FY2019-20 Neighborhood Development Annual Report

Neighborhood Development A N N U A L R E P O R T FY 2019-20

NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT

Director’s Corner

NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIP TEAM Cynthia Blue Housing Services Manager Troy Powell Code Compliance Manager B. Lamont Taylor Fiscal Planning & Administration Manager

StanleyWilson Director City of Greensboro Neighborhood Development

Thank you for reading the City’s Neighborhood Development Department 2019-20 Fiscal Year Annual Report. This report outlines the many achievements our department accomplished from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. The past year created opportunities for new beginnings, new programs, and new challenges. The biggest challenge came in March 2020 with the global COVID-19 pandemic. Our Neighborhood Development team rose to the occasion and worked diligently to meet the changing needs of our Greensboro residents. Our department helped organize and fund emergency shelter for our vulnerable homeless population, suspended interior inspections and civil penalties from Code Compliance, began conducting Minimum Housing Standards Commission meetings and events virtually, and created emergency mortgage, rent, and utility payment programs for those experiencing economic hardship due to COVID-19. Beyond the scope of COVID-19 assistance, we continued to exceed expectations in services, homebuyer assistance, and afordable housing needs. We are excited to begin the work outlined in the 10-year afordable housing plan, Housing GSO, adopted by City Council in fall 2020. Housing GSO will be the road map for creating and preserving afordable housing in Greensboro over the next 10 years. There are many more exciting programs and initiatives in FY 2020-21 that include a Vacant Housing Receivership Program to quickly carry out needed repairs or demolition of blighted residential properties, a new Lead Hazard Control grant that allows us to continue administering our newly branded Lead-Safe Greensboro program, and the beginning phases of Housing GSO implementation that include designing an afordable housing preservation fund. I encourage you to learn more about our department and services by visiting us online or calling at 336-373-2349. Thank you for allowing us to serve you. Sincerely,

GREENSBORO CITY COUNCIL Nancy Vaughan Mayor Yvonne Johnson Mayor Pro Tem Marikay Abuzuaiter At Large Michelle Kennedy At Large Sharon Hightower District 1 Goldie Wells District 2 Justin Outling District 3 Nancy Hofmann District 4 Tammi Thurm District 5

NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT

Stanley Wilson

The Year in Neighborhood Development Highlights from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 JULY 2019

Neighborhood Development began to administer homeless services contracts under the supervision of a newly created Homelessness Prevention Program Coordinator position.

AUGUST 2019 Public meeting held to present and gain community information for the Housing GSO 10-year afordable housing plan and the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Report.

SEPTEMBER 2019 Launched redesigned department website to provide more user- friendly access to up-to-date information the public needs.

OCTOBER 2019 Promoted its Lead-Safe Housing Program in recognition of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.

OCTOBER 2019 Housing GSO consultants, HR&A Advisors, met with City Council, the City Manager and key community partners to discuss afordable housing strategies over the next 10 years.

OCTOBER 2019 Grand opening held for Ryan Ridge, the frst

NOVEMBER 2019 Together with consultants HR&A Advisors and GCR Inc., the HUD-required Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice was fnalized and adopted by City Council. multi-family development constructed with 2016 bond money and low-income housing tax credits (featured in last year’s FY 2018-19 report).

FEBRUARY 2020 HR&A Advisors held focus group meetings with key stakeholders and partners to present and discuss the goals and strategies of Housing GSO.

A newWeb-based Code Compliance case tracking system was launched in February 2020.

MARCH 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted City services. Code Compliance suspended interior inspections. The Greensboro Sportsplex was temporarily converted to a 24-hour shelter from March to May providing daily meals and isolated medical care as needed.

APRIL 2020 In response to COVID-19, Neighborhood Development received $2,082,964 in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding from HUD. In addition, the City was awarded $1,880,847 in Emergency Solutions Grant Coronavirus funds in June 2020.

JUNE 2020 In recognition of National Homeownership Month, Neighborhood Development hosted a month-long homeownership initiative ending with a virtual Homebuyer Q&A with local lenders.

