As the leaves turn and fall in Liz Seymour’s backyard, a two-acre property comes into clearer view from her kitchen window.
For twenty years now, Seymour has watched different organizations, city projects, and potential investors take an interest in the church complex next to her home in Glenwood, a working-class neighborhood in southeast Greensboro.
Built in 1954, the old brick complex has been home to various churches. In 2023, the city purchased the lot, which spans nearly a full neighborhood block, from Christ United Methodist Church. The plan was to create a city services hub to provide services like Internet access and a place for neighborhood meetings. That project was eventually abandoned.
Now, the property sits at a literal and figurative crossroads.
In January, the city invited developers and organizations to submit proposals to reuse or redevelop the site, citing the city’s shortage of affordable housing and to address the Glenwood neighborhood’s specific needs.
Seven plans were put forth. Now, just two remain. The Greensboro City Council was expected to choose one during its regular Tuesday meeting, but the vote was delayed late last week. City staff says the vote could come later this month. Like Seymour, many in the neighborhood have watched plans for the property come and go. Whichever the council chooses, they say, has the potential to shape Glenwood for decades to come.
“This church has been in play, and promises have been made since 2018,” Seymour said. “I would much rather see us get it right.”
‘This Would Be A Godsend’
Both the proposals before the council envision affordable housing for seniors. But that’s where the similarities end, some neighbors said.
One is a joint endeavor between Glenwood Together, a neighborhood organization providing various programs from summer camps to financial literacy workshops, and Affordable Housing Management Inc. (AHMI), a developer known for creating affordable housing in the area.
They plan to demolish the existing structure to create 52 apartment units for seniors living at or below 60% of the area median income (AMI). Their proposal also includes a communal meeting space, office and retail space, a supportive service clinic, and a new, larger location for Glenwood Together to run their programs.
The other proposal is from Legacy Homes & Construction LLC, a local real estate developer led by Dontay Mitchell. Legacy’s proposal would maintain the current building, creating 21 units for seniors living at or below 80% AMI. The plan includes a community room, leasing office, health and wellness space, laundry facility, communal kitchen, and a community garden.
Both proposals were scored on a 100-point scale, which awarded points for concept, team experience, financial feasibility, site preservation, community engagement, and community benefit. Glenwood Together and AHMI’s proposal scored highest in both rounds, receiving 73 points to Legacy Homes’ 60 in the latest round, according to a city presentation.
Glenwood Together/AHMI scored highest on team experience and community engagement, while Legacy Homes scored high on site preservation.
For months leading up to the city’s presentation on both proposals in late October, Glenwood residents met with city staff and members of city council.
Casey Thomas, who has lived in Glenwood since 2012, expressed frustration with the process.
County records show the property valued at over a million dollars. But Christ United Methodist Church sold it to the city for $30,000. To Thomas, that helps make the choice clear.
“It should go to benefit the public in the best way it can,” Thomas said.
The Glenwood Together proposal would result in more units, Thomas said—and more affordable ones.
“This church has been in play, and promises have been made since 2018. I would much rather see us get it right.”
Liz Seymour
“When people think about affordable housing, it can be blurry and nebulous,” Thomas said. “I could see people on the subcommittee seeming to think that, ‘Oh, well, one project caters to someone who makes 80% AMI and the other caters to 60% AMI. It’s just a couple of dollars.’ But the practicality is we’re talking about an apartment for $320 per month for people on the lowest end of the AHMI proposal and on the upper end paying $900.”
A city document outlining both proposals says that for the AHMI/Glenwood Together proposal, rent would range from $353-$1,004. For Legacy Homes, the range would be from $819-$1,437.
AHMI plans about a quarter of the units for those making at or below 30% AMI, or $26,910 per year, according to Grant Duffield, its executive director. Another third or so will be reserved for those at or below 50% AMI.
Mitchell, the owner of Legacy Homes, said the housing they plan to create will be for seniors making between 60-80% AMI.
That’s too much for many looking to rent in Glenwood, Thomas said.
“You can’t rent a bedroom in Glenwood for $300 right now,” Thomas said. “To have this for people who are older and likely to get kicked out of the workforce, for people who are likely to be unable to bring in a larger income than they have been, for people who are on a fixed income with Social Security, this would be a godsend.”
A Senior Housing Demand
The senior population in the U.S. rose 33% between 2013 and 2023, according to data analyzed by Consumer Affairs.
