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Margaret Matrone, NCHFA, 919-877-5606,
RALEIGH --Six homeownership and rental developments and a state-of-the-art residence for persons with traumatic spinal cord injuries were presented with Housing North Carolina Awards today (Oct. 21) for excellence in affordable housing. The N.C. Housing Finance Agency presented the 14th annual awards at a luncheon attended by 400 housing industry representatives at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Research Triangle Park.
Winners were sprinkled across the state, from Asheville and Charlotte to Tabor City (Columbus County), where the aggressive town government had invited developers in to build affordable apartments needed by the town of 2,500. The winning developments are:
Homeownership
- Homes built by Brick Capital Community Development Corp. in the Washington Avenue area of Sanford, a neighborhood redevelopment effort supported by the City of Sanford
- Hamlet in the Park, in Morrisville, condominiums developed by Westfield Homes of Raleigh
- Merritt Park Condominiums in Asheville, developed by Mountain Housing Opportunities Inc., with support from the City of Asheville
Family apartments
- Arbor Glen I, part of the redevelopment of Charlotte’s Dalton Village, by Crosland Inc. and the Housing Authority of the City of Charlotte, with support from the City of Charlotte
Apartments for elderly residents
- Millside Manor in Morganton, developed by Loving & Associates of Raleigh, with support from the City of Morganton
- Pireway Place Apartments in Tabor City, developed by Housing Opportunities Inc., and Weaver Cooke Kirkland Housing, LLC, of Greensboro, with support from the Town of Tabor City
Supportive housing
- Second Avenue Supported Living in Gastonia, a group home by Gaston Residential Development Corporation for adults with traumatic spinal cord injuries. The City of Gastonia and the Center for Universal Design at N.C. State University in Raleigh were also recognized for their role in the development.
The Housing North Carolina Awards recognize affordable housing developments that can serve as models for other communities. Criteria include affordability, design (attractiveness, energy-efficiency, and others), contribution to the community, sustainability, and other features, such as services for residents and creative partnerships.
The N.C. Housing Finance Agency is a self-supporting public agency. Since its creation in 1973, the agency has financed more than 156,000 affordable homes and apartments.
Merritt Park Condominiums, Asheville
Merritt Park is a mixed-income property in the West End / Clingman Avenue neighborhood, near downtown Asheville. It includes nine affordable and seven market-rate condominiums, as well as office space for the non-profit developer, Mountain Housing Opportunities Inc. Merritt Park was built as part of the city’s redevelopment strategy for the neighborhood.
The one- and two-bedroom condominiums have private balconies overlooking a central courtyard, large windows, open floor plans and 12-foot ceilings. A large conference room in the downstairs offices doubles as a community room for the residents and meeting space for the surrounding community. Merritt Park is adjacent to a public park and within walking distance of downtown. Sales prices for the homes ranged from $79,000 to $115,000. For the affordable units, second and third mortgages were provided by the N.C. Housing Finance Agency and Mountain Housing Opportunities.
Plaques were presented to Mountain Housing Opportunities and the City of Asheville.
Contact: Scott Dedman, Executive Director, Mountain Housing Opportunities Inc., 828-354-4030.
Brick Capital Community Development Corp. Home Ownership Program, Sanford
Brick Capital Community Development Corp. won the Housing North Carolina Award for 10 homes it has built on scattered sites as part of the redevelopment of the Washington Avenue neighborhood, near downtown Sanford. Nine of the three-bedroom, brick homes are new construction, and one is a substantial rehab. The homes sell for $82,000 to $86,000. All are built to rigorous standards for energy-efficiency, dramatically reducing the homeowners’ heating and cooling costs. The homes have large decks, and some have porches and vaulted ceilings.
The City of Sanford received an award for its support of the redevelopment, which included selling vacant lots to Brick Capital CDC for $400 each. Financing for the homes includes first mortgages from local lenders and USDA Rural Development; and $10,000 second mortgages at zero-interest from the N.C. Housing Finance Agency.
Plaques were presented to Brick Capital Community Development Corporation and the City of Sanford.
Contact: Kate Rumley, Brick Capital CDC, 919-775-2300; Bob Bridwell, City of Sanford, 919-885-8240.
Hamlet in the Park, Morrisville
Hamlet in the Park, developed by Westfield Homes, is a subdivision of 136 single-family townhomes, 59 of which are completed. It received the award in a category that recognizes affordable subdivisions produced in the private market, without public financing.
The two- and three-bedroom townhomes feature vaulted ceilings, master suites on the first floor, home offices, island kitchens, patios, and spacious combined living and dining rooms. Sales prices range from $106,785 and $124,950 for homes of 1,090 to 1,380 square feet.