Neighborhood Development Successes

NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT

Housing Connect GSO

counseling 400

Down payment assistance (DPA) loans approved 324

Households received housing

Housing Rehabilitation

33

10

23

5

Total units rehabilitated $723,895 expended

Single-

Tornado disaster

Lead-safe and healthy homes

rehabilitated $409,815 expended family units

repair units completed

completed

$224,672 expended

$314,080 expended

Homelessness Prevention

94

Homeless persons provided overnight, emergency, and/or transitional shelter Homeless persons provided services (housing, supportive services – day shelter, 9,113 crisis triage, Housing Hotline, SOAR) 2,363

Households

received short-term rental assistance

8 totaling $597,323

$ 1,389,400

Service providers awarded funds for these programs

Spent on overall homelessness

prevention services

Code Compliance

2,061 Dwellings inspected

Nuisance cases brought into compliance 4,791

1,295 Vehicle cases brought

10

Structures demolished

1,030

into compliance

Dwellings brought into compliance

By the Numbers

Housing Opportunities for Persons

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

HOME Investment Partnerships Grant (HOME)

2016 Housing Bonds

Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)

Nussbaum Fund

With AIDS (HOPWA) $253,016

$8,586,126

$3,005,565

$2,195,579 $1,187,551

$190,509

Sonja had been experiencing homelessness for over a decade. She slept outside in tents, in shelters, motels, and at the Interactive Resource Center’s (IRC) emergency shelter during the winter months. Living life without stable housing was stressful enough for Sonja, but COVID-19 only made things harder. Sonja came to the Greensboro Sportsplex at the beginning of March when the IRC, in partnership with the City of Greensboro, frst opened its 24/7 emergency shelter in response to COVID-19. She, along with other residents experiencing homelessness, eventually moved out of the Sportsplex and into the hotel shelter program in April. The hotel shelter program is funded by the Neighborhood Development Department CARES Act dollars that helped hundreds of other people just like Sonja. In October 2020, Sonja moved into her own house and looks forward to celebrating the holidays in a place she can fnally call home.

Sonja’s Story

COVID-19 Response

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

*The CARES Act Funding total includes money received for other projects in FY 2020-21

HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION

COMMUNITY PARTNERS Central Carolina Health Network Family Service of the Piedmont Greensboro Housing Coalition Greensboro Urban Ministry Housing Consultants Group Interactive Resource Center Salvation Army of Greensboro Youth Focus – Act Together YWCA of Greensboro

**Rapid Re-housing (RRH) is one of Neighborhood Development’s

homelessness prevention housing priorities, and a proven method for individuals and families in need of permanent housing and support in remaining in permanent housing.

Housing Connect GSO

DPA HIGHLIGHTS

By the end of FY 2019-20, the City’s Neighborhood Development Department had helped with the purchase and closing of 324 houses. The Down Payment Assistance (DPA) program provides up to $15,000 in down payment assistance and closing costs as a fve- year, forgivable loan at zero percent interest. And the program isn’t only for frst-time homebuyers. Potential buyers who have not owned a home within the last three years may also apply.

• All 324 homebuyers were frst- time buyers. • Average amount of down payment assistance received was $9,954. • Seven of the homes

purchased were in City redevelopment areas,

Neighborhood Development led a Homeownership Month initiative and social media campaign June 1-30 encouraging city residents to look forward to homeownership. This year’s theme was “Homeownership means looking forward to...stability, community, good credit, and building wealth.”

specifcally Willow Oaks, Ole Asheboro, and Arlington Park.

Residents were invited to engage with Neighborhood Development on Facebook and learn about the City’s down payment assistance program, as well as some of the benefts of owning a home in Greensboro. Each week, a diferent beneft of homeownership was highlighted along with relevant resources and real stories from

homeowners around the city.

The department wrapped up the month-long initiative by hosting an online Homeownership Q&A session on Facebook Live to connect residents with experts who could answer their questions about the home buying process. This event was ofered in place of the annual in-person Homeownership Fair due to COVID-19. The DPA program is one part of Neighborhood Development’s comprehensive homeownership services under the Housing Connect GSO banner. Find out more information about Housing Connect GSO on the Neighborhood Development website. Find out more about our DPA program and available resources .

Code Compliance

There were lots of changes and improvements in the Code Compliance Division this past year. Here are the team’s biggest accomplishments: • Went live with a new Code Compliance Case Portal that allows you to fnd case information by searching property address, case status, type and ID number, City Council district, or date a case was opened. Search results include info about assigned inspector, case notes, and census tract. • Implemented the Good Repair Ordinance for Non-Residential Structures • Implemented a program to keep the inspectors safe with additional OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Inspector service areas now coincide with City Council districts so councilmembers and residents know who their feld inspectors are and how to reach them. In turn, feld inspectors now get to know the councilmember, residents, businesses, and neighborhoods in their respective district. New Resources – Self-Inspection Brochure , Good Repair Ordinance At a Glance See the complete Code Compliance staf list with contact information. Find your City Council District here .

FIELD INSPECTOR TERRITORIES

2

Inspectors assigned by City Council District 10

3

Nuisance Inspectors

provide relief for all districts with nuisances and vehicles

Housing GSO

PLAN HIGHLIGHTS

Housing GSO: Creating Opportunities to Build a Better Community is a 10-year plan we have created with consultants HR&A Advisors to improve access to, and the condition of, afordable housing in Greensboro.

