Building Resiliency and Community in Wilson, North Carolina

Building Resiliency and Community in Wilson, North Carolina

Eatmon Townhomes, in Wilson, North Carolina, consists of 32 units of affordable housing, replacing obsolete public housing units that had flooded in 2016 during hurricane Matthew. The new units are located near Wilson's downtown area, giving residents better access to community amenities. Photo credit: Wilson Housing Authority

In 2016, the small city of Wilson, North Carolina, experienced flooding from Hurricane Matthew. The residents of one of Wilson's public housing developments were among the hardest hit, with those homes — constructed in the 1950s and 1960s — built in a flood zone. Longstanding efforts by the local public housing agency to replace those units with new affordable housing located closer to community amenities and safely outside of the floodplain came to fruition with the opening of Eatmon Townhomes in August 2022. The 32 units in the project's first phase are helping the state fulfill a key objective in its ReBuild NC plan, developed following Hurricane Matthew, to relocate vulnerable public housing developments. The former public housing site in Wilson is being transformed into a greenway and flood retention area with amenities such as a playground and a walking trail.

New Affordable Housing for Downtown Wilson

Development costs for Eatmon Townhomes totaled $5.1 million, or $162,000 per unit. Funding sources include community development block grants for disaster relief and neighborhood revitalization totaling $2.71 million administered through the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR). NCORR has so far committed funding to create more than 1,000 affordable rental units through public housing and subsidized private multifamily construction in areas of North Carolina impacted by storms. The Wilson Housing Authority supplied $1.8 million, and the North Carolina Department of Commerce contributed $750,000.

Twenty-eight of the units are two-story, two-bedroom townhouses; four units are single-level, two-bedroom units that are accessible. All units are energy efficient and include ENERGY STAR^® appliances. Eatmon Townhomes also used HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration program to convert housing subsidies to project-based vouchers.

Eatmon Townhomes is also contributing to the revival of Wilson's downtown area. Major redevelopments in the area include the construction of a new YMCA facility as well as new commercial and residential spaces, parks, and other attractions, said Kelly Vick, president and chief executive officer of the Wilson Housing Authority. These amenities are all within walking distance of Eatmon Townhomes. Nearby public resources include a community center with a computer lab and educational activities offered at a former elementary school.

Correcting Past Housing Inequities

Although the flooding from Hurricane Matthew catalyzed the creation of Eatmon Townhomes, public housing in Wilson before Eatmon Townhomes' construction exemplified the city's past inequitable treatment of affordable housing. Vick described the city's public housing as barracks-style units built during the 1950s and early 1960s in Wilson's only stormwater drainage area (where nearby streets would also flood) near railroad tracks (which later led to a noise mitigation project) and without air conditioning. Although the prevailing philosophies and practices around subsidized affordable housing have shifted significantly since that time, undoing the damage caused by past inequities can take decades. Vick outlined Wilson's ongoing efforts to achieve this goal, such as ensuring that all residents have energy-efficient units and amenities such as air conditioning, which has become increasingly crucial given the realities of climate change.

Twenty-eight of the units are two-story, two-bedroom townhouses; four units are single-level two-bedroom units and are designed as accessible units. Photo credit: Wilson Housing Authority

Under current development rules, housing cannot be built in the flood zone where the former public housing development once stood. For Vick, this restriction highlights the urgent need to complete the remaining units planned for Eatmon Townhomes. A planned second phase of the project will add 22 homes to the Eatmon Townhomes site.

Because 7 years elapsed between the 2016 flood and the opening of Eatmon Townhomes, the displaced residents did not occupy the replacement units, said Vick. Instead, the Wilson Housing Authority used other public housing units as they became available and, after working with local landlords and providing housing choice vouchers, were able to successfully relocate all of the displaced residents.

These continuing efforts are important in Wilson. One-quarter of Wilson's residents live below the federal poverty level, and Vick stated that the quick lease-up of Eatmon Townhomes and long waitlists for other affordable housing underscore the city's significant need for quality affordable housing. New projects such as Eatmon Townhomes are helping to undo past problems of housing inequity while addressing climate change and environmental justice needs, providing modern housing in a safe and well-resourced neighborhood.