Housing for North Carolinians: Policy and Action Recommendations - A Recommendation to the North Carolina Community Development Council Working Paper

    di

HC-80-01 Cut 6
February l, 1980

.:

Housing for'North

Recommendation to

Carolinians: Policy'and Action Recommendations

the North Carolina Community Development Council

Cut Six

This is a working paper for discussion purposes on]y.

North Carolina Community Development Council

;:H;;.#:::-
Ed N. Waren, Chairperson

Department of Natural Resources and Community Development
Office of Community DeveloPment

Eva M. Clayton, Assistant Secretary

: PLAINTIFF'S
E}ffiIBIT
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CONTENTS
PaBe

INTRODUCTI0N I

IEXI STRUCTT]RE A}.ID ABBREVIATIONS EXPTANATION 4

PART ONE

HOUSING DATA, PLANNTNG, ASSTSTANCE, AI'ID INNoVATIoNS

A comprehensive statewide housing plan and informational, technical,
and financial assistance are earmarked as key ingredients of senrice
from the State.

I.AHoUsINGDATAhASEANDPtANNINGPRocESs........

II. TECHIIICA], ASSISTA}ICE. . . .

III. TIIA}.ICIAI ASSISTA},ICE. . .

IV. INNOVATIVE AND ATTERNATIVE TECHNOTOGIES IN
HOUSING PRODUCf,ION AND HAINTENA},ICE

PART rtJO
rAIR }IOUSING

Both the "Eaw of the Land" and the North Carolina General Statutes
guarantee fair housing aqd cerLain rights for landlords and tenants.

V. OPEN HOUSI}iG AND AVAILABILITY..

W. U},IDIORD-TE}{A}IT RETATIONS

PART TEREE
SETTTNG, I.MBItIfi, AIID PlrvsIcAL QUATITY 0F HoUSTNG

The cbaracter of housing -- its location, accessibility, en-
vironmeat, and quality -- relate directly to the overall
quality oi fif", as living conditions relate to a personrs
productivity, -,,*e11-being, and general enthusiasm for 1ife.

VII. HOUSING LOCATION, ACCESSIBILITY, AND RELATED

col8'ruNrIY rAcrtrTlEs.... .,--..

VIII. RESIDENTIAL ENVIRON}IENT A}'ID SUBDIVISION DESIGN.

IX. CODE ENToRCEI'IENT AND QUATITY 0r IIoUSING SToCK.

x. REHABIIITATIoN, REVITALIZATIoN, AND HISToRIC
PRESERVATION OF HOUSING AND RESIDENTIAL }IEIGHBORHOODS'

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27

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C0NTENTS (cont.)

PART TOUR
SPECIAT HOUSING TYPES

Certain segments of the population desire and need access to
special housing accommodations. Acceptability, Iocation,

. availability, and quality are important issues deserving
special attention.

XI. PUBTIC HOUSING. 33

XII. }'OBII.E AND MODIII.AR HO}IES 36

XIII. HOUSING TOR THE ELDERLY, HAICIICAPPED, AND IHOSE REEN-

TERINGSOCIEIY. O"" 38

XIV. HOUSING TOR }'IGRA}.IT AND SEASONAT TAR}'I WORKERS... 4I

Glossary. ..... 43
:

Information Sources.... 45

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. INTRODUCTION

Puroose

This is a resources paper offered for use in formulating a housing
poU"V document for N6rih Carolina. AltholBh alt recommendations are
tiruct"a to the state level of government, the document may also serve
;; guia" for the developmenl of positions at local and regional levels.

The purpose of a housing poUcy for North Carolina will be to express
tt " Strti's position as it-plrsuLs the goal of decent housinq for every
North Carolina citizen. tiis working Eocument, therefore, is intended
to serve as:

l. an instrument for focusing on specific aspects of housing yhiqh
affect tUe 

-aUiUtyl of North-barolina citizens-to acquire and maintain
decent shelter;

Z. a proposal for. action which will encourage -and.create housing
opfo-rt'unities which foster T.dgpenaence, rather- than-.perpetuate
diienden"t; ;;t citizens Uviig in substandard conditions; and

3. a basis for d.iscussion in the forrrulation of housing policy'

The purpose of this paper is not to document conditions through the.
use of statistical background materials. This has been done in'
n,rr"ro.tr pubucations piepared bV _t!9 Norj! Carolina Fund, Southern
Grortth poucies-B;;r,t,-thl formei office of State Planning_, the Office
of st t" Budget, if," Oi.,ition of Community -HousinE, th"- United States

