Affordable housing set for Cary church property will change lives, mayor says (2025)

Kim Bragg knows what more affordable housing in Cary would mean for people like her and her family.

“My son is 38. He has cerebral palsy,” she said. “With limited income, he still lives at home because there’s no affordable place for him. My other son is 35. He had to work two jobs to afford the rent of an apartment he barely saw because he was always at work. So he moved back home.”

Her 28-year-old daughter has to get a part-time job on top of her job as a bus driver to afford an apartment with her 2-year-old.

“My 17-year-old attends Cary High School,” Bragg said. “She works in Cary, serves the community and soon will be attending college. So I ask, where would she live in the future if we don’t start to generate more affordable housing? Is your child, your grandchild, raised in our beloved Cary, forced to move out into another area that’s affordable?”

Bragg was one of a dozen people who asked Cary leaders to rezone the Greenwood Forest Baptist Church to build new affordable housing during the Thursday night town council meeting. The Cary Town Council approved the request unanimously.

The plan would preserve the church’s sanctuary but a portion of the church building would be replaced with a four-story building allowing 62 affordable units, community gathering space, office space and a daycare. The seven-acre property is surrounded by Southeast Maynard Road, Kilmayne Drive and Kildaire Farm Road.

A smaller strip of land, owned by the town, would be used for two-to-three-story townhouse style buildings, allowing up to nine units. All the rented units would be for people making 60% or less than the area median income and units sold would be reserved for people making 80% or less of the area median income.

Sixty percent of Cary’s area median income is $51,375 for a family of one and $73,360 for a family of four.

This development, said Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, will change lives.

“Over all the years there is very few proposals where I can go ‘Wow, this is impressive,’” he said. “I hear a lot of ‘Why don’t you do something about affordable housing.’ This is a group and organization that said, ‘we’re going to do something about affordable housing and you can help us.’”

The town council chambers were full with affordable housing advocates from Habitat for Humanity, One Wake and others.

“Wake County has an affordable housing crisis,” said Patricia Burch, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Wake County. “One out of four Wake County residents lack affordable housing. We have a shortage of 28,000 units for families earning less than $50,000 a year. We need innovation to solve this housing crisis.”

“We have over 100 people here saying yes to affordable housing. And, specifically, yes to housing in God’s backyard.”

People who believe in the teachings of Jesus have a “moral imperative” to give to the poor, show compassion to the hungry and provide shelter, said the Rev. Rick Wilkerson, pastor emeritus of First United Methodist Church of Cary.

“We have a moral imperative as citizens to provide quality affordable housing for everyone,” he said. “Shelter is essential for life. Housing is foundational, yet it is becoming less and less affordable in this market.”

The church is partnering with The Carying Place, which helps families experiencing homelessness find housing, and affordable housing developer DHIC to build the multifamily buildings and will apply for low-income housing tax credits in this year’s cycle.