The city of Huntington, located in the southwestern West Virginia region of the Ohio River Valley, is about 5 miles upstream from the point where the borders of Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia converge. A riverfront city of 54,844, which extends into both Wayne and Cabell Counties, Huntington is part of the tristate Huntington (West Virginia), Ashland (Kentucky), and Ironton (Ohio) Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The city is about 45 miles west of Charleston, West Virginia, the State capital.
In the Consolidated Plan, Huntington 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, Huntington is requesting $3 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, $975,000 in HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds, and $108,000 in Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) funds. This money will be used to finance the 23 housing, community development, and service activities planned for Fiscal Year 1995-1996. For the HOME Program, the Consolidated Plan is submitted on behalf of the Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Housing Consortium, which consists of Huntington and the adjoining West Virginia counties of Cabell and Wayne.
In January 1995 Huntington was designated as a Federal Enterprise Community (EC). This entitled the city to $3 million in EC Social Service Block Grant (SSBG) funds, which will be used for a variety of economic development, job training, educational, and related activities. The EC designation also enabled Huntington to obtain commitments for Federal funds for several city and Marshall University projects.
In addition to the Consolidated Plan, Huntington prepared a Comprehensive Plan and an EC Strategy Application during the past year. Each required extensive public participation. Several public hearings were held to involve citizens in the Consolidated Plan process. The first, held January 6, 1994, at Marshall University, was entitled "Our Jobs, Our Children, Our Future." The West Virginia governor was a speaker, and 900 area residents attended. Residents were asked to join one of six task forces: business climate, government, infrastructure, tourism, vision, or education. The meeting was reported on at length on local television and with a special section in The Herald-Dispatch newspaper.
The second town meeting, held January 22 at Marshall University, was attended by 550 people. The six task forces met, and reports of their discussions were featured in The Herald-Dispatch. Residents were signed up for subtask forces developed during the town meeting. Five neighborhood meetings followed in February and April 1994.
A public hearing was advertised and held on February 23, 1995, to discuss
CDBG, HOME, and ESG projects for inclusion in the Consolidated Plan. Separate
meetings were held on ESG and for the HOME Consortium. A newspaper advertisement
on April 6 described the preliminary Consolidated Plan and announced the
availability of a draft plan for a 30-day public review and comment period. The
final public hearing, to accept further citizen comment and discuss the final
budget, was held on May 5.
The population of the Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Consortium decreased by 6 percent between 1960 and 1990, falling from 147,179 people to 138,463. During these 30 years, Wayne County's population increased by 7 percent, with strong growth in the 1970s. The number of residents in the city of Huntington, however, declined by over 34 percent, from 83,627 persons in 1960 to 54,844 in 1990. In 1960 city residents accounted for 57 percent of the consortium's population. By 1990 the city's share of the consortium's population was only 40 percent.
Much of the population shrinkage is related to a lack of employment opportunities in the area. There is a shortage of jobs that pay well. Marshall University in Huntington has about 7,800 full-time and 2,600 part-time students. One complaint of students and graduates is that many must leave the area to pursue careers in the fields in which they are trained. Local leaders observe that due to the lack of local opportunities, the Huntington area is exporting its educated young people.
Median family income (MFI) for the city of Huntington was $26,283, according to the 1990 census. The MFI for Wayne County in 1990 was $23,525, and the MFI for Cabell County was $28,090.
For the Huntington-Ashland-Ironton MSA, the 1990 MFI was $26,373 for a family of four. Of the 54,765 households in the Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Consortium jurisdictions, 44 percent have annual incomes of 80 percent or less of the tristate metropolitan area MFI. Census data show the following levels of low- and moderate-income households in the consortium area:
In Huntington racial/ethnic subpopulations tallied by the 1990 census include:
Subpopulations among the Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Consortium's 138,838 residents include:
The Huntington area population has been declining, primarily because of a shrinking job base. Household incomes are considerably lower than the national average.
Central housing needs for the Huntington area are rehabilitation of aging rental and owner-occupied housing, rental and homebuyer assistance for low- and moderate-income households, and creation of more affordable housing, especially for persons with special needs, such as the handicapped.
