‘I feel really lucky’: Families move into new affordable housing community in Steele Creek

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The units at the Rivergate Greene Apartment Complex in Steele Creek are hard to come by. They’re part of Charlotte’s limited affordable housing inventory.

Any of the new tenants who live there, like LaShonda Williams, will tell you, it’s quite the process to snag one.

“I have been looking and it’s very, very hard. The wait list is out of this world,” Williams said.

This is not an unusual story. City leaders have tried to tackle the issue for years.

Rivergate Greene is just one of 11 affordable housing projects authorized to use money from Charlotte’s Housing Trust Fund in 2018.

Three years later, and people including Antwon Logan have a safe and affordable place to call home.

“There’s not too many complexes out there for affordable houses, so I feel really lucky and blessed to be here,” Logan said.

Logan is on a fixed income and said there are limited options. Everyone who lives at the complex cannot earn more than 30 to 60 percent of the median income.

For a family of six in a three bedroom apartment, that’s $58,140.

Although this project first started back in 2018, since then, the company said it can hardly keep up with demand.

With increasing rent prices and stagnant wages, Woda’s regional manager, the parent company of Rivergate Greene said they’re flooded with applications.

“Over 500 plus people interested. I just wish we had more units available,” Mika Dennard said.

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Woda just started construction on another affordable housing complex in north Charlotte near the Northlake mall. They are also eyeing property in University City.

Williams is confident those will go quickly too.

“I lucked up on this one,” Williams said.

Officials said the application process can be lengthy. Hopeful residents should be prepared to apply months ahead of a possible move in date.

Cox Media Group