Housing & Neighborhood Development Annual Report 2022-2023

Housing & Neighborhood Development ANNUAL REPORT FY 2022-23

About Us

From the Director As Greensboro enters a period of explosive growth and development, the need for safe, affordable housing for all people becomes even greater. This year, the Housing and Neighborhood Development Department has risen to meet this demand in new and creative ways. We’ve built resources for people experiencing homelessness, with new emergency housing options. We’ve expanded our homebuyer assistance programs to reach more people, including public service workers like teachers. We’ve doubled down on efforts that help keep homes safe and in good repair, launching a free tool lending program and expanding our lead-safe housing initiative. We’re reaching out and working with the community like never before. And we won’t stop until every person in our city can rest well in a home of their own. That’s our promise. That’s how we’re building a better community.

Department Leadership

Michelle Kennedy Director Cynthia Blue Assistant Director Eunika Smalls Assistant Director

Caitlin Bowers Neighborhood Investment Manager Vacant Neighborhood Improvement Manager Larry Roberts Code Compliance Division Manager

Michelle Kennedy Director Housing & Neighborhood Development

Troy Powell Neighborhood Impact Manager

Index

In the Community................................................3 Supportive Housing............................................4 Neighborhood Reinvestment.........................6

Affordable Housing.............................................8 News & Notes......................................................10

2

In the Community

Building a ‘Neighborhood Hub’ Housing and Neighborhood Development will be among the first City departments to test out the “neighborhood hub” concept – providing government services within communities in partnership with nonprofits or other community organizations. In February, the City Council approved a resolution to purchase 1417 Glenwood Ave., the former home of the Glenwood United Methodist Church, to serve as one of these neighborhood hubs and a home base for HND. The two-acre property includes a 7,000-square foot church meeting space and offices. The property will need to undergo renovations before it is ready to house City and community organizations. As part of the sales agreement, the City Council agreed to provide four buildable lots to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro to build affordable housing.

Yanceyville Place Affordable Apartments Break Ground The 84 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments will be rented to residents earning less than 60 percent of the area median income. Ten units will be designated for families with children that are transitioning out of homelessness. This project is supported by $920,000 in federal HOME funds distributed by Greensboro.

3

Supportive Housing

Supporting People Experiencing Homelessness The City and its community partners continue to expand supportive

December 2022 adjacent to the Doorway Project at Pomona Park and consisted of 35 spaces for those who live in their vehicles. When Doorway closed in late March, Safe Parking found a new home at the IRC. White Flag Warming Center The IRC opens for guests to shelter in place around the clock on nights when the actual temperature, or “feels like” temperature, is 25 degrees for two or more hours. That is called a White Flag night. On an average White Flag night, about 74 people are sheltered at the IRC. Regency Inn This was the second year Regency Inn at 2701 N. O’Henry Blvd. was used as a winter shelter location. The former motel used 50 rooms to provide shelter for 64 people experiencing homelessness. The property is under contract for purchase by Step Up on Second, a nationally recognized leader in the development and operation of permanent supportive housing (PSH) projects. It will also provide case management and supportive services along with local resources to assist people and help them move out of the emergency housing system. The City has committed to fund services for up to 57 units for three years.

alternatives to sleeping outdoors for people experiencing homelessness.

Safe Parking Imagine living in your car and having no place to sleep at night where you and your belongings are safe from the weather and other people. The City now provides a year-round option for those folks in this situation, called “Safe Parking.” Located at the Interactive Resource Center (IRC) parking lot, 407 E. Washington St., operating hours for the Safe Parking are 7 pm to 7 am seven days a week. Twenty spaces are available, along with portable toilet facilities and handwashing stations. Safe Parking first opened at the end of

Here to Help

Numbers BY THE

PEOPLE PROVIDED SERVICES 6,383

PEOPLE GIVEN SAFE PARKING 64

HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVED RENTAL ASSISTANCE 711

PEOPLE PROVIDED SHELTER 3,273

PEOPLE MOVED INTO HOUSING 139

4

Doorway Project

Greensboro drew much attention from other NC municipalities this year when it built and opened the state’s first temporary structure shelter community called the Doorway Project at Pomona Park in late December. The Doorway Project is an innovative interim housing model, which consists of 30, two person, self-sustaining units with bedding. Two units were handicapped-accessible and restroom and bath facilities were provided. These units were disassembled in late March and stored for future reuse. While in service, 75 people stayed at Doorway, which maintained an occupancy rate of 92 percent for the majority of the winter.

