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Affordable housing?
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NEWS-TIMES
BY EREN TATARAGASI
BEAUFORT — It’s your children’s teachers, your neighborhood police officers and firemen. It’s your bank teller, your restaurant manager and your hairdresser.
These are the people for whom affordable homes are intended, and the town’s Workforce Housing Committee says it’s about time for people to realize that and start creating affordable homes within the town’s limits.
“They’re not drug dealers in your neighborhood,” said committee chairman Ann Carter about integrating affordable homes in traditional neighborhoods. “They’re average people with average jobs. Workforce housing doesn’t mean substandard housing.”
The Workforce Housing Committee was formed by Mayor Richard Stanley in June and charged with looking at the implications of a lack of affordable homes and the severity of the issues. The committee released its findings Wednesday during a meeting at the train depot. The finds will be reviewed with the town board 6 p.m. Nov. 19, also at the train depot.
The committee found that out of the town’s 65 employees, only six live within town limits because of the high cost of housing.
The average income for Carteret County residents is $30,000 which means “affordable” housing to them is 36 percent of their gross income — $900 a month, with a maximum home cost of $150.000. That 36 percent is the same for renters and homeowners.
Of the thousands of homes in Beaufort and the county, only 16, currently available and on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), fall within that price range.
And the committee has found that the community falters with the lack of affordable housing, with people living more than 10 miles or so away, they don’t want to return to town for meetings or other civic activities.
“When they live that far away, they don’t participate in voting and community programs, it’s just too far for them to travel,” Ms. Carter said. “And they can’t participate in the growth and direction of the town.”
And not only does the lack of in-town housing hurt the community, it hurts the families, too, by increasing absenteeism of parents in the home, high traffic, increased commute times, less involvement in school activities, etc.
Since the 1990s, the number of Carteret County residents able to afford the median priced home has fallen from 54 percent to 15 percent.
“We’re passing all of this on so the commissioners can hire a professional consultant to delve deeper because the task force doesn’t have the means or experience to do more than we’ve done,” Ms. Carter said.
She said the consultant and town will have to pursue the recommendations extensively before they’re applied.
“I don’t think people realize if you don’t have a fully developed community, how shallow it is,” Ms. Carter said.
And she added that in making the recommendations to the board, the committee factored in that people are not only having to worry about rent and mortgage payments each month, but the variable costs associated with life.
Children get sick, health insurance prices go up, the car breaks down, the electric bill is higher than normal and once you factor in gas and grocery prices with the fixed bills, the money for the month is spent.
“That’s why there are so many foreclosures,” Ms. Carter said. “These people had a house they couldn’t afford, probably to begin with, because they needed it, but then life happened.”
Some of the recommendations the board is making include revising some of the town’s ordinances to make them more flexible regarding set backs, height limits and impact fees.
The committee also wants the more affordable homes integrated with other neighborhoods, not in their own special development.
The committee is also suggesting an inclusionary housing ordinance, which means it’s mandatory for developers to include a certain number of affordable homes in their new developments.
The task force said the town should offer incentives to developers, along with the inclusionary housing ordinance, and legal-binding contracts.
Another suggestion to increase the amount of affordable homes is for the town to acquire condemned properties and reconstruct new workforce housing.
“It has been done in other towns, but an attorney needs to look at the legal issues behind that,” Ms. Carter said.
She acknowledged the flexibility on height limits will be a contentious issue with some residents assuming it means doing away with the 35 feet height limit, but she said that’s not the case.
“It would be for select instances for greater density and the reduction of impervious surfaces,” she said.
Ms. Carter added giving density credits would also encourage developers to think creatively and encourage best management practices.
The committee also thinks the overlap in state and town stormwater rules need to be eliminated so developers have an easier time. And the impact fees — $5,000 for a new water hookup and $5,000 for sewer — add a huge cost to the developer and homebuyer, especially when the high monthly water and sewer is factored in.
