Spring 2024 - Our ambitious goals & work ahead
Dear friends,
It has been a whirlwind since joining the Raleigh Area Land Trust as our first full-time staff member back in January. I feel blessed by the legacy of the foundational groundwork laid by our consultants and Board of Directors as an organization ready to tackle the complexity and urgency of the housing need in Wake County. After being away for 4 years doing hurricane recovery work in Puerto Rico, it feels great to be back involved in affordable housing in Wake especially at such a critical time in the market.
Community land trusts offer permanent affordability by sharing the equity gains of real estate between the homebuyers and the community by retaining the land ownership in a trust. With real estate prices skyrocketing throughout the County, this win-win model is sorely needed.
Riding the wave after selling our first two homes in 2023, the Raleigh Area Land Trust Board of Directors approved an ambitious goal of acquiring, rehabilitating and selling 5 additional homes in addition to starting construction on our 18 home Cottages of Idlewild development in 2024.
Since joining in January, I’ve been in conversations around numerous potential future projects not only in the City of Raleigh, but also with leaders in Cary and Wake Forest. I’m excited to see local governments enthusiasm for our permanent affordability model and eager to explore opportunities to partner with these leaders.
We’ve assembled a talented team of consultants and visionary board members. The community has been generous and provided financial support to begin to build our organizational capacity while tackling an 18 house project. More than ever, we need your support to be able to bring this promising model to life and offer families the answer to their desire for affordable and attainable housing that they can count on for generations.
I look forward to the work ahead that we can accomplish together to make homeownership more affordable.
Yours in service,
Kevin Campbell
Meet Kevin
Kevin Campbell started in January 2024 as Raleigh Area Land Trust’s first full-time Executive Director to continue the momentum built by the founding team and expand our ability to increase access to affordable housing across Wake County. Kevin brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to affordable housing and community development to his new role. With a career spanning decades, Kevin has made significant contributions to the affordable housing sector with notable highlights include co-founding the Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Lynchburg, Virginia, leading the 2003 Jimmy Carter Work Project, where 93 homes were constructed in just one week, and spearheading the national rollout of the Home Builders Blitz program, resulting in 459 homes built in a single week across 263 communities in 2006. Kevin previously served as the President/CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Wake County, where he steered the organization through a period of remarkable growth.
Thank You to Our Supporters
Thank you to our early supporters for making this critical work possible. We are thrilled to share our initial commitments to the Cottages of Idlewild help us reach our first milestone—$8.3 million in construction financing and commitments. This will not only fund the development of our project but additional infrastructure investments in the project and neighborhood. Thank you to our Leadership Partners for making this possible!
In The News
Our work is in the news! Check out the latest coverage of our upcoming Cottages of Idlewild development and work to scale affordable homeownership across Wake County.
Affordable Homeownership coming to Wake County with Cottages in Historic Area | CBS-17
Raleigh Sold Property for $1. Here’s what the affordable homes will cost | Triangle Business Journal
City Invests in First Affordable Cottage Court Development | RaleighNC.GOV
Looking Ahead
There has been strong interest in the Cottages of Idlewild affordable housing development, with more than 50 people attending the first Info Session of the year and more than 100 already registered for the next session on April 24th. Info Sessions are a first step in confirming eligibility and preparing to purchase a home in partnership with the Raleigh Area Land Trust.
Your support and participation will help us scale to meet the growing demand for affordable homeownership. Join us in our journey to make homeownership more accessible and long-term by attending an upcoming Info Session or making a donation today.
Your gift can make a difference in expanding access to affordable housing in Wake County.