!
Unraveling tl
doggedty oplirmstic. When he
_.litsi-iQQV.nmce, Cor petting *ays,
people told him he wouldn't be
able to initiate his plan of
developing more than 2,500 units
for low- and moderate-income
families. But since 1975, the city
has done just that.
Through rehabilitation loans
from the city's Community
Development Department, 1,600
units were repaired between 1975
and 1983.
More lhan 1,400 units have
been brought up to standards
during the last two years through
the enforcement of the city's
hoising code. Ninety-four others
we.e demolished during that
period, as were 20 non-residential
buildings, costing the city more
than $1 million.
lltliic in/Til
uuiii uiuugui mcu compliance
with the code during that
eight-year period and another 700
to 800 units were demolished, according
to a report issued by the
mayor's office. The city conservatively
estimates that it paid
more than $12 million for structural
rehabilitation during the
eight-year period.
As for new housing to fill emp
ty land that was razed in the 60s
during urban renewal, there is
some. On April 9, the city's request
for a federal Urban
Development' Action Grant
(UDAG) to build 100 low- and
moderate^income apartments in
East Winston on 12th and File
streets was denied. But plans for
the $4 million project have not
beenr att^recf, eiTy~offic1ats say,
and construction will begin in late
summer or early fall.
"Subsidized housing on the
federal level is drying up," Corpening
says, "but we've begged
borrowed and stolen to get every
unit we could."
City Manager Bill Stuart
already had anticipated that the
city might not get the UDAG funding
because, contrary to what i
others might believe, he says,
cities in other states are facing
much greater housing problems.
- ** Get ting - project* approved
throueh UDAG is comnetitiv* "
he says. 'They (federal officials)
like to hand out to cities who are .
really in distress.
"While we do qualify as
distressed," Stuart says, "we're
not as bad as other cities."
Like the mayor, Stuart believes
that solving the housing problem J
can't be left to the federal
government alone.
"1 see the state taking an everincreasing
interest in the subject
of housing," he says, "and, as
far as I'm concerned, we need to
Ho all u/p ran to niish th#? ctatp in.
to getting more involved.
"You can dream about it if
you want to," Stuart says, "but
the federal government has its
hands full with a ~$200-billion
deficit."
Last year, Stuart says, the state
provided a new revenue source
for housing: a half-cent sales tax
, revenue, which can pay off
authorized bonds or subsidize
housing. State law says up to 20
percent of the revenue generated
by the sales tax from each city
may be used for housing.
The Board of Aldermen agreed,
to use all but $20,000 of the
MC&,W0 maximum amoutrt-forthe
12th and File streets project
to make up for the UDAG loss,
says Stuart.
Another solution is still in the
planning stages. The city is studying
Seventh and Graham Streets
for more low- and moderateincome
housing projects, with
$657,000 of city money already
committed to^tne plan.
Mark Vieno, a Minnesotabased
developer and a major investor
in the proposed project,
recently pulled his financial support.
However, Brown says the
city began taking bids from other
potential investors on July 16.
"I feel like we're ahead of the
other cities," Stuart says. "We
don't say we have all the answers,
but none of the model cities Charlotte,
Greensboro, Raleigh
or Durham - can say they've
done what we have with the sales
tax."
Overall, a recent study recommended
that the city activate a
12-year program to create 3,200
r
4
ie city's housi
MMMtMMIMtMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMMIMIMMMtllMI
new homes in central WinstonSalem.
One fourth, or 800, of the
new homes are expected to be
low- to moderate-income housing,
says Stuart, and a close relationship
has been established by
the city government with the
North Carolina Housing Finance
Agency to establish new homes in
the Kimberly Park and East
Winston neighborhoods. Those
neighborhoods will be eligible for
low-interesi mortgage rales.
Yet another, unique solution
isn't faring very well so far. In
Alderman Virginia Newell's East
Ward, the plan of selling lots for
$1 is not attracting takers.
"People without homes have
not developed enough skills to
build their own homes," Newell
says, "especially inner-city peoT
I'SPOTP-""
siDiiuy 10 help qui people learnhow
to help themselves."
Why not train people to build,
Newell suggests, using minority
and retired developers and contractors?.
44 Winston-Salem's housing
problems are within the realms of
solvability," she says.
Even with plans for constructing
new housing units, many
residents of substandard housing
will still be without because there
are so many of them.
"After all we do," City
Manager Stuart says, "there will
still be ill-housed people, but
we'll keep looking for ways to
improve."
As long as residents occupy
substandard homes, many of
whom some city officials say
would prefer not to leave them,
~ E
s ' :y^M|
: ?
ni^i^H
13kSsM^zS^H
llltMIMMMIItMIIMtttlimilMIIIMmilllHIIIIIIMIIIHIIHIII
ing ills Fr
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establishing good tenant-landlord
relationships, as - well as local
governmental involvement, will
remain essential.
A major breakthrough m the
city's housing code was approved
by the Board of Aldermen on
May 22.
Landlords and tenants found
in violation of renting or occupving
a condemned dwelling -- once
they have been notified b\ the city's
inspection staff that the property
is unfit -- will face misde
meanor charges amounting to no
more than 30 days in jail or a $50
fine for each day the order is
violated.
On July 28, the board approved
a $173,000 budget for
relocating residents whose dwellings
violate code standards.
'^ Arrd:- im'"trite*-3" c??Pf
milted a rental rehabilitation proposal
to the federal Department
of Housing and Urban Development.
Brown says the proposed
project would provide funds to
stimulate investor/owners to
upgrade their property and provide
subsidies to eligible tenants.
Some landlords blame the
tenants themselves ftUTthe oro
blems and many of the tenants
blame the landlords for the conditions.
Vernon Ferrell of Ferrell Realty
Co. on Fifth Street owns and
manages a cluster of homes in the
East Winston community, including
four 8- ,12- and 16-unit
apartment buildings. He maintains
that his business has an
open line of communication with
Tenants and does its besT td Keep
its property up.
J
NPICONI
V**
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mid mi
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Hanas Mall: 768-9200 Shop Mor
Saturday 10
Sunday
1
IlllillllllllllllllllllllllllUillllllllllllllllllilliltllillllllili
om Page A1
it 11 H 11111111111 mi ii it it II 111111'i 111 HUH II 1111 II i II itii 111 it i
"Wc bieak our necks 10 do the
rrgtor thing/' >ei rell says " 'Vt'r "
pride ourselves in keeping our
properts above standard."
Ol all the problems he can
document, lerrell sa>s, tenants'
lack of responsibilits is a major
one.
"I've wanted the cits to set up
some tvpe of program to teach
people housekeeping management,"
he says. "I don't care
how modest your income is, soap
ana water is cheap."
Ferrell sa\s he makes it a point
to be concerned about his
residents and their surroundings
and sa\s his company isn't in the
business of feeding off the poor
when repairs are made to proper,y
"1 think the landlord has the
lesponsibitiXyTo make i he hohscv S~
flo?mode^i ii is, as?
comfortable and livable as nossi
ble," Ferrell says. "And, of
course, the tenant has a responsiblity,
too. We have a lot of
good tenants in East Winston
and, with any reasonable request,
they'll get what they want."
Brown says that, when
landlords continue to maintain
below-standard homes, his office
should be notified and he says the
same goes for tenants w ho refuse
to take proper care of their
homes.
"It's a source of continuous
frustration for the landlords to
keep up these houses," he says,
"and, if the problems persist,
they can pursue legal action.
"If the landlords would just L
take time out to work with their
tenants ...."
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The Chronicle, Thursday, August 9, 1984-Page A11
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