Charleston Leader

MAYOR GOODWIN JOINS CLRA AND RCCR FOR GROUNDBREAKING

 Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin today joined representatives of the Charleston Land Reuse Agency (CLRA) and Religious Coalition for Community Renewal (RCCR) at 3000 2nd Avenue Charleston, WV to break ground on a new single-family home in the North Charleston neighborhood of the City of Charleston. “This administration has focused on improving quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin.  “With more than 400 dilapidated structures demolished since 2019 we know that rebuilding is necessary to provide the safe and affordable housing our residents want and deserve.” The site of the new home was provided by the Charleston Land Reuse Agency.  Returning abandoned and tax delinquent land to new and productive use is the mission of the City of Charleston’s land banking program.  The agency received this vacant lot through donation and has been building an inventory of redevelopment and conservation properties throughout the City.“The Charleston Land Reuse Agency has spent the past three years securing sites in our city that we can now use for rebuilding our communities,” said Chris Campbell, a citizen member and Chair of the CLRA.  “We are very excited to join in breaking ground on what will be the first of many new redevelopment projects made possible with property from the CLRA.  We know partnership with builders, for-profit and not-for-profit alike, is what will drive the revitalization we need.”The construction project is being undertaken by the Religious Coalition for Community Renewal.  This is the 42nd single-family home the Charleston-based non-profit group has built.  The homebuilding program supports homeownership for individuals and families with extensive homebuyer education and credit counseling, among other services. “This site will soon be a brand-new home for a working family here in the City of Charleston,” said Kevin Jones, Executive Director of RCCR.  “For the family who moves in here, this house represents the last step in a long journey toward owning a home.  We know homeownership is an essential part of stabilizing families, rooting them in their community, and building generational wealth.” The CLRA undertook a public input process prior to finding a new owner of the property.“Listening to the community’s wants and needs is our first step,” said John Butterworth, a Planner with the City of Charleston and staffer for the CLRA.  “We asked the community the simple question ‘What belongs here is…’ and we heard the desire to rebuild housing.” The CLRA also holds public input sessions so that residents can share their ideas for improving their community. The construction project is supported in part by the City of Charleston Mayor’s Office of Economic and Community Development along with funds from the Religious Coalition for Community Renewal.   

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