C.rrr,rr, tfre "neier".frTtirngle Institute, and,a number of other- public,
academi,c, and private sources which are local, region-al, statewide, ild
national jn tldlr purview. The proposals of this document are con-

sistent with the stitus of housing'in-North Carolina as stated in these

sources.*

The Need for a }lousing PoUcy in North Carolina

Many problems afflict North Carolina's municipaliti"-q, - .communities '

"o"riti"r, 
and *rri-"rurr; they range flom inner-iity blight-and central

i"rir""C districl--deterioratioir to strip development - and inordinate

""rrrirptio"-of 
pri*" 

"g"icultural 
land. These aie problems of places'

Ottli-irt"tfu*t -rfffi"tirig ttle State range from underemployment and
p"""rty to Uaaequate h"ealth care and education. These are problems

Ii p""i,f". An-;il;J overrvhelming problem of both places and people,

which the State cu-iientty faces, ft-the inadequate housing of a large
segment of its PoPulation.

The base of operations for ma!Y- human.activities is the home' The

home is lvhere Lort North Caroliiians reside -- where-they plaYr--wo1k,

;;;-.i.up, idr"'f"*ifi"s, ana are sheltered from the elements' Whether

tion Sources on PP.45 and 46.

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oublic or private, single- or multi-family, large or small, the qualily of
[frir-pf""u 

-h"r a profoirnd effect on the tives-of peop_Ig awfY from home

;d'o1 the society to which they contribute. Warmth, dryness,
ctl*tirr"r", and ge-neral comfort ai this base of - operations the
frtr" influerrce"to a very large degree the quality and -quantity of
p""U"ipation- of People in .sotiety. It L whole. A child who shivers frcm
the cold throufh it u night witfr little or no sleep 

_ 
performs below

""p".iiy 
in icho"ol, and the worker who returns to clothes and beddin-8

aii,pu"ua by showers during the day- is -not afforded a comfortable
;;tht placl to regenerate ltrength -for 

_the next d1V.'s labor. The
q""Iii; 6f housing directly relates -to people's -productivity, happiness,
errthriirtr, and general well-being. Deficiencies in housing among any
segment of the population affect all residents of the state.

poorly designed and substandard housing substantiaUy .reduces a

i*ifi,r abili"ry to supply the necessities of life. A home with holes in
the ivalls anci roof of *itn Uttte or no insulation is very expensiYe to
heat. A home with no electricity or low electrical capacity usually. is

;;;;iy ut *a without basic - appUances. - When shoddy construction
Znd.l6r incompetent inspection brings added expenses of owne{9hip and
maintenance, the low-'income new -homeowner -suffers especially great
disadvantage.

There is a high incidence of substandard housin-g in North Carolina
ioa"V. 

- 
This frlJf, i"tu can be measured in a number of ways through

the 
-use of factors such as overcrowding, structural condition, and

locatioa. Most people are alvare of the frportance of havinF 1un$"q
water in the h6me. one method of measuring livability of dweumg
ilitr G by aeien"ining how many have complEte plumbing facilities.
According to the Cenius ol 19?b, ;sr - ilst-ance' there were eight
counties Iwnicfr 

-traa 
over 40 perceni of their housing without comp]ete

pf"mUi"g. facilities. In one county_ this figure reached 45 percent of all
it" dwe"lting .rrritr. This means ihat alm99t half the households were
without Saslc 

- -Xitchen, bathing and/or toilet accommodations.
iwenty-nine counties nia 30 pelcent o{ nearly - 

one-third without

"o*pf.t. 
pf"rUi"f. - fn"r" figur6s do not include migrant farm worker

f,Luii"g ,ih"r" o[tside "or*,inity 
watet'.faucets and outhouses are the

rule. It has been estimated thal some 300,000 drvelling -units in North
Carolina lvere substandard in l9?0. This is a substantial portion of an

approximate total of 1.9 million dwelling units in the State.

