BOONE, NC: The Watauga Community Housing Trust is announcing a project partnership with the Junaluska Heritage Association to fundraise for the purchase of a home near downtown Boone. By securing this property, WCHT will create its first permanently affordable using the housing trust model. The organizations pursuing this project seek the support of the community to make this project a reality, and create a new way for the community to add more affordable homes each year.
LifeStore Bank has agreed to provide financing for the property if $55,000 can be raised prior to the goal date of August 1st. To raise this funding the Trust is actively seeking donations and partnerships from community members, organizations, and businesses. This is a significant milestone for the new nonprofit, which formed as a 501(c)(3) by volunteers in late 2022 with the goal of creating permanent affordable housing for local residents. Over $4,000 in small community donations has been raised so far.
“One of our long term goals for the Junaluska Heritage Association is to improve and maintain the Junaluska community.” says Roberta Jackson, JHA member and long-term Junaluska resident. “We are a vital part of the Town of Boone with a rich heritage that we strive to protect and maintain at all cost. We are excited to partner with the Watauga Community Housing Trust. We ask for your cooperation in making this project a successful one.”
Watauga Community Housing Trust signed an Offer to Purchase contract with a closing date of August 1st, giving the organization until then to secure the funds needed. This fundraising campaign is the Housing Trust’s first major project and securing this home will help launch a systematic response to the deep-seated housing issues our community faces.
“Only 6.8% of households in the High Country have the income to buy a median-priced home. (Bowen National Research, 2021)” says Ben Loomis, a local electrical helper and volunteer Board Chair for the Trust. “The housing trust model is working in hundreds of other communities in America to create and preserve affordable housing. Together, we can use this successful model to give working-class Wataugans new options for purchasing a home and investing in our community.”
To learn more Watauga Community Housing Trust and the First Home Fund, visit wataugacommunityhousingtrust.org.
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Please contact if an interview or further information is desired. Thank you!
Courtesy of The Watauga Community Housing Trust
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