As the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Richmond is a blend of old historical character and new modern tradition. Economic growth and stability have resulted in an adjustment of Richmond's housing and community development priorities in light of the needs of new residents and the desire to preserve its rich past.

Action Plan

The Consolidated Plan for Richmond uses $9,225,672 in Community Development Building Grant (CDBG), HOME, and Emergency Shelter Grant funds. In addition, the Section 108 Guaranteed Loan Funds has an additional $3.1 million allotment.

Citizen Participation

The city of Richmond Department of Community Development, which had the responsibility for preparing the Consolidated Plan, worked in collaboration with numerous agencies and departments, local organizations, for-profit groups, and nonprofits. Richmond also sought input from the City Strategy Team, a 26-member citizen advisory group.

Three methods were used to maximize citizen participation: consultation/focus group meetings, the city's existing Neighborhood Team Process, and a public hearing to identify housing and community development needs. Almost 200 residents attended the consultation meetings and the public hearing.

Between 1980 and 1995, changes in both the city's population size and social composition have dramatically affected Richmond. The city's population decreased 7 percent from 1980 to 203,056 in 1990, with the most significant decline occurring in couples, especially those with school-age children. According to the 1990 census, Richmond was 55 percent black, 43 percent white, and 2 percent other races/ethnic groups.

In 1990, 55.4 percent of Richmond residents were low- and moderate-income households concentrated in the older north, east, and south sections of Richmond. Even though the poverty rate for the Richmond metropolitan area is 9.4 percent, the city has a disproportionate share of the area's poverty; 63 percent of all poor people in the metropolitan area live in Richmond. At the same time, Richmond's population constitutes only 23 percent of the metropolitan area population. In 1990, the median family income (MFI) was only $29,021.

Conditions

Despite the decline in population, Richmond has a growing economy with 87.5 jobs per 100 residents. Jobs were created at a record pace in the 1980s, primarily in the service sector and the finance, insurance, and real estate sector. Most residents who benefited from this growth were middle-class individuals who lived in the surrounding counties while working in the city.

Housing Needs

The growth in female-headed households and single-person households has maintained a number of factors contributing to the increased demand for multifamily housing, especially low-cost and assisted housing. In addition, there is a tremendous demand for affordable housing and support services for the homeless, the elderly, and those with special needs.

Housing Market Conditions

Despite a decrease in population, the city gained 2,614 housing units between 1980 and 1990, and had a total of 94,141 units in 1990. Most of this growth was in multifamily units, especially in developments of 5 to 49 dwelling units per building. However, the decline in population affected the city's percentage of homeowners, which has dropped from 44 percent in 1980 to 42 percent in 1990. The median price for a Richmond home in 1990 was $66,600. Between 19 and 24 percent of the city's homeowners pay 30 percent or more of their income for housing.

Forty-nine percent of the total housing stock are rental units (45,822). Nine percent of the units are vacant up 6 percent in 1980. The median rent of $413 is 21 percent less than the average rent in the surrounding counties. Forty-four percent of the city's renters pay 30 percent or more of their income towards rent.

Thirty percent of the housing stock in Richmond was constructed prior to 1939. These units often are in need of repair, with many being considered substandard and occupied by elderly residents with low incomes. According to 1990 census figures, between 15 and 20 percent of the city housing units have rehabilitation needs.

Affordable Housing Needs

There are 18,081 households in Richmond that are extremely low-income (0-30 percent MFI). Of this group, 78 percent are renters and 22 percent are owners. In 1990, 70 percent of this group paid more than 30 percent and more than half paid more than 50 percent of their income toward housing. There are only 6,400 units in Richmond that rent for $200 a month or less and could serve these 14,056 rental households.

Low-income households (31-50 percent MFI) account for 11,877 households in Richmond. Two-thirds of these households are renters and 34 percent are owners, mostly elderly persons. There are 20,741 dwelling units available to serve these 7,889 renter households.

Moderate-income households, who earn between 51 and 80 percent of the median family income, account for 16,664 of Richmond households. In this group, 58 percent are renters and 42 percent own their own homes. There are 22,000 dwelling units in Richmond which are sufficient to serve these moderate-income households.

Thirty-five percent of Richmond's 85,337 households are experiencing some type of housing problem due to overcrowding, inadequate units, and cost burdens.

Homeless Needs

According to the 1992 Shelter Provider Survey, there were nearly 11,000 homeless persons in Richmond. It is estimated that 77 percent of this population are single individuals, mostly male; 90 percent are over the age of 18; 59 percent are black; 35 percent are white; 30 percent have a mental illness; and 75 percent are addicted to alcohol and/or drugs. During the 1994 fiscal year, there were more than 5,000 individuals turned away from the city's emergency shelters, which have a capacity of only 500 beds.

