Blog

Here's what "home" means to the Community Home Trust staff this time of year

Do you wonder about the impact CHT is having on the community at large? Did you make a donation to Community Home Trust this past year, and you're wondering how your donation was put to work? Are you a CHT homeowner or tenant who wants to make sure your vote for our new slate of [...]

For most people who live in Chapel Hill or Carrboro, Jay Street is just another street in town. But at Community Home Trust these days, saying "Jay Street" means so much more. For us and our partners at Taft-Mills Group and the Town of Chapel Hill, "Jay Street" is a bold, exciting plan, one that [...]

When we spoke to TJ recently, he had lived in his condo at 140 W. Franklin for just a month. And although he and his dog Phoenix were still settling in and getting unpacked, he already loved it there. TJ is a self-described "product of Chapel Hill," having grown up with his mom and two [...]

By Ian Morse, Property Manager Here’s a weatherization-meets-energy efficiency tip, and it’s even DIY—try making an insulated attic access cover yourself!   Whether you have a drop-down attic ladder or a “scuttle hole’ (also called an “attic hatch”), the access is a common place where air exchange and heat transfer occur. That’s not good for your comfort or power bill. [...]

You may remember meeting Kim on our blog in one of our earliest homeowner stories. She and her son Keon moved into their Northside neighborhood home in 2019, and she shared how her experience in that neighborhood has shaped their lives in many positive, meaningful ways. Kim is eager to welcome more neighbors to her [...]

By Calvin Burton, Development and Donor Relations Manager, cburton@communityhometrust.org.   Everyone wants to feel like they “belong” somewhere. Whether that’s at home, with friends, or at work, people want to feel included and heard, and they want to know their contributions matter in relation to the bigger picture. At Community Home Trust, we value inclusion [...]

Mayor Pro Tem and Carrboro Town Council member Barbara Foushee has lived in Carrboro since 1991 -- and in that time, she has seen the town go through quite a bit of change. She says that "change is growth, and growth is change," and she knows it's not realistic and sustainable to stay the same. [...]

Maybe you saw our staff photo in our newsletter this week and wondered, "Who are all those masked CHT staffers?" It's been a while since we've all (well, almost all) been in the same place, and our team has grown during this remote work season. So here's your CHT staff team cheat sheet -- maybe [...]

At 75 years old, Brieann has lived all over the country and even the world. But she couldn't be happier about where she's landed in her retirement: a townhome at The Landings at Winmore. Brieann moved into The Landings about 11 years ago. She had been forced to retire from her career teaching phlebotomy and [...]

It's been a long, hot week here in North Carolina -- and much of the country. The weekend ahead is looking stormy. Maybe you're wondering what to read or watch this weekend while you're staying safe and cool inside? We asked some expert binge-ers on our staff for their favorite summer binge recommendations. Here's what [...]

Pictured above: John (L) catches up with a Landings neighbor at the ice cream social this spring John has lived in The Landings at Winmore, our 58-unit affordable rental complex in Carrboro, since 2011. In fact, he was one of the first people to move into his building when it was first built. But John [...]

We talk a lot about Community Home Trust as stewards of homeownership opportunities, but did you know that we also own low-income rental housing and are preparing to invest in more? We know that this is the best way for us to help ensure housing affordability for lower income community members, an issue that is [...]

This is the second post in our ongoing series of maintenance tips for homeowners. You can read the first post on gutter maintenance here.  It's hot outside, and that likely means you're running your air conditioning and fans pretty regularly. "Now is a great time to make sure you're not wasting energy keeping your home [...]

When Jennifer's marriage ended in January 2009, she was forced to start her life over from scratch, with her 7- and 3-year-old daughters in tow: new state, new job, no degree or nearby family to fall back on. Her first apartment flooded and the landlord did less than the bare minimum to make it livable [...]

As we continue celebrating our 30th birthday throughout the year, we asked our former Executive Director, Robert Dowling, for his reflections on his 20+ years at the helm of Community Home Trust. In this post, he shares why inclusionary housing is so important to homeowners, taxpayers, and local governments in Orange County. You can learn [...]

Paul grew up in Chapel Hill from the age of five, and with the exception of his years attending N.C. State, he has lived here ever since. He works at Trader Joe's, and over the years he has lived in several different places in Chapel Hill. One of his former apartments flooded regularly. Another was [...]

