As if there weren’t enough interesting things happening in the town of Summerfield, this week a citizen’s public records request revealed the specifics of a complaint that the Greensboro NAACP has filed against the town.
The complaint, which was filed with the State of North Carolina Civil Rights Division of the Human Relations Commission, accuses the town of a long history of discriminatory housing practices by not allowing lower-cost housing.
The complaint alleges that the town is in violation of the NC Fair Housing Act, and the complaint was also filed under a federal law with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“The available housing stock in Summerfield is … substantially different than in the rest of the region,” it states. “More than 97 percent of homes in Summerfield are single-family dwellings, and according to the American Community Survey data there are no apartment dwellings in Summerfield. By contrast, 69 percent of homes in the Greensboro MSA are single-family homes and 24 percent are in multi-family dwellings. And the Summerfield median listed home price is more than $600,000, as compared to Greensboro’s median of approximately $300,000.”
The complaint adds that “Summerfield’s racial homogeny and relative affluence are no coincidence. Rather, they are the direct and intentional result of Summerfield’s long history of exclusionary zoning ordinances and housing policies … Summerfield has one of the most exclusionary and discrimination zoning ordinances in the country – an ordinance that, for decades. prohibited anything other than single-family homes, and still today allows a density of no more than one unit per acre. In fact, Summerfield has never approved the development of a single apartment complex.”
The complaint also points to the town’s initial failure, in June of 2021, to allow developer David Couch’s proposal to create a residential development that would include housing that was more affordable.
It goes on to list a series of quotes of residents and leaders meant to show the town wanted to keep certain people from moving there. For instance, one resident years ago at a Summerfield Town Council meeting expressed concern – regarding developments near the town – that the growth of developments for lower income individuals was “get[ting] out of hand.”
The Town of Summerfield published a press release this week on the town’s website stating that the town “denies that it has engaged in any intentional, purposeful, or unlawful discrimination — and it specifically denies that its zoning practices are discriminatory in nature.”
It adds, “That complaint alleges that the Town has engaged in discriminatory housing practices. Those allegations are meritless; the Town Council takes its obligations seriously and has developed a Comprehensive Plan to ensure well-managed growth as Summerfield becomes an increasingly desirable place to live.”
Summerfield has hired the law firm of Maynard Nexsen to help provide the defense of its zoning policies and procedures.
The Human Rights Commission will now begin an investigation of the complaint to determine if there are any reasonable grounds to believe discriminatory housing practices have taken place.
It should take about three months for the commission to make a determination.
Litigate until they drop. Sounds familiar.
NAACP wants to drink champagne on a beer budget. This is the same as going out to eat, ordering a prime rib dinner and only being able to pay for a hamburger. Are these examples racist?
If you cannot pay for a 4 bedroom house, why should the price be lowered?
Another meritless allegation by the NAACP.
Laughable at best…..
I’m originally from up north. If I could afford to live in Greenwich, I would have. Stamford yes, Greenwich no. If you couldn’t afford Stamford, then Norwlk, then Bridgeport and so on and so forth Thats just the way it is. If I hit lotto for a billion Couch’s property will be a park.
If you can’t win play the race card
There is nothing racist about Summerfield zoning.
All of the colors shapes and sizes that live here don’t want Greensboro trash
Greensboro trash! Nice. No problem. I’ve yet to have a reason to drive to Summerfield. What do you have? A Wallgreens, CVS and a stoplight? I’ll stay out of Summerfield and you out of GSO. Then we will all be happy. As has been noted before, Summerfield is full of CAVES. You know: Citizens Against Virtually Everything. Enjoy your town. Remember, don’t come to GSO for anything!
Ken YOU stay in YOUR lane WE will stay in ours, MORON
One has to wonder how Couch is involved in funding this baseless lawsuit. Citizens don’t control rise property prices.
Summerfield is rural, not racist.
Lesco, you are the trash.
Basically, what you’re saying is that people of color aren’t allowed in Summerfield.
Remember, just because you’re white and mid- to upper middle class doesn’t mean you’re not a garbage human being.
Ok Bob jump on the race wagon be sure and paint BLM on your street
You are exactly right!
They are scared to death people of color or people of low income will upset their little HOA bi laws snobby bull crap!
I’m sure Couch and Berger are behind this. Can we get these 2 to the train station
Just when I thought I had seen it all. The NAACP has finally run out of anything to complain about.
