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CaptionA non-profit developer is trying to calm concerns after residents spoke out about the agency's plan to buy the George Mews Apartments in Raleigh and turn them into affordable housing.
The agency, CASA, says it already has 39 buildings around Wake County and has had very few issues with them.
CASA is close to buying the 26-unit complex on Washington Street in Raleigh.
At a contentious meeting Wednesday night, apartment and neighborhood residents said they associate affordable housing with an increase in blight and crime.
"These concerns about just things running amuck and people being unchecked, they really are ungrounded," said Debra King, CASA CEO.
The George Mews Complex would be CASA's largest property if the deal goes through.
"We have some real concerns about the size and scale of this project and how this project is going to fit in our neighborhood," said Hilary White, who lives near the complex.
Current apartment residents expressed outrage that they'd be forced to leave the complex after their lease expires if they make more than the $31,000 income cap.
King says that amount is set by the City of Raleigh.
Funding for the project comes from the City, Wake County and the State. The City Council already approved its portion of funding last week.
Wake County Commissioners are set to take up the issue next week.
Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker attended Wednesday's meeting along with two members of City Council.
"We've done about three dozen affordable housing projects over the last six or seven years and we haven't had complaints about any of them once they got in place," Meeker said.
But Thomas Morris, who lives right next to the complex, says he has a lot to complain about already.
Morris questions how the public was notified about the proposed purchase, with many residents saying they only found out in the last week or two.
"Why the ridiculously short notice? Because I wanted to see what the evidence was on similar projects," he said.
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By houndog on 08/26 11:03 AM
It is amazing how quickly false information spreads. Is anyone interested in the facts? First of all, it doesn’t sit in a flood plain. I imagine the same agent that is responsible for the “This is much better suited to Southeast Raleigh” comment provided such hard data. I wonder if the real estate commission would take issue with such a remark? I bet her broker-in-charge would. I digress.
Secondly, it will not be owned by the city, it will be owned by CASA. The money being used is already set aside for city mandates for public housing. And they get grants from other non-profits. CASA does not have to notify neighbors. In fact, no one does. You are not entitled to knowledge about what a private citizen chooses to do with their property. Who told you that you have a right to decide what a private entity does with its property? That mentality is fascinating to me. And whomever subscribes to the theory that CASA will only keep it up to minimal standards knows nothing, literally, about owning apartments. An investor owner is the type of entity that seeks to keep operating costs as low as possible. CASA is required to make repairs and will do exponentially more to improve the property than a private investor.
This is my favorite: “The reason the property has sat on the market so long, according to Realtors in the area, is that it sits in a flood plain. Therefore developers can not redevelop it residentially—it has to remain an apartment with minimal upgrades in order to be grandfathered into the previous building codes.”
What does that even mean? Building codes? What? It’s zoned R-30 you nutcase. That means it can only be residential without a massive re-zoning effort. In which case, the CITY would be responsible for notifying you and offering opportunities for public response. You’re lucky a developer didn’t buy it to tear it down and stick a high-rise condo project there. Which is probably what will happen after CASA anywya. I’m sure then the “no tear-down” nuts will fall out of their crazy trees to find a reason to protest to keep it there. “But wait, it has poor people in it, we can’t displace them for some big money building that will wreck the character of the neighborhood! They’ll have no where to go!”
If you don’t like the property’s progress, offer to buy it from them. Or move. Or don’t do anything and simply continue living your life as you do today. (But I question how you’re able to do that.) I bet everything will stay just as it is. Doesn’t the HGBNA Web site say it’s mission is to promote diversity in its neighborhood? As long as its not financial diversity, it seems, right?
I swear, you people just need a new war to protest.
By Steve on 08/22 08:43 PM
This appears to a classic case of NIMBY, where a well-intentioned, voluntary presentation by a private developer has been confused with a rezoning hearing by a public agency.
CASA is not a public agency, nor is would this be a public housing project. The characterizations and criticism are disproportionate to the actual situation.
By Trian on 08/15 02:46 PM
Robert,
Not only are they using taxpayer money, they are evicting all of the working class residents who live there simply because they happen to earn more than $31,000. They are forcing them to find an “affordable abode” in another neighborhood.
In essence, those residents are paying taxes for the city to use to evict them and make them all homeless.
Both CASA and Mayor Meeker said that it is hard to find one-bedroom facilities in Raleigh, which is why they like this property. Guess what, it IS hard to find affordable one-bedroom facilities in that neighborhood, which is why that facility operates at 100% occupancy, and has done so for years. The only change is that those residences would be punished for trying to make a decent wage.
The reason the property has sat on the market so long, according to realtors in the area, is that it sits in a flood plain. Therefore developers can not redevelop it residentially—it has to remain an apartment with minimal upgrades in order to be grandfathered into the previous building codes.
So should the lower units get flooded, it will not be a private owner dealing with the cleanup and repair, but a non-profit group that gets its funding from the city and county. That’s right, the taxpayers.
CASA officials admit that this will be their largest project, and that they have never tried anything like this before—it is an experiment, a project for which they have no track record in conducting. They are asking for $1.2 million in takpayer money to evict hard-working taxpayers, and conduct their own social experiment, that may or may not work, and could possibly negatively affect the neighborhood and neighboring property values.
I generally support CASA. I have no problem with some of my tax money going to build new homes for restricted incomes. However, I do not feel that they should be purchasing occupied dwellings in established neighborhoods and evicting taxpayers.
This is the wrong project for CASA, in the wrong location and at the wrong time.
By Robert Elder on 08/15 01:18 PM
Why are we using taxpayer money to take over a privately owned complex. Is this where the money from our large property tax increase is going? If you look at the current number of public housing projects run by the City of Raleigh you will find a lot of problems with crime and drugs.
By Kathleen on 08/15 09:44 AM
I wasn’t aware of any rule that when a property in your neighborhood is for sale, you have any right in deciding whether or not the buyer is worthy to be your neighbor.
As I understand it, this property is not being rezoned, nor it the use of the property changing in a way that would deem it necessary to check in with the neighborhood. So, it is not inappropriate that the neighbors might not be called to voice their opinions.
Secondly, it doesn’t sound as though this property is going to change much from what it currently is, except that it will guarantee affordable rent for folks who earn less than $31K (firemen, police, teachers, nurses, EMT’s, etc.) and it sets aside a small number of units for folks with disabilities who are able to live independently.
To me, it sounds like there is a need in our community that’s being met by this project.
Go CASA!
By Eric Blair on 08/15 06:53 AM
Because they don’t care what you think. That’s the way government works.
By Katherine on 08/14 07:40 AM
Thanks for picking up this story. Too bad they gave one day’s notice for the meeting, I would have like to have been there. Also, why did City of Raleigh approve a project like this without hearing from residents it affects FIRST?
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