The vast majority of t.ental housing units- in the state are offered and

oirln"a by the piivate sectot'. Bu-t clearly- the private-sector, acting
,fo"i, has neJn unable to p.ovide enough standard low-cost rental
tr""iii,g. rrivallry' produced' housing "l+ will even be more hard

;;;;r"a to meet tire-needs of the lolv- and moderate-income citizenrY,
the elderly, .nd the handicapped.. These tanget pop:l-rtr_ons normally

are unable to pry ior decent'housing; the private iector is, therefore,
unable to p.o.ria!. The structure of the lndustry is ly"h that costs

have not been i<ept lorv because the industry cannot rationally allocate

i"na, in suffjcient anrounts to researcl and development. The State,

therefore, is cal]ed to nove full force to do all -it can to help in
rectifying these deficiencies '

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There are a irumber of deterrents to a successful housing progran in
North carolina, but three are most outstanding. onJ is lack of
knowledge a_bout Federal and State housing progiams. A second is
economic and racial prejudice. The third has io clo with the availabiUtyof Doney, what it takes to obtain it, and the overall cost of
construction. It is the task of the Community Development Council to
analyze the_ variables contributinq .tg these hbusing p-rofi; obstacles
and to make recommendations which address ttrJ titimlnation of the
deterrents.

The Relationship of this laper to the State Balanced Growth pou

The Balanced Growth Policy for North Carolina is a local investnent
s-trategy for- State _government. Through the identification of population
clusters with developqent potential, the State -- with the paiticipationof local units of govbrnment -- will designate growth ceiters where
financial investments will be targeted. Criteril . for this has been
formulate{ !V tte Interim Balanced Growth Policy Board. Designationis scheduled to. begin in_ 1980. The Policy will lead to a "jobs-people-
services-environmental balance" for North Carolina

In l9?8 the N.c. community Development council recommended a
proposed Urban _PoUcy for further study to the Secretary of Natural
Resources and Comurqnity Development. This document was prepared
with the help of nearly 100 people and has had wide circulation *itfrin
the Department. Extensive comments have been rendered to the
Secretery for his consideration. The proposed Urban PoUcy statement
could well serve as a strong: supporting strategy of ttre Balanced
Growt} Policy. -

It is the task of the Council to analyze all variables which affect the
North Carolina housing situation and to make recommendations which
can serse as a guide for State action in the pursuit of a decent living
enviroarnent for aII families and individuals in the State. A resultant
housing policy for North Carolina should be appropriate for inclusion as
an integral part of the Balanced Growth Policy process.

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V. OPEN HOUSING AND AVAILABILITY

Ayailqb-trity of open -housing for the poor, and for blacks and otherminorities, in many North carolina ciiies,'towns, and rural areas isconsiderably limited. Inexpensive homes originlut-gonitructea forIow-income blacks often are in a deteriorated conditi-on. Noraally, theonly. outlet for residents is where public housing-;;;d; have beeninstituted. Substandard houses ad they are vacated are sometimesrazed through urban renewal and comniunity developm"rri p"ogrpqs.often, however, _new poor black families ,oru into the old housesvacated by those being transferred to pubUc units

The.- a-v3iJabili^ty of standard homes for the poor often depends upon t1.eavar=l.abitity of public ho r:ing units in a community. hi"tih; Iists forpublic housing-'are usuauy vgly long,- and tropei ro. o"",ipancy areoften measured- _in years.- r[-e avlilability oi decent 
-rro"ri"i 

io"moderate- to rniddle-income people is becomi-tig more timited because ofescalating housing costs. That is, moderate-income people are UecomintIess able to move up to better irousing, teaving- fir"ii-.t"r"aara,-uu-tIower co_st, hou-sing_. availabre for rowei-income feople. irri, is oftencompounded_ by "redlining", unfair lending practices, and gor""rrrental
actions such as zoning.- {o" blacks and Iirdians tfru-;adla factor ofrace stands iD tlre way of moving into better homes. Th; forms ofdiscrimination in housing have become more subtle over tt 

" 

-y"""s 
andrequire greater resources to detect and eliminate.

Generally, . there has been limited activity at the local level towardsopln housing, due to either a misunderstinding of comp5cated federalenforcement requirements or a_.Iack_of sympat-hy_ 
"",o"i-i[u citizenrytoward fair hou_sing efforts. The "Law 6f ine iand', -dour guarantee

accessibility to decen_t housing regardless of race, creed, color, or sex.
Tr1" housing E the larv as rlquiied in Section tiog of ffre Cit it nighisAct of 1968. Fair_hou_sing codis, however, need to be 

"aopi"a and en-forced in North Carolinals munitipaUties ind counties. t'trrough newarvareness and educational efforts, the -public can become more rjceptiveto open housing, aLlorving for local governments to commit horeresources to insure open housing.