So, not destroying your village with crappy little sh**box apartments is now racist…??
Nailed it Austin!
As long as there has been more that one person on earth, someone feels left out. While we are all made from the same flesh & blood, we are not all the same and never will be. That’s not so say anyone is better than anyone else, it is simply a fact. The government has no place in this conversation, much less the NAACP. Didn’t Billy Yow have an opinion about the NAACP? I remember it well. We need more Billy Yows on the boards & councils.
It has always been racist, you twat.
But keep going to church on Sundays and saying you are accepting and loving of all God’s people.
******
Get stuffed, mate.
One of us is definitely full of prejudice – anti-Christian “hate”. And it’s you, you odious, bigoted creep.
Shame you can’t debate the issue, too. You must be as thick as mud.
*
PS — You’re the t**t.
Not having apartments is racist? Since when? And you may want to check your comment, since it sounds like you are saying that people of a specific demographic can only afford apartments.
Of course!! Drag Summerfield down so they can be like Greensboro….an armpit.
They need no help, idiot.
Now, how did Couch and Tom Terrell talk a has-been organization like the NAACP into filing suit? NAACP knows they cannot prove violations of the NC Fair Housing Act against Summerfield. NAACP pays nothing to file a complaint, but Summerfield will bear the expense of what may be a $500+ an hour law firm to protect its interest. If it is found that the complaint has no merit and was filed for punitive reasons or to buttress Couch’s case, the NAACP should be required to pay Summerfield’s attorneys’ fees and fine them for wasting taxpayer money.
Correction: NAACP filed a complaint against Summerfield with the State of North Carolina Civil Rights Division of the Human Relations Commission and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, not a lawsuit. The complaints will cause the expenditure of NC taxpayer money to investigate, and the taxpayers of Summerfield to spend money as result of the NAACP complaint. State and federal governments make it too easy to file complaints.
Summerfield actively prevented affordable housing from being brought in. They are the ones that are causing any unnecessary expenditures by gatekeeping their community from people with less money. We’re not talking about dirt cheap housing either, simply people with more moderate incomes. Affordable implies the ability for someone of an average income to purchase it, not crack dens or meth trailers. It’s pretty asinine to me, and Summerfield will have their asses handed to them over this, especially with how they’re reacting to it not only as a municipality but in these comments. As a GSO native, I’m glad someone is finally calling the town on their BS!
People of means have rights too and no one should have the right to take their ability to live in a community that is a higher level than other persons can afford. I want to live in a community where persons are quality persons of value that is worthy of being considered good persons. And there are a lot of persons who do not qualify for being considered on this level. ALL persons have rights. ALL persons are NOT on the same level. We ALL have rights. Give ALL of us the same rights.
One’s personal integrity is a good indicator of “quality;” one’s financial status is not.
It’s unfashionable to say that, but you’re right.
People who have worked to become successful have rights too, including the right to live their lives among other successful people (who tend to be more intelligent and law abiding).
In decaying Northern cities I believe it’s called White Flight. Detroit is the poster boy example.
Guilford Country is a microcosm of that phenomenon, as Greensboro does its best to imitate Detroit.
Successful people are not smarter than people that make in the mean income. The affordable housing isn’t for poor people, it’s for people with moderate incomes. Some of the most idiotic ass hats I’ve met have been filthy rich for various reasons. Intelligence isn’t linear either.
Also saying that Greensboro is imitating Detroit is a wild statement, and reading through your comments with rhetoric like “defending our way of life” and implying that apartments are bound to be “[deleted]” just proves how obscenely classist and prejudiced you are.
You claim to be a Christian? You think Jesus was rich, [deleted]? You think he would “defend your way of life” by preventing the development of housing that people can actually afford? He’d be disgusted by the way you treat and view others that are less fortunate than you. It’s disturbing and the antithesis of what it is to be a good Christian.
————–
Wow, What a farrago of falsehoods and fallacies.
*Nowhere did I say I was a Christian. You, like Bob G., jumped to a conclusion that was invalid.
*Successful people certainly are more intelligent than unsuccessful people. How do you think they became successful?
* I don’t claim to speak for Jesus – unlike you – but I suspect He would not approve of the prejudice you have for me in your heart.