5

Neighborhood Reinvestment

City Launches Community Tool Lending Program Recognizing the importance of homeowners being empowered to keep their property and community in good, safe condition, HND developed and launched the free Neighborhood Toolbox Tool Lending Center in May. The program offers tools and equipment for Greensboro residents to borrow and make repairs around their homes or neighborhood. Lowe’s Home Improvement donated enough equipment and tools to fill two trailers. “Providing tool access at no cost removes barriers to neighborhood improvement and beautification,” says Michelle

Kennedy, HND director. “Often residents can’t make necessary repairs or improvements simply due to the fact that they don’t have the equipment needed. This program literally puts tools in the hands of neighbors who need them most.” Residents fill out a request form to borrow items for specific days. One trailer

was recently used by residents in the Ole Asheboro neighborhood for a community clean-up project. “I don’t always have all the things I need to take care of my yard,” neighborhood resident Tamara Anderson says. “I’m excited about the program and can’t wait to see what it does for this particular community.” Neighbor Ladonia Black says, “I think it will be used and people will take more pride in where they live.” More info at www.greensboro-nc.gov/Toolbox.

6

Lead-Safe Initiative Spurs Housing Restorations

After

Since the inception of the City’s lead-safe program in 2022, Housing and Neighborhood Development has received more than $7 million in federal funds to reduce lead-based paint hazards in more than 1,000 homes. Exposure to lead can impair children’s health and development. The program provides grants to assist low-income homeowners with addressing unsafe lead paint conditions. It also offers free lead testing. In some cases, it has also inspired owners to do renovations beyond lead remediation. When property owner Laila Ganim applied for and received a grant from Lead-Safe Greensboro, she decided to renovate the inside of all four apartments in her 1967-era building. Lead paint remediation involved removing and replacing windows, doors, and other structural items identified as lead-based paint hazards. After that work was complete, Ganim said the quad building still appeared shabby. “It needed a face-lift….When the City gave me the grant, it gave me motivation to do the work on the inside also,” said Ganim. “Every time you do something when renovating, you find out you want to do more.” Ganim has owned the apartment building for 45 years. “Everything in that apartment building inside is practically brand new. I mean I changed everything. I’m so proud of the building now and so thankful for the City’s help.” More info at www.greensboro-nc.gov/LeadSafe.

Before

Numbers BY THE

HOMES MADE LEAD-SAFE 30

VEHICLE CASES RESOLVED 1,641

NUISANCE CASES BROUGHT INTO COMPLIANCE 3,259

DWELLINGS BROUGHT INTO COMPLIANCE 829

7

Affordable Housing

Program Helps Make Dreams Come True

Pre-K teacher and single mother Adonya Douglas was ready to buy her first home, but the thought of a down payment made her nervous. When she found the three-bedroom house of her dreams, her friend and Realtor Tran Nguyen suggested she work with Angela Whiteford at Atlantic Bay Mortgage for financing. Whiteford had the “perfect” program for Douglas – the Public Service Heroes Homebuyer Assistance Program, one of the City’s three down payment initiatives. “I was thinking I had to have a big down payment,” said Douglas. “Angela explained the application process for the homebuyer program and how much I would save. She told me what I needed to do, then she set it all up.” The program provides free homebuyer classes and one-on-one homeownership counseling provided by City partner Housing Consultants Group (HCG). HCG works with lenders and Realtors interested in the first-time homebuyer market, which is how Whiteford knew about the program, which was launched this year. “If not for the public service program, my new home wouldn’t be possible,” Douglas said. Before moving in, she brought her boys – Landon, 8, and Luke 4 – to see the house and talk about having their own spaces. They had always lived in two-bedroom apartments so her youngest had never had his own bedroom. “Luke was like, ‘my room?!’ It was wonderful to see their facial expressions,” she said. Douglas says public service workers are often overlooked. “To see that other people are looking out for us really means a lot. I’m so thankful.” Learn more at www.greensboro-nc.gov/ HomebuyerAssistance.

