Housing Efforts Strengthen Churches, Communities

When a new apartment complex in the N.C. mountains promised affordable living for seniors, Naomi Cole signed up.

To support communities and United Methodist churches in rural North Carolina, The Duke Endowment since 1999 has funded housing projects that help people buy and own energy efficient affordable homes.

Insights

Three key findings shaped the success of affordable housing programs. We invite others to use these as a starting point for their own efforts.

1. Financial education and counseling for homeowners is crucial. Potential homeowners must be given the chance to establish budgets and enter financial management and home maintenance programs. A case-management approach helps clients address both housing and non-housing needs. In the programs supported by The Duke Endowment, not one homeowner has lost his or her home to foreclosure. No one has defaulted on a loan – a success rate that’s linked to the level of counseling each family receives.
2. After church volunteers help build a home, the church community continues to surround families with support. That congregational “wrap-around” leads to more stability.
3. In their early stages, housing programs were more successful when they tapped local expertise for their boards of directors. While concerned board members were appreciated, boards also thrived if they included Realtors, bank officials or developers.

Impact

When Ed and Lori Stanton moved into an Iredell County home after discovering the Wesley CDC, they took on mortgage payments that were less than what they were paying in rent. The newly built home was the first they had owned since getting married.

“It’s given us a sense of peace,” Ed Stanton says.

Many families agree.

There are other benefits, too.

For United Methodist congregations, affordable housing programs offer service opportunities that continue after the last nail is hammered. In 2006 and 2007, nearly 90 Endowment-supported United Methodist churches participated in building projects. Nearly 2,000 volunteers donated more than 25,000 hours to the various efforts.

Homeownership Benefits Communities

National studies show that homeownership can lead to:

• Higher educational performance and better behavior in children
• Lower community crime rates
• Decreased welfare dependency among households
• More household participation in civic affairs
• Better household health

According to research by the UNC Center for Community Capital, homeownership is also linked to:

• Increased parent involvement at school events (60 percent of home-owning parents are involved in school events, compared with 55 percent of parents in rental homes)
• Increased participation for children in organized activities (70 percent for children in their own homes participate in activities such as dance and scouting, compared with 55 percent for children in rental homes).
• Increased involvement in civic duties (65 percent of homeowners vote in local elections, compared with 30 percent of people in rental homes).

Building Efforts Focus on Energy Efficiency

By partnering with Advanced Energy, the Wesley Community Development Corp. keeps heating and cooling costs to a minimum for residents. Builders use 2 x 6 exterior studs for an insulation rating of R19 in the walls and they add an extra heel to the roof truss for an insulation rating of R30 in the ceiling. (R value ratings measure the ability to resist the passage of heat and cold. The higher the R value, the more effective.) Double-pane insulated windows and doors and a double wrap also reduce energy costs. By following Advanced Energy’s guidelines, Advanced Energy guarantees controlled heating and cooling costs to average $28 to $38 a month.

Contact Us

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Director of Rural Church
704.927.2251