Document Beaufort County housing element

[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]

Coastal Zone COASTAL ZONE
INFORMATION CENTER
Information
J

Center

Beaufort County

Housing Element

HT
167.5
.N8
D63
1980

COASTAL ZONE
INFORMATION CENTER

DOCUMENT

BEAUFORT COUNTY

HOUSING ELEMENT

Property of CSC Library

Prepared by:

BEAUFORT COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT

John Prevette, Director
Wanda Potter, Secretary

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NOAA
COASTAL SERVICES CENTER
2234 SOUTH HOBSON AVENUE
CHARLESTON, SC 29405-2413

The preparation of this report (map, document, etc.)
was financed in part through a Comprehensive Planning
Grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

PART ONE: HOUSING NEED

I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

II. FACTORS IN ESTABLISHING HOUSING NEEDS . . . . . . . . . 2

A. Housing unit supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1. Substandard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

B. Housing unit need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1. Households . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2. Vacancy rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3. Doubling & Overcrowding . . . . . . . . . . 8

C. The Role of Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . . 8

III. HOUSING NEED ESTIMATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

A. Regional summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

B. Analysis of need by County . . . . . . . . . . . 9

C. Beaufort County . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

IV. METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES OF DATA . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

PART TWO: HOUSING PLANS

I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

II. THE PLAN AND THE HOUSING PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . 17

III. LOCATING NEEDED DWELLING UNITS . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

PART THREE: HOUSING GOALS AND POLICIES

I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

II. GOALS AND POLICIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

III. APPENDICES

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE DESCRIPTION PAGE

1 Housing Supply 1976 3

2 Total Households and Low
and Moderate Income Households
1977 & 1980 5

3 1970 Vacancy Rates 7

4 Housing Need Analysis
Beaufort County 1977 10

5 Projected 1980 Housing Needs 11

6 Beaufort County
Low and Moderate Income Inventory 12

7 Housing Progress Sheet 22

PREFACE

Beaufort County initiated the housing component of its work program

in 1977. From the outset, its purpose has been to identify the county's

housing problems and to seek ways to solve them.

Like every other area of the country, the most critical housing

problems in Beaufort County involve its low and moderate income families-.
those who cannot adequately compete for decent housing on the open market.

There are two overriding aspects to the difficulties that such house-

holds face, here, or anywhere. First, the supply of housing produced

that is within their economic means is nearly always severely limited.
Second, when such housing has been produced in the past, it has been

primarily located in areas of concentrated physical and social

deterioration that offers its residents no opportunity for a genuinely

different and better environment. The proposed Beaufort County Housing

Plan seeks to address these two aspects of the broader housing problems

and to focus on a strategy for dealing with them. This will involve

the development of broad-based community approach, bringing together

many interests in the county. The proposed plan will involve the use

of many tools within the community that in one way or another will help

to facilitate the solution to the county's housing problems. Although

this document is the first official housing program for the county, some

progress has been made in solving some of the county.'s housing Droblems.

A great part of the progress can be attributed to the forming of the Mid-

East Housing Authority in 1969. Since its conception, 165 units have

been constructed in Beaufort County.

The purposes of this document are, first to examine the current and

projected housing needs of the county. The second, to explain the pro-

posed housi ng plan, and third, to present the housing goals, objectives,

and policies.

INTRODUCTION

'It is important to note here, that this s--;@v makes a distinction

between housing need and housing demand. 'Memanid" is an economic concept

involving the potential and actual buying power families and indivi-

duals as they seek housing on the market. "Need" is a social concept

and is concerned with the number of housing iinits necessary to provide

decent, safe and sanitary housing,,plus a reasonalble vacancy rate, for

the county's households. Need encompasses botl-) effective and ineffective

demand.

The format of this part of the report includes three sections. The

first major section discusses the factors involved in determining housing

need. The second presents the quantitive derivation of the current

and projected 1980 housing needs, and the third section describes the

methodology and the data sources used in somewhat greater detail.

Although the housing picture has changed for the better in the
County, there is still. much to be done to keep pace with the county's

growth, and to gain on its housing shortage. High productive levels

will have to be maintained; and that production must be aimed at those

segments of the population that need the housing. Whether this will be
po@@sible in light of program changes, or whether new means of production

can be found, remains to be seen.

FACTORS IN ESTABLISHING HOUSING NEED

With the increase in population and thus an increase in new hous,

formations it is important'to compare and monitor the housing,@growtb

supply. Two basic components of need were examined to derive the currei.

net housing needs. These were total housing supply and all households

Further scrutiny of these two-,factors resulted in adjusted or more

refined totals. The identification of the factors included in this

study evolved as the staff attempted to describe the housing supply

question within a social framework in terms of what is current and

projected to happen by 1980 within the county.

