“We have wonderful news for you and Maggie,” the voice message began. It was a message from a mother and daughter who connected to both the Jackson Center and Community Empowerment Fund months ago looking for affordable housing that was handicap accessible in Chapel Hill, a nearly impossible search nowadays. Odessa, who grew up in and around the Northside neighborhood, and her daughter, Jocelyn had struggled to find a place in Chapel Hill for over a year. “We have been approved to buy our first home – a Habitat home in Northside!” Jocelyn shared…
She then shared her excitement that the home would be built to accommodate her wheelchair and was located in the community that they love. This news was thrilling to me for so many reasons. We will be able to welcome this amazing family back to Northside this fall as first-time homeowners who otherwise would have to leave our community. They will be moving into quality, accessible, and permanent housing the will forever be an asset in our community. And finally, it is the perfect example of the kind of collaboration that the Northside Neighborhood Initiative and the wonderful partner organizations we work with enable: together, we have acquired over 15 homes/lots that will provide a range of opportunities for families like Odessa’s.
I want to offer special thanks to Jocelyn and Odessa, who stayed the course with grace for months of searching; to Keith Edwards, the neighbor who connected this family to us; to Self Help and the Northside Compass group, who have worked with us to buy lots & homes that enable opportunities like this; to the folks at the Community Empowerment Fund, who worked as advocates with Odessa and Jocelyn for months of searching and applying. And finally, we want to thank Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, who is building this home and nine others next year in Northside. Together, this work truly is preserving the future of the historic Northside.
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