It’s been in the works for years, but finally, Greensboro residents in need of help securing safe, affordable housing can now find assistance from six Greensboro organizations in a single location. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper took part in this morning’s grand opening, and the Greensboro Housing Hub is now officially available to Greensboro citizens, the organization announced today.
The Greensboro Housing Hub is conveniently located at 1031 Summit Avenue in Greensboro. Its agencies are a partnership among Community Housing Solutions, Greensboro Housing Coalition, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro, Housing Solutions Group, Partnership Homes and Tiny Houses Greensboro.
“Fair, safe, and affordable housing is the first step toward prosperity, but it’s out of reach for too many North Carolinians,” Gov. Cooper said. “Greensboro Housing Hub is an encouraging example of the kind of collaboration that can help address a range of issues across the state, from housing challenges to workforce development.”
The goal of the Housing Hub is to serve as “one-stop shopping” for affordable-housing assistance; it aims to increase the collective capacity beyond the 6,000 low-income people currently served with housing, education and job training services. Its central location creates synergy and collaboration among affordable housing-related agencies serving Guilford County residents.
“From the start, this process has been a community effort,” Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said. “From the Council Members and city staff encouraging this idea to the nonprofits who worked diligently to create this dream project to the funders who generously gave support for the concept, I applaud the hard work of everyone involved. We are so happy to see this project come to fruition.”
In an exceptional example of public/private financing, the city of Greensboro and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro worked together to provide the funds required to up fit the building. Qorvo and Simmons Office Supplies donated the office equipment, and Bonitz-Co of Carolina, Inc. donated the carpet.
“It is extremely rewarding to have played a role in making the Greensboro Housing Hub possible,” Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro president Walker Sanders said. “Six non-profits working together towards a common goal can make a huge difference in our community. Part of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro mission is to ‘serve as a trustworthy partner in addressing emerging community needs,’ and the Greensboro Housing Hub will address a need in Greensboro. It’s inspiring to see it officially open its doors.”
“After two years of dreaming and planning together, the six organizations of the Greensboro Housing Hub, the first ‘One-stop-Shop’ for affordable housing in our state, is open,” Habitat Greensboro CEO Maria Hanlin said. “Our goal is simple: serve more clients more effectively and more efficiently throughout the continuum of homelessness to affordable homes. We hope the creative collaborations our non-profits established will be a model for many other non-profits.
“On behalf of the Greensboro Housing Hub, I’d like to thank the City of Greensboro and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro for providing the necessary funds as well as Qorvo, Simmons Office Supplies and Bonitz-Co of Carolina, Inc. for making the Greensboro Housing Hub possible.”
“All of the organizations being co-located in one building will allow us to better serve Guilford County’s affordable housing needs on the continuum from homelessness to home ownership,” Community Housing Solutions executive director Gene Brown said.
For additional information about the Greensboro Housing Hub as well as links to each of the six non-profit organizations it houses, please visit www.greensborohousinghub.org.