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Housing Authority of the City of Asheville, 1974
"What Is It All About ?"......
 

[Cover] Housing Authority of the City of Asheville, 1974,What Is It All About?
Special Collections, D.H. Ramsey Library, UNCA

Housing -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Public housing -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Housing -- North Carolina -- Asheville -- Statistics
Low-income housing -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Apartment houses -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Relocation (Housing) -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Urban renewal -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Asheville (N.C.) -- Urban renewal
Urban renewal -- United States -- Case studies
Asheville (N.C.) -- Planning
Civic improvement -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Asheville (N.C.) -- History

Housing Authority of the City of Asheville

This publication, the 1974 annual report of the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville, summarizes the state of public housing in Asheville. As of the end of the year, there were 1,538 units housing 5,500 people, with another 349 units in 3 developments under construction. Tables featuring the average monthly costs of operating a leased family housing apartment complex (Kirkwood) and a conventional elderly hi-rise apartment complex (Altamont) are included to illustrate the income and expenses the Housing Authority incurs. The report also speaks of the modernization and maintenance efforts in public housing.  Pictures of the newly completed Klondyke Apartments (1974) and the older Lee Walker Heights (1950) are shown to illustrate how public housing has changed. Resident involvement and special activities and services, including day care centers on site at several housing developments, are spotlighted. Trial balance sheets are included for N.C. R-13 Civic Redevelopment Project and N.C. R-48 East Riverside Urban Redevelopment. Included are before-and-after photographs of rehabilitation and relocation in the East Riverside area.

THUMBNAIL

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF ASHEVILLE
1974

Administrative Offices
165 South French Broad Avenue
P.O. BOX 1898
ASHEVILLE, N.C 28802

Dedicated to Meeting the Challenge

all reports on National, State or local needs always include some statement on the urgent need for new standard low and middle-income housing.

This report is dedicated to the residents of our homes and apartments., to the displaced families from redevelopment areas, pledging our dedication to continued effort in providing decent, safe and sanitary housing for our community.

        all about? ...... 

AHA [Asheville Housing Authority]

Developing Communities Through Cooperative Effort

Our Community/Civic Redevelopment

[top] 1968 ad valorem taxes = $16,226.77, before acquisition in 1964

[bottom] 1974 ad valorem taxes  $85,497.92

Disposal parcel 20 -Clyde Savings & Loan  769,195
Disposal parcel 15 - Sheraton Motor Inn  1,330,695.00
Disposal parcel 13 - YMCA 
Disposal parcel 16A-Asheville Community Theater
Disposal parcel 7 - Southern Bell  782,375
Disposal parcel 16 - Landmark  3,591,520
Disposal parcel 14 - Buncombe County Health & Welfare Bldg.
Disposal parcel 12 - Preferred Properties  78,285

Conventional Housing...owned and operated by AHA.
Leased Housing...leased from private developers & operated by AHA.

Move from substandard private housing ....

Into safe, sanitary, and decent public housing

AVERAGE MONTHLY COST OF OPERATING LEASED HOUSING APARTMENTS IN 1974

Income: The chart reflects 68% of the income for operating cost came from HUD Contributions, 30.5% of the income came from rent paid by the resident.

Expense: As can be seen in the breakdown, maintenance and operation and rent to the owners are the major expense for Leased Housing. In fact over 84% of the monthly cost goes for these two items.

AVERAGE MONTHLY COST OF OPERATING CONVENTIONAL HOUSING APARTMENTS IN 1974

Income: The original intent of the program was for the income for operating cost with minor exceptions to come from rent paid by the residents. This chart reflects 20.6% of the income came from Operating Subsidy paid to the Authority by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Expense: As can be seen in the breakdown, utilities and maintenance are the major expense. In fact 69.8% of the monthly cost goes for these two items. In addition to the operating cost, the amount of annual contribution paid to the Authority for retirement of bonds and payment of bond interest during this period was $742,956.70 or $66.29 per unit monthly bringing the total cost to $124.90 per unit monthly.

ALTAMONT

Rehabilitated Hotel
To Elderly Units

Modernization

[captions]

Stoops and Concrete walls

Playground Equipment

Automatic Fire Alarm System

Handrails for the Elderly

Modernization has played an important role in Housing for our older developments. More than just "brick and mortar", modernization is improvement. We are improving our physical facilities as well as our methods of operation by incorporating the ideas that the residents themselves have expressed. Accomplishments already achieved are: Day Care Centers, remodeled kitchens and bathrooms, recreational equipment, automatic fire alarm systems and boxes, closet and screen doors, canopies and stoops, maintenance and automotive equipment, conversions of a heating system and the complete reroofing of two developments. All phases of the Authority's Modernization Program have been completed at a cost of $1,964,623.00.

A new Phase V is already in the planning stage, pending receipt of additional modernization funds.

Modernization Committees, composed of residents, have already listed priorities for new items should the funds become available. The new items are: gutters and downspouts, storm drainage systems, exterior remodeling, cathodic protection for gas lines, ranges, landscaping, and additional recreational equipment. The total estimated cost for these items is $650,000.00

The Modernization Program with the active support of the residents is playing the key role in "meeting the challenge" of supplying more than low cost shelter. 

Maintenance:

The Maintenance Department is charged with the responsibility of maintaining 1538 units and approximately forty acres of grounds.

To aid in the improvement of maintenance, several steps have been taken (1) the purchase of heavy mowing equipment, (2) additional vehicles and (3) the hiring of more qualified personnel while making the work environment more attractive to potential employees.

