After years of planning, a proposed affordable housing community in Chapel Hill is close to becoming a reality.
Fourteen acres of land at 2200 Homestead Road have been designated for affordable housing since 2017. Since then, the Town of Chapel Hill has been developing plans to convert the land into a mixed-income community with units set at below market price.
Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger said the land is located right next to the railroad tracks, across the street from the Seymour Senior Center and down the road from Homestead Park.
“The town owns this property and we’re going to be able to put 117 housing units on there and it’ll be a mix of rental and home ownership,” Hemminger said. “Almost 70 of the units will be for people who earn less than 60 percent of the Area Median Income.”
The proposed development includes rental apartments and for-sale duplexes and townhomes surrounded by a variety of community amenities – including a multi-use greenway path, walking trails, a basketball court, a co-op market, and a community garden.
Playgrounds, gardens, benches, bike racks, and a bus stop are also included in 2200 Homestead’s design plans.
Concept plans of 2200 Homestead development, including outdoor spaces (photo via Town of Chapel Hill)
Hemminger said the need for more affordable housing is prominent as more and more people move to the Triangle.
“We are experiencing tremendous growth in the Triangle region,” Hemminger said. “Sixty-one people come every day to the Triangle, and we have people here that are already looking for housing, so it’s an interesting time.”
In February of 2020, the town partnered with the Homestead Housing Collaborative as the project’s potential development partner. The collaborative is led by the Self Help Ventures Fund in partnerships with CASA, Community Home Trust, and Habitat for Humanity of Orange County – all affordable housing providers in the Triangle region.
“Affordable housing takes time, it’s very expensive and you have to pull partners together to get your biggest bang for the buck,” Hemminger said. “We haven’t had as much support from the federal or state government for affordable housing in recent years so it’s really incumbent upon us to stretch tax dollars along with nonprofit dollars to build these units.”
New concept plans of 2200 Homestead (photo via Town of Chapel Hill)
Now, the project has entered the town’s development review process, which allows for review by town staff, the public, resident advisory boards, and town council. Hemminger said the town council is scheduled to vote on the project’s conditional rezoning application on May 19.
“We’ve been working on this project for over four years and so it’s just fun to see it come to fruition and it’s heartwarming to know that we’re going to be creating even more opportunities for affordable housing,” Hemminger said.
According to the town, pending all necessary approvals and permits granted in fall 2021, construction on 2200 Homestead is expected to begin in early 2022.
The Town of Chapel Hill has more affordable housing projects in the works, including 50 apartment rentals being considered for the Northside neighborhood on Jay Street.
See more of the concept plans for the proposed 2200 Homestead development here.
Lead photo via Town of Chapel Hill.
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