The reimagined Trinity Court will provide 54 affordable apartments in Chapel Hill. Located on the outskirts of the Northside neighborhood near Umstead Park, this development will replace the 40 existing units with 54 new, modern units in garden-style apartment buildings. The new, two- and three-bedroom apartments will be for households with incomes between 30% and 80% of Chapel Hill’s Area Median Income (AMI). The development will feature sustainable materials and will be extremely energy efficient.

Trinity Court is close to Umstead Park, which features a basketball court, volleyball courts, and a picnic area. It is also within walking distance of Northside Elementary School. There are bus stops nearby for Chapel Hill Transit, and the site is conveniently near the many amenities Chapel Hill has to offer.

Developer: CHP Real Estate Development
Development Partner: Town of Chapel Hill
General Contractor: Southway Builders
Architect: Moseley Architects
Engineering: Timmons Group
Sustainability: New Ecology, Inc.
Size: 54 apartments
Construction Start Date: May 2024
Estimated Completion Date: August 2025
Funding: 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits; Town of Chapel Hill; Truist; Grandbridge; Orange County, North Carolina Housing Finance Agency; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Total Cost: $18.9 million

The redevelopment at Trinity Court Apartment is a public-private partnership that will promote vitality in neighborhoods and positively contribute to the environment. Project partners will consider compatibility and sustainability when designing the redevelopment. It will expand the affordable housing opportunities for eligible Chapel Hill residents, including those who are currently on a wait list.

CHP encourages eligible residents to participate during the planning, design, and construction of the project. Project partners will use the public input to aid in the design of Trinity Court Apartments. Collaborative participation will help create the best possible outcome for all.

The Town of Chapel Hill has a vision for a “vibrant and inclusive community where all residents have access to affordable housing and opportunities to thrive.” The Trinity Court redevelopment will help meet this vision by providing 54 affordable and workforce apartments close to neighborhood amenities.

In Chapel Hill, affordable housing costs no more than 30% of a household’s income. To qualify for most affordable housing, household income must typically fall below 80% of the AMI. This varies by household size (see chart to the right). Some apartments at Trinity Court will have even lower income limits.

A 2017 Housing Needs and Market Assessment conducted for the Town of Chapel Hill found the town’s greatest housing challenge to be affordability for the lower income households in the area. One-third of the town’s renters had income less than or equal to 30% of the AMI, and almost 80% of renters at 30% AMI pay more than 50% of their income on rent. The town’s public housing inventory was 336 units, and 90% of those units were more than 30 years old. Larger low-income families are particularly impacted by the lack of affordable housing. Three-bedroom market rents require a household income of 90% AMI to be affordable.

Chapel Hill is considered “Prosperous” on the Distressed Communities Index, but the poverty rate is 14.4%. This is slightly more than the national average. With a median household income of $85,600 (the national median household income is $60,500), 13% of children in Orange County live in poverty. That number has increased while the state and national child poverty numbers have decreased. Orange County is also an area of concentrated persistent poverty. This means 20 percent or more of its population has lived in poverty over the past 30 years.