• The plan was approved by City Council in October 2020. • Stay tuned for more Housing GSO updates here . • The plan aims to add up to 6,000 additional afordable

PRIMARY GOALS FOR HOUSING GSO

units to Greensboro.

• Provide afordable rental homes

• Reinvest in neighborhoods • Provide access to homeownership • Provide supportive housing

The implementation phase, planned to begin in early 2021, will address the creation of a preservation fund to be used to buy multi-family properties, rehabilitate them, and use them as afordable housing. The Housing GSO plan also outlines funding options over the next 10 years. Background HR&A Advisors began work on Housing GSO in May 2019. They were tasked with developing the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), the Five-Year Consolidated Plan, and a 10-year afordable housing plan. While the AI and Consolidated Plan are required by HUD, they also set the stage for the next fve years of funding priorities and housing goals in the City of Greensboro. Part of the process involved using local, state and federal housing data and interviewing City ofcials, local housing-related organizations, vulnerable populations, and community leaders. This process provided a meaningful path toward implementation and ultimately Housing GSO: Creating Opportunities to Build a Better Community. “We will work with our partners to help people understand afordable housing, who needs it in our community, and how they can help,” Stanley Wilson says. “The implementation phase of the plan is really going to be a community efort.”

Several public meetings and surveys were conducted to fnd out what was important to residents, and drafts of the plan were made available online and on social media.

Creating Opportunities to Build A Better Community

Housing Developments

Ole Asheboro City fnancing: $118,756 | Total cost: $356,756

Community Housing Solutions, a local Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), built and sold two homes in the Ole Asheboro neighborhood on infll lots to qualifying frst-time homebuyers.

Foxworth II City fnancing: $530,139 | Total cost: $1.59 million

This is a Greensboro Housing Authority (GHA) project fnanced with City funds, NC Housing Finance Agency funds and GHA resources. The 12-unit apartment building is located at 1506 Artic Fox Circle and is reserved for veteran supportive housing. The property is completed and now leasing.

- Development Department ofered a frst-time homebuyer’s program. She did her research, found a realtor, and started the process that began with a one day home buying class. The entire home buying process only lasted a few months, but not without some disappointment. “The frst house I picked, I didn’t get. I cried every day about it, but I kept looking. Luckily, the program makes you more competitive in the buying process because they equip you with everything you need…especially the down payment assistance.” Eventually Shani found a four bedroom, three bathroom house in Willow Oaks—a City of Greensboro redevelopment area. “I had several goals that were important to me. I went from being a college drop out to graduating with three degrees, and now I’m in a PhD program. But, more than anything, I wanted to show my family that it was possible to own a place we can all call home.” - Shani Gaylord had been on her journey to fnding a home since age 14. Not having a permanent address was a big part of her past, but she refused to believe it would be her future. In June 2019, Shani discovered that the City’s Neighborhood

Shani’s Story

Muirs Landing * City fnancing: $900,000 | Total cost: $10.79 million A 72-unit apartment complex located at 4803 Kenview St., was awarded City funds in addition to NC Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funding. Muirs Landing consists of one-, two-, and three- bedroom apartment units. Construction began in May 2019, was

completed in July 2020, and is now leasing. Developer: Afordable Housing Management Inc. Rents: $259-$740 per month Elmsley Trail * City fnancing: $750,000 | Total cost: $8.5 million

A 60-unit apartment complex located at 518-522 Kallamdale Rd., was awarded City housing bond funds in addition to receiving NC LIHTC funding. Elmsley Trail consists of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartment units. Construction began in May 2019, was completed in fall 2020, and is now leasing. Developer: MC Morgan & Associates Rents: $265-$750 per month A multi-family feature of the historic Printworks Mill rehabilitation located at 1700 Fairview St. Construction began on the 217 one- and two-bedroom units in September 2018 and apartments are now being leased. Printworks is fnanced with City housing bond funds and NC LIHTC funding. The 470,000-square-foot building delivers mixed-income apartments, interior parking, retail space, and self- storage facilities in addition to a wide array of amenities, including an extension of the recently built North Bufalo Creek Greenway. Developer: Alexander Company Rents: $551-$803 per month for units assisted with City and state funds; up to $1,376 per month for market-rate units Printworks Lofts * City fnancing: $1.2 million | Total Cost: $56 million

Richardson Village * City fnancing: $431,866 | Total cost: $3.12 million

An existing multi-family property of 24 two-bedroom townhouse-style units located at 600 Dewitt St. Rehabilitation began in June 2020 and is scheduled to be complete in January 2021. Developer: Beacon Management Rents: $591-$690 per month

*All rents are below 60 percent area median income. The rent ranges are subject to change by the property owners.

NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT PO Box 3136 • Greensboro, NC 27402-3136