Agenda - 04-01-1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I. COMMUNITY PROFILE A. NEEDS ASSESSMENT 1. Current Estimates. Current estimates of countywide need are unavailable, but the Town of Chapel Hill has provided an estimated rental need of 2,234 very low- and low- income families (below 80% of the area median family income). The Town of Carrboro estimates 3,483 very low - and low- income renters, for a total in southern Orange County of 5,700 low- and moderate- income renters. The 1980 Census estimated that 37% of all renters paid more than 35% of their family income for housing.' Applying that percentage to the 1990 estimate of 16,156 renter - occupied units would yield nearly 6,000 families that pay more than 35% of their family income for housing. Countywide, only 1,190 total units of rental assistance are available, including project -based and tenant -based assistance, meeting less than 20% of the need expressed by these estimates. No information is available for families who meet Federal preferences for rental assistance except to note the waiting lists for existing units. The Section 8 waiting list is approximately 600 families and individuals countywide, and the Public Housing waiting list is approximately 250 families. The Town of Chapel Hill recently received funds to construct an additional 24 units of public housing, but that will serve only 10% of the current waiting list. The public housing waiting list shows very slow turnover, as many families cannot move from public housing into unassisted housing even when they are paying the full fair market rent for public housing units, since units are not available in the private market at rents affordable to very low income families. In addition to public housing and Section 8 units, public - private assisted apartments, such as Adelaide Walters, Elliot Woods, Chase Park, Gateway, and Coachwood also have waiting lists, pointing to the need for additional assisted rental units. In addition, Residential Services, Inc., the major provider of assisted housing for developmentally disabled, handicapped, and mentally ill residents also maintains a waiting list of persons with special housing needs. Another serious need in Orange County is that of affordable homeownership opportunities, which is described below in the 'In this CHAS, income expended for "housing" includes not only rent payment but also basic, utilities (electricity, gas, water and sewer service). A family is said to have a housing need if more than 30% of family income is spent on housing. Utilities are not included in calculations made by financial institutions to determine mortgage qualification. 3