Recognizing the need for affordable housing in the community, the City of Hickory launched the Hickory Affordable Housing Initiative in 2020. The City of Hickory owns lots located within residential neighborhoods in the SE and SW sections of the City. This initiative converts vacant City-owned properties into affordable housing for Hickory residents.

The first two of these lots were developed into affordable single-family homes with the use of the Unifour Consortium's HOME Funds and funding from the NCHFA and the Western Piedmont Council of Governments for down payment assistance for prospective homeowners. 

On January 21, 2020, Hickory City Council approved an agreement with the Unifour HOME Consortium and the Western Piedmont Council of Governments to use $300,000 of federal HOME funds to construct two affordable single-family homes in a new subdivision called Ridgefield Place in the Ridgeview community of Hickory. HOME is the largest federal block grant to state and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households.

After the successful construction and sale of those two properties, the City wanted to scale the program and therefore partnered with local developer JRN Development to continue the Affordable Housing Initiative in Ridgeview. On October 19, 2021, the Hickory City Council approved an agreement with JRN Development to further invest in the development and construction of affordable housing on city-owned property. The City sold JRN vacant City lots for them to construct six affordable single-family homes with deed restrictions to maintain affordability to future home buyers. A ribbon cutting celebrated the completion of the new homes on September 21, 2022. In October 2022, these homes were sold to qualified low-moderate-income homeowners.

In December 2022, Hickory City Council approved the second phase of development with JRN to build ten affordable homes. In March 2023, the City sold 10 additional lots to this developer to construct the next phase of affordable housing with deed restrictions to maintain affordability to future home buyers. This set of homes is currently under construction with completion slated for 2024.

Phase three of this program is currently in the planning stages.

For more information, please contact the Community Development Division at (828) 323-7414.