CHD: Doing its Home Work

By Kim Cassell

CHD: Doing its Home Work

THERE ARE WIDE-RANGING VIEWS OF PUBLIC HOUSING: WHERE TO BUILD, IMPACT ON SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS, THE DISPLACEMENT OF FAMILIES WHO NEED HOUSING ASSISTANCE...

The reality is two-fold: there’s a three-year wait to move into Cabarrus County public housing. And the last decade has seen new initiatives put into place to aid residents in moving away from assistance.

The City of Concord Housing Department (CHD) was initiated in 1956. It assists low-income individuals, families, the elderly and persons with disabilities in finding affordable housing throughout Cabarrus County. Angela Jones Graham has served as its executive director for 18 years – a job she loves.

Her duties are far-reaching, overseeing the department’s operations, administration, management, development and finance…budget, expenditures, grants, legislative changes, program improvements and expansions, and compliance with Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity requirements. She has a staff of 15.

Cabarrus County currently has 174 public housing units within four rental communities – Mary Chapman Homes, Logan Homes, Wilkerson Homes and Larkhaven – and 541 Section 8 Vouchers; the CHD oversees all of them.

Section 8 refers to the Housing Choice Voucher program, managed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program pays a large portion of the rents – called tenant-based rental assistance. Besides allowing the tenant to move from one public housing community to

The City of Concord Housing Dept. manages 174 public housing units in four different communities, including Mary Chapman Homes (Above) and Wilkerson homes (Below)

Photos Courtesy: City of Concord

another, monthly vouchers may be used for the purchase of a home.

“Section 8 also authorizes a variety of ‘project-based’ rental assistance programs, under which the owner reserves some or all of the units in a building for low-income tenants, in return for a federal government guarantee to make up the difference between the tenant’s contribution and the rent in the owner’s contract with the government. A tenant who leaves a subsidized project will lose access to the project-based subsidy,” hud.gov explains.

In addition, HUD and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA) offer a program called Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) or HUD-VASH. It makes available about 10,000 vouchers annually to eligible homeless and needy U.S. military veterans. “This program was created to pair HUD-funded vouchers with VA-funded services such as health care, counseling and case management.” According to HUD’s State of the Nation’s Housing Report 2018, “Rising construction costs, land prices and regulatory barriers have made developing new affordable housing difficult.

The low level of single-family housing construction and for-sale

inventory coupled with the rise in home prices places homeownership out of reach for many Americans. The increase in home prices also raises down payment and closing costs, which can be even harder to finance than monthly housing payments.

“Adding to the supply of affordable housing would help lower costs for renters but, for low-income families and individuals, subsidies are also critical for easing cost burdens and making housing more affordable. From 1987 to 2015, the number of very low-income renters increased by 6 million as the number of those assisted increased only to 950,000.”

Cabarrus County feels that pinch as much as any other. “At this time, the waiting list is approximately three years long on all bedroom sizes (oneto four-bedroom units in Cabarrus County),” Graham says. “It is a goal of the City of Concord Housing Department to build more affordable housing. Housing and Urban Development challenges all executive

directors of Housing departments to step out of the box and think of innovative and creative ideas to bring in revenue to build more affordable housing.

“Concord Housing partners with the City of Concord’s Planning and Neighborhood Development Department to help build market rental properties and to help the City achieve their goal of building more affordable housing. I know I can’t solve the housing crisis but I can do my part and, with the help of others, brick by brick, step by step, we can each contribute and make it a little better for those families who need a home.”

Graham continues, “Capital funds are allocated annually. These funds are used specifically for improvements to the public housing units. HUD maintains a guideline of eligible and ineligible activities for capital funds to be used in the community. Every year, housing authorities are challenged with maintaining the upkeep of public communities because of budget cuts.”

No one wants or plans to be put in the position of needing help putting a roof over their head. While land use and construction costs continue to be a hot topic, advocates like Graham work hard to bring positive programs to those looking to get out of public housing altogether – with education, self-sufficiency and ultimate home ownership.

One tool is the Neighborhood Network Technology Center, which opened in December 2008. “The Concord Housing staff wrote a grant and was awarded the funds to build the Neighborhood Network Technology Center,” Graham shares. “I had a vision and saw the need to hub all of our programs in one building. The goal is to give residents access to technology that could help them improve their ability to succeed at work or to advance to new and better jobs. The 3,000-square-foot building houses a state-of-the-art computer

The Villas at Logan Gardens, a 44-unit apartment complex for senior citizens, was built in 2011.

photo Courtesy: Douglas Development

lab with printer and Internet access, conference rooms and a multi-purpose room that can be separated for various workshops.

“The Technology Center hosts various programs, such as homeownership, health education, credit repair, programs for veterans and senior citizens, various programs for the youth, and employmentrelated workshops, including resume´ assistance and interviewing coaching and some financial workshops.

“My goal was to have a one-stop shop to enhance the quality of life for not only our residents, but also for the community so they could become self-sufficient. We’ve had great success with our computer class. Some clients came in with no computer skills and graduated with Microsoft Office skills. Other residents enhanced their computer skills by learning Advanced Word and Excel spreadsheets.”

Each family that completes an assessment and agreement with the

CHD for housing is also given the opportunity to sign up for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS). “Our Family Self-Sufficiency Program is a five-year voluntary program whereby clients agree to work on their goals, self-sufficiency and self-improvement,” Graham explains.

“The FSS coordinator meets with individuals on their goals and helps them to develop an individual service plan. We also link our clients to various partnerships to help them reach their goals. If one of the goals is homeownership, the clients are partnered with resources for housing counseling. Many of the counseling classes are held at our Technology Center.”

The ROSS Homeownership Program is the next step in helping families commit to programs they need, whether that’s increasing their earned income, lowering or eliminating their need for welfare assistance or moving toward economic independence.

Brooke Pointe Apartments, located in Concord, receives the Section 42 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and accepts Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.

Photo Courtesy: WB Properties

CHD is one of only five housing departments in North Carolina that received a grant for this program; it’s Social Services-backed and utilizes both public and private resources.

“Our FSS and homeownership programs are successful and we’ve had several residents who have become homeowners,” Graham says, adding, “I look at housing as a stepping stone.

You move in, up and out, and we give our residents the tools and guidance to become self-sufficient with the help of our partnerships within Cabarrus County. The amount of time that a tenant will remain in housing is dependent on their goals and how diligent they work toward obtaining them. It takes the whole community to help them move upward.

“I am grateful to the City of Concord for giving me the opportunity and support to enhance the quality of life for our residents. When you take a client who felt they had no hope or dreams of ever leaving public assistance and lead them down the path to self-sufficiency and/or homeownership, then you feel fulfilled and gratified.”

CHD’s hard work pays off in other ways as well, like in recognition. The department has been honored by the Carolinas Council of Housing Redevelopment & Codes Officials with a Human Services Award for its Senior Connect Program, which works with the seniors, disabled and veterans in our community. HUD also honored the department for being a highperformer housing agency.

For more information about housing assistance in Cabarrus County, call 704-920-6100 or visit concordnc.gov/

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