Richmond has adopted a policy of not providing any more shelter space, but rather concentrating its efforts on transitional housing that will help the homeless move into a permanent, self-sufficient situation. Using a community-based approach, Richmond offers a continuum of care system to address the needs of its homeless. Outreach and assessment, immediate shelter, transitional housing, social services, and permanent housing with/without supportive services are the key components in Richmond's strategy.

Public and Assisted Housing Needs

The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) is responsible for the 12,000 public and assisted units in the city. Over 65 percent of these units are concentrated in large developments with more than 400 units each. The remainder are smaller developments of 100 units or less on scattered site housing. There are 1,054 efficiency and 1-bedroom units, 1,595 2-bedroom units, 1,786 3- and 4-bedroom units, and 60 5-bedroom units. The vacancy rate is less than one percent.

Among the available units are 4,495 of conventional public housing and 2,341 Section 8 certificates, vouchers and moderate rehab program units. There are almost 6,000 people on both public housing and Section 8 waiting lists. Most of those living in public and assisted housing are black and almost half of all households are female-headed households with children.

RRHA has 7 housing facilities for elderly residents and 189 Section 8 certificates and 48 housing vouchers set aside for the elderly. The adaptive reuse of 4 vacant city schools and a factory have added 427 housing units to the elderly housing inventory.

According to a 1990 census, there are 28,566 non-institutionalized persons with mobility or self-care limitations. There are currently 1,312 housing units available for this population of which 1,207 are publicly-assisted. In addition, the city's Mental Health/Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Department has 55 beds for persons with disabilities, but there is an 18-month waiting period.

The substance-abuse problem in Richmond is greater than the national average. Although the city offers both outpatient and inpatient services, indigent detoxification services have a 30-60 day waiting period. Organizations such as Willow Oaks, the Daily Planet, and the Rubicon Treatment Center provide supportive services.

Richmond is estimated to have 851 HIV-infected persons and 622 persons with AIDS and these numbers are expected to increase. The Richmond AIDS Ministry (RAM) is the only community-based organization to serve this population by operating two three-bed guest houses for AIDS patients in the final stages of the disease. There are almost 100 people on the waiting list for these houses, of whom all are low-income, 80 percent are black, and 25 percent are female.

Barriers to Affordable Housing

The Consolidated Plan of Richmond identified the following barriers to affordable housing:

• Disinvestment by lending institutions and private investors in low-income neighborhoods.

• Policies relating to the provision of affordable housing which have contributed to the economic and racial segregation of some neighborhoods.

• Urban flight, especially married-couple households, leading to decline and disinvestment in central city neighborhoods.

• Expensive utility connection fees and zoning, which does not reflect the current land use, but rather project land uses that hinder development.

Fair Housing

Richmond will be conducting an analysis of impediments to fair housing choice and take appropriate action based on the findings of the report.

Lead-Based Paint

An estimated 72 percent of all housing units in Richmond present lead-based paint hazards. Since 1986, the city's Department of Public Health has screened more than 45,000 children for lead exposure, of which more than 2,400 tested positive for lead poisoning and 100 were hospitalized for chelation therapy. Although the risk is citywide, housing units with lead-based paint in extremely low-income and low-income neighborhoods currently account for 78 percent of the current lead poisoning cases in the city.

Richmond's Health Department was awarded a $3.1 million lead abatement grant which is targeted at the children in affected housing units. The Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Grant Program includes training, inspection, data collection, and abatement.

Community Development Needs

The primary community development need in Richmond is to expand economic development and job creation efforts. Other needs include improved human services programs (education, child protection, youth programs), crime prevention, maintained and improved public facilities (recreation areas, streets, public lighting, etc.), and planning capacity.

Vision for Change

Richmond's mission is to be a world-class city that offers a safe, supportive, and culturally diverse environment for residents and businesses. The goals of its Consolidated Plan are to:

• Provide decent and affordable housing.
• Create a suitable living environment in neighborhoods.
• Expand economic opportunities, including job creation and retention.

Housing Priorities

Based on the overall goal of the city to develop and strongly support programs which provide rehabilitation and maintenance assistance to low- and moderate-income residents, Richmond's Consolidated Plan identified the following housing priorities:

• Homeownership opportunities for existing and first-time homebuyers. Activities to accomplish this include placing high priority on programs which fund rehabilitation and maintenance of owner-occupied housing units, giving tax breaks to homeowners and developers to increase the restoration of existing buildings, increasing private sector involvement and investment in homeownership, preventing defaults and foreclosures for low-and moderate- income homeowners, improving housing code enforcement, promoting in-fill housing, offering down payment/closing cost assistance, and rehabilitating or demolishing vacant and delinquent units.