The committee said flexibility might be best for the community, served with discretion and not to be used to maximize a buck, to make homes more affordable.
Ms. Carter added that if the town ever wants to attract industry other than tourism, there will have to be homes for the working professionals.
“This is the first town board to look at this seriously enough to create a task force,” Ms. Carter said. “We’re not going to be able to provide enough data and research, but we’ve answered if this is a valid concern that needs to be addressed.”
“It’s a very real problem and it’s getting worse,” Ms. Carter said.
The committee invites the public to attend its meeting with the board of commissioners at 6 p.m. in the train depot Wednesday and is encouraging public comment.
These are the people for whom affordable homes are intended, and the town’s Workforce Housing Committee says it’s about time for people to realize that and start creating affordable homes within the town’s limits.
“They’re not drug dealers in your neighborhood,” said committee chairman Ann Carter about integrating affordable homes in traditional neighborhoods. “They’re average people with average jobs. Workforce housing doesn’t mean substandard housing.”
The Workforce Housing Committee was formed by Mayor Richard Stanley in June and charged with looking at the implications of a lack of affordable homes and the severity of the issues. The committee released its findings Wednesday during a meeting at the train depot. The finds will be reviewed with the town board 6 p.m. Nov. 19, also at the train depot.
The committee found that out of the town’s 65 employees, only six live within town limits because of the high cost of housing.
The average income for Carteret County residents is $30,000 which means “affordable” housing to them is 36 percent of their gross income — $900 a month, with a maximum home cost of $150.000. That 36 percent is the same for renters and homeowners.
Of the thousands of homes in Beaufort and the county, only 16, currently available and on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), fall within that price range.
And the committee has found that the community falters with the lack of affordable housing, with people living more than 10 miles or so away, they don’t want to return to town for meetings or other civic activities.
“When they live that far away, they don’t participate in voting and community programs, it’s just too far for them to travel,” Ms. Carter said. “And they can’t participate in the growth and direction of the town.”
And not only does the lack of in-town housing hurt the community, it hurts the families, too, by increasing absenteeism of parents in the home, high traffic, increased commute times, less involvement in school activities, etc.
Since the 1990s, the number of Carteret County residents able to afford the median priced home has fallen from 54 percent to 15 percent.
“We’re passing all of this on so the commissioners can hire a professional consultant to delve deeper because the task force doesn’t have the means or experience to do more than we’ve done,” Ms. Carter said.
She said the consultant and town will have to pursue the recommendations extensively before they’re applied.
“I don’t think people realize if you don’t have a fully developed community, how shallow it is,” Ms. Carter said.
And she added that in making the recommendations to the board, the committee factored in that people are not only having to worry about rent and mortgage payments each month, but the variable costs associated with life.
Children get sick, health insurance prices go up, the car breaks down, the electric bill is higher than normal and once you factor in gas and grocery prices with the fixed bills, the money for the month is spent.
“That’s why there are so many foreclosures,” Ms. Carter said. “These people had a house they couldn’t afford, probably to begin with, because they needed it, but then life happened.”
Some of the recommendations the board is making include revising some of the town’s ordinances to make them more flexible regarding set backs, height limits and impact fees.
The committee also wants the more affordable homes integrated with other neighborhoods, not in their own special development.
The committee is also suggesting an inclusionary housing ordinance, which means it’s mandatory for developers to include a certain number of affordable homes in their new developments.
The task force said the town should offer incentives to developers, along with the inclusionary housing ordinance, and legal-binding contracts.
Another suggestion to increase the amount of affordable homes is for the town to acquire condemned properties and reconstruct new workforce housing.
“It has been done in other towns, but an attorney needs to look at the legal issues behind that,” Ms. Carter said.
She acknowledged the flexibility on height limits will be a contentious issue with some residents assuming it means doing away with the 35 feet height limit, but she said that’s not the case.
“It would be for select instances for greater density and the reduction of impervious surfaces,” she said.