Such elements as overcrowdedness, vacancy, substandard housing con@.

s,titute the factors taken into consideration in analyzing current housinc

need. Extended 1977 needs, projected population growth and projected

households size were used in determining the 1980 housing needs.

The discussion which follows describes in greater detail the factorf3

employed in establishing housing need.

A. Dwelling Unit Supply

What is the inventory of the existing housing supplv? To pet an

aCCLIrate count of the number of dwelling units, the 1970 household

figures (also occupied units count) were used as a base figure.

SUBSTAND'ARD

A subtraction of substandard units from the total housing, suDpIv

provide what we refer to throughout this report as 11net useable iinits".

Table 1 provides housing supply data for 1977.

"Substandard" here refers to those umits which are dilapidated with

all plumbing and those with incomplete plumbing. The figures for sub-

-,.standard dwelling units were obtained from HUD and Mid-East Computations
using local Housing Assistance Plans. (HAPs) The estimated figures (2)

on substandard units are provided on the following page in the tables
on 1976 housing need which follows this report.

TABLE 1

HOUSING SUPPLY 1976

4,J

Factors of Housing
No. of occupied
housing units 120693 21444 30829 lt6O8 11524 11529 11759

Mobile 21108 364 $25 $74 253 377 215

Incomplete Plumbing 31307 415 804 498 518 474 598

Total net of
UReable Housing 11,494 21393 31r360 11684 JtM 11493 11376

SOURCE: 1970 Cencus 1977 Tax Records

B. Dwelling Unit Need

The increase in the number of households, vacancy rates and estimated

doubling or overcrowding are the factors of consideration in determining

current gross of total housing need. As mentioned earlier, 1980 needs

are based on extended.1977 needs, projected 1980 population figures and

projected 1980 person per household figures.

1. Households

The primary factor in estimating present and future gross need is the

total number of households. The Census defines a household to include

all the persons who occupy a group of rooms or a single room which con-

Stitutes a housing unit. Within this definition the question of re-

lationship is not a concern. The extent to which the private housing

market keeps up with this growth will partially determine whether

there will be a housing supply deficit. It is important to note,

however, that production of housing in the private market is not spread

evenly across the range of household income brackets. Housing being

produced today is largely middle and upper income in nature, as

evidenced by the fact that the average price of a new home built in the

county in 1976 was $31,000.

It may be almost impossible to draw exact cut-off lines for the

level at which households begin to have difficulty competing in the

open housing market. However, some rough determinations can be made.

@ Using HUD Section 8 Income limitations, it was estimated that all

households with an income of less than $8,000 were considered low and

moderate income households. Table 2 presents the estimated and projected

number of households in total and in the low and moderate income group

for 1977 and 1980.

TABLE 2

TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS AND LOW AND MODERATE TNCOME

HOUSEHOLDS 1977 and 1980

1977 1980

Low and Low and
County Total HH Mod. HH Total HH Mod. HH

Beaufort 12,558 6,288 13,333 6,653

SOURCE: Mid-East Computations

As Table 2 denotes housing needs currently exist primarily
within the low and moderate income groups since not enough housir-

units are being built to close the need gap, and the existing

units available to them are often of poorer quality. Conversely,

it is the middle and higher income groups that effective demand

exist, for these are households that can monetarily compete within

a diversified housing market.

2. Vacancy Rate

As defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development,

the overall vacancy ratio is simply the total number of vacant

dwelling units (available and unavailable) divided by the total

housing inventory. An accepted rule of thumb as to what is a

suitable vacancy rate ranges from 3% to 6% depending upon the tyPe

of housing and the kind of area in question. The overall vacancy

rate in 1970 as indicated by the Census was 12.2.

In general, for the purposes of computing current need in this

report, a vacant available rate of 4.0% is considered comfortable.

Within this rate such factors as mobility, up-keep,renovations,

etc., can occur. Beaufort County has a vacant available rate

of 2.9.

TABLE 3

1970 VACANCY RATES

PANTEGO 12.749

LONG ACRE 10.097

WASHINGTON S.289

CHOCOWINITY 9.231

BATH 17.537

RICHLANDS -18.214

73.517 divided 6 12.2

SOURCE: 1970 U. S. CENSUS

3. Doubling and-Overcrowding

Another important factor in determining housing need i.s

doubling and overcrowding. All families require a minimum amount

of space based on the number of people in the household. There

.are a number of ways to measure overcrowding including available

square feet per person or considering the family composition. The

method used for this study is the number of persons per room

measure. The U. S. Census of Housing states that any room occupied

by 1.01 or more persons is considered overcrowded. If this is the

case, there were 1,292 overcrowded units in 1970. The 1970 figure

accounted for 11.1 percent of the total occupied units in the

county. The,methodolgy used to calculate current overcrowded units

assumes that the rate of change in overcrowded units that occurred

from 1960 - 1970 would remain the same during the next decade.

