Winston-Salem City Council to buy 22 acres of land to build affordable housing

Winston-Salem’s city council has agreed to purchase nearly two dozen acres of land off of Sprague street for affordable housing. 

The council voted unanimously Tuesday to buy an undeveloped 22-acre lot at the end of Lyons Street and Cline Street. The city will pay the appraised value of $440,000 for it, over $200,000 less than the asking price. 

There are no specific plans for the site yet, but Marla Newman, the city’s community development director, says several options are on the table.

“Although as I said that the primary focus would be on homeownership, we do recognize that the size of the property would envision multiple types of housing, both ownership and potentially some rental," said Newman.

Mayor Pro Tem D.D. Adams said the purchase furthers the city’s goal to create more housing units for struggling residents. 

“We cannot allow properties, if we are able to buy them in the city, to be gobbled up by developers and others who would raise the price of whatever it is they're going to build and make home ownership or rental housing for workforce, middle income, market rates, rent and everything else," said Adams. "I think it's part of our responsibility to ensure that we stay with the focus that housing is a priority.”

Council agreed in March to set aside $30 million to further affordable housing initiatives.