Charlotte city council approves 9 affordable housing projects. Where they’ll go:

Nearly 1,400 affordable housing units are on their way in Charlotte, after city council Monday approved $18.9 million from the Housing Trust Fund and other city money for nine development projects.

This is the second allocation of funds from the $50 million in affordable housing bonds voters approved in 2018 to build new or renovate existing multi-family apartments.

The projects are:

1. Dillehay Courts Phase I received $2 million from the housing trust fund to build 143 units.
2. Evoke Living at Arrowood received $2 million from the trust fund to build 168 units.
3. Johnston Oehler Seniors received $2 million from the trust fund to build 140 units.
4. The Park Seniors received $1.95 million from the trust fund to build 80 units.
5. Vibrant Eastway Park received $2 million from the trust fund to build 132 units.
6. Connelly Creek Apartments received $2 million from the trust fund to build 78 units.
7. Mineral Springs Commons received $803,000 from the trust fund to build 73 units.
8. Statesville Avenue location of the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte received $800,000 from the trust fund for 194 shelter beds.
9. Windsor Park Apartments received $1.4 million from the trust fund, $4 million from a city fund for naturally occurring affordable housing to renovate 341 units.

The Johnston Oehler and Windsor Park developments are also getting money from the $53 million Charlotte Housing Opportunity Investment Fund of private donations for affordable housing.

Council member Braxton Winston said Charlotte’s longtime affordable housing crisis will only worsen due to COVID-19, which has put thousands here out of work and at risk of losing their homes to eviction or foreclosure. City leaders should adapt affordable housing priorities to meet the immediate economic needs created by the pandemic, he said.

The council also resolved to continue discussions with leaders of the Brookhill redevelopment in South End.

Developers sought nearly $20 million in public and private funds to finance the deal. City staff told council members they had concerns about the amount of the request and developers‘ ability to complete the project and so did not recommend the project for Housing Trust Fund money.

Council also approved $750,000 on Monday to renovate and resell at least 12 single-family homes to low- and moderate-income buyers.

This work was made possible in part by grant funding from Report for America/GroundTruth Project and the Foundation For The Carolinas.

Lauren Lindstrom

The Charlotte Observer

704-358-5346

Lauren Lindstrom is a reporter for the Charlotte Observer covering affordable housing. She previously covered health for The Blade in Toledo, Ohio, where she wrote about the state’s opioid crisis and childhood lead poisoning. Lauren is a Wisconsin native, a Northwestern University graduate and a 2019 Report for America corps member. Support my work with a digital subscription