Another basic assumption underlying the factor of overcrowding

is that it is relevant mainly to that segment of the population,

since better economic conditions facilitate a climate of mutual

choice about overcrowding. Moreover, this amount of overcrowding

is assumed to be comparatively small and on a temporary basis

realted to possible marriage, new household formations and the

factor of high incidence of mobility.

C. The Role of Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation efforts in the county for the most part have had

little consequence in bettering housing conditions. However,

there have been rehabilitation effort in Washington. The-:

relatively poor economic background of the county combined with

an extensive inventory of substandard housing are the chief factors

why rehabilitdtion effects have been meager. With these limitations

it is apparent th at more research is needed in this area.

HOUSING NEED ESTIMATE$

A. Regional Summary

The table below summarizes the estimated overall housing needs

and the low and moderate income needs for 1977 and 1980. It's

estimated that low and moderate households currently make up

approximately 83% of'the total county's housing needs, It can be

assumed that low and moderate housholds will also make Up the

majority of the need by 1980.

B. Analysis of Need by'County

Based.upon the factors outlined in this report, a county

analysis was made of total need for low and moderate income units

for 1977. Based on the 1977 computations.1980 needs were projected.

These computations and their results are presented in the followinIg

table. A more detailed explanation of the derivation of the figures

used is found in the following section on methodology.

The estimated need for 1977 indicated in Table 4 represents

new household formations, and update of overcrowding and the other

factors outlined earlier. As mentioned earlier 1980 needs are

based solely on 1977 needs, plus projected population and

household growth.

TABLE 4

HOUSING NEED ANALYSIS

BEAUFORT COUNTY

1977

Total Housing Need Total Housing Supply

Households 125558 All Dwelling Units
14,315
Undoubling + 1,002
Substandard-
Vacancy 4.0% + 422. 3,744

Total Need 13,982 Useable & available
supply (net)
Useable & available 10,571
supply -10,571

Low & Moderate Income Need Low & Moderate Income Supply

Low-Moderate House- Dwelling units occupied
holds 6,288 by low-moderate house-
holds 1970 6,949
Undoubling (90%
of total) + 901 Low-Moderate units
produced-since 1970
Vacancy 4.0% + 164 + 900

Total Low-Moderate Used & available for
need 7,358 1-m 1977 7,8119

Useable & available Substandard -35744
1-m supply -4,105

Low-Moderate Useable & available
deficit 1977 3,248 1-m supply (net) 4,105
=95% of total

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Beaufort County

In terms of housing, Beaufort County faces problems that are in

many ways characteristic of urban areas, but lacks the urban oriented

programs that could help solve them. For example, there is a limited

amount of demolition occurring in the county. While demolitions

reduces the housing supply on one hand, they also eliminate a certain

number of dilapidated units in the process.

The following table summarizes the extent of construction,

rehabilitation and leasing by categorical programs directed at the

low and moderate income segment. But, most of the units being produced

do not satisfy the present need for 3,240 low and moderate income

units. Because of the county's growth and sizeable number of

dilapidated units, need will continue to be in the low and.moderate

income range where it represents 95% of th- total county need.

TABLE 6

BEAUFORT COUNTY

LOW AND MODERATE INCOME INVENTORY

Public Housing FmHA 235 Or 236 Section 8

1970 165 n/a

After 1970 3S5 405 150

Proposed for
1977 61*

SOURCE: Mid-East computations 1977

Actual number allocated for FY 77-78

METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES OF DATA

The method of analysis used for this study can be describe

in the following manner:

1977 County Net Housing (Deficit) Need = (HH + 0 + V)
- (HS1 - (S1)
1977 County Low and Moderate Income Need = (HH< $8,000
+ 0 + V) -(1 + m HS 1 - Sl)

Where: HH Number of Households

0 Overcrowded of Doubled Households

V Vacancy Factor

Sl Substandard Dwelling Units

HS1 Total Housing Supply

1+m Low and Moderate

1980 County Net Housing Need = 75e - 80p (t pph) + 77n

1980 Low and Moderate Need = Same percentage of the

total need as the 1977 county low and moderate need.,

Where: 75e 1975 County Population Estimate

80p 1980 County Population Projection

pph Projected 1980 Person per Household

77n 1977 Total Housing Needs

Households

The number of households was secured by using the 1975

county population estimates and estimated persons per households

figures. Current persons per household figures were calculated

by using the 1960 - 1970 rate of change in person per household

for each county. Using this methodolgy, it was assumed that the

rate of change that occurred during the last decade would continue

through the next. if this was the case, 70% of the expected ten

year change wag applied to the 1970 person per household figures.

The estimated persons per household figure was then divided into

the latest county population estimate.