Ms. Carter added giving density credits would also encourage developers to think creatively and encourage best management practices.
The committee also thinks the overlap in state and town stormwater rules need to be eliminated so developers have an easier time. And the impact fees — $5,000 for a new water hookup and $5,000 for sewer — add a huge cost to the developer and homebuyer, especially when the high monthly water and sewer is factored in.
The committee said flexibility might be best for the community, served with discretion and not to be used to maximize a buck, to make homes more affordable.
Ms. Carter added that if the town ever wants to attract industry other than tourism, there will have to be homes for the working professionals.
“This is the first town board to look at this seriously enough to create a task force,” Ms. Carter said. “We’re not going to be able to provide enough data and research, but we’ve answered if this is a valid concern that needs to be addressed.”
“It’s a very real problem and it’s getting worse,” Ms. Carter said.
The committee invites the public to attend its meeting with the board of commissioners at 6 p.m. in the train depot Wednesday and is encouraging public comment.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of carolinacoastonline.com.
Phillip Radford wrote on Nov 16, 2008 2:04 PM:
" Kudos to Mayor Richard Stanley for having the foresight to create the Workforce Housing Committee to address the lack of "affordable" housing in the Town of Beaufort and to Committee Chairman Ann Carter and the rest of the committee on the work that they've done so far!
It doesn't take a consultant to tell you that when you only have 16 homes in Beaufort and the rest of the county out of the thousands of homes currently available on the Multiple Listing Service that fall into the $150,000 price range, that only six out of the town’s 65 employees live within the town limits because of the high cost of housing, and that the number of Carteret County residents able to afford the median priced home has fallen from 54 percent to 15 percent since the 1990s that this is not just a Town of Beaufort problem, but it is a county-wide problem and it's time that our recently re-elected county commissioners, state representatives, and their supporters do something about it!! "
It doesn't take a consultant to tell you that when you only have 16 homes in Beaufort and the rest of the county out of the thousands of homes currently available on the Multiple Listing Service that fall into the $150,000 price range, that only six out of the town’s 65 employees live within the town limits because of the high cost of housing, and that the number of Carteret County residents able to afford the median priced home has fallen from 54 percent to 15 percent since the 1990s that this is not just a Town of Beaufort problem, but it is a county-wide problem and it's time that our recently re-elected county commissioners, state representatives, and their supporters do something about it!! "
Beaufort Born Having to Live in Newport wrote on Nov 16, 2008 2:39 PM:
" How true Ms. Carter. I am a native of Beaufort and my husband is a native of Morehead City. When we got married 8 1/2 years ago we started looking for a house in Beaufort & Morehead City, because we wanted to be close to our families, church, and work. We had be approved for a certain amount of money. Guess what the only thing that we could afford in Beaufort or Morehead City was a house that we would have to sink triple the amount of money that we had been approved for just to bring it up to code. I am talking about a 800 square foot house, three bed-rooms, 1 bath house. No frills at all. So we had to settle on a house in Newport. There is not one thing wrong with the town of Newport, but it is not "Home to us". At our house we take showers, eat, and sleep there, everything else we do is in Beaufort or Morehead City. We have had to cut back on some of the family things we do in Beaufort or Morehead City, because of the gas prices. I think that there should be a set prices on some of the homes in Beaufort and Morehead City the young working families that are born and raised here in the county either have to move out of the county or go way out west in the county to find something half way nice to live in. What has happened to this county. Have all the developers gone nuts. Would they settle on living in a house that is only 500 - 800 square ft with rotten floors, leaking toilets & faucets, windows falling out and no garages for their surbans, or big trucks. I don't think so. Something had better be done and done quick or the young people will be gone and they won't have anyone here to buy their houses, except someone who is only here 1 - 2 weeks max a year. "
Bradley Berthold wrote on Nov 16, 2008 5:33 PM:
" This a thorny problem confronting millions of Americans.
