^i W :
Study on housing loss reveals few
surprises for urban core
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
Last month
representatives from New
America, a think tank
that focuses on a range
of public policy issues,
revealed findings from a
study that took a closer
look at evictions and
mortgage foreclosures
in Forsyth County. To
no one’s surprise who is
familiar with the area,
the findings show that
the communities east of
Highway 52 are in dire
need.
The year-long study
that was part of a national
study conducted by New
America and coordinated
locally with Winston-
Salem State and Wake
Forest Universities, ranked
the level of housing loss
for 2,200 counties based
on their combined eviction
and foreclosure rates, and
overall severity of housing
loss. With a housing loss
rate of 4%, twice the
national average, Forsyth
County ranked 89th worst
in the country.
Between 2014 and
2018, 12,276 households
were evicted in Forsyth
County and 6,221
properties were foreclosed.
The numbers show 80% of
all housing loss was due to
eviction.
A closer look at the
data shows housing loss
is the highest in East Win
ston, North/Northeast
Winston, (specifically
the communities near the
Smith Reynolds Airport,
According to the study conducted by New America the communites east of Highway 52 are in dire need.
Photos by Tevin Stinson
One of many abandoned houses in East Winston. The study conducted by New America takes a closer look at evictions and foreclosures in
Forsyth County.
Lawrence 1 Joel Veter
ans Memorial Coliseum
and the fairgrounds), and
Southeast Winston. When
discussing the findings,
Tim Robustelli, a policy
analyst, said the average
housing loss rate for For
syth County was 2.6%, but
some communities in East
and Northeast had hous
ing loss rates six times the
county average.
Robustelli, after speak
ing with people in the
community and looking
at the numbers, said they
discovered that the driv
ers of displacement in
the area is a combination
of low wages, lack of af
fordable housing and other
factors. He’ said rent costs
have increased by more
than 5% while wages have
decreased for 30% of resi
dents.
“Rent costs have in
creased in recent years
while wages for about a
third of county residents
have actually decreased,”
Robustelli said. “There’s
also a 16,000-unit short
age of extremely-low
income rental housing,
which is a striking figure,
and projects funded by the
Low Income Tax Credit
and other affordable hous
ing programs cannot make
up that gap by any means.”
Robustelli also
mentioned that Forsyth
County has 1,524 heirs’
properties, the fifth
highest in the state.
Heirs’ properties refers
to a home or land that
passes from generation
to generation without a
legal designated owner
resulting in ownership
being divided among all
living descendants in a
family. This unstable form
of home ownership limits
a family’s ability to build
generational wealth. It
is also one of the leading
causes of land loss among
African Americans.
“There are a number
of issues around heirs’
properties related to
building generational
wealth ... it also leads to
neglect when descendants
of original owners move
away and don’t care for
the property,” Robustelli
said. “It falls into disrepair,
taxes aren’t paid and that
sometimes can lead to
tax foreclosures as well,
certainly an avenue for
further research.”
To remedy the issues
here in Forsyth County,
the study also included a
list of recommendations,
such as: expanding home
ownership programs
and affordable housing;
adopting forward-thinking
development policies; and
creating “neighborhoods
of opportunity.” The
findings also recommend a
national push to strengthen
tenants’ rights and
improve housing loss data
and prevention of housing
loss policy.
While the study and
the recommendations
are a step in the right
direction, until we build
sustainable communities
where citizens have the
opportunity to make a
livable wage, the housing
crisis here in Forsyth
County will only continue
to get worse, especially in
the urban core.
“Stable housing is only
the base for a community;
to really thrive you need
neighborhoods with good
schools, access to good
jobs, access to healthy
grocery stores,” Robustelli
said.
For more information,
view the report at: https://
www.newamerica.org/
future-property-rights/
reports/displaced-america/
housing-loss-in-forsyth-
county-north-carolina/.
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