Charlotte Is Losing More Affordable Housing

Alexandra Elich,

CHARLOTTE, NC.–  Charlotte is losing more affordable housing. The Martha Washington Apartments in the Elizabeth Neighborhood are clearing way for luxury town homes. Thursday night, the developers met with neighbors to discuss their plans.

Residents say they don’t want to lose the trees in their neighborhood for 124 luxury town homes. They’re also concerned about the added traffic. All of the residents have left the Martha Washington apartments, except for one. WCCB spoke to him Thursday afternoon.

For Nick Bloomberg, The Martha Washington Apartments have been  more than just a place to live. As an artist, this is where he makes his best creations.

“I have my computer with the projector my bedroom, but I mean the whole living room is nothing but an art studio,” says Bloomberg.

Nick says has been paying $620 a month for his place near uptown. City officials call complexes like these ‘naturally occurring affordable housing.’ They’re not subsidized by the government, they’re just older.

“It hurts, it hurts anytime we have to lose affordable housing,” says Charlotte City Council Member Larkin Eglenston.

Council members say redeveloping these apartments is a missed opportunity for the city.

“The council has kind of set our sights on those naturally occurring affordable housing developments from maybe 20, 30 years ago that they rebuilt or we can go and invest in those and bring those up today a little bit and keep them affordable,” says Council member Eglenston.

Pulte Homes is the developer. The didn’t have to request rezoning, so new town homes are pretty much a done deal. Neighbors told developers Thursday night that they’re worried about the number of town homes and losing trees.

“I have concerns with traffic, of course. It’s a whole lot of development in a small space of what it used to be,” says Elizabeth resident Erik Hacker.

Pulte Homes says it will leave some of the large canopy trees. As for affordable housing, city council is looking at putting a housing bond on the ballot this fall.