The GCHPP is a housing development strategy that seeks to increase participants’ knowledge of the business of affordable and workforce for-sale housing development and opportunities in Guilford County. The project seeks to bring financial education, access to capital, and pathways to homeownership together with minority small business development. It will provide participants with the opportunity to network with businesses, local governments, and related organizations and connect them to financial and other resources.

The goals of the GCHPP include:

• To increase low- and middle-income (LMI) homeownership in Guilford County
• To increase the number and capacity of local nonprofits and minority and women business enterprises (MWBEs) housing developers
• To close the Black-white homeownership gap in Guilford County
• To document and evaluate what works well in the project

The GCHPP's covered topics include:

• Accessing capital
• Business financials
• Collaborating with nonprofit & for-profit partners
• Community engagement
• Connecting to buyers
• Fair housing
• Fundamentals of real estate
• Guilford County’s housing ecosystem
• Leveraging government programs
• Neighborhood redevelopment
• Reclaiming underutilized & vacant properties
• Pitching a project
• Types of homeownership

The tentative training schedule will consist of 9 sessions held on Monday evenings. The first and last sessions will be conducted in-person in Greensboro and/or High Point. The other 7 sessions will take place virtually. The dates and times are as follows:

• 8/12: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in-person
• 8/26: 7 pm to 9 pm, virtual
• 9/9: 7 pm to 9 pm, virtual
• 9/23: 7 pm to 9 pm, virtual
• 10/7: 7 pm to 9 pm, virtual
• 10/21: 7 pm to 9 pm, virtual
• 11/4: 7 pm to 9 pm, virtual
• 11/18: 7 pm to 9 pm, virtual
• 11/25: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in-person

By participating in the GCHHP, participants will:

• Connect with financial institutions, local governments and their programs, and other key housing development stakeholders
• Network with other emerging and/or seasoned developers, contractors, and subcontractors
• Being a trailblazer by participating in this crucial pilot program training
• Easy access to reference materials and information on covered topics
• Receive $500 stipend upon completion of the training

Participants are expected to participate in all 9 of the training sessions. To receive the $500 stipend, participants must participate in at least 8 of the training sessions. Participants must attend the initial training session scheduled for August 12th. Most of the sessions are virtual. However, active participation is still expected. Come ready to share your knowledge, receive insightful information, ask lots of questions, and network with other participants and stakeholders.

The National Institute of Minority Economic Development (The Institute) helps emerging leaders, non-profit organizations, HBCUs, foundations, business owners, and strategic partners to contribute to growth, sustainability, and economic justice in low-to-moderate income communities. The Research, Policy and Impact Center (RPIC) is a division of NIMED. The Center’s areas of emphasis include advocacy, economic development, education, housing, public health, and small business development.

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Center for Housing and Community Studies is a university-based, community-engaged applied social science research center offering consulting, technical assistance, program development, data and analysis, and research and evaluation services for local governments, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and institutions of higher education.

Project efforts have been made possible through American Rescue Plan Act funding via the North Carolina Collaboratory.

For questions related to the GCHPP, please contact: Shoneca Kent, Director of Housing Equity Initiatives at The Institute, at skent@theinstitutenc.org.