Past Newsletters
Dear Subscriber,
It’s the second week of February (already?!) — and maybe you’re thinking ahead to next week, to chocolates and roses and pausing to remind the important people in your life that you love them.
But I’m still reflecting on how our Community Home Trust team wrapped up January. Last Monday and Tuesday, our entire staff participated together in Racial Equity Institute Phase 1 training through the OAR Alliance. Here’s a description of the training from OAR’s website:
Moving the focus from individual bigotry and bias, the REI Phase I workshop presents a historical, cultural, structural and institutional analysis over 2 days. REI believes that organizations often work for equity with multiple understandings of racism that rely more on personal feelings and popular opinion. The lack of a common analysis creates complications to the goal of eliminating racial and ethnic disparities and producing equitable outcomes. With a clear understanding of how institutions and systems are producing unjust and inequitable outcomes, participants in Phase I are able to begin a journey to work towards social transformation and racial justice.
At CHT we take structural racism seriously. See here our organization’s commitment to antiracism. Our continued training as a staff helps us identify together where CHT can plug in to help eliminate structural racism and give more power to underrepresented communities. Did you know we have a policy that when an appraisal is needed on a home for a person of color, we will get two appraisals? That our commitment to helping our communities of color become homeowners starts with our new long-term financial counseling program – helping our black and brown friends increase savings and credit scores? We know we must continue to do this work, both as individuals and as an organization. Participating in this training together was one more step in keeping our commitment to being an antiracist organization.
You can read some of our staff’s reflections on the recent training in our newest blogpost.
For me, there couldn’t have been a better way to enter into Black History Month. As we continue to process what we’re learning, the promise from my team and me remains what is articulated in one of our core values: We want our organization to reflect our community, and we hold ourselves accountable to building a diverse and inclusive organization. We promise to act on that commitment and respect each other in the process. Thank you for your partnership in that work: for your support, and for holding us accountable.
Kimberly Sanchez, Executive Director
Development Updates
One of the inclusionary zoning projects in progress in Chapel Hill right now is Bridgepoint, a KB Homes community in which we will have five brand-new townhomes when the neighborhood is complete.
We’re excited to report that KB Homes has broken ground and begun working on building their models! We expect our first affordable units to become available by the end of the year.
If you are interested in purchasing a home in Bridgepoint from CHT, it’s important to apply to our program as soon as possible. We will not have a separate application process for Bridgepoint, and CHT sales will not be handled through KB Homes. As with all our other home sales, our Bridgepoint homes will be sold to applicants already on our CHT applicant list.
Board Stories
Please help us welcome a new member of our Board of Directors, Joan Rose!
“Home is a place to really feel settled. It’s a place to feel safe and protected and comfortable and happy to be in. It’s a place to welcome friends and family. It’s a place where I feel like my values are aligned with my community.”
We Love Our Homeowners!
And we LOVE sharing your stories!
Want to help us tell the story of Community Home Trust and invite more people into the CHT family? With just a half hour Zoom interview, you can be featured on our blog — and your story can be part of the invitation to others to become CHT homeowners or support our work!
Crawlspace Repair
In January, we were awarded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds through the Town of Chapel Hill to complete an important repair project on the crawlspaces in our townhomes on Legion Road in Chapel Hill. This funding will allow CHT and the Legion Road HOA to complete necessary repairs, maintaining the integrity of the homes and keeping them affordable.
Congratulations, CASA!
Last Friday, we were delighted to join our friends from CASA as well as local elected officials and community partners for the dedication of Perry Place, CASA’s 48 brand new affordable apartments on the border of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The weather may have been chilly, but hearts were warm as we celebrated this important addition to our community. Congratulations to all the new residents of Perry Place and to CASA on the great accomplishment!
Chamber Celebration
CHT was happy to once again be a sponsor of The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill and Carrboro’s Annual Meeting — their 80th! Representing CHT at the event were (L to R) Marketing and Communications Manager Daniele Berman, Executive Director Kimberly Sanchez, and board member Brika Eklund.
Upcoming Education Opportunities
CHT Orientation: Everyone is welcome to attend this in-depth introduction to our program in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Conducted via Zoom. Next session: March 16, 6 p.m. Register here.
Homebuyer Education: Everyone is welcome to attend this class, offered in two 4-hour sessions via Zoom. Completion of this class is a requirement of our programs and most lenders. Supplemental live sessions are also available for those who have attended an online program. Contact Program Coordinator Deja Gilmore at dgilmore@communityhometrust.org for details.
Home Maintenance: Open to CHT homeowners only and conducted via Zoom. Discuss the major systems of a home, typical maintenance, troubleshooting, and potential expenses. This also is an opportunity to review the CHT Stewardship program. 2023 dates coming soon. Contact Property Manager Ian Morse at imorse@communityhometrust.org to register.
Durham DPA Program Lender Information Session: This virtual session is required for any lender that wants to be approved to work with the Durham Down Payment Assistance Program. The session lasts 20-30 minutes and covers the basic information required to be approved as a lender for the program. Next session: February 16, 12 noon. Register here.
Recommended Reading
“Chapel Hill to consider zoning changes for more housing options,” Cindy Bae, ABC11, 1/25/23.
“Northside neighborhood feels pressures of increased student presence, housing costs,” Eliza Benbow, Daily Tar Heel, 1/26/23.
“NC Housing Coalition 2023 Policy Agenda,” North Carolina Housing Coalition, 12/22.