8

Homeowner Assistance Aims to Reduce Property Tax Burden In April, City leaders created the Low-income Homeowner Assistance program to help people affected by Guilford County’s 2022 property revaluation, which saw property values increasing 30 percent. Qualified households who paid a higher City home property tax in 2022 after revaluation than they paid in 2021 could qualify to receive a check for the difference. The minimum amount of assistance available was $50. The City allocated $250,000 for the initiative. During the program’s two-month run, more than 300 applications were submitted.

I love the place – especially with me being disabled, the problem I have is handicap-accessibility,” said Charles, a resident. “My favorite thing about being here so far is the accessibility to everything in my apartment. Like the bathroom is handicap-accessible – you have the bench that folds down in the tub, and then you have the safety rails to help you get out of the tub – that’s an asset. Like I said, with limited mobility, it’s all a plus for me.

Redhill Pointe Affordable Apartments Open

With more than 900 applicants, it only took a few months to rent out all of Redhill Pointe’s 84 affordable apartment homes, located on W. Vandalia Road. Twenty-one of the units are rented to households at or below 30 percent of area median income.

— Charles

Redhill Pointe Resident

The development, which opened this year, was made possible by a gap subsidy loan of federal Home Investment Partnership Act (HOME) funding by the City of Greensboro.

RESIDENTS RECEIVED HOMEBUYER EDUCATION 581 Numbers BY THE

HOMEBUYERS ASSISTED 76 84

UNITS UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR REHABILITATION 519

AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS CREATED

9

News & Notes

Tornado Assistance Programs

Recovery from the 2018 tornado that cut through east Greensboro has become a story of resilience, compassion and community. More than 40 local agencies worked together on recovery efforts, which, when combined with local, state and federal assistance, totaled more than $4.5M to restore east Greensboro’s landscape.

As of the five-year anniversary: • 54 homes were repaired at a cost of $789,005 • 35 sites of damaged and downed trees – most in Barber Park – were pruned or removed for $224,260 • 20 new affordable homes were built for owner occupancy at an estimated value of $4 million • The City acquired the damaged Hampton Elementary School and demolition plans are currently underway. • Additional American Rescue Plan funds were awarded for development.

10

Empowering Communities: Neighborhood Benefits of CLTs In Greensboro, the development of a Community Land Trust (CLT) has emerged as a powerful idea and potential tool for empowering residents, revitalizing neighborhoods, and expanding affordable housing options. This year several community information meetings were held to explain what a CLT is. CLTs acquire and hold land in trust while providing affordable homes to low- and moderate-income families who also agree to sell their homes to other qualified, low-income individuals should they decide to move. This perpetually fulfills the CLT mission. Individuals not only achieve homeownership, but the risk of displacement due to fluctuating markets and rising property values decreases because the cost of the land is no longer a part of the house price. Learn more at www.greensboro-nc.gov/CLT. City’s Pilot Receivership Program Deemed a Success Since the City’s pilot Vacant Housing Receivership Program has been up and running, no cases have gone to court. City officials say that is a very good thing. The program allows City staff to seek a court appointed receiver to repair housing that is in such disrepair it has been ordered repaired or demolished. Twenty properties were selected for this program in 2020. All have been rehabilitated by their owners and returned to the community as safe and affordable housing – before the City had to take the case to court.

“This pilot program has shown us owners of abandoned, dilapidated and deteriorating properties will bring them up to the minimum housing standards when they face the real risk of losing control of their properties,” says the City’s Neighborhood Impact Manager Troy Powell. Learn more at www.greensboro-nc.gov/ Receivership. Code Compliance First in NC to be Certified in Mental Health Training The City’s Code Compliance Division has been certified in Mental Health First Aid by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. The division is the first code compliance/enforcement division in NC to receive certification. Training sessions covered how to identify, understand, and provide assistance to people experiencing a mental health crisis or displaying signs of a substance use disorder. Code officers often come into contact with people experiencing difficult situations.

11

PO Box 3136 • Greensboro, NC 27402-3136 www.greensboro-nc.gov/HND