Chapel Hill is continuing a push for affordable housing opportunities by taking applications for project funding from the town’s Affordable Housing Development Reserve.

The town wants developers to prioritize four types of projects: land acquisition, rental subsidy and development, home-ownership development and future development planning.

There is around $750,000 available in the reserve right now, which is dedicated solely to organizations planning to create or preserve affordable housing units.

Chapel Hill’s assistant director of housing and community Sarah Viñas says despite having the “affordable housing” label, these projects shouldn’t scare off developers or house-hunting residents.

“Typically when we say affordable housing,” she says, “we mean housing that is affordable to those at 80 percent of the area median income or below. For a family of four in Chapel Hill, that’s about $64,000 [in yearly income].”

Viñas says because of this, the town wants for projects to be all kinds of housing types to maximize options. Apartments or single-family homes are needed, but also town homes and properties in established neighborhoods, which Viñas says is a common project in Chapel Hill.

“We’ve done that very well historically,” she says. “A lot of people don’t even know where the affordable housing is because they can’t distinguish it from the traditional market rate.”

The Affordable Housing Development Reserve is Chapel Hill’s primary funding source for these projects and has helped create over 100 units throughout the town. Some of the most recent projects funded by it include the multi-family development Greenfield Place and the current Habitat for Humanity construction in the Northside neighborhood.

Viñas says there are many components applicants must submit before the town’s Housing Advisory Board reviews their ideas.

“Organizations are required to submit a project proposal including information such as timelines, project budgets and the income level meant to be served by the project,” says Viñas. “We need as much information as possible.”

The application for funds is available on the Town of Chapel Hill website. It will be open until August 31.

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