On Long Island, the business association's chief concern for years has been workforce housing. The local State University, what's left of Grumman Aircraft, and other employers find it difficult to hire people who aren't local residents, who bought their homes when they were affordable. It's virtually impossible for a new hire to set up housekeeping there.
Many of the dreaded "Yankee invaders" here are older couples who in many cases lived in their homes for years, paid off their mortgages, but couldn't afford to stay in their homes when taxes went up to, say, $12,000 for a modest three bedroom home.
What to they do? They sell the home they paid $40,000 for decades ago for, say, $350,000 at today's prices, move to Carteret County, overpay for a local home, and raise prices here out of reach of local workers.
I've seen appreciation of homes soar out of control in Easton, Maryland, where I worked recently. Home prices soar, so people have to move farther out. Then it hits the next town, and the next, and people end up living miles from where they work, and where they'd like to live.
Some of this is changing with the bursting of the housing bubble, but many workers, especially along our coastlines,still can't afford to live where they grew up, where they went to school, and where their friends, family, indeed, their lives are rooted.
This makes for a disconnected society, lack of community, human relationships, and a host of other ills.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no real viable solution immediately at hand.
Our society is changing, and not for the better! "
On Long Island, the business association's chief concern for years has been workforce housing. The local State University, what's left of Grumman Aircraft, and other employers find it difficult to hire people who aren't local residents, who bought their homes when they were affordable. It's virtually impossible for a new hire to set up housekeeping there.
Many of the dreaded "Yankee invaders" here are older couples who in many cases lived in their homes for years, paid off their mortgages, but couldn't afford to stay in their homes when taxes went up to, say, $12,000 for a modest three bedroom home.
What to they do? They sell the home they paid $40,000 for decades ago for, say, $350,000 at today's prices, move to Carteret County, overpay for a local home, and raise prices here out of reach of local workers.
I've seen appreciation of homes soar out of control in Easton, Maryland, where I worked recently. Home prices soar, so people have to move farther out. Then it hits the next town, and the next, and people end up living miles from where they work, and where they'd like to live.
Some of this is changing with the bursting of the housing bubble, but many workers, especially along our coastlines,still can't afford to live where they grew up, where they went to school, and where their friends, family, indeed, their lives are rooted.
This makes for a disconnected society, lack of community, human relationships, and a host of other ills.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no real viable solution immediately at hand.
Our society is changing, and not for the better! "
Phillip Radford wrote on Nov 17, 2008 9:09 AM:
" While I agree with most of what Mr. Berthold had to say about the "affordable" housing issue, I disagree with him that there is "no real viable solution" to this problem.
It is really rather simple to me. The realtors, developers, and contractors in this county need to quit being so greedy and start promoting and building more median priced homes that meet the needs of the "average people" who have "average jobs" that make up the majority of the workforce in this county! "
It is really rather simple to me. The realtors, developers, and contractors in this county need to quit being so greedy and start promoting and building more median priced homes that meet the needs of the "average people" who have "average jobs" that make up the majority of the workforce in this county! "
Bradley Berthold wrote on Nov 17, 2008 4:28 PM:
" It's not just "greedy" realtors,developers and contractors who are responsible for the housing crisis.
Check with those three groups locally, and you'll find they are all virtually ground to a halt. Nationwide, because of the credit crunch, many projects remain incomplete, or even canceled.
Although possibly not here, in many areas of the country,land costs are the problem. A developer has to pay so much for land that he needs to build "luxury" homes selling at high prices to make any profit at all. As long as there are buyers at the high price, such development continues.
"Built out" neighborhoods are seeing smaller homes demolished, and replaced with multi-unit structures, again that being the only way a builder can make a profit after buying the land.
With high (and getting higher )unemployment, perhaps American ingenuity could be focused on mass producing modular homes, and providing tracts of land and the needed infrastructure (roads, and yes, sewers) to support the required numbers of houses.