In computing households by Income for the low and moderate

segment it was necessary to convert all families and unrelated

individuals with income less than $8,000 to a corresponding

household distribution. Since "all households" were defined as

the sum of families and primary individuals, it was necessary

only to solve for an income distribution for primary individuals'.

This was accomplished by applying the percent distribution that

unrelated individuals in the low and moderate sector was of the

total to all primary individuals to derive the primary individuals

of the low and moderate income sector. Primary individuals were

then added to the corresponding family income distribution.

Fifth county census data was Used to obtain such data. It was

assumed the same pecentage of low and moderate income household

that existed in 1970 would basically remain through 1980.

Housing Supply
Total housing supply was derived,-.from the@ILT70 Census of Housing

using building permits and septic tank information.

Incomputing low and moderate housing supply.for 1970, it was

necessary first to determine the number of units being occupied by

this income group. This was achieved Simply by treating low and

moderate supply.as synonymous to low and moderate households. A
similar example often used to equate the number of occupied dweliing

units from the Census to the number of household heads.. While low

and moderate supply may not be a perfect fit to low and moderate

households simply because it can be assumed that a certain portion

of this group is "over spending" for housing., this reality would only

render the estimate for low and moderate supply as con Tservative.
Total low and moderate supply was updated by using the building permit

issued from 1971 1977.

Standard Housing
Counts of substandard units were obtainedfrom the North Carolina
IIUD Field Office. As mentioned @ea-rlier', s ub.,s.tand.ard units are defined

as those units which are dilapidated., with AII @,plumbing! and those,

with incomplete plumbing.

INTRODUCTION

.PART II

The Beaufort County Housing Plan addresses the problem of VrovLidling

broader geographic opportunity in housing for.all the county's families-

It recommends not only that the needed units be built., or rehabilitated,

but they be located in all areas of the county. to provide guidelines

to do this, this section sets forth a formula for distributing low and,

moderate income housing units throughout each of thetownships and

suggest sub-area goals toward which local communities could work.

The specific purposes of this sector of the report are:

1. To explain the components of the proposed housing program;
2.' To explain the allocation system used in distributing the needed

units as denotedin the need sector of this report;

3. To give number of units needed per planning unit by township;

4. To outline the goals and policies by which the proposed plan will

be carried out.

Although the County Housing Program will be locally initiated,

implementation will rely heavily upon federal programs. However,

greater local effort must be put forth and effective state pro-grams

must bestrongly encouraged so that the county housing goals can be met.

THE PLAN AND THE HOUSING PROGRAM

The major purpose of theproposed Housing Plan and,Program is to

foster and coordinate an approach to solving housing and related

problems in the county. The scatteration or distribution plan for

low and moderate housing addresses on one of those problems, namely,

the lack of geographic opportunity for low and moderate income house-

holds in terms of new housing production.. Its underlying concept

is that families and individuals of low and moderate means should

have some choice in selecting a place to live just as others of

greater finicial resources do.

The Housing Program.will be made up of a comprehensive set of

elements which together form a broad based approach to housing problems.

One of these will include efforts to involve the citizens and officials

of the county in th e program's activities. Another of these activities

will be the establishment of a network of communication and coordination

with other agencies and organizations in and outside the community that

are concerned with housing.

The whole area of communication and community liaison is basic to

the housing effort and it extends further to include public information

and technical assistance. The staff will respond to requests for

housing related data from citizens, officials, developers and other

local agencies.

In apeas of technical assistance, the staff will provide the

assistance required, or make referrals to the appropriate agencies.

The capability to respond to requests for data and assistance is

dependent upon having the information at hand and being able to

organize.it in appropriate ways. One face't of this is the compilation
W.of data from sources. such as the Census Bureau and loca 11 government

agencies.
17

Another is the collection of data through surveys, special studies

and the process of continuous monitoring. The latter will be used
partially in keepi,n&,,an up-to-date inventory of low and moderate,,_
income housing activities.

This information will be available in both written and graphic

forms. Additional material, ranging from Census data to apartment

construction, will also be available.

A major thrust of the housing program will be production of needed

units. This does not mean that the county will ever build, own, or

operate such housing. It does mean however, that the county will work

with interested groups in providing seed money for lower income housing.

1t also means, that assistance will be provided to those who actually

produce housing, thereby encouraging the construction of more units

under the assistance programs and making possible lower costs to those

households who cannot afford market rate housin g. These producers

include primarily the Mid-East Housing Authority, local municipal

housing authorities, non-profit sponsors and limited dividend developers.

,.Rehabilitation of the existing stock is also emphasized.in the

Housing Program. A major study on this subject is scheduled within

the next eight months. The staff will continue to encourage

conservation and rehabilitation where it is appropriate and to assist

communities that have an interest in improving older housing stock.