The housing stock of the consortium totaled 60,587 year-round units, according to the 1990 census. Of these, 54,772 were occupied, 17,490 by renters and 37,282 by owners. Of the 5,815 vacant units, 1,914 were for rent and 791 for sale.
From 1980 to 1990, the number of housing units in consortium communities fell by 543, a shrinkage of almost 1 percent. Much of the decrease was due to planned demolition or disasters, such as fire. While Wayne County added housing units, Cabell County's housing supply dropped by 776 (1.7 percent), and Huntington lost 912 units (3.3 percent).
More than 19,000 rental units are in the consortium, with over half in the city of Huntington. According to the 1990 census, the consortiumwide rental vacancy rate was 9.9 percent; within Huntington, the vacancy rate was 11.3 percent.
Contract rents are defined as the agreed-upon monthly rent, regardless of the utilities or services included. According to the 1990 census, median contract rents in the consortium were as follows:
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fair market rents, used to set levels of Section 8 rental assistance, were $310 for one-bedroom units and $382 for two-bedroom units.
The 1990 median value of owner-occupied housing in Cabell County was $52,500. The median value was $47,300 in Wayne County, and $45,700 in Huntington. The statewide West Virginia median was $47,600.
A large proportion of lower income households are cost-burdened, paying more than 30 percent of their gross income for housing expenses, including utilities. Some are severely cost-burdened, paying more than 50 percent of their income for housing expenses.
Of the consortium's 8,284 extremely low-income households, 65 percent are cost-burdened and 50 percent are severely cost-burdened. Of the 7,004 households in the very low-income bracket, 44 percent are cost-burdened and 15 percent are severely cost-burdened.
Of the 1,914 vacant units for rent in 1990, 99 percent were affordable by low-income households. Very low-income households could afford 1,543 (81 percent) of the rental units. However, only 23 percent of the vacancies would have been affordable for households with extremely low incomes.
The number of homeless persons in a community varies constantly: some persons become homeless, while others improve their situation and find employment and permanent housing, or move away from the community. As part of the 1990 census, a count on the night of March 20/21 found 69 homeless persons in Cabell and Wayne Counties, all of them in Huntington.
The latest estimate, compiled for the Consolidated Plan, is that there are 93 homeless persons in Huntington. This population includes 9 families with children (18 persons total) and 75 adults (age 18 or older) who are not in families. One two-member family and five individual adults remain unsheltered. The rest were served by emergency shelters.
Subpopulations of the homeless with special needs are as follows:
The Huntington West Virginia Housing Authority (HWVHA) owns and manages a total of 985 public housing units in 9 communities and at 14 sites in Huntington and Cabell County. (The Mingo County Housing Authority manages public housing in Wayne County.) Family households occupy 44 percent of HWVHA's units, and elderly households occupy 56 percent of the units.
The HWVHA also administers 1,018 Section 8 rental assistance program certificates and vouchers in Huntington and Cabell and Wayne Counties.
Another 17 housing communities in Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Consortium jurisdictions are subsidized under other programs. Six of these communities are housing for the elderly.
The city's measures to help promote and implement fair housing at the local level include the Huntington Human Relations Ordinance. This law was amended in 1992 to also prohibit housing discrimination because a prospective tenant has children or is pregnant. "No children allowed" housing is no longer allowed in Huntington. The Huntington Human Relations Commission promotes fair housing practices and enforces provisions of the city's Human Relations Ordinance. The mayor of Huntington issued a proclamation naming the month of April 1995 to be "Fair Housing Month."
In February 1992 the city prepared a Fair Housing Analysis in accordance with the Fair Housing Act of 1988. The purpose of the analysis was to evaluate the housing characteristics of Huntington, to identify blatant or de facto impediments to fair housing choice, and to arrive at a strategy for the expansion of housing opportunities in the city. The Fair Housing Analysis was adopted by the city by resolution, and its policies have been used as the official strategy for the expansion of fair housing choice.
