City of Gastonia says they are open to public input on affordable housing

The city of Gastonia recently announced a partnership with the Belmont Community Development Corporation to build two affordable housing units in Gastonia’s Highland community.

Construction has already begun on the single-family homes, which will be built at 307 and 309 Norment Avenue in Gastonia, according to the City’s Director of Housing and Community Engagement Danette Dye.

To give a better understanding of the relationship between affordable housing, the Highland community, and the city of Gastonia, Dye starts at the beginning.

Gastonia began working within the Highland community in the late '90s.

“It was a blighted area, and was over 90% rented out,” Dye said.

Home ownership was nearly non-existent within the community itself.

“Efforts to revitalize the area were thwarted by the 2008 economic downturn,” Dye said.

According to Dye, the city has spent the last 12 or so years trying to get back to work in the Highland community.

In recent years, the city of Gastonia received funding from a government program called the HOME Investment Partnership Program to invest in affordable housing in the Highland community.

According to Dye, 15% of that funding must be used by a special non-profit organization called a Community Housing Development Organization. The Belmont CDC was designated as a CHDO in November of 2022, opening the pathway for this partnership.

Belmont CDC will build, market and sell the homes, with a focus on selling to people who already live in the Highland community.

Reginald Jones, executive director of Belmont CDC, says buyers must meet a specific median income and attend housing counseling to be considered for the homes.

Belmont CDC does not have a direct hand in financial aid for buyers interested in the homes. Applicants are referred to the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency where they can apply for down payment assistance in the form of a loan that does not accrue interest.

Since buyers will be purchasing through Belmont CDC, they will be eligible to get a no-interest loan for up to $50,000 to cover the down payment, as long as they make 80% or less than Gaston County's median income.

In the latest census, Gaston County's median income for an individual was $56,819. Using that number, applicants must make around $45,455 or less per year to be considered.

The current estimated price for each home is between $240,000 to $255,000, though Dye says the price is contingent on their appraised values. Appraised value of the homes might look different than expected when they are completed.

While Dye is not aware of any direct link between work being done in Gastonia’s FUSE District and the Highland Community, she does believe that given the proximity of the two it is possible each could affect the other.

In a 2021 interview, Councilwoman Donyel Barber said the city had been working for some time to attract a grocery store to the Highland community, but many grocery stores would not come to areas that don’t meet a specific median income.

In the same interview, Barber added that she hoped the FUSE District, and building new homes in the area would attract more stores.

With multiple projects totaling millions of dollars set to move into the FUSE District this year, and more in coming years, residents might expect to see a change in property values of those surrounding areas.

Some community members may not feel that the price range presented for this house is low enough for someone living in the community to buy.

Finland Fair, a volunteer at the Erwin Center, said he does not believe this mortgage will be affordable to anyone living in the community.

Fair said people in the community are barely making rent as it is sometimes, but when you add in interest, insurance, and other bills, "it's way higher."

In regard to the price range of these houses, Fair hopes it will be comparable to the income of the area.

The foundations of these homes have been laid, but there is no further information about when exactly they will be completed.

Any interested person looking to apply can reach Reginald Jones at 704-335-0450.

As for future work in the Highland neighborhood, the city’s been working on a plan to revitalize the area for years. The Highland Neighborhood Urban Design Masterplan Project Report includes plans to incorporate more street repairs, new public spaces like parks, and new housing opportunities into the community.

For Gastonia as a whole, the city has been working with the University of North Carolina Greensboro to conduct a research study that they hope will give them a better idea of how to effectively incorporate affordable housing in Gastonia.

“The intended goal is to implement the best and most effective plan to increase the supply of affordable housing and create opportunities for residents to obtain quality, affordable housing,” Dye said.

The research study includes a community survey that allows Gastonia residents to comment on and share ideas about affordable housing in the area. The survey will be open until Thursday, June 29.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: City of Gastonia says they are open to public input on affordable housing