*Greensboro sure is becoming more like Detroit, in many ways. Just ask anyone who’s lived here for 40 years or more (like me).
—- Do you have anything else, or are you still being judgmental on your high horse?
Piling on!
Starting to sound like a Martha’s Vineyard moment
Hey naacp I don’t want nor will I accept low class trashy neighbors in my “hood”either. If you decide to invade my territory you are more than welcome to come to our hood party it’s usually on Saturday night with a “small “ fire little “shine” and s’mores with us good ole boys. Come on over meet the fellas
I can’t believe your racism you are a sick human being
Deed restrictions are for little busybodies that want to mind everyone’s bisiness
Say you’re a Bigot without saying you’re a bigot. Your comment reeks of racism.
This Crouch guy put’s Ol’ Roy to shame. Anything to make a buck.
Pay attention people, this is out of the old playbook of the communist/democrats to try and deflect their own actions on to the shoulders of the target. First of all, there is no way Mr. Couch would have engaged with that fraud of an organization to do anything. The communists are angry and jealous because Mr. Couch is not one of them, and they hate successful conservatives, so they know Mr. Couch has given them the finger, so they try to go after the town council with their usual discrimination BS to try and discredit them. The record should reflect who has been opposing Mr. Couch’s many reasonable development proposals, and they are who the spotlight needs to be on.
There are obviously tons of employment opportunities for the lower-income people way out in Summerfield.
“The Human Rights Commission will now begin an investigation.” Well, three months to investigate but with former NCAAP NC president Skippy Austin already commenting on Summerfield’s “exclusionary” housing, my guess is the “executive summary” has already been drafted.
Summerfield should have negotiated with Couch early on. I guess the town has been able to have their way for so long that they couldn’t imagine someone with 1,000 acres with the means and competence would come along and not just rollover. Too bad the leaders couldn’t envision where this might go and take action. Had they worked with Couch, they would probably be much better off than they likely will be after this plays out. It has to be really tough to explain with a straight face how you can’t make room for some apartments, townhomes, patio homes, anything that allows more than one home per ACRE. A town with Hwys 150, 220 and a section of interstate 73, but not a single multifamily structure. Skippy and the NAACP is going to have fun!
We just can’t have anything nice!
As a contractor, my work often takes me to the beautiful locales of Summerfield. The area exemplifies elevated rural living, with some of the most splendid properties I’ve had the pleasure of servicing. It’s not just the stunning homes that enrich Summerfield, but the diverse mix of homeowners with unique backgrounds and nationalities which makes every visit a cultural enlightenment.
However, this idyllic community thrives on its tranquility, and an overflow of new residents—regardless of their income range—might impact the serene atmosphere, leading to heavier traffic and road strains. We cherish Summerfield’s unique charm and hope it maintains its peaceful allure.
Well said, Mark.
An eloquent and reasoned exposition of why Summerfield has the right to defend its way of life.
Ah yes. . .when all else fails, play the race card.
I can’t believe the racist replies, they’re not even trying to hide their feelings.
Mr Couch, please build affordable housing in Summerfield! There is a huge need for this in this area. Your money will be guaranteed by the government. Everyone deserves a nice area to live in. I agree with the naacp! Help please!
Deed restrictions and HOA should be illegal, it’s nothing but discrimination!
“…there are no apartment dwellings…,” no s**t it’s a rural town like all the others in the county that’s growing. If you wanted to live in an apartment you moved into the city. People in the country lived in houses or trailers. Everyone knows that. EVERYONE.
POC, all of them in all income levels have always lived in Summerfield. The NAACP is behind on their information. The new age BS has got to quit. You either live in the city with city dwellings or live in the country with country dwellings. The city has condos, apartments, townhouses. The country don’t.
Guilford county overall is 47% white, Summerfield is 81% white. That is a massive difference. Also it’s not like it’s some itty bitty rural area, the population is over 10,000 with over 400 people per square mile. That absolutely merits building affordable housing in my opinion.
Its not like there are trailer parks in Summerfield, and most of the houses are way nicer than “rural” ones, so I don’t know what you’re on about.
Low income housing definitely needed in Summerfield. To all the snobs and 10cent millionaires in Summerfield, everyone deserves a home to live in, and if you don’t think so, then maybe you don’t. Get your nose out of the air, your wife is at work supporting you to start with.
