SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — Government officials unanimously signed off on two properties for an area nonprofit to put back into the affordable housing supply.
READ MORE: City to consider 80K land donation to Habitat for Humanity
City of Wilmington’s council and New Hanover County commissioners will convey jointly owned land at 722 S. Ninth St. and 910 Starkeys Alley to Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity. The governments will prepare the deeds to transfer the properties, together valued at just over $38,000.
According to Lauren McKenzie, executive director with Habitat, the vacant lots will become two- and three-bedroom single-family residences to go to qualified volunteers who are in queue to pay for a home.
“We have 25 future homeowners in our program at this time,” McKenzie told Port City Daily.
Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity has seen a 30% increase in homeownership applications in the last few years, according to the director.
With the housing market surging in prices — the median average below $300,000 in 2019 compared to above $400,000 in 2023 — one in three families in the Cape Fear region spends over one-third of income on housing, according to stats from the nonprofit.
To qualify for a Habitat home, interested parties must volunteer with the nonprofit to build houses for others in the community first. The volunteer hours add to their applicability.
“That’s partnership hours through working on owning their home,” McKenzie told city council Tuesday.
Not only do Habitat homeowners help build their dwellings, their mortgage is no more than 30% of their income.
The 722 S. 9th St. property is 1,149 square feet, acquired by the city and county in 1983. The city owns the majority interest, 59.8%, with the county owning 40.2%. Its tax appraisal is roughly $2,100.
The City of Wilmington also owns the majority of 910 Starkey Alley, at 88.5%, acquired in 2003. It’s just more than 5,000 square feet, with a tax appraisal of $36,700, and located within the National Historic District.
Both properties were declared surplus in 2016 and are zoned residential but are not located in flood zones.
The county has turned over 11 properties (valued at more than $1 million) to Cape Fear Habitat between 2018 and 2022; the city didn’t respond by press on how many it’s agreed to donate in the last five years. Last October, it deeded three properties to Habitat, totaling more than $80,000.
According to McKenzie, Cape Fear Habitat has built 70 homes in the last five years, but that’s also on properties beyond county and city donations.
Homeowners for the two newly donated parcels have not been chosen yet; the property conveyance has to be finalized first.
“Our partner families are typically in our program for 12 to 18 months so we hope families choose these lots in the next year and they will purchase their homes in less than two years from now,” McKenzie told PCD.
They also go through financial literacy programming. In 2021, more than 1,000 hours were dedicated to such, with volunteers offering over 27,000 hours. To date, more than 350 families in the tri-county region have been helped through Cape Fear Habitat’s mission since its founding 35 years ago.
“We try to build dignity, self empowerment through our programs,” McKenzie told council. “We have our families go through a very thorough education system. Habitat prepares homeowners, a lot of whom are first-time homebuyers, are first generation homebuyers, for homeownership, through monthly credit counseling.”
When Habitat takes over the properties, it remains a part of the affordable housing stock forever, as noted in the deed.
“What we want to do is build something that creates that long-term affordability,” McKenzie told council.
For instance, if a property owner has to relocate or chooses to sell the home, Habitat has the right of first purchase to buy the home at fair market value — “which is very difficult, as you know, right now, but we’re committed to it,” she added.
Currently, the nonprofit is constructing a 10-home development, Legacy Landing, in Castle Hayne off Rockhill Road. It’s being built in two phases.
“One has active builds and one we are in the infrastructure phase,” McKenzie told Port City Daily.
Phase two will begin in 2025, she confirmed.
The organization is also applying for more community development grants and has embarked on a partnership with Cape Fear Land Trust to build two homes as well. It will continue to work with the city’s Home Ownership Pool Program, helping applicable low-to-moderate-income homeowners secure $25,000 down payment assistance, she added.
Families that wish to apply for a Habitat home can request an application to be mailed or pick one up at the administrative office, 3310 Fredrickson Rd.
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