1. Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
Sam Gannon
9/22/2018
Greenville County Human Relations Commission

2. Greenville County Human Relations Commission
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
9/22/2018
Greenville County Human Relations Commission

3. Where do impediments occur?
Public sector
Private sector
Combined public and private sector
Public involvement constraints
Visitability constraints
9/22/2018
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
9/22/2018
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.
9/22/2018
Greenville County Human Relations Commission

6. Greenville County Human Relations Commission
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.
9/22/2018
Greenville County Human Relations Commission

7. Greenville County Human Relations Commission
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.
9/22/2018
Greenville County Human Relations Commission

8. Greenville County Human Relations Commission
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.
9/22/2018
Greenville County Human Relations Commission

9. Greenville County Human Relations Commission
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.
9/22/2018
Greenville County Human Relations Commission

10. Greenville County Human Relations Commission
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.
9/22/2018
Greenville County Human Relations Commission

11. Greenville County Human Relations Commission
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.
9/22/2018
Greenville County Human Relations Commission

12. Greenville County Human Relations Commission
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.
9/22/2018
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
9/22/2018
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
9/22/2018
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
9/22/2018
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 list serve would allow members to communicate quickly and effectively with the membership
9/22/2018
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
9/22/2018
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
9/22/2018
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
9/22/2018
Greenville County Human Relations Commission