Levittown, a mass development of some 15,000 homes built on potato fields for returning veterans of World War II, provided affordable homes for thousands of families. Levitt built similar communities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Those homes, $7,000 then, are selling for over $300,000 now, out of reach of young prospective home buyers. Some developers in such areas are giving up their businesses, because such large tracts of land are unavailable around many of our population centers.
G.I. mortgages financed many of these homes.
Perhaps we need some similar program on a vast scale today.
Where are all the residents of foreclosed homes going to live?
Let's see what our housing task force comes up with.
I hope there are viable answers out there. "
Check with those three groups locally, and you'll find they are all virtually ground to a halt. Nationwide, because of the credit crunch, many projects remain incomplete, or even canceled.
Although possibly not here, in many areas of the country,land costs are the problem. A developer has to pay so much for land that he needs to build "luxury" homes selling at high prices to make any profit at all. As long as there are buyers at the high price, such development continues.
"Built out" neighborhoods are seeing smaller homes demolished, and replaced with multi-unit structures, again that being the only way a builder can make a profit after buying the land.
With high (and getting higher )unemployment, perhaps American ingenuity could be focused on mass producing modular homes, and providing tracts of land and the needed infrastructure (roads, and yes, sewers) to support the required numbers of houses.
Levittown, a mass development of some 15,000 homes built on potato fields for returning veterans of World War II, provided affordable homes for thousands of families. Levitt built similar communities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Those homes, $7,000 then, are selling for over $300,000 now, out of reach of young prospective home buyers. Some developers in such areas are giving up their businesses, because such large tracts of land are unavailable around many of our population centers.
G.I. mortgages financed many of these homes.
Perhaps we need some similar program on a vast scale today.
Where are all the residents of foreclosed homes going to live?
Let's see what our housing task force comes up with.
I hope there are viable answers out there. "
Judy Stiles wrote on Nov 17, 2008 8:17 PM:
" Thinking outside the box might help. Trading rent for improvements for example. I know of an 850-900 sq. cottage 2 blocks from the ocean, one bathroom, new appliances but ancient floor that could be rented for 11 out of 12 months a year. The owner wants some access to the family estate but the possibilities are endless. And what about all these empty vacation homes? Aren't lived in homes better cared for, especially if they are being rented to the groups mentioned above. It seems to me the houses are already available but not being utilized. Maybe some of the rental properties could be allotted to the service community at a special discount unless the property is abused. This could be a new business opportunity for the insurance world - a different type of renter's insurance for a different type of renter. Let's utilize what we have. "
Phillip Radford wrote on Nov 17, 2008 11:53 PM:
" As long as we admit that there is a problem and continue to initiate and maintain a dialogue of potential solutions to the problem, such as those you mentioned above, I'm sure our American ingenuity will succeed in finding those viable solutions! "
Bradley Berthold wrote on Nov 18, 2008 1:17 PM:
" We ain't seen nuthin' yet. Where are all the military people (coming soon to a community near you) going to live?
I fear this influx, while welcomed in out battered economy, will put even more pressure on housing.
Hopefully, the task force will draw on people who will come up with solutions, but it ain't gonna be easy! "
I fear this influx, while welcomed in out battered economy, will put even more pressure on housing.
Hopefully, the task force will draw on people who will come up with solutions, but it ain't gonna be easy! "
CarlJ wrote on Nov 19, 2008 11:02 AM:
" When are you people going to realize that it's all about the MONEY? And the greed for MORE money. How much longer is it going to take before people who have lived in the "historic" section (between Hwy 70 and Front Street) of Beaufort all their lives will have to find somewhere else to call home?
