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October 2004
5
Jersey City Revitalization Effort Garners Award from Housing North Carolina
October 5, 2004
The revitalization effort in Salisbury's Jersey City neighborhood will be recognized today with a Housing North Carolina Award in Raleigh.
The non-profit Salisbury Community Development Corp., with support from the City of Salisbury, has led efforts to renovate houses and build new homes for first-time owners in Jersey City.
The small neighborhood, part of the city's African-American history, is located between Mocksville Avenue and the railroad tracks.
The Housing North Carolina Awards, presented by the N.C. Housing Finance Authority, recognize affordable housing developments that can serve as models for other communities.
Criteria include affordability, design (attractiveness, energy-efficiency, and other things), contribution to the community, sustainability and additional features, such as services for residents and creative partnerships.
It is the 15th year the awards have been presented.
The Jersey City neighborhood has approximately 55 homes, many of which had been boarded up before the City of Salisbury provided funding to the Salisbury Community Development Corporation (CDC) to purchase vacant homes and land.
The vacant homes were demolished, and the Salisbury CDC has built 11 new homes and rehabilitated one.
The new homeowners chose from six designs meant to blend in with the neighborhood architecture.
The homes include some features not commonly found in affordable housing, such as vaulted ceilings, walk-in closets and kitchen islands. Salisbury CDC also partnered with several local businesses to provide computers and Internet access to the new homeowners.
Local college students offered computer training and received college credit for community service.
Sale prices for the homes ranged from $85,000 to $96,000. Several local banks provided low-interest mortgages with the private mortgage insurance waived. In addition, the N.C. Housing Finance Agency provided Salisbury CDC with deferred, zero-interest second mortgage loans up to $20,000 per family.
Representing the CDC in Raleigh today will be Executive Director Chanaka Yatawara, Board President David McCoy and Board Secretary Karen Alexander. The City also is receiving an award for its partnership role.
The luncheon, held at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Research Triangle Park, is part of the agency's Housing Forum 2004, which is expected to draw more than 400 housing industry representatives from around the state.
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