The analysis report noted that the problem of fair housing choice in Huntington stemmed mostly from economic factors, not from discrimination. The most common reason for lower income families to lack quality housing was insufficient income. Recommendations in the Analysis report and steps taken on the recommendations include:
Based upon the age of Huntington's housing stock, it is estimated that 17,660 to 22,540 housing units contain lead-based paint (LBP). In the Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Housing Consortium, an estimated 34,041 to 44,385 units contain LBP. For lead-based paint to become hazardous to occupants, there generally must be chipping, flaking, or chalking of the paint, or friction or impact surfaces, such as windows, railings, doors, door jambs, or stairs. Deteriorated painted surfaces with LBP debris and dust, however, create a serious hazard for young children. Children most frequently become poisoned inadvertently by ingesting lead in paint dust in the course of normal hand-to-mouth activity. Nationally the majority of young children found to have elevated levels of lead in their blood are living in poorly maintained older housing, usually in non-subsidized, low-rent units in inner-city neighborhoods.
In Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Consortium communities, there are an estimated 15,264 housing units occupied by lower income households that are at the highest risk of containing LBP-related hazards. Of these, 8,148 are rental units, and 7,116 are owner-occupied.
Though the number of units containing lead appears high, health service providers indicate that only a very small number of families experience lead poisoning. The Environmental Health Office of the Wayne County Health Department reported that only four complaints related to LBP were received over the past 3 years.
There are also housing and supportive needs for the elderly, mentally disabled, mentally ill, physically disabled, substance abusers, and victims of domestic violence. In general, the needs of each group are similar: affordable and accessible housing, differing somewhat in the mix of appropriate supportive services.
Estimated numbers of some populations with special housing needs in the consortium area are as follows:
Non-housing community development needs include street, curb, and sidewalk
improvements in neighborhoods targeted for revitalization; added child-care
capacity; job training; and economic development activities designed to expand
the job base. Many of those will be handled with EC funding.
Among the long-term goals are:
Over the 5-year plan, the housing priorities of the Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Consortium include:
Non-housing priorities of Huntington include:
Huntington plans to use the extra resources it will obtain as a Federal EC to reduce the number of households with incomes below the poverty line. Specific strategies to address poverty are detailed in the city's EC/Enterprise Zone plan. The strategies were derived from the long-term goals outlined above in the "Objectives and Priorities" section.
Resources to carry out the 5-year plan include the $4 million in CDBG, HOME, and ESG 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 the city and consortium during the remaining 4 years of the strategic plan. Huntington and the Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Housing Consortium also plan to utilize, as appropriate and available, assistance from other Federal, State, and private sources.
Huntington also will benefit from $3 million in EC SSBG funding, which will greatly supplement the CDBG funding available for public service activities.
In June 1995 Huntington received HUD approval of a $350,000 Economic Development Initiative (EDI) Grant which is to be used in conjunction with a pending Section 108 Loan Guarantee application for $3,500,000 for the acquisition and development of the Owens-Illinois Industrial Park.
Huntington's Department of Planning and Development has organized the
implementation of the Consolidated Plan strategies. The Cabell-Huntington-Wayne
Housing Consortium will work with the public and private entities that
constitute the affordable housing delivery system. The city will continue to
allocate HOME and CDBG entitlement funds to non-profit organizations that perform
support services or provide affordable housing, and HWVHA will continue to work
with groups such as the Cabell-Huntington Coalition for the Homeless to expand
the supply of decent affordable housing.
For the program year 1995-1996, Huntington and the Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Housing Consortium plan to use $4.7 million in CDBG, HOME, ESG, and program income funds for 23 activities that will address specific housing, community development, and human services needs.
From HOME funds $877,500 is allocated for the following consortium housing activities:
From CDBG funds $393,000 is budgeted for rehabilitation loans to low- and moderate-income homeowners.
From ESG funds of $108,000 and $108,000 in matching funds, five organizations will each receive $43,200 to continue providing shelter and services to homeless persons.
Community development funded from Huntington's CDBG grant include:
Economic development activities allotted CDBG funds include:
Public service activities are allocated $468,825, including:
Many of the planned activities, such as housing rehabilitation, clearance and demolition, economic development assistance, and housing information and referral, will be conducted on a citywide/consortiumwide basis. Other activities, such as community center programming, curb and sidewalk improvements, a business incubator, and community policing, will take place at sites in low- and moderate-income areas of Huntington.
Housing activities included in this year's action plan are expected to result in 50 new or rehabilitated affordable housing units. It is projected that other planned activities will benefit 16 small businesses, 84 households, and 9,120 persons (including 1,200 elderly persons).
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.