-The implementation of the Housing Plan for the most part will be in

hands of the county government. However, the Mid-East Commission will

play a significant role in the progress 6f the Plan through the A-95

Review process for federal funding applications. The Clearinghouse

Committee of the Mid-East Commission will review each application

for housing funds with respect to size, type and location, and

recommend a final action. The reviews will then be sent to,the

appropriate HUD office, where they are taken into consideration

during further processing. This system will be specially valuable
in carrying out the locational goals of the Housing Plan. The recently
established capital improvement program will also be instrumental in

carrying out the Plan and also with the coordination of Federal and

State efforts.

LOCATING NEEDED DWELLING UNITS

The heart,of the Housing Plan is the concept of expanded housing

opportunity it sets forth. This concept is translated into real

terms through the allocation or distribution of needed low and moderate

income housing units on an area by area basis.

The development of an allocation system required that some kind

of geographic matrix be devised to which dwelling could be assigned.

Although the matrix could have been constructed in a number of ways,

the decision to utilize township boundaries was based on several

considerations. First, boundaries tend to remain fixed. For most of the

county this construction promised to minimize the likelihood of changes

in the planning unit matrix. Second, and related to the stability

of township lines, a great deal of data USed in the analysis and

allocation process is readily available on a townthip basis. Third,

although political boundaries sometimes ro-present realcommunity

boundaries , often times, they do not. The pattern of development

spills over from one jurisdiction to another, and the "one-ness" of

certain city-township combinations is acknowledged in such things as

combined school districts, etc. Fourth, it was strongly hoped that bv

not separating cities and villages from townships that greater dialovlue

and cooperation could be achieved among and between them in solving

housing problems. (See Figure 1 for planning unit boundaries)

After each county was broken into planning units a formula was

applied to each to determine its projected 1980 housing needs. This

formula can be defined by the following equation:

Fair Share Equal Share + Proportionate + Proportionate
Share of Share of Low
County's and Moderate
Households Household5

Proportionate Share + Proportionate Share + Number of
of Dwelling units of Dwelling Units Planning
Lacking Some or all Within l.SO Persons Units in County
Plumbing in the per room in County
County

In other words, five different distributions were calculated for

each planning unit. These were based on : (1) Equal share of the

needed units; (2) Proportionate.share of all households; (3)

Proportionate share of low and moderate households; (4) Proportionate

share of dwelling units not having some or all plumbing; and (5)

Number of units having 1.50 or more persons per room. These five
were then averaged to creat e a composite distribution for each

planning unit ( See Table 5 for recommended housing distribution.)

More explanation may be needed of why some of the factors used in

the allocation process were selected. It was felt by the staff that

the number of low and moderate income households was one way of measuring

need, but it measures only overall need on an economic basis. Since

other indicies of need, particularly unmet need, could be considered

desirable,"the allocation system incorporated additional factors.

"Number of housing units lacking some or all plumbing facilities" is

used as a proxy for unsound housing. While this factor alone does

not describe the total picture in terms of unsound housing, it is the

only measure available from the Census Data. "Number of occupied

housing units with 1.51 of'more persons per room" is included in the

allocation process as an index of overcrowding. Few people, if any

would live under these conditions if given a choice. It is assumed,

therefore, that this factor describes accurately an unmet ne'ed.

It realized that because 1970 Census data was used in the allocation

process, actually 1980 needb may be slightly over estimated. However,
1986 population township projections, current population estimates,

and all other data relevant to any shifts in'population or changing

in housing unit conditions was taken into account during the allocation

process.

Evaluation of the Plan will take the form of using available data

such as occupancy rates, new construction starts, building permits

issued, housing loan made and use of subsidized housing.

TABLE 7

HOUSING PROC-@RESS SHEET

Beaufort County Units Counted
Needs = 3,307
Planning Unit No. Name 3 YR. Goal YR. 1 YR.2 YR. 3

Bath 760

2 Chocowinity 893

3 Washington 1,025

4 Pantego 629

INTRODUCTION

The third major section of the proposed Housing Plan deals with

policy planning. Policy planning is essentially a process of estab-

lishing ends, and determining the means by which ends will be

established.

The goals and policy statements presented reflect the commitment

of the Commission to the improvement of social conditions directly

related to housing.

These polocies are in reality the essence of the Housing Plan for

they serve as the basis for all housing decisions. Thus, they are

broad enough to give direction, and at the same time, specific enough

to facilitate action by the County Commissoners and their staff. The

Housing Goals and Policies that follow are imbued with the philsosphy

that the county must continue to aid families in their search for a

decent home.

SECTION VII

GOALS AND POLICIES

.The recommendations which follow are not necessarily arranged in

order of importance; however,-the numbered sequence does follow a

logical sequence to help ensure that programs are not developed

haphazardly, but rather can be implemented so that the knowledge

and / or facilities developed dor one, can be used as a building

block or stepping stone for the next.

