CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp. will be building its largest-ever affordable housing project after receiving more than $11.3 million in federal tax credits, a grant and city funds.
Guardian Angel Villa is expected to break ground next spring in south Charlotte, adjacent to another Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp. project, Mother Teresa Villa.
The 96,000-square-foot, 81-unit apartment building is designed for low-income seniors aged 55 or older. It will feature 27 one-bedroom apartments and 54 two-bedroom apartments. Nine apartments will be handicapped accessible.
Guardian Angel Villa will be the fourth project for the diocese’s housing corporation, which was founded in 2001 by the late Bishop William Curlin to create, maintain and promote housing and accompanying services for seniors, the disabled, the poor and the vulnerable.
Adriel Cardenas is excited to move forward with his first project since becoming director of the housing corporation in late 2016, continuing the plans his predecessor Jerry Widelski put in motion for the 20-acre parcel off South Tryon Street – envisioning an extensive campus of affordable housing options, green space and amenities. The campus’s unofficial name is Guardian Angel Village, so naming this new housing unit Guardian Angel Villa seemed appropriate, Cardenas said.
“We want the names of the facilities that we build to tie into the Catholic faith and the traditions of the Church. Our mission is sharing the love of Christ and pointing people to Him in every way possible,” he explained.
“We all feel very fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to deliver these homes and to touch people’s lives,” he said. “We want to deliver more than just the bricks and mortar. We want to build transformational communities.”
Guardian Angel Villa “is one part of that,” he said.
Guardian Angel Villa will have a chapel, as well as outdoor spaces and front porches where residents can relax, enjoy the gardens and socialize. It will feature benches, rocking chairs and other community gathering spaces inside and outside.
Funding for the approximately $13.5 million project will largely come from a $9.3 million allocation of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and a $250,000 grant, both administered by the N.C. Housing Finance Agency, as well as $1.75 million in proceeds from the Charlotte Housing Trust Fund. The diocese also is helping to fund the project by providing the land at a substantially reduced amount.
Three-quarters of the units will lease to residents 55 or older who earn 60 percent or below the area median income. One-quarter of the units will lease to residents 55 or older who earn 30 percent or below the area median income. Rents are projected to range from $342 to $866, depending on income and unit size.
Architectural firm Progress Design Studio designed Guardian Angel Villa, and Douglas Development and Schaumber Development will be co-developers on the project. A management company will be selected in the near future.
Once construction begins in the spring of 2019, Guardian Angel Villa is estimated to take a year to construct.
This is the second of several phases slated for the 20-acre campus on Guardian Angel Lane. It already features Mother Teresa Villa, a housing complex for adults with developmental disabilities that opened in 2015.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
Did you know?
The Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp. is funded in part by contributions from the annual Diocesan Support Appeal. Learn more about the DSA and how you can contribute at www.charlottediocese.org/development/diocesan-support-appeal.