“Viewpoints” is a place on Chapelboro where local people are encouraged to share their unique perspectives on issues affecting our community. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work, reporting or approval of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com. If you’d like to contribute a column on an issue you’re concerned about, interesting happenings around town, reflections on local life — or anything else — send a submission to viewpoints@wchl.com.
Faith, Service and Building Homes
A perspective from Rev. Cameron Barr, Rev. Tony Boss, Rev. Dr. George Crews III, and Rev. Jarrett McLaughlin
As clergy serving faith communities in Orange County, we find ourselves now in an awkward position. For many years our churches have been enthusiastic supporters of Habitat for Humanity, but as faith leaders we cannot support Habitat’s current plans for a new housing development in Hillsborough.
When Habitat has sought to build affordable housing in Orange County in the past, our churches have been powerful advocates and cheerleaders. We celebrate Habitat in our worship services. At some churches, we bring the children together to offer a “blessing of the hammers” before sending out our teams of volunteers. Since 2022, our faith communities have contributed at least 5,325 volunteer hours to Habitat homes. Through our annual budgets, mission funds, and special appeals for neighborhoods like Weavers Grove, we’ve made institutional gifts of at least $426,000 in the past three years. To many of us, working with Habitat is an imperative of our faith. To build a home for a new neighbor is to enact the ministry of Jesus: to feed the poor, to clothe the naked, to welcome the stranger. A sermon about the good things Habitat does practically writes itself.
So what has changed? Why are so many clergy loud in their silence about the new development known as Auman Village?
Habitat is our valued faith partner for building affordable housing, but Auman Village will not be affordable for all families. In fact the neighborhood is likely to set back housing affordability in some ways, particularly for African American families. Based on current estimates, to qualify to apply for a home in Auman Village, households will need to demonstrate a minimum income of $61,100. This won’t be a problem for most white families in Orange County, who have a median income of $97,170. But there is a large income gap between white and Black families in our area. The median income for a Black family in Orange County is $53,574. We cannot support plans to offer Habitat homes at 63% of AMI (area median income) for white families and 114% of AMI for Black families. The minimum income requirement on Auman Village is sending a clear message: Black families won’t be living here.
The new construction will displace a community with a proud Black history. Rev. Tony Boss, the pastor of Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church near the Auman Village site, has shared the concerns of his community with Habitat leadership. The rising price of homes has already displaced too many African American families out of Hillsborough – and we know that experience is shared by residents of Black neighborhoods throughout our county. These families often work as CNAs in our area hospitals, lab technicians, and teacher assistants. Their lives will be changed by Auman Village – and not in positive ways. As Habitat builds in this area, the new homes will contribute to rising costs and higher taxes. Our churches often talk about the benefits Habitat brings to our neighbors, but we also have to acknowledge the pain Habitat can cause as a force for gentrification.
As a community of pastors working together through Orange County Justice United, we have met with Habitat regularly over the past 18 months to present options to address our concerns about racial equity and affordability in Auman Village. We have proposed adjustments to the minimum income requirements for the neighborhood – specifically, to set aside a certain number of homes for “deeply affordable housing” to ensure that African-American families will have an opportunity to participate in Habitat’s program. We have not yet received a clear commitment in response to our proposal. Nevertheless, we stand ready to work with Habitat to mitigate the negative impacts of building around Piney Grove. We’ve done our research, and we believe it’s possible to raise the public and private funds necessary.
As faith leaders we insist on telling the whole story about Habitat’s impact on our Orange County communities. When Black families have the chance to buy a Habitat home on an equal footing with others, our churches will praise God with the music of a thousand hammers.
The authors, Rev. Cameron Barr, Rev. Tony Boss, Rev. Dr. George Crews III, and Rev. Jarrett McLaughlin, are pastors serving congregations in Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and rural Orange County.
“Viewpoints” on Chapelboro is a recurring series of community-submitted opinion columns. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work or reporting of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com.
