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Comprehensive Plan Housing Element <br />Table 7.17 <br />Projected Number for Low -Income Disabled Households <br />(10% of Total Housing Units) <br />2010 <br />2015 <br />1 2020 <br />2025 <br />1 2030 <br />County Total 1 7,273 <br />7,922 <br />1 8,653 <br />9,373 <br />1 10,063 <br />Another special housing needs group is farmworkers. According to the Schimberg Center for <br />Affordable Housing's 2004 "The Need for Farmworker Housing in Florida" report, there were 2,622 <br />farmworker households in Indian River County in 2002. Those 2,622 farmworker households <br />represented 4,271 persons. Up until 2008, there were 2 farmworker housing camps having a capacity of <br />835 units within the county. Also, there are two rural development farmworker housing projects <br />(Orangewood Park and Victory Park) with 100 units each. While those projects house a number of <br />farmworkers, a majority of the county's farmworkers live in single-family units or mobile homes within <br />or around the City of Fellsmere. Due to the decline in citrus production within the county, it is assumed <br />that farmworker housing needs will decline over time. As a matter of fact, one of the county's <br />farmworker camps closed in 2008 due to a decrease in demand. <br />As part of its overall housing strategy, the county has in the past targeted some of its housing assistance <br />funds for farmworker housing units. The county also has worked with private agricultural growers to <br />identify needs for farmworker housing and to assist farmworkers in satisfying those needs. Because of <br />the decrease in agricultural acreage and the reduction in agricultural employment, there will not be a <br />need for additional farmworker housing in the near future. <br />• Substandard Housing Conditions <br />According to 2000 census data, most of the county's housing units (more than 91%) were built after <br />1960. Because less than 9 percent of the county's housing was built before 1960, there are not many age <br />related problems with the county's housing stock. <br />Between 1990 and 2000, the number of units lacking complete plumbing facilities decreased from 206 <br />to 108, and the number of units with no heating facilities increased from 456 to 477 during that time. <br />These figures indicate that the number of substandard units has declined over time. <br />Figure 7.4 shows those areas of the county having concentrations of sub -standard housing units. Those <br />areas include Gifford, Oslo, West Wabasso, and unincorporated Fellsmere. Generally, those areas are <br />characterized by low incomes, substandard housing, and inadequate infrastructure. <br />Even though substandard housing is not a major problem within the county, it is a problem in the areas <br />identified above. In the past, the county has provided rehabilitation loans through the State Housing <br />Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program, the Hurricane Housing Recovery (HHR) program, and the <br />Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to property owners within the county to repair <br />27 <br />Community Development Department Indian River County <br />