The owners of multiple single-family homes in the McCrorey Heights neighborhood of Charlotte rent them out as affordable housing.
Lakita Holland and her husband, George, said they have a similar vision for a vacant lot in North Lake. The lot, currently zoned to build a single-family home, is located within a block of other single-family homes, apartments and duplexes.
In March of 2023, the Hollands filed a petition to rezone their land so they can build a duplex.
“It’s like, OK, we can get two families in here versus one. And so that’s always been our goal is to have properties and housing where we can offer to more than one family at a time,” said Lakita Holland.
Part of the UDO’s aim is to add much-needed housing options in the rapidly growing city.
“My vision for it is something different from someone who does it and then sells it and they’re just looking to make mad money from it,” said Holland. “My vision for it is like, ‘OK where is the next family that needs an affordable home?’ That’s my vision for it.”
Holland said they already submitted their plans for the duplex to the city. Even their builder was ready to get started.
“It’s not us. It’s not them. It’s just that whole zoning thing,” Holland said.
Holland, who said she’s familiar with homelessness, said the location in the middle of mixed subdivisions, makes it the perfect place to build a duplex that’s modern yet affordable.
“We would bring those areas together because I’m telling you, we are right in the middle of them both,” Holland said. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all.”
Charlotte City Planner, Alyson Craig, told WCNC Charlotte their department is asking that people applying for permits to be a little patient.
Craig explained that, in addition to administering the new document, by state statute, the department has to allow for projects that were submitted before June 1 to choose which set of regulations to go under, complicating the review process.
Read more of this story at WCNC-Charlotte
