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Asheville
Model Cities Commission
Mid Year Planning Statement

Part III A-3 Objectives and Program Approaches
 Physical Environment

Housing Authority of the City of Asheville

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

OBJECTIVES

1. Within the duration of the Model Cities program we intend to remove from the Model Neighborhood Area all abandoned automobiles, appliances, and accumulation of trash and to eliminate all major sources of pollution contributing to pollution of streams.
2. Involve Model Neighborhood Area residents in more planning and participation in matters involving the Physical Environment of the Target Area.

PROGRAM APPROACHES
FOR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

1. Begin a clean-up campaign which would involve the whole city. Establish a supportative [sic] refuse collection and disposal system to maintain a clean Model Neighborhood Area on a permanent basis. This system would employ a full time code enforcement office and staff and would be provided with the necessary equipment.
2. To plan and arrange for const/action of a Model Community consisting of approximately four city blocks in a section of the Model Neighborhood. The construction of such a facility would not involve relocation since it would be built on vacant land and land containing substandard unoccupied structures. The magnitude of this initial project is to redesign streets, provide new supportative [sic] services such as sidewalks, curbs and gutters, streets, street lighting, water and sewer facilities and all other services to meet neighborhood needs.
3. Develop a comprehensive land development plan for the Model Neighborhood Area and prepare a capital budget for the total renewal of the Model Neighborhood Area by expanding #B above.

4. Enclose Nasty Branch.
5. Appoint and train an advisory committee from the Model Neighborhood Area to assist the Metropolitan Planning Board in matters involving the Model Neighborhood Area and its Development Plan.
6. Establish multi-purpose service centers in the Model Neighborhood Area.
7. Establish a rat eradication program in conjunction with the demolition program proposed under housing.

RECREATION

OBJECTIVES
The same major objective as stated In the last paragraph of the general statement of goals in the introduction to Physical Environment Objectives, page 89.

PROGRAM APPROACHES FOR RECREATIONAL & CULTURAL

1. Develop neighborhood parks with swimming pools in accordance with the comprehensive plan proposed for Physical Environment and stated herein.
2. Prepare a recreation acquisition and development plan as part of the comprehensive plan.
3. Provide indoor recreational facilities with indoor pools as a part of a multi-purpose center.
4. Establish cultural programs geared to the interest of those in the Model Neighborhood Area.
5. Renovate and expand existing recreational, cultural, and adult educational facilities.

HOUSING

OBJECTIVES

1. Construct 4,000 new homes within the Model Neighborhood Area during the course of the Model Cities program.
2. Demolish every dilapidated structure within the Model Neighborhood Area during the course of the Model Cities program.
3. Establish a rehabilitation program for parts of the Model Neighborhood Area.
4. Increase the number of home owners in the Model Neighborhood Area.

A SPECIAL OBJECTIVE
Reduce the cost of housing the Model Cities offices. (Note the special program approach in the program approach section of this component.)

1. A. Demolition:
   The immediate demolition of all structures that are structurally unsound, harborages of rats or unfit for human living, should be undertaken through a HUD Grant Program. It is recognized that this problem is being worked on in the East Riverside Urban Renewal area, but it is proposed to expand this effort to the remaining portions of the Target Area.
   
   Such an expanded effort in the Target Area would help to relieve the general impression of environmental default, as well as to remove a grave health and safety hazard. It is suggested that the possibility of creating a small demolition company through an economic development activity be studied. A firm market would be secured through Urban Renewal, additional demolition activities stimulated through the HUD Grant and other city demolition needs.
    
2.  Opening Housing Choices :

1. The most obvious strategy to increasing housing choice is to increase the supply of housing. These activities will be covered in the following section.

2. The Model Cities Housing Clinic will be established to relate the potential contained in existing housing programs and laws for opening a wide variety of housing choices to low income residents. The Rousing Clinic would provide an educational instrument for Target Area residents on all aspects of federal and state programs? explain financing possibilities with subsidies for home ownership, offer counseling where needed, prior to home ownership and continued counseling related to home ownership, if needed, and finally open a personal relationship to builders and bankers active in these programs. In addition, a logical follow-up would be to involve related credit counseling for persons who have a strong desire but would not qualify for regular financing.
   
   At present, a Housing Clinic Committee has been appointed by the Physical Environment Task Force and Interfaith Housing, Inc. and is in the process of establishing a HUD approved Home Ownership Credit Counseling Service under Section 237. Both of these activities are to be operated on a volunteer basis and are to begin operation immediately. It is anticipated that they could be combined and operated by Interfaith Housing, Inc. on a full-time

basis, when funded. The Clinic's scope would be community-wide3 but pledged to a major effort in the Target Area.

3. It is further recommended that an active Open Housing Branch be incorporated into the Housing Clinic. Racial discrimination is a serious factor in restricting housing choices, and Asheville must be willing to recognize this problem openly before it can deal with it effectively. A model volunteer effort has been undertaken as a part of the Inter-faith Committee on Housing, and it should be worked on on a full time basis.
    
3. Increasing the Housing Supply:
    
1. To assist Target Area citizens in the effort of securing maximum freedom of housing choice, supported by an increased supply of low and moderate cost housing, it is recommended that a special purpose, limited-dividend Model Cities Housing Corporation be created to focus its attention on the aggressive use of federal housing programs in or near the Target Area. It is recommended that a limited-dividend corporation be used as a tool to involve the business sector of the community in this effort.

Many federal housing programs require either a nonprofit or a limited-dividend corporation.

2. The success of this endeavor could be insured through a Section 23 lease arrangement with the Asheville Housing Authority. It is further recommended that the potential role of the Housing Authority "be explored for full utilization in economic development, A model program could be designed to meet this need.
3. Programs to be encouraged:
   
   a. Home ownership
   1. Turnkey III (Housing Authority)
   2. Leasing with option to purchase (Housing Authority)
   3. Subsidized payments. Section 235, 237 (F.H.A.)
   
   b. Rentals
   1. Public housing (various types and locations)
   2. Partial rent subsidy FHA 236
   Also note co-ops form of ownership is possible.
   3. Pull rent subsidy FHA 221 (d) 3 RS
   
   c. Esperimental
   The Housing Authority, City Government, and non-profit sponsors should be encouraged and supported in an effort to secure experimental, research and development projects which might

make Asheville the first " Operation Breakthrough" city. HUD has selected other "prototype" sites, but Asheville should become the first major effort (city-wide, as advanced in the 1967 In-cities Program) under that program.

d. The 1969 tax laws provide extra benefits for rehabilitation of low-income rental projects, and this fact should be used to encourage building and developers to rehabilitate apartments in and near the Model Neighborhood. In addition, it is proposed that a special city tax incentive be instituted for rehabilitation.

4. Enforce the Housing Code and hire a Model Neighborhood Area resident as enforcement officer for the Model Neighborhood Area.
5. Establish and put into operation several small redevelopment projects under the Urban Renewal Program.

SPECIAL PROGRAM APPROACH

Purchase office facilities for the Model Cities Commission which can be sold upon the termination of this program and this return the funds plus appreciation funds to the Model Cities Program for other proposals.