The City of Parkersburg, West Virginia is the central city of the Mid-Ohio Valley. Located on the western border of the state at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers, Parkersburg is home to the U.S. Bureau of Public Debt, and is considered the U.S. Savings Bond Capital of the nation.
The City of Parkersburg Consolidated Plan is a needs-driven document which presents a strategic plan for housing and community development. It includes the One-Year Action Plan for spending approximately $1,645,00 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds to address the housing, social, economic and infrastructure needs of the community.
The City of Parkersburg's Development Department was responsible for meeting with and gaining input from diverse groups of public and private organizations and the general public to help identify the needs of the community and develop ways to meets those needs. In addition, the Parkersburg Housing Authority, which administers public housing programs in the City, as well as an eight county region, provided information and comments from their Resident Advisory Council.
Prior to the development of the Plan, representatives from the Development
Department met individually with 25 public and private organizations dealing in
a wide variety of human service, housing and special needs. In addition, the
City held a series of three public hearings on different days and at different
locations throughout the City to gain the input of citizens. On January 5,
1995, the Plan was published and put on display for 30 days at four location to
solicit public comment. On January 12, 1995, another public hearing was held to
solicit comments regarding the Plan. The Plan was then approved by Parkersburg
City Council on February 14, 1995.
The City of Parkersburg is the central city of the Parkersburg-Marietta Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the counties of Wood and Wirt in West Virginia and Washington County in Ohio. Together, these counties and the surrounding area make up the Mid-Ohio Valley. Over the past 30 years, the City's population has declined due to social and economic forces. In 1960, Parkersburg enjoyed an all-time high population of 44,797. By 1990, population has declined by 24 percent to 33,862. Parkersburg's minority population accounts for only 2.3 percent of its overall population. There area four Census Tracts/Block Groups which are considered to have minority concentrations, as they have above a 2.3 percent minority population.
In 1994, the Median Family Income (MFI) in Parkersburg for a four person
family was $24,250. Using HUD criteria, 44.93 percent of the City's residents
have been identified as low to moderate income residents. Three of the City's 17
Census Tracts (13 Block Groups) have concentrations of low to moderate income
persons as defined by HUD, meaning more than 51 percent of the residents are of
low to moderate income. Six additional Census Tract/Block groups have low/mod
concentration above 44.93 percent, but below 51 percent. Only one Census Tract,
(7.01) has both a low/mod and minority concentration. Despite a 15 percent
decrease in population between 1980 and 1990, the number of persons living in
poverty has increased by 12 percent, from 5,607 to 6,308, nearly half of whom
live in female-headed households. The unemployment rate in the
Parkersburg/Marietta MSA was 6.2 in December, 1994, well below the 8.1 rate in
December, 1993, and also well below the state unemployment rate of 8.4.
Map 1 shows low/mod
concentrations while Map 2 shows low/mod and minority concentrations.
Map 3 outlines the unemployment on the City and
Map 4 shows low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and
proposed HUD funded project(s).
The City of Parkersburg and Wood County have traditionally fared better economically than the state of West Virginia as a whole. The presence of federal, state, county and municipal employment within the City, as well as its predominance as the location for financial institutions and professional offices, has lead to a relatively stable economic base for the City. However, the City also has a higher percentage of lower income households due primarily to out-migration of upper income residents to newer, more affluent subdivisions outside the corporate limit. Other contributing factors include an increasingly elderly population within the City with fixed incomes; the substitution of higher- paying manufacturing jobs with lower-paying service-oriented jobs; and the attraction of the City to lower income families due the fact most government and social service agencies are located in Parkersburg, making it more convenient.
Parkersburg's overall housing needs include providing decent, safe and affordable housing to low to moderate income residents by improving the current housing stock of the City, improving the condition and availability of affordable rental property, and providing the City's homeless with safe shelter while providing the necessary services and facilities to allow them to once again have homes of their own.
There are currently 144 public housing units in Parkersburg, although there is a waiting list for the units, especially among small families. Of the 46 families on the waiting list in October, 1994, 37 were small families. There is also a waiting list of more than 200 for Section 8 rental assistance, despite the fact 700 families currently receive Section 8 assistance.
There are both opportunities and constraints in the city's housing market. While more than 955 of the vacant housing units for sale or rent are affordable to families with 50-80 percent of the MFI, approximately 20 percent of those units have been identified as needing rehabilitation. This may be partially due to age, as more than 566 percent of the City's 16,184 housing units were built prior to 1960.
Of the 9,081 owner-occupied housing units in Parkersburg, 79 percent are considered to be affordable to low income households. Of the 304 total units vacant for sale, 251 are affordable to households with less than 80 percent MFI. Of those, 28 percent are affordable to households with incomes less than 30 percent of median (extremely low income families).