In going one step further, the AHA's Board of Commissioners recently approved a maintenance apprenticeship program in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Labor which will give apprentices 144 hours of training per year in a three year program. The training will include: electrical repairs, plumbing and heating; refrigeration, carpentry, janitorial work and landscaping.

As another first in housing Authority history, two ladies were brought into the Maintenance Department under the Jobs Optional Program through the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, bringing the maintenance staff to a total of forty men and two women.

Klondyke  - 1974

[captions]

Office & Community Space

Kitchen

Inside Community Building

Lee Walker Heights - 1950

There is quite a comparison between our original barrack-type Lee Walker Heights, N.C. 7-2 constructed in 1950 and our Klondyke single family and town house development recently occupied in August of 1974.

[captions]

Office & Community Space

Kitchen

Inside Community Building

Resident Involvement

The Authority fully believes that the key factor influencing its success is resident involvement.

For the past few year, more and more decisions pertinent to resident issues have been made by the residents themselves. We are firm believers in that a happy resident is an involved resident.

The staff meets regularly with the Resident Organization Presidents to discuss important issues, pass on and receive information, seek solutions to problems and establish better working relationships.

While the authority has acknowledged the fact that there will never be 100% resident involvement, we are most appreciative of those individuals who have charged themselves with the responsibility of making their development a better place to live.

[Captions]

Resident Organization Presidents

Integration of Public Housing into existing residential neighborhoods has taken place in a smooth and orderly manner. Single family houses have been constructed and occupied by Public Housing residents in four residential neighborhoods.

Special Activities .... the human factor

Although Asheville's largest landlord, responsibilities go beyond the function of only shelter and the Authorities' Community Service Department covers a wide range -- from special summer programs to gardens for its senior citizens. The Department works closely with the residents in giving advice and assistance. A preoccupancy orientation is conducted to explain the lease, the resident's responsibilities and the Authorities. Always conscious of the many problems facing residents of Public Housing, the staff constantly seeks ways to identify perspective problems and ways of preventing or correcting them.

Community Centers provide space for resident meetings, special programs, scouts, 4-H Club and recreational activities. The Department works constantly at decentralizing -- bringing supportive agencies into the Developments with a new employment program being the latest. Special emphasis is placed on underemployment and minority groups as well as unemployment.

Resident employment is given special consideration with present staff consisting of 44%.

The Community Service staff ties in closely with management; performing these duties in the absence of Project Managers. This cross training has proven invaluable to the Authority and the residents resulting in promotions and motivation within the department.

[Captions]

Lunch Program

Hillcrest Drill Team
(courtesy of Asheville Citizen-Times)

Gardens for the Elderly

BALANCE SHEET -- HOUSING
September 30, 1974

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES. . . .
Day Care

Two Day Care Centers, one at Pisgah View and one at Hillcrest were constructed through modernization funds. A third Center was opened in the Kirkwood (leased) Development this year. This Center, a FIRST in North Carolina approved by HUD, operates in a three bedroom dwelling unit.

The Centers have proven a real asset to the communities through employment, motivation and pride. 

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF ASHEVILLE
TRIAL BALANCE
PROJECT N. C. R 13 -- CIVIC REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT
DATE September 30, 1974

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF ASHEVILLE
TRIAL BALANCE
PROJECT N. C. R 48 -- EAST RIVERSIDE URBAN DEVELOPMENT
DATE September 30, 1974

[Caption]

THE WOLFE-LANDMARK MALL

The Wolfe-Landmark Mall, a joint effort by Quality '76, A. C. T., Garden and Civic Clubs, the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Asheville will be a great asset to the Civic Redevelopment Project and a monument to the cooperative efforts of the public and private sectors of Asheville.

REHABILITATION

EAST RIVERSIDE RENEWAL PROJECT N.C. R-48

The East Riverside Renewal Project is different from the Civic Redevelopment Project in that East Riverside is a conservation-rehabilitation project and the Civic Project is a total clearance project. In the East Riverside Renewal Project the acquisition is 77% completed and the relocation is 81% completed.

[Captions]

Before and After

The upgrading of the utilities and streets in the East Riverside Project Area has begun.

New siding, a new roof, interior repairs and alterations have given the owners of the above structures "new homes" for a fraction of the cost of new construction.

RELOCATION

[Captions]

This is a structure recently acquired within N.C. R-48.

MOVED FROM THIS TO THIS

The elderly owners purchased this structure without increasing their existing monthly house payments.

The replacement housing payment available to owner-occupants enabled the owner of this structure to purchase the House pictured below without incurring any debt.

MOVED FROM THIS TO THIS

The only restriction placed upon displaced families and individuals in selecting replacement housing is that the structure be decent, safe and sanitary.

EAST RIVERSIDE RENEWAL PROJECT N. C. R-48

The public reuse property in the East Riverside Project is scheduled for parks and recreation and public housing sites. There are nine (9) parcels to be used as new or additions to existing parks and recreation areas. Eight (8) parcels have been designated as public housing sites for low-income and elderly housing. The public reuse parcels are located generally on the map.

The private reuse property is designated for private residential, commercial and office and institutional reuse. There are one hundred fifty eight (158) residential reuse parcels, many of which will be coming on the market during the late winter and early spring of 1975. Thirty five (35) parcels have been designated for commercial and office and institutional reuse; some of which will be available in the near future. The private reuse parcels are located generally on the map.

Two single family residential structures are being constructed at this time by a private developer and the remainder of the single family lots will be placed on the market in the near future.

An Amendment to the original East Riverside Plan was approved in August, 1973, which corrected planning deficiencies and reflected changes in land use and new priorities in public housing.

The projected closeout date of the project is August, 1977.