2023 Housing North Carolina awards recognize Top Affordable Housing efforts 

Three developments and one organization have been honored with North Carolina’s top awards for excellence in affordable housing. This year’s Housing North Carolina Award winners provide opportunities for home buyers, life-changing repairs and modifications for homeowners, affordable apartment homes for working families and supportive housing for youth in foster care.

The 2023 Housing North Carolina Awards celebrate its 34th year by recognizing affordable housing accomplishments in Durham, Gaston County, New Bern and Middlesex. Awards were presented by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency during a luncheon at the 2023 NC Affordable Housing Conference. This year’s awardees are:

• Carolina Avenue Apartments, New Bern, a new, mixed-income affordable apartment community for working families in response to the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Mosaic Development Group and the New Bern Housing Authority worked together to provide 63 apartments to families earning 60% or less of the area median income, as well as 21 apartments for families earning 30% or less of the area median income.

Contact: Jimmy Royster, senior project manager, Mosaic Development Group, 704-763-1727

• HOPE VI Homeownership Partnership, Durham, a revitalized development with 37 new, affordable and energy efficient homes for working families. The Durham Housing Authority used HOPE VI funds to pay for the subdivision of lots, as well as infrastructure costs. Habitat for Humanity of Durham developed and built the homes and provided home ownership counseling and mortgage assistance to home buyers. 

Contact: Lindsay Tomlinson, director of development and advancement, Habitat for Humanity of Durham, 919-682-0516 ext. 11

• Gaston County Housing Rehabilitation Department, an organization that works to help homeowners stay in their homes by providing repairs and rehabilitation to allow citizens to age in place. In just a few short years, the organization has completed 109 homes with a total investment of $2.1 million. 

Contact: Lauren Lewis, housing rehab specialist, Gaston County Housing Rehabilitation Department, 704-866-3114

• Williamson Cottage, Middlesex, the first phase in Free Will Baptist Children’s Home’s Rewriting Stories campaign that was developed to help youth in foster care reach their full potential by providing a safe, caring environment for them. Youth currently living in Williamson Cottage are middle school aged boys in the Alternative Family Placement program. 

Contact: Gary Lee, president/CEO, Free Will Baptist Children’s Home, 252-235-2161