• Provide decent and affordable rental housing. Activities to accomplish this include promoting the rehabilitation/maintenance of rental housing, increasing housing code enforcement/property management, converting vacant buildings and schools into rental housing, encouraging renters to become homeowners, leasing or purchasing townhouses for public housing units, offering self- sufficiency programs, improving the physical structure of public housing developments, and promoting regional involvement in affordable housing strategies.

• Provide housing for persons with special needs, including the elderly, persons with disabilities, and the homeless. Activities to accomplish this include assisting elderly homeowners with rehabilitation and adaptation, developing alternative housing options, promoting regional involvement, promoting the reserve equity mortgage program, promoting supportive programs, increasing private sector involvement and investment, and improving the continuum of care system to assist the homeless.

Non-Housing Community Development Priorities

Richmond's Consolidated Plan identified the following community development priorities:

• Economic development and jobs. Activities include encouraging business retention and expansion, promoting economic self-sufficiency, supporting the Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community plans, improving employment training and regional transportation, and developing diverse economic opportunities.

• Public services. Activities include developing recreational opportunities, educational and job training/apprenticeship programs for at-risk youth, child care and family services, and programs for victims of child abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse, and the elderly.

• Public safety. Activities include expanding community policing and crime prevention programs.

• Public facilities. Activities include maintaining and improving recreational facilities, streets, sidewalks, drainage systems, and other infrastructure.

• Planning and administrative issues. Activities include developing a centralized database to monitor and improve the continuum of care system for the homeless, streamlining the building permit process, addressing neighborhoods which are in transition or are deteriorating, and developing a policy to use scattered parcels of vacant land and buildings.

Anti-Poverty Strategy

Although Richmond does not have a formalized antipoverty strategy, the Inter-Agency Prevention Council, comprised of representatives of 15 local agencies, was created to establish the 1992-2000 Prevention Plan. The plan encourages the participation of agencies and groups throughout the city who are engaged in education, advocacy, treatment, and the prevention of social problems to reduce the number of households with incomes below the poverty level.

Although the Prevention Plan does not specifically address the affordable housing needs of the low-income population, it has numerous programs which are indirectly linked to housing. In addition, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority administers a number of anti-poverty programs, including the Family Self-Sufficiency program.

Housing and Community Development Resources

The housing delivery system for Richmond includes the Department of Community Development, Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and Richmond Better Housing Coalition. Among the resources identified by these organizations are: Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Calhoun Community Center, and the Richmond Business and Employment Development Corporations.

The city has access to funds from the Virginia Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Virginia Housing Development Authority, and a variety of Federal competitive grants, such as Shelter Plus Care, HOPE I and HOPE 3, and the Supportive Housing Program.

Coordination of Strategic Plan

The Department of Community Development, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and the Richmond Better Housing Coalition, LISC and numerous nonprofit groups are working together to coordinate the strategic plan.

Description of Key Projects

Among the key projects identified in Richmond's Consolidated Plan are:

• Barton Heights Housing and Community Development will rehabilitate homes and vacant properties, providing down payment and closing cost assistance, and implementing a revitalization strategy to benefit 95 households in the Northside community with particular emphasis in the Barton Heights community ($350,000).

• CARITAS Homeless Assistance will offer technical assistance and skills in conjunction with 90 churches in the Richmond area to coordinate the provision of food and shelter to benefit 180 homeless individuals during the winter months ($30,000).

• Carver Conservation & Redevelopment will rehabilitate properties, provide for urban homesteading of abandoned properties, clear a 4-block area for redevelopment with new housing, and provide spot clearance of scattered dilapidated housing which benefits 48 households ($555,000).

• Cary 2000 Homeownership Initiative will provide funds for second mortgages for 6 first-time homebuyers ($100,000).

• Church Hill North Conservation Program will rehabilitate properties for urban homesteading of abandoned properties, providing housing repair grants and maintain all acquired vacant properties until sold to new homeowners ($335,000).

• Citywide Substandard Housing Repair-ElderHomes Corporation will assist 16 elderly homeowners who need help with repairs ($117,000).

• Bainbridge/Blackwell Family Counseling will counsel 200 families ($125,000).

• Business Enhancement Program, operated by the Metropolitan Business League, will encourage the development and retention of minority-owned businesses through training and other activities ($60,000).

Maps

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).