992 study of housing affordability in the Richmond Metropolitan Area contended that in Chesterfield County "the affordability of housing within the County does not appear to be a significant problem." Housing affordability is a broader measure of housing supply, demand, and relevant price relationships than subsidized housing for very low income persons. Clearly, the County has a small percentage of the metropolitan low income subsidized housing.
Households with incomes at or below 50 percent of the HAMFI have the greatest housing cost burden. A need exists for improved affordable housing conditions within this income group including assistance for first time homeownership.
Chesterfield County does not have available data compiled to characterize the extent of homelessness. However, experience shows that at least 85% of the families who contact the Housing Office requesting assistance are "at risk" of becoming homeless. Chesterfield is an urban county and has many of the same problems on a smaller scale as faced by the City of Richmond. The problems of all classes and demographics of the homeless population (domestic violence, drug abuse, AIDS, mental illness) are compounded when you add an inadequate income to the picture. In terms of homeless persons coming from the County, one City shelter saw a doubling of clients coming from Chesterfield between 1994 and 1995 from 14 persons to 28 persons.
While Chesterfield County does not have any public housing, it does have 784 units of subsidized housing. There is currently a waiting list of 461 families.
In recent years, both the County's policies toward community development and the County departments related to community development have gone through significant change. For the first time, the County began to look at the questions of redevelopment and revitalization as staff and the Board of Supervisors worked on the Ettrick Village and Jefferson Davis Corridor plans.
In addition, ordinances have been revisited and changed as a result of new federal and state mandates as well as local environmental conditions. New federal and state mandates have included laws governing erosion and sediment control, wetlands preservation, water quality, septic systems and wells, underground storage tanks, and storm water management.
During the process of changing its ordinances, the County has made a concerted effort to involve the public and a variety of interest groups in the decision making process. A prime example of this policy is the County shrink/swell task force and the deliberations that have continued over the issue of building to soil conditions. The effect of this interaction is that whenever the County has promulgated new regulations involving the housing industry, the County staff and industry interest groups have insured that the issue of housing affordability was a priority.
The County has begun working on fair housing issues with greater emphasis. It has also increased its funding of Fair Housing organizations, primarily Housing Opportunities Made Equal (H.O.M.E.), Inc.
Lead based paint has not been a significant health problem in the County. Since June of 1992, the County Health Department has aggressively screened children in their child health clinics for elevated blood levels. Of the total number screened, only 19 have initially tested positive. Confirmation testing of these 19 cases has yielded 7 cases. 5 cases are currently under management.
Chesterfield County, Virginia has a growing economy and a relatively high median family income overall. However, there are distinct areas within the County - mostly older suburban areas - that have not shared in the County's relative prosperity. Community development needs in these areas include improved infrastructure, more public amenities, economic development, housing rehabilitation, code enforcement and greater homeownership opportunities.
Chesterfield County's Consolidated Plan implementation program involves the
coordination of County departments, non-profits, metropolitan planning agencies
civic groups and other local governments in a joint effort to revitalize low and
moderate income communities.
The Consolidated Planning process puts in place HUD's understanding that local governments, where given greater flexibility, can structure programs to address community needs more efficiently and effectively. This change has energized local communities and provided the opportunity to alter the way things are done. It has also created an atmosphere of visioning and enhanced productivity.
The top five Housing and Community Development priorities as they relate to the CDBG and HOME eligible areas of the County are: neighborhood revitalization, economic stimulus, infrastructure improvement, planning and enhanced public services.
The priorities for housing include: revitalizing and preserving existing neighborhoods; rehabilitating substandard housing; encouraging owner occupation of single family homes; encouraging construction of residential units of varying densities and types; and developing programs to address special needs populations.
Priorities for the alleviation of homelessness include ensuring that adequate emergency shelter is provided and that alternative programs exist to create transitional and permanent housing for homeless families.
Priorities for non-housing Community Development needs are very similar to those for housing. They include helping to preserve and revitalize existing neighborhoods; providing direct stimulus to neighborhoods to become physically, economically and socially better places to live; investing in infrastructure; and planning and to enhance the provision of public services.
The County Social Services Department reports that recent changes have made it possible for food stamps to be made available to the homeless. The homeless are eligible for food stamps and no longer need to provide an address to qualify. In addition, anyone without food is referred to CCHASM. Two of the member churches have bags of food available for eligible recipients.
In 1994-95 a total of two hundred sixteen (216) cases were assisted with general relief. Six hundred twenty-five (625) individuals were assisted in the amount of $58,432. $24,248 was spent on utility payments for seven hundred twenty-one (721) individuals. Service payments equaled $7,138 for rent and $34,122 for utilities.
The primary resources for community revitalization in the County are Federal CDBG and HOME Funds. These funds are augmented with matching funds from County and private non-profit sources. In addition local banks have pledged loan funds for use in CDBG target areas of the County.
The Chesterfield County CDBG Office has the primary responsibility of
coordinating the Consolidated Plan activities in conjunction with a variety of
non-profit housing providers, County departments, and other public agencies.
The County CDBG Office has also made concerted efforts to coordinate its
activities with other jurisdictions in the metropolitan area.
The Chesterfield County One-Year Action Plan outlines the use of $1.9 million in CDBG, HOME, and matching County funds. These funds will be expended on Community Development activities including 38 projects.
A majority of the funds are targeted to low and moderate income areas of the County. Some projects are County-wide but serve low and moderate income families. The housing funds are primarily allocated to Community Housing Development Corporations (CHDO's) working in the metropolitan Richmond area.
The lead agency in implementing the plan will be the Chesterfield County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Office. Individual projects will be managed by the CDBG Office, County departments, non-profit housing agencies, and other non-profit organizations
Housing goals for the first year include rehabilitation of over 50 homes through a variety of programs, constructing 5 new houses and making another 20 available to low and moderate income families through the mortgage downpayment program.
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 points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD neighborhood funded projects.
MAP 7 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD neighborhood funded projects; in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).
Contact Lewis Wendell, CDBG Administrator, at (804) 768-8707.