Of the 681 rental units vacant for rent in 1990, 98 percent were affordable to low income households (at or below 80 percent of median). Only 27 percent of those were affordable to extremely low income households. Approximately 24 percent of the units affordable to low income households had three or more bedrooms, while 76 percent had two or fewer bedrooms.
The City has found that 65 percent of extremely low income and 47 percent of all other low income households have housing problems. The same number are cost burdened, paying more than 30 percent of their gross annual income on housing expenses. Some 65 percent of extremely low income households pay in excess of 50 of their income on housing expenses, though only 13 percent of low income households pay in excess of 50 percent of their income on housing.
The 1990 Census indicated only five homeless persons were located in Parkersburg. However, this information was based upon Shelter and Street Enumeration and Special Plan Enumeration Nights on a Spring day, and are not considered reflective of the homeless situation over the course of a year.
The City has four primary homeless facilities: The Salvation Army, which operates an emergency nighttime shelter, Western District Guidance Center's Day Break house, which provides the homeless with a place to go and some services during the day, the Family Crisis Intervention Center, a regional domestic violence facility serving six counties, and the Mid-Ohio Valley Fellowship Home, which provides transitional living facilities for substance abusers.
Data provided by these facilities indicate a total of 289 persons were served by the Salvation Army, 211 by Daybreak (many of whom were also served by the Salvation Army) 656 at the Family Crisis Intervention Center. The Fellowship Home served an average of 10 clients per week.
The Parkersburg Housing Authority administers the City's public and assisted housing programs
There are currently 144 public housing units in Parkersburg, although there is a waiting list for the units, especially among small families. Of the 46 families on the waiting list in October, 1994, 37 were small families. There is also a waiting list of more than 200 for Section 8 rental assistance, despite the fact 700 families currently receive Section 8 assistance.
An on-going maintenance program has helped the PHA prevent deterioration of their housing units. There is a need for additional units, as evidenced by the waiting lists.
There is also a need for supportive housing, especially for the frail elderly and those with physical handicaps. A recently-announced Section 202 project in South Parkersburg will provide 20 units for the elderly.
There does not appear to be any outward impediments to affordable housing in either the real estate or banking fields. in the private sector, there perhaps needs to be more information and technical assistance given to those individuals who pursue residential activities. in the public sector, there does not appear to be any problems in relation to city policy and there appears to be a wide variety of agencies who have the capacity to provide affordable housing; however, there needs to be a more coordinated effort between the city and its agencies. It is important to note that while there is ample zoning for multi-family housing, there is in fact a shortage of multi-family housing that is in HQS condition.
The City does not appear to have land use policies which have an adverse effect on housing. The Housing Division has implemented policies to promote fair housing including: recording recipients of federal funds who are in protected classes to determine performance levels; provide deferred loans, in addition to low-interest loans, to benefit a greater number of households; conducting a fair housing program and speaking to the media about fair housing issues during Fair Housing Month each April.
The city currently has no special equipment for identifying lead-based paint hazards. The city does provide rehabilitation loan recipients with information regarding the potential for lead-based paint and the hazards it may pose. Funding for abatement is also available. The city will also be working with the local health department and board of education on an outreach program concerning lead-based paint hazards.
Of primary importance is increasing and enhancing access to economic opportunity. This includes developing adequate sites and building for industrial growth, redeveloping deteriorated neighborhoods to make them viable and integral parts of the community, and improve the "quality of life" for all residents.
Strategies include utility systems and street improvements in residential neighborhoods, in conjunction with promotion of the City's housing program, to revitalize neighborhoods; promotion of Corridor D, a Route 50 by-pas which will increase developable land; work on an industrial park south of the City; assistance in locating a computer/vocational training center of the local branch of West Virginia University to downtown to improve access; provision of funds for a new youth recreation facility in south Parkersburg, and financing for a master plan to improve the City's parks. Also undertaken has been a feasibility study of a possible new civic center and continued support for private investments in the city.
Parkersburg is assisting in several efforts at improved coordination of
services. As mentioned above, the city met with many diverse groups and
organizations in the development of its plan. In addition, the City has
provided assistance in a COMPASS program, a community-wide needs assessment
which was recently completed. The city also has representation on a
newly-formed Family Resource Network, an effort started at the state level to
provide coordination among human service agencies. The FRN attempts to create
collaboration and partnerships among various agencies to prevent duplication of
efforts and help overcome gaps in services.
The City's goals are to pursue quality employment and income opportunities over the long term, promote the improvement of neighborhoods both physically and socially, and provide the means to improve affordable housing throughout the City of Parkersburg.
