Twenty percent or at least 300 units of the residential housing in the district will be affordable. Toward that goal, the Town is partnering with the Raleigh nonprofit DHIC Inc. to create two rental communities– Greenfield Place, 80 apartments for working families, and Greenfield Commons, up to 69 units for senior citizens.
The approximately 9 acre property is located on an undeveloped portion of the Chapel Hill Memorial Cemetery off Legion Road. Next steps include establishing an access easement and to initiate a subdivision of the property.

In past Community Surveys, the issue of affordable housing consistently receives high dissatisfaction ratings among Chapel Hill residents. The Chapel Hill 2020 Plan set a goal to create a range of housing options for current and future residents. Partnering with nonprofit housing providers like DHIC to develop a low income housing tax credit project on Town-owned land was the top recommendation identified in the Affordable Rental Housing Strategy adopted by the Council in February 2014. This important work further advances the goals of the Town’s Affordable Housing Strategy adopted by the Council in 2011.

The Council is also targeting district properties south and west of Elliott Road for the purposes of creating more affordable housing opportunities. A zoning incentive is being considered as one mechanism that could help create more affordable housing in this area. The Council has continued a public hearing on this topic for April 20, 2015.
The Affordable Housing section of the Story Map includes a map of the two areas described above.

Additional Resources

• Affordable Housing Project Approved in Ephesus Fordham District (June 20, 2016)
• View the special topic presentation about Student Housing which was given by representatives from UNC Student Affairs.
• Affordable Rental Housing Addressed in Ephesus Fordham Renewal (News Release) 
• Affordable Housing Strategy
• Draft Affordable Rental Housing Strategy
• Greenfield Place (Phase 1) Application Materials