Spread Holiday Cheer, and Help Your Neighbors in Need

Are you looking for a way to help others this holiday season? Consider making a contribution to assist Chapel Hill residents in housing crisis by making a tax-deductible donation to the County-wide Emergency Housing Assistance Program.   

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Town has seen a tremendous increase in requests for assistance, as many residents continue to struggle to make ends meet.  Since March 2020, more than 700 Chapel Hill residents have received assistance totaling more than $2.5 million through the Emergency Housing Assistance Program. 

Amid the economic downturn resulting from the pandemic, in collaboration with Orange County, and the towns of Carrboro and Hillsborough, Chapel Hill expanded the eligibility criteria and funding available through the Emergency Housing Assistance Program. The program provides low-income residents in urgent need of rent and utility assistance with a one-time payment. 

All donations received will be used to directly assist Chapel Hill residents. Donations of any amount may be made by check, payable to the Town of Chapel Hill. Please send to the attention of the Business Management Department (BMD) and mail to 405 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Please indicate in the memo “Emergency Housing Assistance Program.”  The Town will provide a receipt for each tax-deductible donation. 

For residents in need of assistance, please call or email the Housing Helpline to get an application: 919-245-2655 or HousingHelp@orangecountync.gov

For more information about the Emergency Housing Assistance Program, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/government/departments-services/housing-and-community/funding/rental-and-utility-assistance-program

Sarah Viñas Named Affordable Housing and Community Connections Director

Town Manager Maurice Jones has selected Sarah Viñas as Director of Affordable Housing and Community Connections. The appointment came after a national search and selection from a talented pool of applicants. Her first day was Oct. 25th.

“Sarah has been an outstanding leader in our community’s effort to preserve and create affordable housing in Chapel Hill,” said Jones. “She possesses a great passion for public service and has worked closely with our affordable housing partners to make a positive difference in the lives of our residents.”

“I am honored to continue serving the Town in this new role by working with residents, community partners, and staff to create more affordable housing opportunities and partnerships that address social inequities in Chapel Hill,” said Viñas. “I am extremely excited to lead the department as we continue to develop solutions to some of the communities’ greatest challenges now and into the future.”

Viñas has nearly 20 years of experience in both the public and non-profit sector, all focused on addressing the root causes of poverty and housing insecurity and building leadership among marginalized populations to create positive community change. She joined the Town of Chapel Hill more than a decade ago, where she has served in a variety of roles. In 2014, she joined the Town’s newly-formed Office for Housing and Community, where she developed many new programs and policy solutions and oversaw operations as Assistant Director and most recently Interim Director. Prior to joining the Town, Viñas directed two community-based non-profit organizations and worked on state and national social policy issues.

Viñas earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Religion with a minor in Community Building and Social Change from Emory University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill. 

She is supported by her husband, Gabriel, and their two children, as well as her extended family who live locally in Chapel Hill.

Our Work In The News - Ahead of the Curve Podcast

Our team's work was featured on Ahead of the Curve, a podcast for public sector professionals to share best practices, challenges, and insights on housing, community development, and economic development issues. Take a listen to our Interim Director, Sarah Viñas, featured on this recent episode.

County-Wide Program Ready to Help Residents Facing Eviction

Chapel Hill and Orange County residents and families facing eviction can seek assistance through the Orange County Housing Helpline and the Eviction Diversion Program.

The Housing Helpline connects people with eviction diversion, homeless services, and other resources and can be reached during business hours at 919-245-2655 or housinghelp@orangecountync.gov.

“The Housing Helpline is a resource available to anyone in housing crises in Orange County,” said Sarah Vinas, Interim Director of Housing and Community with the Town of Chapel Hill. “We are grateful for our partnership with Orange County, the Town of Carrboro, and the Town of Hillsborough to meet the housing needs of residents during this challenging time.”

Since launching in April 2020, the Housing Helpline has served nearly 8,600 households and responded to more than 23,000 calls and 17,000 emails. Calls are answered live in more than 200 languages from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Voicemails and emails will be responded to during business hours.

Staff can assist with several programs, including the Orange County Eviction Diversion Program (EDP), which provides free legal representation for individuals and families threatened with eviction. More than 1,800 households in Orange County have accessed nearly $7.3 million in rental and utility assistance since March 2020. Over 675 Chapel Hill households have received assistance during this same period. The EDP has assisted more than 240 Orange County Households facing eviction since its creation in July 2020, allowing residents to remain in their home or obtain additional time to find an alternative residence. The EDP can be accessed through the Housing Helpline at 919-245-2655 or housinghelp@orangecountync.gov, or directly through the EDP Intake Form.

The Orange County Emergency Housing Assistance (EHA) program, funded by the towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Orange County, also continues to assist people with rent, mortgage, and utility payments. People can apply online. In-person help is available on Tuesdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Southern Human Services Center (2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill). For help over the phone or by email, contact the Housing Helpline.

