Raleigh and Durham are both on the cusp of seeing major public housing communities redeveloped into large mixed-use and mixed-income projects.
Why it matters: The plans aim to provide new affordable units in cities where housing costs have soared while shifting to a public housing model that views mixed-income communities as producing better outcomes than communities dedicated completely to affordable units.
Driving the news: The Raleigh Housing Authority recently approved a rezoning request that will let it build up to 12 stories high on the site of the Heritage Park public housing community.
- In Durham, the Forest Hills Heights public housing community is set for a major transformation, too.
Between the lines: In both cities, the redevelopment of public housing is occurring in areas that were affected by urban renewal plans of the mid-2oth century.
- In Durham, that includes the historic Hayti neighborhood, which saw hundreds of homes and businesses demolished for the Durham Freeway.
- Raleigh’s redevelopment will happen in the historic Fourth Ward neighborhood that also saw hundreds of homes demolished in the name of urban renewal.
Here’s what’s planned: …