Specific objectives include developing an industrial park and speculative buildings to increase investment; promote the development of tourism, including improvements to Blennerhassett Island Historic State Park; promote the completion of the Corridor D bypass; increase capital investment in distressed neighborhoods; develop a public spatial design; provide for job training and basic education; promote safer, crime-free neighborhood environments; improve the human service delivery mechanism; improve the community's infrastructure, including water and sewer lines, streets and drainage problems.
Meeting all of these goals and objectives is by no means easy, nor inexpensive. It is estimated completing all portions of the specific projects needed to meet the intended objectives will cost in excess of $57 million, a tall task for a community with an annual general fund budget of approximately $14 million and a federal entitlement of approximately $1.4 million.
Housing priorities include continuation and expansion of owner-occupied rehabilitation programs; increasing tenant-based rental assistance, especially for special needs groups; provision of support facilities and services for the homeless; provision of a construction assistance program to assist in the creation of owner-occupied housing units affordable to low income households; provision of a homebuyer assistance program to provide housing opportunities to first-time low income homebuyers; continued provision of a new construction program through a Community Housing Development Organization to provide affordable owner-occupied housing in target, low income neighborhoods; and continuation and expansion of a rental rehabilitation program.
Non-housing community improvement priorities include improvements to the community's infrastructure, primarily unsewered areas, correction of water system deficiencies and deficient storm sewers; improvements to streets and accessways; improvements to increase the accessibility of public facilities to people with disabilities; increased industrial and commercial property development; pursuit of additional tourism and recreational facilities, in addition to the improvement of existing opportunities; consolidation and coordination of service delivery systems; and provision of improved community policing and public safety programs.
The City of Parkersburg Anti-Poverty strategy realizes the importance of providing economic and financial opportunity to overcome the incidence of poverty. However, it also realizes the need for short-term improvements to provide sustainability until financial independence can be achieved.
The city plans to restrict its public service distribution to those areas with high incidence of poverty, confine its housing and redevelopment programs to geographic areas which will impact the social dynamic, and insist upon the effective and efficient coordination of resources within the service delivery system.
The City also realizes it cannot, by itself, effectively combat the conditions which create poverty; however, we will seek to maximize our efforts at combating poverty by assisting those other organizations which deal with poverty-related issues and maximizing the use of City funds by using local funds to leverage state and federal funding where possible.
The primary resource used in meeting the community's housing and community development needs is the City's annual entitlement of Community Development Block Grant funds. The city receives approximately $1.4 million per year in CDBG funding. The city has also requested approval of a HOME consortium between the City and Wood County, though the level of funding the City may receive has not yet been determined. The City has applied for and received an Emergency Shelters Grant of $45,000 to assist the Family Crisis Intervention Center and a Supportive Housing grant for $80,000 to assist the Peer Support Project, which assists mental health clients. As mentioned above, the City will benefit from a Section 202 project sponsored by the Human Resources and Development foundation. The City, through the Parkersburg Housing Authority, also receives Section 8 assistance.
The City additionally plans to apply for funds from the West Virginia Infrastructure Council to extend water service to a proposed industrial park. Through a state grant, the city has created and maintains a historic rehabilitation program.
The City will work with the Parkersburg Housing Authority and Neighbor Helping Neighbor,(a private, non-profit CHDO) to implement its strategic housing plans. Other agencies with involvement in any aspect of the City's plans will also be included. Working through the Wood County FRN, the city hopes to eliminate service delivery overlaps wherever possible.
The City will also continue its strong partnership with West Virginia
University- Parkersburg and the state of West Virginia in meeting the
non-housing community development needs of the City, and will actively seek out
new partners where appropriate.
The City of Parkersburg One-Year Action Plan outlines the proposed use of $1.425 million in CDBG funds, plus program income. The funds will be spent primarily on the following activities:
The projects listed above are primarily in residential neighborhoods. The areas are marked by either a concentration of low income households or a deterioration of the neighborhoods, or both.
The City of Parkersburg anticipates assisting 25 home owners through its owner- occupied rehabilitation program, and 12-14 multi-family units through its rental rehabilitation program. The Parkersburg Housing Authority plans to maintain the current number of Public Housing and Section 8 certificates and vouchers. The PHA will apply for additional vouchers and certificates. The PHA will also continue the rehabilitation of 20 owner- occupied units as part of their PRIDE home-ownership program. The City intends to assist Neighbor-Helping Neighbor construct two additional new homes for low to moderate income families.
MAP 2 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and minority concentration levels.
MAP 3 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and unemployment levels.
MAP 4 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and proposed HUD funded projects.
TABLE (without associated map) provides information about the project(s).
City of Parkersburg
Steve Brodsky,
Federal Projects Coordinator
Ph: (304) 424-8542
