HIGH POINT, N.C. — The Housing Authority of the City of High Point has received approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to demolish and dispose of the primary site at the Daniel Brooks Homes community, according to a news release from the housing authority.
Along with previously-approved funding the housing authority secured from the City of High Point, this will allow for the construction of new affordable housing on the site, the release said.
The Daniel Brooks Homes community was developed in 1942. It is the oldest housing authority property in the city.
The housing authority’s redevelopment plan includes the demolition of 246 units in this neighborhood. The primary site at Daniel Brooks Homes provides homes to 216 families.
The HUD approval allows for the relocation of the families and demolition of the buildings on this site, the release said.
Due to the varying age and condition of buildings on the adjacent scattered sites, additional HUD approvals through separate HUD processes are necessary for the remaining 30 units. Approvals for these units are still pending and expected in the future, according to the housing authority.
“We are pleased to have secured this important approval for the development of new, high-quality affordable housing at the Daniel Brooks Homes property,” Angela McGill, HPHA chief executive officer, said in a statement. “We appreciate the support of HUD, the HPHA Board of Commissioners, the City of High Point and Laurel Street, and we thank our residents in advance for their patience as we now begin the necessary relocation process that will pave the way for this transformative project.”
Housing authority counselors will begin working with 216 of the current residents on various relocation options, including moves to alternative public housing communities in High Point or other rental communities using a Housing Choice Voucher.
“The HPHA will provide relocation assistance and oversee the relocation of every household displaced, providing tailored relocation plans that ensure a seamless transition and positive experience,” the release said.
The relocation process will continue into 2020 and the demolition of the existing buildings will occur when that process is complete, allowing for the construction of 100 new mixed-income housing units to start in 2021 on a portion of the site.
An additional 164 units will be developed off-site, bringing the total number of mixed-income rental units to 264.
Laurel Street will be the master developer of the new communities and previously partnered with HPHA to develop Park Terrace Apartments over three phases.
“We are thrilled to partner again with the HPHA to develop beautiful new residential units that High Point’s hard working families will be proud to call home,” Dionne Nelson, CEO of Laurel Street, said in a statement.
The relocated residents of Daniel Brooks Homes will have a priority right to return to the new housing if they choose to participate in the HPHA’s Family Self-sufficiency program, which supports families in their efforts toward upward mobility and financial independence and stability, the release said.