The recently-reopened HOPE Program provides rent and utility assistance for renters who meet income requirements. New HOPE applicants can apply online. Returning HOPE applicants can call (888) 927-5467 to speak with someone about their application.

Now Accepting Applications to Create Affordable Housing Opportunities

The Town of Chapel Hill is accepting applications to fund affordable housing development and preservation projects in the community through noon Friday, October 1st, 2021.

Awards will be made from the Town’s Affordable Housing Development Reserve (AHDR), established by the Town Council in March 2015. Since its creation, the Town has supported the development of 296 units of affordable housing with funding from the AHDR. The total funding available this fiscal year in the Affordable Housing Development Reserve is $688,395.

The Town of Chapel Hill will accept applications for the following priority project areas:

• Land bank and land acquisition

• Rental subsidy and development

• Homeownership development and assistance

• Future development planning

The Town’s Housing Advisory Board will evaluate applications and present a funding recommendation to the Town Council for final approval in October 2021. There will be up to two additional funding cycles this fiscal year (July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022), until funding is exhausted.

The application deadline is 12:00 pm Friday, October 1st, 2021.  To access the application and learn more, visit https://bit.ly/32zt4oy.

Congressman David Price Visits Homestead Gardens Mixed-Income Affordable Housing Project Site

On Wednesday, August 18th, Congressman David Price of North Carolina’s 4th congressional district visited the Homestead Gardens site, the future location of 117 units of mixed-income, affordable housing, located at 2200 Homestead Road. Town managers and staff and members of the development team attended to welcome Con. Price, including Dan Levine and Graham Smokoski of Self-Help Ventures Fund, Jess Brandes of CASA, Jennifer Player of Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, and Kimberly Sanchez of Community Home Trust. 

The Homestead Gardens project is one of ten projects selected from the 4th congressional district as a finalist for Community Project Funding (CPF), a new federal funding initiative for Fiscal Year 2022 that allows members of Congress to request direct funding for projects that benefit the communities they represent and show evidence of strong community support. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development within the Congressional Appropriations Committee, Con. Price has served a key role in informing his district about the opportunity and advocating for projects. The Homestead Gardens team is grateful for Con. Price’s advocacy efforts for this project and look forward to hearing more about the final CPF awards when the FY 2022 federal budget is approved, possibly in fall 2021.

Learn more about the Town’s Homestead Gardens project here. 

Indy Week: Several New Affordable Housing Developments Could Help Folks Stay in Chapel Hill

See this recent Indy Week feature on our upcoming affordable housing development projects.

Data-Smart City Solutions: Using Maps to Combat Displacement

The Harvard Kennedy School’s Data Smart City Solutions group highlighted our work using GIS and mapping to engage manufactured home residents. Check out the full article here.

CDBG Program Update

Good news! The Town of Chapel Hill will be receiving an increased 2021-2022 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) award. The new award of $418,300 is $6,024 more than the original amount allocated by Town Council in the approved 21-22 CDBG program plan. The Council will consider a recommendation on June 9th to add the increased funding to Neighborhood Revitalization projects that further affordable housing initiatives in Chapel Hill. See the full 2021-2022 CDBG Program Plan on our website here.

Town Council Approves Affordable Housing Development Project at 2200 Homestead Road

The Chapel Hill Town Council has approved an affordable housing development on Town-owned land at 2200 Homestead Road. The project will include about 120 affordable homes, with a combination of apartments, townhomes and duplexes that serve a range of household incomes from less than $18,000 to a little over $100,000. The site plan also includes a variety of community amenities, including a multi-use greenway path, walking trails, a basketball court, and a community garden.

The Homestead Project is the latest example of the Town’s strategy to use Town land to support the development of affordable housing in Chapel Hill, where 58% of renters and 23% of homeowners are cost-burdened, or spend more than 30% of their income on housing expenses.  The Homestead Project, and other similar development projects planned and under way, will help the Town address the community’s great need for affordable housing with a goal of adding 400 units of affordable housing in five years.  “We are very excited about 2200 Homestead,” said Mayor Pam Hemminger. “Chapel Hill values being an inclusive community and, by providing land and working with our partners, we are creating a welcoming community and a special place for people to call home.” 

Since 2017, the Town has worked closely with its design and engineering team, comprised of MHAworks and CJT, PA to develop and refine a site plan that will create an inclusive, mixed-income community offering a variety of housing types that serve a variety of housing needs. The Town has also worked closely with its prospective development team, the Homestead Housing Collaborative, a unique collaboration of local affordable housing developers.  The Collaborative partners will achieve the project’s vision by each bringing their development expertise to the project:

• Self-Help Ventures Fund, as master developer and site developer

• CASA, as developer of rental apartment units

• Community Home Trust, as developer of for-sale townhomes

• Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, as developer of for-sale duplexes

The Homestead Project will be financed by a variety of public and private funding sources, including awards from the Town of Chapel Hill and Orange County affordable housing bonds.  With Council approval for the rezoning of the site in hand, the development team will apply for the permits needed to begin construction, with a goal of breaking ground in early 2022.