At Community Home Trust, we are always working to improve our partnership with our homeowners and tenants. We’ve listened to you, and your feedback helped us come up with the Capital Improvement Program, launched in October 2020. Owning a home through Community Home Trust has always been a smart investment. But with this new program, [...]

"Gosh, it's a great program with a lot of friendly people!" That's what Brian has to say about what advice he'd give someone who is interested in applying to purchase a home through Community Home Trust. "It's great to reach out to any team member, and the website is really user friendly." Brian grew up [...]

It was hot and steamy on Friday -- a great day to enjoy ice cream with friends! Our tenants at The Landings at Winmore joined other Winmore neighbors for an ice cream social. What a fun event!

Nic is originally from Rocky Mount and came to Chapel Hill in 2008 to study Journalism and Mass Communications at UNC. After he graduated, he returned home to Rocky Mount but kept coming back to Chapel Hill -- and after 10 months, he decided to return permanently when he got an internship with The Conservation [...]

Thanks to so many of you who joined us for our 30th birthday Party on the Porch last week! We are loving seeing photos of your celebrations -- keep them coming! Just email them to Daniele at dberman@communityhometrust.org and use #happybirthdayCHT on social media!

What is Aura?  Aura is a project that is proposing to build almost 400 units of rental housing and approximately 59 units of homeownership in the form of 3-story townhomes on the corner of MLK Blvd. and Estes Drive. This is a critical spot in our town for affordable housing, including rental units. It sits [...]

Tina had lived in the same apartment complex in Chapel Hill for 30 years, and Mike for the 13 years that they'd been married. Though they're in their sixties now, they had always been renters. But it was through an event at the Seymour Center, which provides programs for seniors in Chapel Hill, that they [...]

By Nancy Oates, former Chapel Hill Town Council member and longtime Community Home Trust supporter I left home as a teenager to make my way in the world, my head full of dreams, my heart full of ambition, and my bank account not full at all. Most of my earnings from the kind of job [...]

Originally from Jamaica, Lorna came to Chapel Hill about 30 years ago. She's a 59-year-old housekeeper who works in the operating room at a local hospital. And as of this past December, she has been a Community Home Trust homeowner for one year. Lorna admits that working on the front lines during the pandemic, especially [...]

This past Saturday, almost all of our households at Legion Road were represented at a neighborhood spring cleaning project -- and the results were amazing! Take a look at the photos below to see what everyone accomplished: sanding, painting, planting, sign installing, and more! Beautiful work, team!

This past Saturday, our Board of Directors spent the day at a virtual retreat. During their time together, they celebrated CHT’s successes over the past year, talked about this year’s celebration of our 30th birthday, and laid the groundwork for our work over the next five years. “It was a high-energy, encouraging, and extremely productive time together,” said Executive Director Kimberly [...]

The last time Linda owned a home was in 2008, with her then-husband. They lost their home that year, thanks to what she describes as a "bad mortgage," like so many other Americans. Not long after, she was a single mom, raising her teenage son alone. Now, in 2021, she lives in her dream home, [...]

Last week, we welcomed a new member of the CHT team: Calvin Burton, our new Development and Donor Relations Manager. In this role, he is responsible for developing strategies and implementing programs to raise funds in support of CHT's mission and goals. Calvin hopes to have the opportunity to meet many of you soon, but [...]

A year ago today, we lost a member of the Community Home Trust family. Deanna Carson began her work advocating for affordable housing in Orange County in 2007, and she was a valued member of the Community Home Trust team for more than eight years. As homeownership program manager, Deanna was responsible for preparing our [...]

As our country is yet again wrestling with a very public and devastating hate crime, this time targeting members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in Atlanta, our team at Community Home Trust is reminded of the power of words – both to harm and to heal – and the importance of putting our words into action. Racism and hate crimes are [...]

It's our 30th birthday -- we know, we don't look a day over 29! *blushing* -- and we're planning a party on YOUR porch! Here's what you need to do to make sure you don't miss it: Save the date NOW: Thursday, May 20, 7 p.m. Start thinking about who you're inviting -- YOUR friends [...]

"For me, as a person of faith, I just kept thinking that if this is what God wants for me, it will happen." That's how Ron, who retired from his job at UNC Hospitals two years ago, thought about the process of applying to Community Home Trust and waiting to be eligible for a home. [...]

If you're a CHT homeowner, you may remember learning about our Stewardship Program during your contract meeting. Even if you're not a homeowner, you may have read about the program on our website and wondered what it was all about. Our Property Manager, Ian Morse, sums it up this way: "The Stewardship Program is a [...]

