CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte City Council is working to tackle the affordable housing crisis.
At Monday night's meeting, City Council voted 6-3 to spend more than $4 million for the land where the Economy Inn motel sits, near the Hidden Valley neighborhood, in hopes of reducing crime and expanding the supply of affordable housing.
Still, housing advocates have questions.
"Who has access to it? How long will it actually take? What happens to the individuals actually living there now?" Apryl Lewis, an advocate for grassroots organization Action NC, said.
The purchase of the motel is just one of the latest projects on the table.
In the past, the City of Charlotte has approved funding to maintain low rent prices at the Peppertree Apartments in east Charlotte.
Also, the City Council approved a policy that would fine developers hundreds of dollars for refusing to rent to Section 8 voucher holders.
But Erick Exum, the National Director of Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, said there needs to be more focus on home ownership.
“The only way we can empower our city is with owner occupancy,” Exum said.
Exum said that instead of paying rent, homeownership can create upward mobility because housing impacts everything.
“You can’t have the city’s services if you don’t have people who can afford to live there and live in your city to buy those services," Exum said. "Right now, we have a shortage of school bus drivers, transit drivers, all of this -- it's because we're pushing people out."
With the motel purchase approved, Crisis Assistance Ministry and other organizations will help displaced people move into temporary housing.
Still, there's fear that changes will push out long-term residents.
"How are we ensuring that whether it’s in five or 10 years that when something is developed it’ll include the community that’s there, and create opportunities for them?” Councilwoman Lawana Mayfield asked in an interview with WCNC Charlotte.
Mayfield is one of the three councilmembers that voted against the motel sale Monday night. She didn't feel comfortable spending $4 million in taxpayers' money without seeing a clear plan for the site.
"Let's put the language in the front end that clearly states what our expectations are," Mayfield added.
The councilwoman also apologized for showing her frustrations during the meeting and said she will trust city staff to draft a plan that aligns with their goals for affordable housing.
Meanwhile, many residents are excited to see the motel go.
Marjorie Parker, president of the Hidden Valley Community Association, said addressing the crime at nearby hotels has been a long time coming.
"For them to acknowledge what happened to Hidden Valley happened as a result of some bad planning or not accountability from the city, I really felt great,” Parker said.
The "bad planning" Parker is referring to is the city allowing 13 hotels to be built along the Sugar Creek and Interstate-85 interchange. A report done for the city's "corridors of opportunity" program found the oversupply of hotels created an environment for more crime and danger.
In a statement to WCNC Charlotte, a city spokesperson said a request for proposal (RFP) for the Economy Inn property is being drafted now. They will likely solicit bids from developers to build affordable for-sale townhomes on the property, but nothing is set in stone.
The city plans to demolish the Economy Inn this summer and have a site plan finalized by the end of 2023.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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