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Hendersonville will partner with the county to put $1.6 million towards critical water and sewer infrastructure for the Apple Ridge affordable housing project, which city council approved plans for in April, after the project failed to get federal tax credits.
The housing project looks to put 60 apartments and 20 single-family homes, all with prices deemed affordable by project owners, the Housing Assistance Corporation, over 19 acres between Sugarloaf and East Prince roads off Interstate 26, according to past Times-News reporting. Hendersonville City Council voted unanimously on Dec. 1 to approve $800,000 for the infrastructure, matching the county’s intended contribution approved unanimously by Henderson County Commissioners on Nov. 7.
“That money is available and would be a good project to continue to move the needle on the affordable housing issue in our community,” City Manager John Connet said at the Dec. 1 meeting.
City staff will now work with the Housing Assistance Corporation and the county to draft an agreement between the three groups, which will then go for a final approval before city council.
Past Reporting:Hoping city chips in, county approves up to $1.5 million to Apple Ridge project
More:Hendersonville gives green light for 80-unit affordable housing project off I-26
Council Member Jerry Smith suggested the city include a “reasonable timeframe” for the project in the final agreement to ensure the city is not putting money into a project that is never built. Still, he said he was in favor of approving the funding and voted for it.
To help pay for the project, the Housing Assistance Corporation applied for Federal Affordable Housing Tax Credits, but recently received news that it would not be awarded those credits. The nonprofit then turned to the county and city for help, as without local government assistance, the nonprofit would have to borrow money, making prices and rents in the development go up.
The single-family homes will have an average cost of $229,000 and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments will be rented from $329-$1,033 per month with utilities included, according to past Times-News reporting. The property is located at 524 E. Prince Rd. in Hendersonville.
At the county commissioner’s Nov. 7 meeting, Commissioner Daniel Andreotta said he “was disappointed” at the city for not matching the county’s promised funds. In response, Council Member Jennifer Hensley told the Times-News that the city was working on getting the funding approved, and that comments made by Andreotta made it sound like the city was not interested in partnering with the county at all on this project.
Past Reporting:City Council’s Hensley responds to County Commissioner Andreotta’s remarks
“We need full support of Council, all the facts and legal details before we can commit $800,000,” Hensley said in the email. “The City of Hendersonville and Henderson County are committed to working together to help with our affordable housing crisis. We are all in this together.”
Christian Smith is a reporter for the USA Today Network. Questions or Comments? Contact him at RCSmith@gannett.com or (828) 274-2222
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