Four housing developments, including Asheville Area Habitat’s Carney Place, and the cities of Asheboro and Jacksonville recently received Housing North Carolina Awards for excellence in affordable housing. The winners were selected for affordability; design (attractiveness, energy-efficiency); contribution to the community; sustainability as affordable housing; and features such as services for residents and creative partnerships.

Sponsored by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, the 25-year-old statewide awards recognize outstanding rental, homeownership and supportive housing developments that can serve as models for other communities. More than 1,000 people attended the awards luncheon that was part of the 2014 NC Affordable Housing Conference in Raleigh.

Great location, appealing design, energy-efficient construction – all at an affordable price. This is Carney Place. This 22-home Asheville Area Habitat neighborhood created with partnership from the City of Asheville, produced a community of energy-efficient, single-family homes in the trendy West Asheville area. With the city financing the land costs, Asheville Habitat for Humanity created a subdivision affordable to buyers who would have otherwise been priced out of this trendy and convenient part of town.

Making the homes even more affordable, construction to SystemVision™ standards will keep heating and cooling costs to an average of $25 to $35 per month. The two-, three- and four-bedroom homes range from 900 to 1,400 square feet, incorporate universal design features such as accessible bathrooms and at-grade or ramped entrances, and are Green Built NC certified through the use of high-efficiency vinyl windows and high-efficiency heat pumps, water heaters and appliances. Forgivable second and third mortgages provided by Habitat and the city of Asheville, plus zero-percent participation loans from the N.C. Housing Finance Agency, made the homes affordable to qualified buyers. In addition to helping build their own homes, homeowners completed 50 hours of homeownership education to help ensure that they will be able to maintain their investment.

To read more about the 2014 Housing NC Awards and other award-winning communities, please click here. Want to see Carney Place? Click here to watch a short video about the community.