Several key points previously made must be reiterated before any

action can be taken on the recommendations that follow. First, local

officials must recognize that a housing problem does exist. Second,

local officials must recognize that housing problems are not an

isolated condition which can be solved in apiecemeal manner.. Housing

is an indivisible part of the entire community fabric, and to improve

it, one must improve the entire community development process.

Finally, local officials must make a definitive commitment to im-

p.roving the county's housing conditions.

3OAL 1: THE COUNTY SHOULD INITIATE A COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING AND

MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR COMMUNITY (COUNTY) DEVELOPMENT

COMMENT: This recommendation may seem at first

glance to be only peripherally related to improved housing in Beaufort

County, but in fact, it is the most basic and necessary requirement

if all the recommendations that follow are to be integrated into a

.1ully coordianted program. Without a comprehensive planning and

management program, efforts towards improving housing conditions

,in the county will be piecemeal at best, and worse, conflicting and

@counterproductive..

Comprehensive planning and management is not mysterious-or overly

complex. It is at it's simpliest, a process whereby the county iden-

tifies its goals, lists them by priority, determines what obstacles

need to be overcome) or potentials taken advantage of, achieves

'these goals, devises programs to solve probl ems and take advantage

of potentails and opportunities, and monitors and evaluates the

effectiveness of these programs in terms of how well they are

achieving the goals. This process is sometimes referred to as

"management by objective" of "program budgeting It is simple in

concept and more cities and counties are etnbracing the concept

every year. But it takes professional management guidance to keep

such a program going, particularly in coordinating interdepartmental
Programs and in monitoring progress towards stated objectives.

GOAL 2: HOUSING GOALS SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED WITHIN ATRAM EWORK

OF BROADER COUNTY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

COMMENT: Part of the comprehensive planning and management process

or community process, if you prefer) is the formulation of goals and

objectives. Goals are sometimes established. as the first step of the

process, but it is frequently more desirable to first inventory

trends, problems and potentials in the community, rank them accord-

ing to priority importance, and then to formulate goals addressing

high Priority needs. Housing goals would be just one portion of the

county's set of goals. For example, a housing goal might be "to.

give each family in the.county the opportunity to live in a safe

and sanitary dwelling." Then, more specific objectives of program

would be enumerated to help achieve that goal, such as "to locate

available sites for the construction of low and moderate income

.housing or to remove or rehabilitate 5 percent of the county's

substandard housing during 1978,10 percent during 1979, etc."

Beaufort County has already taken a giant step in the goal

formulation process through the county's participation in the

Coastal Area Management Act Progtam (CAMA). The formulation of

goals and objectives by local citizens formed the basis of land

use plans prepared under this act. Specifically, the following

housing objective is stated in the Beaufort County CAMA Plan:

"To encourage the development of safe and adequate housingand

upgrade existing housing. Through this kind of involvement, citizens

are able to reflect on asic needs of society in general, and their

community in particular an d to reiterate those needs in terms of

community goals.
25

GOAL 3: INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDIANTION AND COOPERATION TO IMPROVE,
HOUSING SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED WITHIN THE REGION AND THE

COUNTY

COMMENT: Many public service objectives can be more readliy
attained through joining cooperative efforts between governmental
units and agencies than they can through a single effort, There
are two basic reasons for this: first, management and, service
exPeriences can be shared, and problems experienced by one unit
can be avoided by another; also one unit may have a special expertise
which can be passed on to another unit, Second) more and more
federal (and state) grant programs are requiring a regional approach
to the solution of common problems, which makes sense particularly

when such large expenditures as those for sophisticated waterwaste
treatment plants are involved where individual systems are so much

more costly and inefficient than a regional system,
In regard to housing, Beaufort County has at least two opportunities

to take advantage of intergovernmental programs. One of these, the
Mid-East Commission, has already been endorsed and supported finan-
cially by the county, This agency serves the county by assisting,

local government in solving the urgent problems of the region, and by

establishing a framework for coordination of local, state, and federal

efforts. The other is the Mid-East Housing Authority which assists

local government specifically in their efforts to improve housing.

COAL,: 4 POSITIVE STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO HELP COUNTY RESIDENTS
INCREASE THEIR INCOMES THROUGH HIGHER PAYING JOB OPPORTUNITIES.
COMMENT: It is a simple fact Of life that most substandard
housing, is a result of People living, there, not being able to afford

anything better.

To a large exten"'t',' housing deficiencies in non-metropolitan ma'r@ets'

are a direct result of low income and could be alleviated significantly

through a demand site program that would increase the purchasing power
of*the poor. The majority of the lowest income famili es who occupy

'clearly substandard dwellings, would thus be afforded.greater access

to the better quality stock. The poor who already consume standard

housing at the expense of seriously overtaxing their household budgets,

would be able to satisfy their other needs more adequately.

