Board approves $900,000 HOME agreement for Elizabeth Street affordable housing; some commissioners seek more review

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners approved a $900,000 HOME Investment Partnerships agreement on April 27 with Kingdom Community Development Corporation to fund phase 3 of the Elizabeth Street affordable‑housing project in Spring Lake.

Call Manning, director of Kingdom CDC, described the group’s prior phases, explained its homebuyer counseling program and HUD‑certified counseling services, and said families selected for units complete an eight‑hour workshop and one‑on‑one counseling before purchase to reduce risk of foreclosure. Manning said no foreclosures have occurred on prior projects and that counseling and ongoing homeowner education are part of the model.

Commissioner Adams emphasized Kingdom CDC’s track record and argued the proposal builds on successful past phases: “They’ve done it right… those people actually own those homes now, which means they're on the tax rolls for Cumberland County.” Vice Chairman Sherman Jones and others stressed the need for local affordable units, including in municipalities such as Spring Lake.

At the same time, commissioners asked staff and the developer to clarify financial leverage and long‑term homeowner costs. Commissioner Patel asked whether property‑tax and insurance obligations will reflect full market value of completed homes; staff and the developer confirmed property taxes and homeowners insurance apply to market value at taxation/insurance assessments and that tax bills are typically reflected in mortgage/ownership costs.

The board approved the contract after discussion; staff said the funds are HOME program dollars (including CHDO set‑aside) and that executing the contract will follow pre‑audit and legal sufficiency reviews. According to the staff presentation, the agreement funds five homes and Kingdom will leverage additional funding for more units.

What’s next: Staff will complete pre‑audit and legal checks and return an executed contract to the board; Kingdom CDC will proceed with construction and homebuyer counseling, and the county will monitor outcomes including sale prices and homeowner stability.