A regional planner told a local housing committee Monday that a recent survey of homes in four older neighborhoods near downtown Winder indicated that only 5 percent of the structures are in substandard condition.
“Overall, there is not a lot of substandard or dilapidated housing,” said Hasco W. Craver IV, the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission’s program manager for local government services.
He said his agency has seen more substandard housing in other communities comparable in size and age to Winder.
The highest incidence of dilapidated structures in the four target areas studied here was in the vicinity of East Midland Avenue, he said.
“They had the strongest amount of that, as well as code violations in there and substandard structures.”
Craver presented a draft of the housing report to a local committee participating in a three-year technical training program through the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing.
He did not provide draft copies to the media covering the committee meeting. The final report is to be presented to the Winder City Council in early January.
Based on Monday’s discussion, the report includes the results of a “windshield” survey of the physical conditions of about 850 structures, plus demographic information and input gleaned at an October community meeting.
Craver said the report would be a valuable tool that the city government and the Winder Housing Authority to use in documenting the need for affordable housing and in obtaining grant and other public funding for improving the neighborhoods.
In two of the four target areas, there are a lot of homes might qualify for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, which could lead to funding opportunities, he added.
The report also could lead to stricter code enforcement in the neighborhoods and a stronger police presence. Those were some of the suggestions made by residents at the fall community meeting.
Craver said 19 people at that meeting signed up to participate in the housing initiative. They are to be invited to the next committee meeting, and representatives may be asked to serve on the panel.
“You have an active community,” Craver said.