In other words, so long as a market (poor people) exists for cheap

(substandard) housing, that housing will continue to exist. Poverty

abounds in Beaufort County. In 1970, 24.9 percent of Beaufort County

families had incomes below the poverty level; 32.4 percent had incomes
below $4,000 per year, making it nearly impossible for th6 to improve

their housing or acquire better housing even with the help of federal

government programs.

GOAL 5: SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS APPLICABLE COUNTYWIDE SHOULD BE ADOPTED

COMMENT: Unlike zoning, which regulates only the uses of land,

subdivision regulations control the design of a particular piece of land

in terms of the design of roads, size and arrangement of lots,:'drainage

improvements and utilities in new residential (and sometimes commercial/

industrial) developments. Two purposes of subdivision regulations are

'to protect.the housing consumer who might otherwise be faced with costly

improvements to streets and utilities improperly constructed,.and to

protect the governmental units responsible for taking over maintenance

of streets and utilities through insuring that improvements have been

constructed to specifications.

Also, unlike zoning, subdivision Iregulations do not have-to be

based on a land development Dlan. Therefore, they could be enacted

at any time in Beaufort County. This is particularly important in

light of the recent decision by the state Secondary Roads Council

'that the state will not assume responsibility for maintenance of

streets in areas with subdivision characteristics unless those streets

ar'e Paved to state standards. Without the protection of subdivision

regulations, unknowing, housing con-sumers could be purchasing lots

and homes on streets that no one will maintain and with no assurance

of service. Although this is only one example of what can and will

happen without subdivision regulations, it well points out the need

for them.

COAL 6: THE COUNTY SHOULD INITIATE A BUILDING INSPECTION PROGRAM

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

COMMENT: Much of the substandard housin.q existing

in Beaufort CqunVy today jp at least partially due to inadequate original

construction. Pract.icda of unscruplous builders and developers who.

use substan.dartl mat,eriajS and building techinques are still very much

with us todav, ano the losers are not only the families who move into

a new house and find the foundation cracking or the floors sloping

after a year or two, but the entire community since these poorly

constructed homes of today are likely to be the slums of tomorrow.

The North Carolina State Building Code consists of five parts:

Volume I (General Construction), Volume 1-b (Uniform Residential

Building Code), Volume II (Plumbing), Volume III (Heating, Air

Conditioning, and Ventilation), and Volume IV (National Electrical

e - local units of
dode). The entire code is in effect statewide; howev r,

government,"cities, -and counties, must provide Personnel to enforce the

code. Presently, Beaufort County enforces Volume II azid Volume IV,

the Plumbing Code and the National Electrical Code. P lans of

commercial and industrial'buildings must be approved by the N. C.

Department of Insurance; however, this does not give any protection

to the local housing consumdr. The county should provide this service.

In many counties, the entire cost of a building inspection program is

financed with inspection fees. The only people who oppose a building

inspection program are the unlicensed contractors and fly-by-night

builders who are bilking the public every day. Farmers are not

likely to be opposed since the building code does not apply to farm

buildings (except a residence). Assistance in setting up an inspection

program can be obtained from-.the N. C. Department of Insurance,

and Training for inspectors is available at the Institute of

Government in Chapel Hill.

All of the N. C. Building Code program should be implemented as

soon as possible by the Board of County Commissioners.

APPENDIX I

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

If the Housing Plan is carried out the following environmental

impacts are likely:

I. Natural Environment

If the plan is carried out it is hoped that all the needed

dwelling that would require construction would be done i,n a

manner that does not disturb the natural environment. However,

some adverse unavoidable impacts could be expected. These

essentially would result when land covered with natural

vegetation is developed. As a result, no matter how carefully

land is developed some minor adverse environmental impacts

are likely.

II. Social Environment

The social impact the Housing Plan would have on the county

is paramount. One of the major problems faced by.the county
is its large volume of substandard u@'Its would give hundreds

of households an opportunity for a genuinely different and

better living environment.

III. Alternatives

A. No Plan: If such action wa s to.come about,@many of the
county's households would continue to live in dwelling units
that do not provide a safe and sanitary living environment.

APPENDIX II

THREE YEAR REGIONAL

HOUSING WORK PROGRAM

FY- 77 78

Major_Goal: To establish a county housing information center and to

establish communication with all persons and agencies

concerned with housing.

Objectives: 1) Establish County Data Housing Bank;

2) Conduct a Rehabilitation Study;

3) Develop close working relationship with all state

housing agencies;

4) Review and update numerical housing goals;

5) Provide technical assistance to local governing bodies;

6) Meet with developers, FmHA officials . financial insti-

tutions and potential sponsor of housing to discuss

housing problems in the Region;

FY 78 79

Major Goal: To educate the public as to the county's housing problems

and possible solutions.

