New plan for Woodlawn House Apartments waiting for approval

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- We’re waiting to find out whether Charlotte City Council will approve a $1.5 million loan for affordable housing, near South Park.

It’s the Woodlawn House Apartments located near Park and Woodlawn Roads.

They’ve been closed for the past two years.

"It's an eyesore. It is just an eyesore,” said Theresa Mauldin, who lives across the street from the apartments.

Residents were forced out to make way for luxury condos, but instead, the economy tanked.

Now, the Charlotte Housing Authority wants to turn them into affordable housing.

"The Housing Authority found an opportunity in a quality neighborhood to provide affordable housing for seniors,” said Jennifer Gallman, Corporate Communications Officer for the Charlotte Housing Authority.

"What we're going to do is rehabilitate the building and move in seniors who make less than $14,000 a year," said Gallman.

CHA is hoping the city will approve the $1.5 million loan under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

That program is geared at eliminating foreclosures and providing affordable homes.

The total cost of the rehabilitation project is more than $8.3 million.

CHA would foot the remainder of the bill.

Mauldin said it’ll be money well spent, “if they fix it up nice, get nice respectable people in there, keep it monitored, I don’t have any issues with that.”

CHA is hoping to have folks moving into the apartments in the next year or two.

As for the cost of rent, a senior living in a one-bedroom apartment would pay about 30 percent of their income.

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