LOCAL
Wilmington StarNews
More affordable apartment units are on the way to a historic town as cost of living in Brunswick County inches higher and higher each year.
Brunswick Partnership for Housing has acquired more property in the city of Southport with plans to build affordable apartments.
The cost of renting in Brunswick County requires some individuals and single parents to work three full-time jobs if they are working minimum wage at $7.25 an hour, Executive Director Sally Learned said.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, someone living in Brunswick County must make an hourly wage of $21.77 to afford renting a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent rate in 2024, which was $1,132.
The estimated hourly mean renter wage in 2024 was $14.61, putting the affordable monthly for someone working less than $15 an hour at $760.
Brunswick Partnership for Housing is trying to help make living in a home less challenging for working individuals and families.
"Everybody has the right to have decent, safe and affordable housing," Learned said.
Existing transitional housing
The Felton-Russell House at 250 E. 11th St. in Southport, was built by Brunswick Partnership for Housing in 2023. The four-unit house serves as transitional housing units for individuals and families needing assistance getting back on their feet. Tenants live there rent free for a maximum of 18-months while they work to save money, address trauma from experiencing homelessness and work toward homeownership.
Deb Luehe lives a few doors down from the nonprofit. She said she was nervous about living near the transitional housing project at first but has no complaints about the organization nor residents.
"They have been great neighbors," said Luehe, adding she plans to be more involved with Brunswick Partnership for Housing in the future.
More land for a bigger project
Purchasing the adjacent property, previously owned by AT&T, was a goal for Learned. Getting the property took months of searching for the right people and having the right discussions, said Learned, but it all worked out.
AT&T's offer for the .34 acres was $30,000, said Learned, noting their offer was far below market value.
In April, Brunswick Partnership for Housing acquired the property with hopes to build new, affordable apartments for Brunswick County residents.
An anonymous couple pledged $30,000 to the nonprofit for the purchase, Learned said. She said the couple recently built a house in the area and had to rent while they waited for construction to finish.
"While they were building, they were renting and realized the housing crunch and then started following the work we were doing," Learned said.
Next steps
A site plan in accordance with the city of Southport's Unified Ordinance Development is in progress. Learned thinks seven might be the number of apartment units allowed. However, she will try to add more if permitted.
"We're just at the beginning stages of this but we are very excited about it," Learned said.
If approved and built, the apartments will be affordable housing and workforce housing units. The units will be rented out to individuals who are working but are not able to meet the median income in Brunswick County and need rental assistance.
For example, Learned explained, many local teachers, firefighters, county employees, city employees and first responders do not meet the median income for the county. These workers, pending application requirements, could qualify for one of the units.
"We get calls all the time for people looking for housing," said Learned, noting many individuals have full-time careers but are not able to afford housing prices here.
Asked what unit costs will look like for future renters, Learned said it is too early to tell and that rent prices will also depend on current market rates at that point.
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Savanna Tenenoff covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at[email protected].