Habitat for Humanity Breaks Ground at Auman Village

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

CHAPEL HILL– On Thursday, June 12, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County broke ground on its next community in Hillsborough, Auman Village. Auman Village is a vision for a mixed-income neighborhood that fosters community, opportunity, and stability.

“It became so clear to me when I first started serving as a Town Board Member in 2013, how important Habitat is to the affordable housing availability and construction of affordable homeownership in Hillsborough, said Jenn Weaver, former Hillsborough Mayor and current capital campaign committee co-chair for Auman Village. “I have seen families find stability, I have seen children find stability, and I have seen neighborhoods and communities be strengthened by the presence of Habitat in Hillsborough.”

Auman Village will comprise 75 new homes, with 60 dedicated to first-time homebuyers earning between 30% and 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). These affordable Orange Habitat homes will offer a range of 2, 3, and 4-bedroom townhomes, ensuring decent, aesthetically pleasing, and energy-efficient housing options that meet community needs.

Habitat purchased the 10.9-acre property off Highway 70-A near downtown Hillsborough and the Orange County Sportsplex in December of 2020. This groundbreaking marks the beginning of infrastructure development, with vertical construction expected to commence in 2027.

“Habitat has a solid track record of working in Hillsborough, building over 100 affordable homes in our community. Including on Odie Street in the Fairview community and the senior housing project Crescent Magnolia, which we completed and dedicated several years ago,” said Mayor Mark Bell. “The addition of Auman Village will significantly increase our housing supply and help more residents to be able to stay in Hillsborough.”

Various primary funding sources have contributed to initiating the infrastructure work. The Town of Hillsborough unanimously voted earlier this month to commit $400,000 over four years toward Auman Village, the most significant amount allocated by the Town of Hillsborough for a single affordable housing project. Additionally, Orange County has allocated $800,000 from its budgeted $15 million in capital dollars for affordable housing to Auman Village. The State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation’s ‘Building Dreams Planting Seeds’ Housing Initiative will also contribute a $2 million zero-interest loan to assist with the cost of infrastructure.

“Community is a central and key part of our mission here at Habitat,” said Jennifer Player, President and CEO of Orange Habitat. “While we have steep challenges that are facing including rising costs, we know that those challenges are not insurmountable. We have people, we have community who are rallying around Auman Village and Habitat to make this project happen.”

Click here to watch the video recording of the program and click here to see the photos on social media of the event.

About Habitat for Humanity of Orange County

Habitat for Humanity of Orange County has helped nearly 350 local families achieve and maintain homeownership and almost 300 families repair existing homes in Orange County. Habitat homes are built through the use of volunteer labor and donations of money and materials. Qualified homebuyers complete 275 hours of sweat equity and purchase the home from Habitat through an affordable mortgage priced at less than 30% of family income. For more information, please visit www.orangehabitat.org.

Michelle Cassell is a seasoned reporter who has covered everything from crime to hurricanes and local politics to human interest over the course of 35 years. As Editor, she hopes to encourage writers of a wide range of backgrounds and interests in TLR’s coverage of Southern Orange County news. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocal Reporter.press.