A Cornelius community group working to fend off gentrification in the historically-black neighborhood of Smithville will receive $3 million in COVID-19 relief funds. It was among nearly $60 million from the American Rescue Plan Act Mecklenburg County Commissioners approved this week.
Willie Jones with the Smithville Community Coalition says the money will be a good start to buying up vacant and blighted properties. Along with startup grants, he says the group is well-positioned.
“Those things combined give us an extremely healthy, optimistic outlook toward completing this revitalization.”
That involves buying 40 parcels of land and creating nearly 200 affordable rentals and homes to buy. It also includes helping seniors stay in their homes and modernizing streets and sewers.
This story is part of I Can’t Afford to Live Here, a collaborative reporting project focused on solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Charlotte.