In 2024, senior households—defined as those 55 and up—constituted at least half of households in 80 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, according to a housing supply gap analysis by Bowen National Research.
“In total, 90 of the 100 counties in North Carolina are projected to experience an increase in the number of senior households by 2029, adding to the demand for senior-oriented housing,” the study said.
“It’s really sad when you have people, especially elders in the neighborhood who are living in really rough situations in their homes,” Thomas said. “Like the woman who was living in a shed this past summer or people who pay rent to sleep on someone’s porch or in a garage.”
Both Duffield and Dayna Carr, the executive director of Glenwood Together, said they built their proposal based on conversations with residents. “We are doing everything we can to honor the process,” Carr said. “Neighbors have organized and rallied around our proposal…. If the neighborhood doesn’t want this project, we will not do it.”
Glenwood Together has built relationships with neighbors in the last five years, Seymour and Thomas said. Most of the organization’s staff live in Glenwood.
“I have lived in this neighborhood for 22 years,” Carr said. “I live a block away from the site. This is absolutely in my backyard.”
Morris Brown, senior pastor of Christ United Methodist Church, voiced his support for Glenwood Together and Affordable Housing Management’s proposal in a letter to Samuel Hunter, the city of Greensboro’s director of housing strategy and development. The group will continue the same good work if their proposal isn’t selected, Brown wrote.
“I also know the work of [Glenwood Together] will be greatly enhanced if they were to help select and establish outreach operations that will occupy the community access/retail space in their proposal,” he wrote.
Seymour, the vice president of the Glenwood Neighborhood Association, said having a dedicated space that is larger and owned by the organization rather than renting one sets Glenwood Together up for success.
“It’s not just about what happens to the church but also what happens to Glenwood Together,” Seymour said.
Mustard Seed Community Health will soon open a neighborhood health clinic, Seymour said. The combination of that project with affordable senior housing and a permanent location for Glenwood Together could help not just stabilize the neighborhood, she said. It could help it thrive.
“This is huge for the neighborhood, and I haven’t heard from anyone that doesn’t want this to go forward,” Seymour said.
A Looming Decision
Ahead of the city council’s vote, Hunter told The Assembly he plans to recommend Glenwood Together and AHMI’s proposal because of their higher score. Still, either option is a “win-win” for the city, he said.
“The city is in a good position with two feasible proposals,” Hunter said.
But residents say some city councilmembers remain unconvinced.
They said some councilmembers expressed concerns about “concentrated poverty” in Glenwood if they go with the Glenwood Together/AHMI option.
Videos sent to The Assembly of a subcommittee meeting on Oct. 27 showed councilmembers deliberating between the two choices.
In the meeting, Councilmember Cecile Crawford asked whether AHMI and Glenwood Together would consider reducing the number of units they would build. She cited residents’ concerns as the basis of her question.
Councilmember Tammi Thurm said two goals the full council set when they took office were to diversify their vendors and to not concentrate affordable housing in certain areas.
“When people think about affordable housing, it can be blurry and nebulous.”
Casey Thomas
Councilmember April Parker also pointed out the need for more minority- and women-owned business (MWBE) contracts. AHMI is not an MWBE, but Legacy Homes is.
The Assembly reached out to city councilmembers for this story but received no response.
Mitchell, with Legacy Homes, said he has worked in construction for 23 years and one of their main goals was to preserve the church building.
“We’re still feeling confident, still feeling good,” Mitchell said.
Councilmembers discussed the timelines for each project. Because this project went through two rounds of proposals, AHMI/Glenwood Together has to apply for federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funding in January 2028, as the January 2027 deadline is too soon. Construction would begin in 2030. Legacy Homes, which would not rely on LIHTC funding, would be able to start construction in 2028.
But at the end of the day, Thomas said, they need more units. They’re willing to wait for the right project.
“To take public money that was donated to help with affordable housing and to hear from certain council people that they don’t want to do what the majority of the people in the neighborhood have expressed because they don’t want to concentrate poverty in this area seems really condescending,” Thomas said.
Glenwood already struggles with concentrated poverty in the shape of homeless camps and poorly maintained single-family homes, Thomas said. With trusted partners like Glenwood Together and AHMI, the problem would be alleviated, Thomas added.
At the start of this process, the city created a neighborhood advisory committee to help inform city staff of their wants and needs, Hunter said. And throughout the process, Seymour said, neighbors have been clear on what they want.
“I hope [the city] can see the benefits this would bring to the whole city,” Seymour said.
