New Homeownership Pilot Program in Corridors of Opportunity Provides Up to $80,000 in Assistance

A new homeownership pilot program from the City of Charlotte will provide up to $80,000 in assistance for eligible residents purchasing a home in "areas of influence" within the Corridors of Opportunity.

House Charlotte Plus offers an additional layer of financial assistance to the existing House Charlotte homeownership program. Through this new pilot program, an eligible resident can receive an additional $50,000 as a 0% interest deferred loan. House Charlotte Plus must be used in conjunction with House Charlotte, which currently offers up to $30,000. Together, an eligible homebuyer could receive up to $80,000 in assistance through these two programs.

As part of the $60 million in current and planned investments renewing the city's commitment in the Corridors of Opportunity, House Charlotte Plus is only available in designated areas inside the Corridors of Opportunity known as areas of influence. To be eligible for House Charlotte Plus, a homebuyer's income must be 80% of the area median income (AMI) or less. The maximum purchase price is $300,000 for existing homes, and $315,000 for new construction.

The entire loan balance must be repaid if the property is sold or transferred, if the owner occupancy status changes, or if a cash-out refinance transaction happens before the 30-year period has expired. The loan is forgiven in year 31.

"House Charlotte Plus is another way the city is investing in its corridors, providing homeownership opportunities for hard-working families, and improving social mobility for its residents," said Warren Wooten, assistant director for affordable housing at the City of Charlotte.

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Code Enforcement Partner with Innovation Barn for Sign Recycling Initiative

Code Enforcement is partnering with the Innovation Barn on a sign recycling initiative. For the initiative, Code Enforcement have purchased two trailers to be stored at their East and West locations. Code Inspectors will canvas the community for illegally placed signs, remove them, and then place the signs in the trailers for storage until a volunteer from the Innovation Barn retrieves the trailer and removes the signs for recycling.

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Keep Charlotte Beautiful Cleans the Queen in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service

City and County staff, community volunteers and neighborhood residents came together to keep the Queen City clean on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to commemorate the great public figure's life and work.  

The volunteer event was held by Keep Charlotte Beautiful in partnership with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation to host cleanups along South Tryon Street to celebrate the holiday's designation as a national day of service.  

“MLK day is the only federal holiday dedicated as a day of service. Not only did volunteers make a positive environmental impact; they honored the moment by coming together as a community to aid in a common cause,” said Jonathan Hill, Executive Director of Keep Charlotte Beautiful.  

“There’s much work to be done when addressing racial justice,” remarked Nathaniel Lance, Education and Engagement AmeriCorps Specialist with Keep Charlotte Beautiful. “What better way to acknowledge and heal communities than to help heal our environments?” 

Over 50 volunteers attended, including members of the Keep Charlotte Beautiful board, volunteer brigade, and Adopt-A-City Street Program. Volunteers picked up a total of 46 bags of trash along South Tryon Street between Tyvola Road and I-485.  

Jonathan Hill says that South Tryon street becomes heavily littered during winter months as NCDOT decreases its maintenance frequency along this state-maintained road. “The cleanup was part of an ongoing effort by Keep Charlotte Beautiful and its partners to engage residents and businesses along the corridor in helping keep the area tidy.” 

Great work, KCB and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation! 

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VIDEO: Introduction to Pollinator & Native Habitat Gardens

In this workshop, local Charlotte experts provide an introduction to the concept of pollinator and native plant gardens: how they came about, why they're beneficial, and what plants may distinguish them from tall grass and weeds.

This workshop was hosted by Jonathan Hill, Executive Director of Keep Charlotte Beautiful, with presentations by Don Boekelheide, Instructor for Landscape For Life; Donna Bolls, President of Charlotte Wildlife Stewards; and Laura Domingo, a naturalist with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation.

 

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The Giving Spirit: CharMeck 311 and HNS Collect and Donate 1,210 Items to Hope Haven

Left to right: Linette McCallum (CharMeck 311), Shelia Ledbetter (Hope Haven), Julian Campbell (CharMeck 311), Tiffany Dixon (CharMeck 311), and Djenane Delille (CharMeck 311)

Earlier this month CharMeck 311 and employees working at Old City Hall collected and donated items to Hope Haven, a “Therapeutic Community that provides a foundation of recovery for individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder.” The items collected will be given to Hope Haven’s residents. 

This activity has been an annual initiative between CharMeck 311 and Hope Haven the past few years. 

“The CharMeck 311 contact center wanted to find a way to give back to the community and this organization assists numerous residents within the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County,” said Linette McCallum, 311 Partner Liaison Manager. “To quote one of our Training/Quality analysts, Tiffany Dixon, ‘It’s about the people.’” 

A total of 1,210 items were collected, 900 from CharMeck 311 staff and 310 from employees working at Old City Hall. Items donated to Hope Haven residents included: socks, razors for men and women, journals, laundry bags, soaps, and toothpaste.

