| Residents of many counties in West Virginia and central
Appalachia are far more likely than the average
American to live in a home without adequate
plumbing. A study says 30,000 units in the region
lack complete plumbing.
Most of West Virgina is considered a high-risk area, despite decades of programs directed toward improvement. "Where the money went studies" of the Appalachian Regional Commission show more urban areas have benefited
from ARC programs, with the poorest of counties being ignored.
More recent government programs to help those living in poverty or people who lost their jobs have been directed toward training for jobs
that do not exist in the region.
While home ownership is very high,
far too many homeowners are
living with structural problems they can't afford
to fix or are paying more for their mortgages
than they can afford, said a national rural
housing group's executive director, Moises
Loza.
The information is based on the
2000 Census and the American Housing
Survey.
West Virginia is the only state wholly in Appalachia.
Although housing costs are low in Appalachia, low average incomes
force residents to spend a large part of their income to put a
roof over their heads .
According to the federal government, the average family should pay no
more than 30 percent of its income for housing, but in Appalachia many homeowners and renters exceed
that amount.
The report said about 22,000
units in central Appalachia lack complete kitchens, while 30,000 have
inadequate plumbing.
Many of those homes are manufactured housing. In some parts of the
region, mobile homes account for 50 percent to 75 percent of new
housing starts.
Rural areas have fewer transportation and social service options for older
residents. Health care could become less available with federal cutbacks and other issues facing delivery of
care.There often is a "void" in transitional housing for the rural
elderly, who may not be able to maintain a house but do not yet need
nursing home care.
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