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<br /> <br />. to substantially and permanently reduce flood hazards in Kinston~Lenoir <br />County: and <br /> <br />. to revitalize existing residential neighborhoods and business development in a <br />long-term effon to empower cirizens to be self~sufficient, and in the process to <br />improve their quality of life. <br /> <br />A key element of the recovery and redevelopment strategy is the Kinston,Lenoir <br />County Acquisition/Relocation Project, a massive undertaking to acquire approxi, <br />mately 420 residential structures, three mobile home parks, and 68 vacant lots, <br />The goal is to permanently eliminate repetitive nood hazards and public safety <br />risks, <br /> <br />A survey of the housing needs" of the homeowners in the impacted area revealed <br />the foilowing: <br />. more than 50 percent are elderly' residents living on fixed incomes; <br />approximately 20 percent have special needs such as handicap access; <br />. most homes range from 800 to 1,000 square feet; and <br />the average buy'out cost was estimated at $25,621 . v..'ith relocation benefits <br />averaging $31.798, <br /> <br /> <br />The acquisition project, the second largest under- <br />taken in the nation, is a multi,year effort that wiil <br />cOSt approximately $31 miilion, of which $15 <br />miilion wiil be covered with HMGP funds, $ i 2 <br />miilion in CDBG and HUD Disaster Recovery <br />Initiative funds, and $4 miilion in state funds," It <br />is important to nore that this project provides the means to go weli beyond the <br />traditional method used during a housing buyout project. These funds wili make <br />Kinston-Lenoir County a better place to live for all of its citizens, <br /> <br />In addition to the size and scope of the project, there are orher defining characteris, <br /> <br />tics: <br /> <br />. cooperation: the city is responsible for property acquisition and the county is <br />responsible for relocating tenants; <br /> <br />. integration and leveraging of federal-, state-. and community~based resources <br />and expertise; and <br /> <br />. multi-objective approach to hazard mitigation and sustainable development, <br />including flood hazard reduction. affordable housing. employment. job <br />training, economical use of rene\vable resources, and self-sufficiency. <br /> <br />Housing and Employment Leading People to Success (HELPS), One of the <br />chailenges in Kinston-Lenoir County and other economicaily depressed communi, <br />ties is helping welfare recipients become self,sufficient. A unique program is <br />underway in Kinston that links acquisition of flood'prone, substandard housing <br />with job training, skiils development, homeownership, and ultimately, self-suffi, <br />ciency. <br /> <br />_iri,it;;-~:~:~:f:~,::'::;":::~:'~::',: . <br /> <br />August 1999 <br />