Ahhhh, progress. "
Ahhhh, progress. "
CarlJ wrote on Nov 19, 2008 11:05 AM:
" Somebody, please wake up Judy Stiles ... She's living in a Dream World. "
Will wrote on Nov 19, 2008 2:09 PM:
" All they need to do is clean the riff raff out of north of HWY 70 in both Beaufort, and Morehead City. Theres plenty of affordable housing there and the low taxes they pay are ridiculous compared with south of HWY 70. Raise those taxes a little or make em clean their houses up and you'd see them moving pretty soon. "
CarlJ wrote on Nov 20, 2008 7:57 PM:
" Something tells me that if I were to look up the definition of "compassion" in the dictionary I wouldn't find a picture of "Will"
Will wrote on Nov 19, 2008 2:09 PM:
" All they need to do is clean the riff raff out of north of HWY 70 in both Beaufort, and Morehead City. Theres plenty of affordable housing there and the low taxes they pay are ridiculous compared with south of HWY 70. Raise those taxes a little or make em clean their houses up and you'd see them moving pretty soon. " "
Will wrote on Nov 19, 2008 2:09 PM:
" All they need to do is clean the riff raff out of north of HWY 70 in both Beaufort, and Morehead City. Theres plenty of affordable housing there and the low taxes they pay are ridiculous compared with south of HWY 70. Raise those taxes a little or make em clean their houses up and you'd see them moving pretty soon. " "
What happened wrote on Nov 23, 2008 3:00 PM:
" I posted a comment it was here and now it is gone... hum? "
linedancer wrote on Nov 27, 2008 1:38 PM:
" The builders are not the problem in CC but the fact that the individuals owning raw land want a fortune per acre so the "developer" has a large sum in each lot after improvements. Most of these land owners are your friends and neighbors, not big developers. In most areas for affordable homes, the developer can only pay about $10-$15000 per acre before streets, septic ect. In Carteret, most landowners want three to five times that or more for raw land. That is the reason so many builders build duplexes and condos is to get land cost per unit more affordable. "
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Wonderful wrote on Nov 16, 2008 11:05 AM:
Here is my story, this great county helped me so very much in the days of my adult hood… The school system employed me until I became disabled, and then I made a choice of a life time I went back to college, making a promise that I would return to my beloved Carteret County and give back to my community college system that gave me so very much. I began my educational journey with people like Dr. Hooper and Ms. Gross and a wealth of support staff Add the summer internship at BHA, and the wonderful people there Rita, Delores and Molly who supported my learning while teaching me so very much about our wonderful town of Beaufort add the newly appointed head of the BHA Patricia who saw to it that I have the tools needed to finish my education when disaster struck my home and I lost almost everything in the way of my educational tools and you have just a glimpse of my indebtedness to Carteret county. In 1998 I moved on to ECU where I obtained a BA in English and a BS in Communications with almost enough credits to have a history minor thrown in to the mix. Then I moved on that same year to obtain my Masters in instructional design and distance education. So in 2003 after two internships one at the prestigious National Defense University in DC and the other at USAJFK Special Warfare School located at Fort Bragg NC I ended my educational journey. I returned to Carteret county and tried for 3 months to find housing so I could fulfill my promise to give back, low and behold there was no place for me to live – So I had to move in with my family in Swansboro, and then into an apartment that was one of 6 units in a 30 unit complex that accommodated some kind of handicap rather it be deaf or mobility issues. I now am working in the community college system and have done so for 5 years—I miss my beloved county, I did not follow my heart and pledge to give back to you --but I assure you that if you do not heed the letter above, you will miss out on so many professionals and service persons that soon those homes you approve DOUG and boys… will end up having no one to teach their grandkids, service their large cars, their fun filled weekend boating needs, or even ask do you need fries with that people – People who make this county great. You will be buying shrimp from dirty 3rd world countries who raise them is sewer like conditions and the very people who built this county, the fishermen and farmers will become no longer – yep… their children cannot afford to buy homes so they will move away… Yes, affordable housing there is a concept. I asked the developer who is destroying Harkers Island one time in an e mail about this issue.. Their “-“ was…. We do build affordable housing, it starts at 199,000—ok, so who thinks that is affordable? MS CARTER-- keep up the good fight-- I am but one of many who would love to have lived and worked in Carteret County... esp.. Beaufort... "