Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice

1. This presentation will probably involve audience discussion, which will create action items. Use PowerPoint to keep track of these action items during your presentation • In Slide Show, click on the right mouse button • Select “Meeting Minder” • Select the “Action Items” tab • Type in action items as they come up • Click OK to dismiss this box • This will automatically create an Action Item slide at the end of your presentation with your points entered. Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice Sam Gannon Greenville County Human Relations Commission

2. Overview • The Human Relations Commission has identified • Areas in which impediments occur • Types and kinds of impediments • Local strategies to overcome impediments • Recommendations for further research Greenville County Human Relations Commission

3. Where do impediments occur? • Public sector • Private sector • Combined public and private sector • Public involvement constraints • Visitability constraints Greenville County Human Relations Commission

4. Types and kinds of impediments • Most identified impediments involved one or more of the following: • Consumer education • Lack of affordable housing programs • Lack of rehabilitation programs • Low quality rental stock • Decrease in number of public housing units • Few emergency shelter/transitional housing sites • Low educational attainment • Inability of local government to address needs of population Greenville County Human Relations Commission

5. Identified Impediments • Lack of education in many issues of personal economics (credit and debt, their rights and responsibilities as renters, how to obtain a loan, budgeting their pay check and accessing public assistance programs). • Outright discrimination when seeking safe, decent and affordable housing. • Affordable areas often do not include fair access to infrastructure, including sidewalks, clean streets, police patrols, commercial centers & public transportation. Greenville County Human Relations Commission

6. Impediments 4.Subprime and predatory lenders rob homeowners of their equity and often cause foreclosure and homelessness. 5.Immigrants to Greenville County often face many cultural and language barriers when attempting to obtain human and social services from local government and when attempting to obtain housing. Greenville County Human Relations Commission

7. Impediments 6.People often cannot obtain a job that will pay a wage that will allow for better housing and public transportation does always operate on routes or at times that are conducive to working higher-salaried jobs. 7.The number, quality, affordability and accessibility of the housing stock does not meet the needs of residents. 8.There is a lack of funding for fair housing education and outreach programs in all parts of Greenville County. Greenville County Human Relations Commission

8. Impediments 9.Lack of affordable housing stock for people with disabilities and the inability of people with disabilities to financially afford to make improvements to owner/renter-housing. 10.A disproportionate number of persons receiving public housing assistance are minority, which contributes to segregated housing patterns. 11.Some people are resistant when minorities, low-income and/or special needs persons first move into predominantly white and/or higher income areas. Greenville County Human Relations Commission

9. Impediments 12.Individuals and families seeking fair housing are not always given every affordable option. 13.Minorities often have apprehensions about moving beyond their communities into more traditionally white or middle income areas. 14.Many owner/renter-occupied units are not properly weatherized, are not energy efficient and do not have a safe and decent heating source or funds to rehabilitate. Greenville County Human Relations Commission

10. Impediments 15.Some affordable housing opportunities in traditionally white or middle-to-high income areas are never made available to the larger population. 16.Lead paint in housing units creates an access barrier to low-income/minority individuals and families. 17.No multi-discipline fair housing review board exists to examine the wide range of fair housing activity in Greenville County. Greenville County Human Relations Commission

11. Impediments 18.The cost associated with developing affordable housing is often high due to delays in the permit approval process. 19.The higher cost of infill development severely limits urban affordable housing opportunities. 20.Urban areas have some of the highest property taxes, which cause many low-income owner-occupied households to become tax-delinquent and sometimes lose their homes to foreclosure. Greenville County Human Relations Commission

12. Impediments 21.Those who live in minority or low to moderate-income areas find it difficult to obtain gainful employment and conduct business in their own community. Greenville County Human Relations Commission

13. Priorities for Barrier Elimination • Home Purchase Assistance Programs • Low-Interest Loans/Grants for Rehabilitation of Owner-Occupied   • Provision of Additional Units to Serve Low Income Families  • Emergency Shelter & Transitional Housing • Job Training/Retraining/Enhancement Programs • Diversity Training for Government, Private & Non-Profit Agencies Greenville County Human Relations Commission

14. Program Recommendations • Help in Housing • Touch tone response telephone service that provides prerecorded messages on housing issues • Sample topics: how to file a housing discrimination complaint, how to locate affordable housing, what programs offer assistance for first-time home buyers, strategies for mediation, listing and call forwarding to agencies that offer assistance • English and Spanish Greenville County Human Relations Commission

15. Program Recommendations • Fair Housing Workshops for Landlords • A free quarterly, half-day voluntary training for property owners and managers • Topics: credit reference checks, fair housing issues, landlord/tenant rights, mediation and resolution, good practices in residential management, locating funding for rehabilitation, lead based paint removal and renovating for accessibility • Attendants will receive certificates stating that they attended the Fair Housing Workshop Greenville County Human Relations Commission

16. Program Recommendations • Service Provider Forum • A quarterly forum of housing service providers and local government • Forums would offer discussion and resource-sharing and idea-sharing opportunities • Quarterly newsletters distills ideas from the forums • An e-mail list serve would allow members to communicate quickly and effectively with the membership Greenville County Human Relations Commission

17. Program Recommendations • Homeownership Education Program • Program to teach renters the skills necessary to become home owners • Standardized and offered across the county • 24 hours of classroom and laboratory activity • Key knowledge areas: wise use of credit, the loan application process and closing process, home owners insurance and home maintenance • Qualified instructors from various fields and sectors • Classes are offered in both English and Spanish • Classes are offered in every odd month Greenville County Human Relations Commission

18. Program Recommendations • Neighborhood Employment Training • Varied, hands-on training program for low-moderate income adults • Training would include employment readiness skills, job placement, neighborhood-based skills training, entrepreneurial training, home-based business development, job counseling, workplace skills, workplace ethics • Qualified instructors from various fields and sectors • Classes are taught in both English and Spanish • Classes are offered continuously, five days weekly for four weeks each time Greenville County Human Relations Commission

19. Research Recommendations • Analysis and geocoding of Section 8 vouchers to determine whether publicly funded program locations contribute to a concentration of urban poverty in Greenville County • Analysis and geocoding of Mobile Home/Manufactured Housing permits to determine whether this correlates to and contributes to the location of non-urbanized poor • Examination of federal, state and local funding by census tract and an analysis of the effects • Disposition of small business loans in low-income areas • Distribution of high cost subprime lending activity (based on HMDA reports) • Profile of private multi-family rental housing for compliance with disability provisions Greenville County Human Relations Commission