The people of Summerfield need to understand that everyone needs a house to live in, a place to call home. They need to get their snobby $.10 millionaire nose out of the air and start having a little bit of compassion. HOA boards and the restrictions are straight from hell, they do nothing but discriminate against the poor. Anyone who sits on an HOA board and enforces the restrictions are not good people.
Listen I lived in a tiny condo and we had an HOA to cover the roof, landscaping, and pool. The HOA keeps the bills paid in some developments. Bills that everyone should share. You are all about sharing right-or is that just when you want me to share my money, my land, ect with everyone else.
Buy up the land and build the sh$%tiest housing projects you can if you wish.
The people of Summerfield didn’t mind when the new liquor store opened. It did not seem to bother them that that would increase traffic. There’s a guy on Highway 150 who has a business converting horse trailers into living quarters, he’s running a business in a residential neighborhood. No one seems to mind.
If at first you can’t succeed or do for yourself or take responsibility for your actions or get an education or hold a job or survive in reality instead of your delusions or your own racism gets called out or don’t feel like enough attention is being given to you … do like your ancestors did … PLAY PLAY PLAY that race card.
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Lots of commenters here like to get on their high horse and sniff at “racists”, don’t they? It gives them an opportunity to demonstrate their moral superiority, and that’s the whole purpose of identifying as a Leftist.
Magically and effortlessly you become better than everyone else! And you don’t have to do anything! You even get to write condescending letters about conservatives, or in this case, people who just want to preserve the rural way of life they’ve enjoyed for years.
No wonder Leftism is so popular. It’s sainthood without effort, sacrifice, or principles. Politics for the unthinking and lazy.
And you get to feel better about yourself !
It’s not about being better than you, it’s about caring for others and building community with everyone regardless of how much money they make. It’s about making sure that regardless of your situation you are taken care of.
It’s extremely sad how bitter and mean you are. People on the left don’t preach their policies to feel moral superiority, we preach them because it’s what we feel is right in this world. It’s insane to me that you think any of this is about “feeling superior”, and it’s also extremely transparent about your own weird inferiority complex that likely drives every decision you make in life. Sad, and gross. Any actual Saint would be appalled by what you’ve said here.
Also very weird you say leftists are the ones shutting down debate when you aren’t bringing any actual facts or discussion to the table, just getting mad and throwing around your feelings. Including actually insane statements about racism being good? Truly sad reading your posts, I hope your life gets less dark and you find true happiness somewhere, not just whatever you’ve been trying to fill the void in your heart with.
******
You’re funny! You should be a comedian.
You fail to see the irony in being so judgmental of me – while accusing me of being judgmental. You’re not very bright, are you?
And how many fake names do you have? C’mon, just use one name so we all know which ass**le we’re dealing with.
Fess up.
Own your BS.
Next they’ll want to put an immigrant detention center there.
No government should have the authority to dictate where people live. The state legislature should not be involved in local zoning laws, especially to the benefit of one individual.
Most of the comments here are made by people who have no idea what they are talking about. There are houses in Summerfield that are not $500,000 + houses. There are starter homes in Summerfield. There are young families in Summerfield. There are no housewives in Summerfield who Lunch. Many comments here are slanderous and are meant to sway opinion, maybe for their own personal gain. Regarding johnny rust’s comments, people are entitled to their opinion. You throw around the race card as if you are the arbiter of what is racist. If a person has certain opinions about people and those opinions never cause physical harm or hurt in any way, why would that person be considered a racist for their opinion? Calling someone a racist or writing that someone is a racist should be a cause of action under slander or libel. The accuser should have to prove a charge of racism. Playing the race card is a way to shut down the conversation, a coward’s play.
Well said, TL.
Looking at the bigger perspective, what needs to be addressed is the definition of racism. What is it, and why is it bad. Or is it good? The beliefs of almost all of humanity for almost all of our history would be considered racist today. Were people wrong then, or are people wrong now?
And is racialism the same or different?
But your point stands. These days the charge is used by smug Leftists to stigmatize an opponent and shut down debate. It’s the opposite of free, open discussion and discourse.
Summerfield may not have cheap homes, but they also don’t have a homicide problem like Greensboro either.
What a coincidence…
Leftist tactics. No matter what they get, they continue to complain. Stop whining and get on with it.
You’re literally on here complaining. Just saying. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