The affiliated mortgage broker, Westfield Home Mortgage, offers a School Teacher Incentive Program that provides zero-down financing, no closing costs, and a $1,000-grant for appliances.
Contact: John Schlichenmaier, Westfield Homes, 919-789-9700.
Arbor Glen I, Charlotte
Arbor Glen offers 92 newly built apartments for families, and is part of the redevelopment of Dalton Village, a public housing project in Charlotte. Arbor Glen I is developed by Crosland Inc. of Charlotte in partnership with the Charlotte Public Housing Authority, and with support from the City of Charlotte. In addition, the redevelopment includes new rental housing for the elderly, and 50 rehabilitated apartments from the former Dalton Village. It will also include single-family homes and an Outreach Center with classrooms and a gymnasium.
Rents and utilities for the two- and three-bedroom family apartments range from $326 to $683 a month. Residents have access to a community building with a conference room and computer center, a swimming pool, picnic area and playground.
The city has built a public library on land adjacent to Arbor Glen and committed $2 million into the housing authority for infrastructure.
Financing for the new family apartments in phase one include federal and state tax credits, HOPE VI funds from HUD, and funds from the City of Charlotte.
Plaques were presented to Crosland Inc.; the Public Housing Authority of the City of Charlotte; and the City of Charlotte.
Contact: Roger Lewis, Crosland Inc., 704-561-5260.
Millside Manor, Morganton
Millside Manor is a two-story, 28-unit apartment development for the elderly that is part of Morganton’s downtown revitalization efforts. It is developed by Loving & Associates of Raleigh and is designed to blend with the architecture of the surrounding, older neighborhood. The property includes sitting rooms, a computer room and exercise room. It is landscaped with brick-lined sidewalks, cherry trees, electrified gas lights and a gazebo.
Residents can participate in educational classes, exercise groups, social activities, and arts and crafts. Rents (including utilities) range from $440 to $511, and all the residents are also eligible for monthly rent-assistance from HUD. Financing for the property came from state and federal tax credits and a loan from the N.C. Housing Finance Agency.
Plaques were presented to Loving & Associates and the City of Morganton.
Contact: Lennis Loving, Loving & Associates, 919-846-1000; Lee Anderson, City of Morganton, 828-437-8863.
Pireway Place Tabor City
Pireway Place Apartments is a development of 24 garden-style apartments for the elderly in the Columbus County Town of Tabor City. They were built after the town manager, Al Leonard, aggressively recruited developers to provide affordable housing needed in his community of 2,500 people.
The development is funded by the N.C. Housing Finance Agency using state Hurricane Floyd disaster funds, and also includes financing from USDA Rural Development. It is developed by Housing Opportunities Inc. of Greensboro, with consulting from Weaver Cooke Kirkland Housing, LLC, of Greensboro.
To blend with the small town, the design of Pireway Place has six buildings of four apartments each, around a circular drive. The buildings have covered porches across the front and back that make them look more like homes than apartments. The community building has a large screened porch with rockers, meeting space and a library. The site ludes a gazebo and individual garden plots for residents.
Rents at Pireway Place range from $337 to $502, and rent assistance is available to residents through USDA Rural Development.
Plaques were presented to Housing Opportunities Inc., Weaver Cooke Kirkland Housing, LLC, the Town of Tabor City, and Town Manager Al Leonard.
Contact: Al Leonard, Town of Tabor City, 910-653-3458 (ck); or Linda Wall, Weaver Cooke Kirkland Housing, 336-478-2273.
Second Avenue Supported Living, Gastonia
Second Avenue Supported Living in Gastonia provides permanent housing for four individuals with spinal cord injuries. It was developed by Gaston Residential Development Corporation, the nonprofit affiliate of Gaston Residential Services, which develops housing and programs to support individuals with developmental disabilities. The property is located in a historic district, and was designed according to the standards for the district. The architectural plan incorporates many features to enable residents using wheel chairs to live as independently as possible. It features an spacious, open great room and kitchen, a wrap-around porch accessible from the great room, roll-under kitchen workspaces, a front-loading washer and dryer, an adjustable dining/game table, roll-in showers, and other accommodations. The house is also engineered to be energy-efficient. The Center for Universal Design at N.C. State University in Raleigh provided the interior plan for the barrier-free home.
Monthly rent of $717 includes individual services for residents including physical and vocational therapy, counseling, recreational opportunities and assistance with activities of daily living. The state of North Carolina provides funding for supportive services to the residents. Primary financing for the facility is a zero- interest loan from the N.C. Housing Finance Agency and a grant from the City of Gastonia.
Plaques were presented to: Gaston Residential Development Corporation, the City of Gastonia, and the NCSU Center for Universal Design.
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