A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday, October 17, 2023 to celebrate PEACH apartments — Pine Knolls, EmPOWERment, Affordable, Community, Housing —built in Pine Knolls, a historically Black neighborhood in Chapel Hill.
Local elected officials celebrated the groundbreaking with Ms. Delores Bailey Executive Director of Empowerment.
According to the Community Empowerment Fund EmPOWERment, Inc., of Chapel Hill, families that need housing the most in Orange County are those that live at 30 percent AMI and below. Chapel Hill’s household AMI is $77,037, meaning those that will live in the PEACH apartments would be earning less than $23,111.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Baily said: “This housing is for people who work and happen to only make a certain amount of money,” she said. “They’re not making $15, $20, $30, $40 an hour. They’re still making $7.50 an hour.”
About 100 people attended the ground breaking on October 17, 2023 at the site of the future PEACH apartments in Chapel Hill.
“I believe one day we will call this Peach 1, because this is just a first step, and more PEACH apartments will be built,” Bailey said.
“The creativeness and the uniqueness of the PEACH is that we had to raise the money so that we wouldn’t have to put any of that burden on rents,” Bailey said.
Habitat for Humanity Director Jennifer Player with Ms. Lillian Lee and her daughter Angela Lee.
Bailey said there will be 10 families positively affected by the PEACH apartments, which will be located near two bus lines, as well as schools and shopping areas.
Orange County Board of Commissioners Phyllis Portie-Ascott and Anna Richards talk with community member about the success of PEACH Apartments
