‘Groundbreaking opportunity for good’: YWCA to build affordable housing on Park Road
YWCA Central Carolinas will turn one-third of its 10-acre Park Road campus into affordable apartments, the organization announced Thursday.
Calling it “a groundbreaking opportunity for good,” YWCA CEO Kirsten Sikkelee said the nonprofit is eager to expand its affordable housing commitment in a city where it is increasingly scarce. The organization announced the project at its annual fundraising luncheon.
The 104 one-, two- and three-bedroom units will be built with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership for households earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income, or about $23,700 to $47,400 for a family of four.
YWCA programs already provide transitional housing on its south Charlotte campus: 66 rooms for single women and 10 townhouses for families that opened in 2008 behind the main building. Residents in both programs can stay up to 18 months, but many struggle to find permanent housing once they leave, Sikkelee said.
“Over the last couple years, it’s become more and more challenging for them to find affordable housing. People are moving outside of the city and they are commuting in,” she said. “They should be able to live in Charlotte if they work in Charlotte.”
Donated land has new purpose
The nearly 10 acres of former farmland were transferred for $100 from a Charlotte couple to the YWCA in 1962. For years, the sprawling green space around the main building never was intended for development, but the dire need for affordable housing presented an opportunity.
“I love the idea that the land was given to us and in some ways becomes a gift back to the community,” Sikkelee said. There is an abundance of nearby amenities, including access to public transportation, shopping and employment opportunities, she said, but few affordable housing options.
“It would be a great example for the community, that even in an affluent community you can have a mixture of (incomes),” she said.
Also on Thursday the YWCA announced a $3 million donation to the development from The Gambrell Foundation. The units are expected to open in 2023.
Julie Porter, president of the Housing Partnership, called the collaboration with the YWCA “a transformative project for the area.”
“A nonprofit in Charlotte is showing how they can utilize the space they already have for affordable housing,” she said. “And to embrace that? I think it’s a model that other nonprofits and faith organizations can follow if they want to make that commitment.”
Taiwo Jaiyeoba, Charlotte’s assistant city manager and director of planning, design and development, lauded the project in a statement announcing the plans.
“The YWCA is truly walking the walk when it comes to tackling important community issues like affordable housing, and others across our city should take note,” he said. “We should all be as focused on increasing affordable housing options and improving inequities.”
This work was made possible in part by grant funding from Report for America/GroundTruth Project and the Foundation For The Carolinas.
This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 1:15 PM.
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