NEW LIFE FOR OLD MILL
$1.25 million grant will help create 141 apartments in Marion
GIVENS' CLINCHFIELD MILL PROJECT
Givens Affordable Communities has received a $1.25 million grant for the renovation of the old Clinchfield Mill building in Marion into new rental units.
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta announced Monday that 14 affordable housing developments in North Carolina, including one in Marion, will receive grants totaling about $16.5 million from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, according to a news release from Federal Home Loan Bank.
These funds will support the new construction or rehabilitation of 967 affordable rental and owner-occupied units, helping expand access to affordable housing in communities across the state.
One of these grants is $1,250,000 for the Givens Clinchfield Mill project in Marion. The grant will be used for the renovation of the old textile mill plant into 141 rental units.
For 50 years, Givens Affordable Communities has served older adults with dignity, compassion and innovation in western North Carolina and has explored opportunities to serve in McDowell County. Givens purchased the old Clinchfield Mill with a $3 million grant from Dogwood Health Trust in December 2022. In April 2024, the mill building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which qualifies it for other state and federal funding.
Originally constructed in 1917 as a textile mill, its most recent use has been as a storage facility, distribution center and equipment depot for Hurricane Helene recovery volunteer group Resilient Recovery North Carolina.
When completed, the old Clinchfield mill building will have 141 apartments. That usually equates to 180 people, depending on how many couples will live there. There will be 85 HUD-subsidized apartments for people with an income of less than $27,000 a year. Thirty-six apartments will be reserved for those with less than $37,000 a year and 20 apartments will be set aside for those who earn more, according to a previous story by The McDowell News.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development previously awarded $11 million to Givens Communities for its Clinchfield Mill project in Marion, according to previous stories by The McDowell News.
The other recipients in North Carolina for these grants are as follows:
■ The Villas at South Fork in Boone will receive $1,025,000 for 48 rental units.
■ Covenant Station in Castle Hayne will receive $1,250,000 for 80 rental units.
■ Weavers Grove in Chapel Hill will receive $1,250,000 for 17 ownership units.
■ The Lofts at Cherryville Mill in Cherryville will receive $1,250,000 for 108 rental units.
■ Good Samaritan Inn in Durham will receive $1,250,000 for 140 rental units.
■ The Grove in Greensboro will receive $1,250,000 for 120 rental units.
■ The Grayson at Randleman Crossing in Greensboro will receive $1,250,000 for 84 rental units.
■ SCAP Johnson Apartments Phase One in Laurinburg will receive $1,250,000 for 10 rental units.
■ Caton Cove in Lumberton will receive $1,250,000 for 15 rental units.
■ Adler Springs Deaf & Blind Community Expansion in Morganton will receive $1,250,000 for 48 rental units.
■ Biltmore Hills Apartments in Raleigh will receive $450,000 for 50 rental units.
■ Westgate Terrace in Red Springs will receive $1,250,000 for 100 rental units.
■ The Darling House in Salisbury will receive $1,250,000 for 6 rental units.
These awards are part of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta's Affordable Housing Program General Fund, which is providing more than $50.4 million this year to 50 housing developments, supporting the construction or rehabilitation of more than 3,650 housing units across the Bank's district, according to the news release.
Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLBank Atlanta) is awarding more than $50.4 million in Affordable Housing Program General Fund grants to support 50 developments across 13 states and the District of Columbia. The funding will help finance the construction or rehabilitation of 3,653 affordable housing units, expanding housing opportunities for individuals and families throughout the Bank's district.
"Access to affordable housing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing our communities today," said Reggie O'Shields, president and CEO of FHLBank Atlanta. "Expanding the availability of affordable housing is central to our mission. Through partnerships with our members and housing organizations, these investments will help increase housing supply, strengthen communities, and create greater opportunity for individuals and families across the Southeast."
"Every development awarded funding this year addresses a critical housing need," said Tomeka Strickland, FHLBank Atlanta's director of community investment services. "Whether supporting new construction, rehabilitation, senior housing, adaptive reuse, or homeownership opportunities, these projects will create affordable housing options that otherwise might not be possible. We are proud to partner with our members to help make these developments a reality."
This year, 60% of General Fund grants will support new construction, helping to address the growing shortage of affordable housing affecting communities throughout FHLBank Atlanta's district. The 2026 grants also will support 800 more housing units than were funded through the prior year's General Fund, underscoring the Bank's continued commitment to expanding housing opportunities through strategic investments in affordable housing, according to the news release.
