The City of Sanford and the Sanford Housing Authority have been granted funds to develop five units to house homeless families.
The NC Housing Finance Agency has provided the Sanford Housing Authority with a forgivable loan for $440,000 from the Supportive Housing Development Loan Program to renovate a vacant, boarded building located on Linden Avenue.
The goal for the renovated building is to create five permanent, quality, affordable housing units that will be available for families who fall below 50 percent of the area median income as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. There will be four 1-bedroom units and one 2-bedroom unit. Each unit will have its own entrance and living space.
The N.C. Department of Commerce granted the City of Sanford $750,000 from the CDBG Neighborhood Revitalization program to assist in the Linden Avenue project. Of the total, $350,000 will be used to assist in building renovations. The remaining grant funds will be used for sidewalk, curb, and gutter installation along Linden Avenue.
“Renovating the Linden Avenue property has been one of my goals since arriving at the Sanford Housing Authority,” said Shannon Judd, chief executive officer for the agency. “I am elated that the necessary funding has come together.”
The Sanford Housing Authority will manage the facility and provide case management services for the families approved as tenants.
“The Sanford Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners and staff embrace our partnerships with the City of Sanford and Lee County to help make this much-needed housing a reality for such deserving families,” says SHA Commissioner Hope White.
The project dovetails with the S3 Housing Connect initiative, spearheaded by the City of Sanford, which seeks to bring together the needed resources to create a coordinated approach to ensure that homelessness is a rare, brief, and non-recurring experience.
“I am extremely grateful and excited for Sanford to have revitalization opportunities like this CDBG grant,” says Sanford Mayor Chet Mann. “This particular grant comes with a lot of momentum from S3 Housing Connect and will go a long way in helping us achieve our goal of creating more transitional and affordable housing for families that need it,” he says.
“The issue of housing and homelessness has challenged communities across the country,” notes Councilman Byron Buckels, who serves as the City Council liaison to the Sanford Housing Authority. “I’m grateful to be part of a collaborative effort between local government, nonprofits, and volunteers to help end homelessness. Our community is on the right path when we seek to serve and restore families to a better quality of life.”
Once the funding has been received and construction begins, the renovated units are expected to be available for tenants within 12 months.