Greensboro is one step closer to turning the old Regency Inn site into affordable housing.

A city-appointed review committee has recommended that Raleigh-based nonprofit DHIC Inc. get the opportunity to redevelop the long-vacant motel property at 2701 North O. Henry Blvd. If everything goes according to plan, the site will be transformed into 114 affordable housing units for seniors and families in two phases – with an estimated total development cost of over $29.5 million.

The Regency Inn, built in 1957, served for decades as a 58-unit roadside motel before it closed in 2021. It was later used for emergency shelter housing before being demolished last fall.

 The site currently hosts the city’s Summer Doorway Project, a seasonal effort that provides shelter and services to the homeless.

The first phase of DHIC’s proposal includes a 54-unit building reserved for seniors. A second phase would bring 60 family units spread across three structures. All of the apartments will be reserved for households earning 30, 50 or 60 percent of the area’s median income.

A dozen of those units will meet ADA accessibility standards.

In recent years the problems of homelessness and affordable housing in Greensboro and Guilford County have become extreme – and those may be a bigger problem in the future as mega projects like JetZero draw more people to the area.  That’s why Greensboro and Guilford County both have several initiatives in work meant to address the problem.

Raleigh-based nonprofit DHIC, Inc. – formerly known as Downtown Housing Improvement Corporation – has been building affordable housing communities across North Carolina for over a half a century.  The non-profit focuses on helping low- and moderate-income families, seniors, and individuals get a good place to live. The group has developed thousands of rental units and single-family homes since its founding in 1974 and it also operates a homeownership center that’s helped put more than 2,000 first-time buyers into homes.

The city picked DHIC from seven contenders. It’s regarded as one of the state’s most experienced and respected affordable housing developers.

“There were several strong and interesting proposals reviewed by the committee,” said Assistant Greensboro City Manager Nasha McCray regarding the selection of the Raleigh-based non-profit. “Many in our city are excited to see this property move to the next stage of development and to partner with an accomplished developer such as DHIC.”

DHIC President Yolanda Winstead echoed that optimism: “DHIC is excited to have been selected to repurpose the former Regency Inn property… We look forward to helping the City of Greensboro implement the goals of its Housing GSO plan.”

The city’s review committee – which includes housing staff, local residents and a City Council representative – vetted the proposals before selecting DHIC.

The project now moves into a sketch-plan review to test its feasibility.

City-initiated rezoning is already underway.

Final approval, including terms of the property’s sale, will rest with the Greensboro City Council.

Officials say the Regency Inn project will make a meaningful contribution to Greensboro’s “Road to 10,000” initiative, a campaign to create or preserve 10,000 affordable housing units in the city.

“Transforming this site into homes will be a positive step,” said Cynthia Blue, assistant director of housing and strategy for the city. “This development also contributes to the accessibility and quality of attainable housing in Greensboro.”

If you want to see more information on the city’s housing plans, you can visit www.greensboro-nc.gov/HousingGSO.

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