Keshia Brinkley, 311 Partner Liaison Analyst, says that the partnership CharMeck 311 and Hope Haven have developed will continue as the mission is about the people and community. “We look forward to collaborating on other projects with this organization, including serving as a resource with the 311 On the Go program.”

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Meet Justin Privette, Code Enforcement Supervisor

Meet Justin Privette, Code Enforcement Supervisor in the Code Enforcement Division. In this quick Q&A, Justin talks about Code Enforcement's culture and offers some recommendations for entertainment and travel opportunities to check out.

How long have you been with Code Enforcement?
I have been with the Code Enforcement division for 13 years this April, and with the City of Charlotte for 22 years this July.

What is your favorite part of working within Code Enforcement?
Well, other than the relationships you build with the residents and the communities that we serve, I'd say it’s the people I work with. Ever since the first day at Code, I have always felt welcomed and treated like I was part of the team. This continues today with current staff as well as with any new hires we get. Everyone is always willing to help and look out for each other.

How would you describe the Code Enforcement division’s culture?
Family oriented.

What is the most interesting project you've worked on?
Many years ago I worked with Solid Waste Services to get an area of W. Trade Street at 5 Points cleaned up. At the time, this area was and had been blocked off to vehicles and was heavily used by pedestrians. There was trash all over this area and it seemed to have been neglected for some time. I was able to work with Solid Waste Services and they were able to get a crew and a street sweeper in there to clean up the area.

How has your role evolved over time since you’ve been here?
I started as a Code Inspector in April of 2010 and was promoted to the Training Team as a Senior Inspector in February of 2014. In November of 2019 I was promoted to Supervisor. Throughout my career here, I have been able to work in Nuisance, Housing, Zoning and Non-Residential Building Code fields.

What's one thing people don't know about you that they would be surprised to find out?
There isn’t much about me that people don’t already know, but I will say I enjoy offshore fishing. There is nothing like hooking a big game fish like a Wahoo, Mahi or Tuna out in the Gulf Stream.

Have any music recommendations?
I don’t listen to a lot of the new music other than what my boys have been listening to, but I think I got stuck in the 80s to early 2000s music period for the most part. 

Have any movie recommendations?
I am not a big movie person, but I have seen Top Gun: Maverick, and I do recommend it. 

Have any book recommendations?
Does email count 😊?

Do you have any travel recommendations?
Jamaica! I have been there several times and have never had a bad experience. Looking forward to going back some day. 

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CITY-RELATED NEWS: In case you missed it

City of Charlotte to Launch 2023 Placemaking Grant and Creative Pool Application Processes
"The Charlotte Urban Design Center (UDC) in the City's Planning, Design and Development Department will launch application processes for the 2023 Placemaking Grant and Creative Pool on Thursday, Jan. 19, for the third consecutive year. Charlotte residents, organizations and businesses are encouraged to submit applications for consideration."

City of Charlotte Launches New Community Newsletter
"Charlotte Communication & Marketing on Friday launched the City of Charlotte's new City Speaks newsletter. The newsletter is a creative channel that will inform and engage all Charlotte residents."

Corridors of Opportunity aims to leverage assets, not just address needs
"Charlotte’s Corridors of Opportunity program is not the traditional approach to economic development — instead of luring a single big business or splashy development, the city is investing $109 million of public and private funds into six parts of the city that have historically been overlooked."

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Upcoming Dates & Events

Attend a Neighborhood Matching Grant Pre-Application Workshop to Learn How Your Neighborhood Can Receive Up to $25k!
The Neighborhood Matching Grants Program (NMG) awards up to $25,000 to eligible neighborhood-based organizations to complete projects including art, beautification, signage, festivals, sustainability, safety improvements, community gardens, recreational features and more!

Participation in a pre-application workshop is required. To get started, attend one of the following workshops or view the workshop presentation and program guidelines online.

• Monday, February 13, 6 – 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)

To participate in a workshop, please register here. For additional information, contact Jackie Clare at jackie.clare@charlottenc.gov.

Volunteer Opportunity: Clean Streets Cleanup, February 11
Join Keep Charlotte Beautiful, the City’s Corridors of Opportunity team, and local residents in picking up litter along Tuckaseegee Road! Volunteers will clean a loop route from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Learn more and register here.

Lowe’s Hometowns Signature Impact Grants Now Accepting Nominations
Lowe’s is investing $100 million to restore and revitalize community spaces across the country through the Lowe’s Hometowns program. Lowe’s Hometowns is accepting nominations for signature project grants through February 20, 2023. Nominate a project today.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Giving Free Laptops to Those in Need
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is issuing 20,000 refurbished laptops to adults who are eligible for the MeckTech program. Each laptop is free and optimized for accessing the internet, joining virtual meetings, creating documents, and more. Applications will be open online starting on Thursday, January 19 at noon. To apply, visit this link and fill out your information.