"Community Home Trust gave us an opportunity to get our feet under us, and when we eventually get to a point where we'll buy a home on the private market, we can pay it back to someone else who is where we were so they can get their start, too." That's how Jack describes how [...]

By Cheryl Parquet, Director of Community Relations at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina   Living in Carrboro for more than 25 years now, Sarah Scott has seen a lot of things change. But no change in her community has been as impactful for her family as her experience with Community Home Trust. “Before they took [...]

"I don't want to tell him what to do; I want to show him what to do. Anything that I expect him to want out of life, I have to do the same thing." That's how Kim, a CHT homeowner in Chapel Hill's Northside neighborhood, describes her homeownership experience: it's all about her 18 year [...]

This is our first post in a new series of home maintenance tips from Ian Morse, our property manager.  It's a new year, and maybe you're thinking about ways to make sure your home starts the year in great shape. Ian Morse, our property manager, says this checklist from the National Center for Healthy Housing [...]

"As a person with a disability, housing is a challenge, to put it mildly," shares Kate. A native of Upstate New York, Kate came to North Carolina to attend the UNC School of Social Work. When she graduated, she stayed -- and she's now a social worker in the pediatric oncology clinic at UNC Hospitals. [...]

2020 was quite a year! Here are our CHT #bestnine stats for 2020 -- and cheers to even more growth together in 2021!

Buying a home through Community Home Trust is a bit different from buying on the private market. If you have questions about the steps outlined below, please email our Program Coordinator Yandry Mastromihalis at ymastromihalis@communityhometrust.org or give her a call at 919.967.1545 x313. Visit our website and submit your application. Go to communityhometrust.org and click [...]

In 2012, Priscilla stumbled on information about Community Home Trust. And although she had no savings, she had a dream of being a homeowner one day. So she applied. And then she waited. Priscilla had moved to Chapel Hill from Kenya in 2006 and started over with nothing. Although she worked in the hotel industry [...]

By Kimberly Sanchez, Executive Director “What I can say about Community Home Trust is that it’s a blessing.” That’s what Priscilla told us recently, after she purchased her CHT home in October of this year, nine years after she first applied to our program. As I reflect on the end of 2020 – and the [...]

This week, we're excited to introduce you to our new blog series: Homeowner Stories! Our first homeowner feature is Chris, who has owned his home at Vineyard Square in Chapel Hill for about five years. At 29 years old, Chris is a first-time homeowner -- and he readily admits that he never imagined homeownership would [...]

2020 has been a challenge for all of us in so many ways. Thankfully, Community Home Trust (CHT) residents have had the security of their homes during these uncertain times. These residents include individuals like Kyong M., a nurse and single mother. Just last year, Kyong and her daughter were able to relocate from a [...]

Our work is guided by these core values: Dedication to our mission: We care about our homeowners, tenants, and the community we share. We seek out new and innovative opportunities and solutions to partner and serve. Focus on inclusion: We want our organization to reflect our community, and we hold ourselves accountable to building a [...]

As we enter the holiday season, the Community Home Trust team is thankful for each other, for our family and friends, for our community, and for so much more!  

In 2017, when Community Home Trust acquired The Landings at Winmore, we did so with the trust of our community and the encouragement of our partners - and with the goal of building community among the residents of the Landings' 58 units. On Giving Tuesday 2020, we're asking you to help us with the next [...]

By Kimberly Sanchez, Executive Director Welcome to our brand-new blog -- and not a moment too soon! What a wild ride 2020 has been, culminating in what was apropos, a wild ride of a presidential election. Community Home Trust (CHT) is a nonpartisan organization. We don't care if you support red, blue, green, or any [...]

What a twist-er 2020 is! It certainly had an effect on this year's Opening Doors event, which was held on Friday, October 30. Instead of welcoming our guests to the Carolina Inn as originally planned, we pivoted our signature event to Zoom. Opening Doors Committee delivered a fun event that raised more than $80,000 for [...]

At our Annual Meeting on October 22, we elected a new President of our Board of Directors: Kelley Gregory. Kelley has been a Community Home Trust homeowner for eight years and a board member for the past five. She will serve as president for the next year until she finishes her six-year term on the [...]

This fall has been a season of transitions at CHT!

We are committed to doing whatever we can to ensure all members of our community are treated fairly in their pursuit of affordable housing.