Neighborhood Stabilization & Revitalization in Rural Communities NCLM 2016 9/25/2016 Neighborhood Stabilization & Revitalization in Rural Communities Marcia Perritt, Project Manager UNC-CH SOG Development Finance Initiative North Carolina Affordable Housing Conference Keeping Rural Communities on the Map with Affordable Housing October 25th, 2017

The Development Finance Initiative (DFI) NCLM 2016 9/25/2016 The Development Finance Initiative (DFI) at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government partners with local and State government to attract private investment for transformative projects by providing specialized finance and development expertise. Do we want to include more information here? List of staff, associated faculty, and/or areas of expertise?

DFI’s Areas of Expertise Building reuse and downtown revitalization  Master planning and execution  Community and neighborhood development DFI’s Services Urban Redevelopment Area Pre-Development Opportunity Site Identification Advise on: Public-Private Partnerships District Designations Neighborhood revitalization strategy

what we were submitting we would get a lot of support for.” DFI’s Services Pre-Development “DFI did a lot of the legwork … got a lot of the questions answered so there weren’t a lot of wild cards in entitlement. They had it all teed up … so we felt like what we were submitting we would get a lot of support for.”

DFI’s Services Pre-Development Opportunity Site Identification

DFI’s Services Pre-Development Opportunity Site Identification Public-Private Partnership

DFI Projects 2011 - 2016

DFI’s Services Pre-Development Opportunity Site Identification Public-Private Partnership District Designations Neighborhood Stabilization & Revitalization Urban Redevelopment Area Municipal Service District

Symptoms of Neighborhood Decline Vacancy Blight Perception Disinvestment

Rise of Suburbia Population Loss Absentee Ownership Economic Shifts Limited Resources Vacancy Blight Crime Disinvestment Inequality Heirs’ Property Poverty

Case Study: Mitchelltown in Kinston, NC 25% vacant 25% distress Perception of high crime Code enforcement violations Demolition of historic structures Visible from downtown Adjacent to river Private investor interest Lack of confidence

Case Study: Mitchelltown in Kinston, NC City & Residents’ Goals: Reduce blight, vacancy, and crime Preserve historic structures City Goals: Facilitate private investment Make strategic public investments Increase owner-occupancy

Long-term Goals for Mitchelltown Make neighborhood into an arts & cultural “destination” Catalyze reuse of historic mill and power plant

Developing a Strategy for Neighborhood Intervention Use data and mapping to understand conditions, challenge perceptions, and inform your strategy. Reflect on neighborhood/community assets, build on them. Identify silos, communication gaps, and areas where ”the system” isn’t working effectively. Elected officials, staff, developers / investors, and residents should work closely together. Start small and strategically – one block at a time.

Data Inputs Tax Parcel Data Register of Deeds Sales data NC Sec of State Corps Crime Code Enforcement Utility Accounts Historical records + Parcel-by-Parcel Field Inventory

City & Residents’ Goals: Reduce blight, vacancy, and crime Preserve historic structures Established Urban Redevelopment Area (URA), engaged neighborhood residents and support for strategy City uses its existing powers – tax foreclosure, repair liens, code enforcement – to address problem properties, starting with micro-areas URA allowed more tools to deal with “problem” properties and facilitate preservation

City Goals: Facilitate private investment Make strategic public investments Increase owner-occupancy Parcel inventory very helpful in informing micro neighborhood planning efforts Investors acquire and rehab 35+ formerly vacant homes Some long-term owners started making improvements City invests in sidewalks, streetlights, Riverwalk, and supports public art installations

Long-term Goals: Make neighborhood into an arts & cultural “destination” Catalyze reuse of historic mill and power plant URA and public/private investments send market signal that area is being redeveloped Zoning Overlay to allow for artist live/work space Power plant is acquired from City by non-local developer City acquires mill, in negotiation with private developer

Developing a Strategy for Neighborhood Intervention Use data and mapping to understand conditions, challenge perceptions, and inform your strategy. Reflect on neighborhood/community assets, build on them. Identify silos, communication gaps, and areas where ”the system” isn’t working effectively. Elected officials, staff, developers / investors, and residents should work closely together. Start small and strategically – one block at a time.

Marcia Perritt mperritt@sog.unc.edu www.sog.unc.edu/dfi