CONCORD, N.C. — If you ask Patrick Graham, he’ll tell you his work is personal.
“My mother worked all of her life," Graham explained. "Fifty-plus years before she retired. She passed away this past year and was never able to own [a home]. As a young man, I thought that I would be able to provide her that opportunity. It’s one of the things that I sort of failed at. It didn’t happen. So, I carry that chip on my shoulder.”
That chip Graham has led him to start WeBuild Concord, an affordable housing developer started in 2019.
With help of public and private funds, Graham said the agency helps those making between 30% to 80% of the area's median income.
“We have sort of this hidden mantra: We build affordable housing by any legal means necessary,” Graham shared.
He said a big goal is to increase homeownership in areas like the historic Logan community in Concord.
“This is traditionally an African American community," Graham said. "It’s one that has an ownership rate below 40%."
Currently, WeBuild is in the process of building the Lincoln Street Townhomes there.
“We’re talking about 26 townhomes for affordable workforce housing ownership,” Graham expounded.
Graham said the first eight are set to open in a few months. Just down the street, he said they are turning the abandoned church on Kerr Street into loft apartments and a space for entrepreneurs. Just a couple of blocks away from that location are more houses, including a new home for a local educator and her daughter that was dedicated to them on Thursday.
“So, with affordable housing, you’re thinking about all those companies moving here, you think about the population growth," Graham said. "You think about a place that’s about 5,000 units short of affordable housing in a city that’s just over 100,000."
Graham said all the Lincoln Street Townhomes should be fully complete by the middle of 2024. The Kerr Street loft apartments are scheduled to be done within a year.
If you are interested in applying for a home or learning more about WeBuild Concord, visit their website..
Contact Nick Sturdivant at nsturdiva1@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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