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Mountain Projects receives funding for apartment project
By Rose Hooper
Mountain Projects has been selected by the N.C. Housing Finance Agency for tax credit funding for The Haven, a 24-unit apartment development to be constructed off N.C. 116 near Webster.
Patsy Dowling, Mountain Projects director, said that was the go-ahead needed to purchase 2 acres from Jackson County for the $2.3 million project. The Nanny’s Lane site is part of a 30-acre parcel county officials purchased from Sybil Reed.
Construction of six units with four apartments each is scheduled to begin early next year, Dowling said.
County commissioners gave their approval for the project in January.
“We couldn’t have done this without county support, including the help of John Ashe, county public housing director,” Dowling said.
“We chose the site because of its proximity to the various services that will be provided by the county, such as the Department of Social Services and the Golden Age Senior Center,” said Dowling. The DSS building is currently under construction.
Future plans also call for a transit facility at the location, which would be a valuable service for residents, according to Dowling.
The one-bedroom apartments will serve senior citizens, with five of the units designed for handicapped persons.
Affordable housing for low-income elderly is a critical need in the area, she said.
According to her figures, more than 7,000 of Jackson County’s 33,566 residents are elderly. Of those, 1,500 are low income.
However, less than 3 percent of current housing in the county is available to the low-income elderly, she said.
“We completed a similar project in Haywood County and the 24 units are filled and the waiting list continues to grow,” Dowling said.
Mountain Projects will partner with HEGM Corporation of Charlotte to build The Haven.
In addition to the six residential buildings, a 1,200-square-foot facility will be constructed for tenant recreation, a manger’s office and an on-site laundry facility for tenants.
Each apartment will be approximately 600 square feet, consisting of one bedroom, one bath, kitchen-dining area and living room. Each will have a range, frost-free refrigerator, ceiling fans, walk-in closet and washer-dryer hook ups. Flooring will be a combination of carpet and vinyl.
“I’ve already had people calling about the apartments,” said Dowling, who anticipates no problem in filling the units.
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