Objectives: 1) Continue data collection for Data Bank;

2) Conduct an analysis of all federal housing programs

and document how they may be utilized in the county.

3) Continue to meet with developers, and others

previously mentioned;

4) Provide a model document on how to set up a building

inspection department;

FY 79 - 80

Major Goal: To continue with data collection and public awareness

educational programs.

Objectives: 1) Review and update housing element;@

2) Continuation of data collection;

3) Conduct Codes Inventory Study and conduct Code and

Ordinance Inventory Study;

4) Continuation of meeting with organizations both public

and private concerned with housing;

5) Monitoring And evaluate legislation and data related

to housing.

Work program may be revised and made more specific when deemed

necessary..

APPENDIX III

AVAILABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS

FARMERS HOME ADMINISTRATION

Rural Rental Initiated by private builder or non-profit

corporation- rental housing for rural families

with incomes under $8,000. No action required

by local governmenti
235 Initiated by private builder, non-profit corp-
oration, or propestive buyer- sale housing for

rural families who meet income requirements

described in Mortgage Loans and Insurance.. No

action is required by local government.

502 Initiated by private builder, Non-profit corp-

oration, or prospectiVe buyer- sale housing for

rural families who cannot get commercial loans
at prevailing rates and terms. No action required

by @ocal,government.

Mutual
Self-Help Initiated by family planning to build its home
with the aid least-5 other families- housing built'

in a self-help project by rural family who cannot
qualify for a 502 loan without interest credit,

No action required by local government.

Special

502 & 504 Initiated by owner-occupant loan's for home
0 improvements for families who cannot get commercial
loans at prevailing rates. No action required by
local government.

Int6rset-Credit Loan - Initiated by non-profit corporation

prospective buyer or family participating

in a mutual self-help program - 1) rental

housing built by non-profit corporation

for families who meet financial requirements

set by FmHA 2) sale housing for low income

families who meet financial requirements

set by FmHA 3) housing built in a mutual

self-help program. No action required by

local government.-

Site Development

Loan Initiated by local non-profit corporation-

developed lots may be sold to; 1) family
participating in a mutual self@he.lp project@

2) family eligible for a 502 or 235 home

loan 3) non-profit corporation eligible

for a rural rental housing loan or a 236

loan. No action required by local government.

MORTGAGE LOANS AND INSURANCE

236 Initiated by non-profit Corporation, limited

profit corporation or cooperative rental

housing for families whose incomes are

within 135% of that required for initial

occupancy of public housing. No action

required by government.

235 Initiated by private builder, non-profit

corporation or prospective buyer- SAle housing

for families whose incomes are within 135% of

that required for initial occupancy of public

housing. No action required by local government.

For further information contact:

Federal Housing Administration

Beaufort County Courthouse

Washington, North Carolina 27889

URBAN RENEWAL AND CONCENTRATED CODE ENFORCEMENT

312 Loans Initiated by owner or owner-occupant rental

housing or resident of concentrated code

enforcement of urban renewal area@ requires

workable program and concentrated code en-

forcement or urban renewal program.

115 Grants Initiated by owner"occupant- resident of con-

centrated code enforcement or urban renewal area

requites workable program and concentrated

code enforcement or urban renewal program.

For further information contact:

Renewal As@sistance Administration

1-1 U D Region III

Peachtree 7th Building.,

Atlanta, Georgia 30323

PUBLIC HOUSING

Conventional Initiated by Local Housing Authorities-

rental housing for persons who-are within

income limits set by LHA local government

cooperation required,o

Acquisition

Turnkey I Initiated by Local Housing Authority-

rental housing for persons who are within

income limits set by LHA. Local govern-

ment cooperation agreement required.

Turnkey III Initiated by Local Housing Authority- sale

housing for families that are within income

limits as set by LHA for Turnkey III. Local

government cooperation agreement required.

Leased Initiated by Local Housing Authority-

rental housing for persons who are within

income limits set by L11A. Local g overnment

approval required.

For further information contact:

Housing Assistance Association

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Region III

Peachtree- 7th Building

Atlanta, Georgia 30323-

RENT SUPPLEMENTS

2.36 Initiated by non-profit corporation, limited

profit corporation oi@ cooperative. Supplements

to rental families whose incomes are below

maximum income limit for eligibility of

public housing - requires workable program

or local government approval.

221(d) 3) MR Initiated by non-profit corporation, limited

profit corporation or cooperative. Same

as above plus tenant must 1) be displaced

by government action, 2) be 62 years old,

3) be physically handicapped, 4) now living

in a substandard dwelling, or 5) have

residence destroyed by natural disaster-

requires workable program or local

government approval.

For further information contact:

Federal Housing Administration

324'West Market Street

Greensboro, North Carolina
27401

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