Affordable Housing
EmPOWERment Inc. works to increase affordable housing and preserve working-class neighborhoods for families. We compete with investors to purchase and renovate existing homes and build new homes for sale and rent to low-income families.
Apply for and read about our Community Homebuyers Club here.Community Organizing
Neighbors United, a coalition of neighborhood associations, is building leadership and power for community change. We are working together to combat drug dealing, preserve our communities and strengthen neighborhood associations. By working with local business, we will build hope by providing opportunities.
We are working in the following ways to accomplish important community objectives:- Holding our criminal justice system accountable. Fed up with the revolving door of our justice system, our communities recently held a meeting with Chapel Hill and Carrboro police chiefs, the magistrate, DA and District Court Judge to push them to get drug dealers off the streets. Within a week of this meeting, bonds for repeat drug dealers rose from $500 to $25,000.
- Beating investors at their own game. Neighbors United leaders are convincing property owners to sell their homes to EmPOWERment, Inc. to be renovated and resold to first-time homebuyers; in other cases leaders are convincing builders to develop properties for our families at lower prices.
- Combating gentrification through zoning. Ultimately, we have to make it harder for investors to buy our neighborhoods. The Northside Community has developed a new overlay zone that will limit the number of unrelated people living in the same household. The goal is to limit the profitability of rental housing and thereby curtail the ability of investors to convert our neighborhoods into off-campus dorms.
- Increasing public investment in affordable housing. Historically, our local governments have committed almost no local funds for affordable housing. Last spring, EmPOWERment, Inc. led a group of affordable housing advocates in convincing the Orange County Commissioners to create a Housing Trust Fund capitalized by local property taxes. The Housing Trust Fund commits approximately $250,000 a year for affordable housing development. The battle is not over. We are pushing the County to increase the amount to $750,000 a year, the amount originally requested.
Midway Business Center
The Midway Business Center is Chapel Hill-Carrboro's first business incubator, and is the economic development arm of EmPOWERment, Inc. The project includes 6,000 square feet of affordable office and retail space, access to shared business equipment and strong support to build locally owned businesses. The Business Center is located in Midway, a historically Black business district connecting Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
The small business incubator helps new and emerging businesses grow into strong local employers while promoting the redevelopment of the Midway Business District. The Midway Business Center is a hybrid incubator serving a range of business types including retail, office- and service-based companies, technology start-ups and other enterprises. The Center targets low to moderate income women- and minority-owned businesses and other new start-up companies with growth potential.
Are you interested in office space? We have space available!
STEP 1: Contact us at (919) 967-8779 or dbailey@empowerment-inc.org
STEP 2: Fill out an application, available at the EmPOWERment office.
STEP 3 (Will be required after you move in, so get started early!): Write a business plan. Business plan templates can be found here and contact SBTDC or SCORE for free one-on-one support. Durham Tech's Small Business Center offers free and pay classes about many aspects of small business.
STEP 4 (Recommended): Go to SBTDC's free "Pre-Venture Orientation" held on the 3rd Thursday of each month, from 9-11am at 1700 MLK Jr. Blvd. Room 158, Chapel Hill, NC, where the instructor will walk you through much of what you need to know about starting a business. Contact SBTDC at (919) 962-0389 to register.
STEP 5: Meet with Delores Bailey to discuss your budget.
STEP 6: The Town of Chapel Hill must review your application. If approved, pay your deposit and first month's rent. Welcome!
If you're interested in Midway and have more questions, please reference our Frequently Asked Questions.