The Organization
The Business
The Housing Authority's core business involved real estate development and property management. The primary business goal is to diversify our portfolio of housing units and commercial real estate assets in order to help stabilize and revitalize local communities. The Housing Authority partners with various businesses and service providers to accomplish our goals. These partnerships provide numerous business opportunities that promote economic growth and development within the city of Winston-Salem, Forsyth County and the state of North Carolina. To find out more about doing business with us, please visit our business partners menu.
The History
The dream of affordable housing for all residents of Winston-Salem began more than 60 years ago. In 1941, a group of city leaders founded what would become the housing authority; to provide safe affordable housing for all residents. Their dream was that the dilapidated housing would become a thing of the past. Most had no heat or indoor plumbing. It wasn’t uncommon for more than one family to crowd into one small house together.In the 1950’s the housing authority built Happy Hill Gardens, Kimberly Park Terrace, Cleveland Avenue Homes, and Piedmont Park. These homes made of brick and set on rolling lawns with front porches were a great leap forward for those who needed affordable housing. All had heat, indoor plumbing and the amenities that all homeowners expected.A need still remained however for affordable housing for the elderly. In 1968 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved loans totaling more than 5.6 million dollars for the construction of high-rise apartment buildings for the elderly: Crystal Towers, Sunrise Towers, and Healy Towers.There was still a need for affordable single family homes. In the early to mid-1970’s the Federal Turnkey 3 Project provided money for Winston-Salem to build 967 homes. The homes were built by private developers and sold at below market rates. As individuals and families qualified for loans they were able to purchase and move into the homes. Those who did not qualify immediately had the opportunity to rent the homes for a period of time, with a portion of their monthly payments going into an escrow account that built up a down payment. All of these homes, many of them in the Carver School - New Walkertown Road area were eventually sold to qualified buyers. The Turnkey 3 Project is still regarded as one of the great success of the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem. During this period the HA also moved into it’s headquarters at 901 Cleveland Avenue.In July 2005 HAWS relocated it’s corporate office to the historical Loewy Building located at 500 W. 4th Street. This move to the heart of downtown compliments the community supportive/social services that are present in the downtown area, which provides greater accessibility and convenience to the clients we serve.
The Subsidiaries
Forsyth Economic Ventures, Incorporated (F.E.V.) was founded in 1993 as a nonprofit entity under the umbrella of the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem (HAWS). The primary purpose of the organization is to assist HAWS as it enables persons of low and moderate income in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to live in safe, decent and affordable housing.Members of the HAWS Board of Commissioners currently serve dual roles as members of the F.E.V. Board of Directors. They provide oversight of fiduciary matters under the governance of HAWS rules and regulations as well as the Internal Revenue Codes under Section 501(c)3 and Section 170(c)2.In recent years, F.E.V. has expanded to offer commercial real estate opportunities as well. The historic Loewy Building is owned by F.E.V. and operated by HAWS personnel. The building houses the administrative office of HAWS and is conveniently located in the downtown Winston-Salem area. Businesses and service providers within the building add a unique influence to the local economy (from law offices to retail clothing boutiques). Both retail and office space are available for lease.For more information regarding commercial real estate opportunities within the Loewy Building, contact Lisa Campbell at (336) 727-8500 extension 6090 or lcampbell@haws.org .F.E.V. is just one of the aspects in which the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem is "so much more."This is a long form text area designed for your content that you can fill up with as many words as your heart desires. You can write articles, long mission statements, company policies, executive profiles, company awards/distinctions, office locations, shareholder reports, whitepapers, media mentions and other pieces of content that don’t fit into a shorter, more succinct space.