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Habitat for Humanity receives 2025 Housing NC Award for Spindale project Article & Photos by Jean Gordon.
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there are more being built,” Cain said. “We are trying to develop this Passers-by in the areas of Illinois and area into mixed income homes, we Elm streets and Pennsylvania Avenue are doing as much as we can right in Spindale, who haven’t been in that now,” Cain said, encouraging home area for a while, will immediately notice buying rather than paying high rent. radical changes in housing. One one end of Illinois Avenue New homes are being constructed, is the senior apartment complex older homes are being repaired and and at the end of the street is one some properties have been cleared to Habitat for Humanity home under make property available for even more construction and two other fair-market affordable housing. value homes being built with partners, This is all a part of the Spindale Freeman Endeavors and Hooper Neighborhood Revitalization program Building. that received State honors recently “A special thank-you goes to from the North Carolina Housing Freeman Endeavors and Hooper Agency, noting its significant impact on Builders, who have helped bring Shown during the award presentation at Habitat’s senior housing project on Illinois Street the community. beautiful moderate-income and in Spindale are (left to right) Sheila Cain, Habitat’s Family Services/Community Outreach The 2025 Housing North Carolina market-rate homes to life,” said Award was presented to Habitat for Coordinator; Habitat volunteers Larry Jones, Pete Link; Scott Farmer, Executive Director of NC Habitat’s Freeman. “And none of this Humanity during a ceremony recently Housing Finance Agency; Spindale Mayor Nancy Walker, holding the award presented to the Town would have been possible without inside a senior apartment complex in of Spindale; Scott Webber, Spindale Town Manager; Kim Freeman, Executive Director of Habitat our amazing volunteers. Our core for Humanity, holding the award on behalf of Habitat; Doug Barrick, Habitat Board of Directors Vice Spindale on August 4. volunteer group, along with Timken, President and Dayna West, Disaster Relief and New Construction manager for Habitat. Habitat was recognized for its BEFSA, TD Bank, the Forest City expansion of housing opportunities by of how innovation and collaboration can “We are incredibly honored to receive Owls, and so many local churches, gave integrating affordable market-rate homes provide safe and affordable housing to the Community Impact Award from the their time, energy, and heart to this work,” and the senior apartments, as well uplift a community.” North Carolina Housing Finance Agency,” she said. as critical home repairs, into a mixedThis initiative garnered resident said Habitat for Humanity Executive “We’re proud of how far we’ve comeincome community. support and engaged the surrounding Director Kim Freeman. “This recognition and even more excited for the work still “This revitalization has had a community by offering legal assistance, means so much to us and reflects the ahead. We plan to continue building substantial impact on the Spindale home buyer training, information heart and hard work that has gone into in Spindale for years to come,” said community,” said Scott Farmer, executive sessions, literacy programming, welcome revitalizing the Spindale neighborhood.” Freeman. director of the North Carolina Housing baskets and employment opportunities, “From the beginning, our vision Currently there are three Habitat Finance Agency, who presented the all made possible by local and regional was to create a truly mixed-income homes under construction in Spindale plaque. “The Spindale Neighborhood partners, said Madison Lewis, from NC neighborhood-one where families of and two in Rutherfordton. Habitat is Revitalization is an incredible example Housing. all backgrounds taking applications could live side by for new homeowners SPIN SPIN SP INDA DALE DA LE NEI EIG GHBO GH BORH ORH RHOO OOD OO D side. That vision and there is always REVITALIZATION PROJECTS became a reality a need for volunteers THUS FAR: thanks to the support either on the building Cleaned up 18 blighted properties, and collaboration job sites or in Habitat’s of the Town of eight Habitat homes completed and thrift stores. Spindale, Dogwood moved in; three Habitat homes underr Habitat for Health Trust, and construction, three moderate or Fair Humanity and Market Value (FMV) homes under the Stonecutter Rutherford Housing Foundation. We’re construction, three moderate /FMV Partnership are homes sold, one under contract, also so grateful to partners in some of the four Senior rentals for low-income the Carolina Foothills revitalization projects, Foundation, Cannon Seniors; Habitat also has a 43-acre repairing several Foundation, PNC subdivision with a $2.1 million CDBG G homes and putting Bank, and many other to fun und d th the e in infr fras fr astr as truc tr uctu uc ture tu re.. re duplex apartments on generous donors who Pennsylania Avenue. helped make senior The 2025 Housing North Carolina rental housing part of this effort,” said Awards celebrates 36 years by Freeman. recognizing affordable housing There are currently eight families living accomplishments in the following in Habitat houses on Elm and Illinois categories: community impact, creative streets and Pennsylvania Avenue, said partnerships, excellence in sustainability Sheila Cain, Habitat’s Family Services/ and innovation in housing. Awards are Community Outreach director. being presented by the North Carolina “We have two families going through Housing Finance Agency at each our Homeownership Program right now property and the winners will participate and we are looking for more for this in a special awards panel at the 2025 year...Three fair market value homes in NC Affordable Housing Conference in Spindale have families living in them and Raleigh on September 30. Fair market value homes and a Habitat home under construction on Illinois Street.