The Human Relations Council is committed to the promotion of equal
gPPortunity in housing. The New Horizons Fair Housing .Assistance
P,roject is being implemented, in cooperation with the DEpartment ofNatural Resources and Community Development, to provi<ie technical
assistance to communities that desire to 

- improve tlieir fair trousinEposture. New Horizons is a suggested way for municipalities 
"rrEcounties to voluntarily imqlement the 1968 Federal Fair Hdusing- il;.The goal of the project is "...to develop and implement communi[y-Gaefair housing strategies through creative use of ite fuu range of-avail-

able resources. tt

4 volultary agreement has been reached between North Carolina and
!I" U.S.. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It enablesthe housing industry, the community, and government to develop-a

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collective strategy to support Fair Housing laws, while providing the
housing industry with an alternative to government law enforcement on
a case by case basis in response to complaints. New Horizons is
designed to provide localities with the expertise and information
necessary to positively encounter both the pubtic and private sectors to
see that dl citizens have equal acccessibility to all aspects of the
housing market.

The State should encourage zoning, subdivision regulations, and other
local codes which allow for economic, size, and type diversity of
housing in neighborhoods. The vitality of the social and economic
diversity of older communities in North Carolina can be retained as
developers create multi-faceted residential subdivisions. Planned unit
development (PUD) zoning sometimes achieves social and economic
diversity, but this approach is yet to be practiced on a large scale
across the State. A number of social and physical problems -- school
busing, remote shopping and service faciUties, etc. -- could be alle-
viated by building more Uving environnients which allow for social and
economic diversity. For instance, housing financed by both the public
and private sectbrs could be promoted in PUD and downtown revital-
ization settings-

The intention of Federal, State, and Iocal governments has been tg
provide housing and services that would give disadvantaged famiUes thi
opportunity to gain an economic foothold and, eventually, move toward
economic independence- To achieve this, a commitment to the
construction and rehabilitation of more public units annudly is
essential. Central to the goal of economic independence is the issue of
equal opportunity. Racial discrimination and segregation along economic
lines must be overcome ,if lorr,-income families in North Carolina are to
have a chance to seek economic independence.

RECOi\OIENDED POLICY STATEMENTS

LE GI SLATI\TE COIIIPONEN T

The State will work toward the
cornmon housing goal of a decent
dwelling in a suitable living environ-
ment for aII North Carolinians (U.S.
Housing Act of 1949, as amended).

The State will promote the adoption
and enforcement of fair housing
codes at the Iocal and state levels.

The State will mandate the N. C.
Attorney General to revoke Ucenses
of brokers or salespersons found to
be discriminating in the sale or
rental of property.

Suggested
Departmental
Responsibility

NRCD
DOI

HRC

NRCD

DOJ

DOJ

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Suggested
Departroental
ResponsibiUty

The State will investigate reported
discrimination cases which jeopardize
free access and open housing, and,
where necessary, prosecute, and
provide HUD, FnHA, ild ot}er
agencies with information on dis-
crimination.

The State will explore means on how
to discourage rrsnob zoning'r and
down zoning which would jeopardize
equal housing opportunity.

- The State will show its commitment to
Fair Housing by implementing the
fair housing strltegy developed. by
the New .Horizons Task Force and by
recommending Fair Housing Legisla-
tion to the General Assembly in 198I.

ADMINISTRATIVE COMPONENT

- The State will encourage municipal-
ities and counUes to study measures
which could be applied to ensure
that when attracting new residents,
such competition for land and
housing will not force low- and
modera-te-income local people out of
their homes and the housing market.

- The State will seek to provide those
services or plograms which did the
employment of residents of public
housing, particularly female heads-
of-household, and encourage those
residents to develop pride in their
ability to support themselves without
public assistance.

- The State will seek to coordinate the
development of employment oppor-
tunities with the development of
housing opportunities desigaed to
provide an economically independent
standard of Uving for each North
Carolina farnily.

ERC

DOJ
![RCD

NRCD
DOJ

HRC

NRCI)

HRC
}TRCD

NRCD

DHR

NRCD

DOL

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The State will work to change
attitudes about public housing
through various promotional activities
including documentaries and
advertising.

Suggested
Departneatd
Besponsibility

ItsCD

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