The City of Raleigh has begun construction on the Cottages of Idlewild, an affordable cottage court community in the historic Idlewild neighborhood. The project is led by the Raleigh Area Land Trust (RALT) and aims to address housing affordability in the city.
The development will include 18 new homes designed for households earning below 80% of the Area Median Income. Of these, four will be rental units and 14 will be available for purchase through a community land trust model. This approach ensures that the homes remain affordable for more than 99 years, supporting long-term housing stability.
Funding for the project includes a donation of land from the City of Raleigh and over $1.26 million in gap financing provided by the city. Additional partners involved are Raleigh Raised Development, Haven Design Build, Wake County, North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, Coastal Credit Union, among others.
During Monday’s groundbreaking event at a local park named after him, LeVelle Moton, co-founder of Raleigh Raised Development, spoke about his experiences growing up nearby on Lane Street and reflected on what this development means to him.
A statement from the City highlighted its commitment: “The City of Raleigh is proud to support this project, which reflects our shared vision of creating housing opportunities that strengthen neighborhoods and ensure Raleigh remains a place where all residents can thrive.”
City officials say continued investment in such projects is key to addressing affordable housing needs: “By continuing to invest in projects like this, the City is helping to solve the affordable housing puzzle, one piece at a time.”
