Mecklenburg County moving forward on 14-acre affordable housing complex

CHARLOTTE — Mecklenburg County leaders are moving forward with plans to provide county-owned land for an affordable housing complex in Grier Heights.

The 14-acre site was previously home to the Tom Ray Center. Employees have since been moved to the Valerie Woodard Center in west Charlotte.

Mecklenburg County put out a request for qualifications last year for potential developers. The county received four responses and has invited two developers to submit proposals: the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership and Community Housing Partners of Richmond, Virginia.

The amount of units has not been determined. Leaders say 20% to 25% of the units will be for people at 30% AMI or below; 25% to 30% of units will be for people at 31% to 80% AMI; 25% to 30% of units will be for people at 81% to 120% AMI and 25% of units will be market rate. The county also said the property will feature homes that are for sale. The for-sale units must be HouseCharlotte eligible with a maximum price of $230,000.

Affordable housing has long been a priority of the city and is new territory for county commissioners. Some said they feel compelled to act due to the nature of Charlotte's housing crisis.

"The city ought to feel bad that someone else has to step in and do its job," Commissioner Vilma Leake said. "I have a real problem with the city not doing its job."

On the 2020 ballot, city leaders plan to ask voters for an additional $50 million to dedicate to affordable housing. Voters approved $50 million for the Housing Trust Fund in 2018.

In 2017, the Charlotte City Council approved $4.5 million from the Housing Trust Fund for the Mezzanine at Freedom community. Late last month, 1,417 people stood in the rain and cold weather to apply for one of 185 affordable units.

There is an estimated need of 34,000 affordable units in Charlotte.

Chairman George Dunlap said he has been meeting with Mayor Vi Lyles, the county manager and city manager to come up with a plan on how the next housing bond should be spent so it has a maximum impact.

"People want to know what the plan is," Dunlap said. "Not just asking for money. Knowing what is going to be done and whose responsibility is going to be for what."

The county will pick a winning developer in the spring and the hope is units in Grier Heights will be built within the next three years.

Part 1: Priced Out of Charlotte Part 1: Priced Out of Charlotte

>> Reading this story in our app? The new "Follow the Lead" feature allows you to tap the blue tag indicated with a '+' to subscribe to alerts on the very latest breaking news updates.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

• Ballantyne neighbors come to carjacking victim’s aid, shoot suspect, witnesses say
• CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Group ransacks Gaston County Quik Trip, injures clerk
• Sonic employee seriously hurt after gunfire erupts in parking lot
• FORECAST: Warming trend continue ahead of midweek showers, downpours
• ‘Everybody needs to know’: Where does your recycling really go?

© 2020 Cox Media Group