Support Services Coordination in Affordable Housing

Connecting Housing and Support in Wake County

Background and Need

Southeast Raleigh, where the Families Together emergency shelter, transitional housing, and offices are located, is a vulnerable and distressed area according to the Wake County Long-Range Planning department. Specifically, this area experiences “various ‘vulnerability factors,’ such as high poverty, high unemployment, low educational attainment, as well as ‘economic health factors’ such as housing cost burden and SNAP enrollment.”

Several years ago, members of Families Together leadership were approached about purchasing twenty acres near their offices, at New Bern Avenue and I-440. Not having the capacity to undertake the dense housing development desired by local government, Families Together connected the property owner to Harmony Housing Affordable Development, who purchased the property.

Status of Project

In 2024, Harmony Housing Affordable Development (HHAD) broke ground on those twenty acres to create New Bern Crossings (NBC), a 192-unit affordable housing community serving individuals and families who live below 60% of the Area Medium Income (AMI).

HHAD is one of the largest affordable housing developers in the country, and NBC is its first project in Wake County, NC. As a result of the relationship between the two organizations, HHAD invited Families Together to serve as the exclusive onsite support services coordinator for all residents.

As Support Services Coordinator, Families Together will bring to life opportunities that enhance the safety, community, and continuity of residents. In addition, families enrolled in nearby Families Together programming are entitled to participate in activities and events at NBC. New Bern Crossings is slated for completion in Fall 2025. Families Together’s Support Services Coordinator and the leasing company are scheduled to be onsite by late July 2025 to prepare for the arrival of the first residents in September 2025.

For more than 45 years, Families Together has served Wake County with a results-driven program that takes a dual approach: first meeting urgent needs like housing, food, clothing, and healthcare, then walking alongside families to provide life-changing support services—including education and employment coaching, financial literacy training, and more—that pave the way for lasting stability and success. After years of providing holistic, supportive services, Families Together is ready to bring their expertise to the community through this exciting partnership with HHAD and help more individuals and families in Wake County find stability and long-term success.

As a first step, the Support Services Coordinator will offer workshops on fire safety, landlord-tenant rights, and other key life skills to promote housing stability. Families Together envisions providing ongoing activities—like GED classes, financial literacy, credit repair, and youth enrichment—to support residents and strengthen the broader community. NBC will include a dedicated community center.

The development of New Bern Crossings marks a bold and forward-looking step in the future of affordable housing for Raleigh. Strategically located along the forthcoming New Bern Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), the first of its kind in Wake County, this community will offer enhanced public transportation access and greater connectivity for residents. In a region facing a shortage of more than 65,000 affordable housing units disproportionally impacting extremely low-income families, New Bern Crossings stands out as a transformative effort to expand opportunity, stability, and quality of life for Wake County residents. Families Together is excited to be a foundational part of this consequential project.

Invitation to Support the Connection of Housing and Support

At New Bern Crossings, Families Together is raising dedicated funds to launch the initiative. This investment will support residents through coordinated service coordination, while also building a replicable framework. The learnings and structure developed at New Bern Crossings will inform and strengthen support services across future affordable housing communities with HHAD and beyond.

We invite you to be a part of this pivotal moment: help us to shape how support services are embedded within affordable housing in Wake County. Our goal is to secure three years of funding to provide stability and flexibility to sustain this work while we integrate it into our long-term budgeting and operational planning.

Your financial gift to Families Together directly impacts residents at New Bern Crossings and families enrolled in our program, helping them build stability, access resources, and thrive in their new community. Just as importantly, your support will help establish a sustainable, scalable model that can benefit thousands more residents across future developments. Together, we can connect housing and support—creating not just places to live, but places to truly belong.

Annual Budget

1.5 FTE Support Services Coordinators $104,500

Intern $4,300

Supervision $12,000

Technology and Supplies $3,500

=======

Total $124,300

To pledge a leadership gift and make this work possible,

contact Kelly Nutty, Director of Development and Communications, at kelly@familiestogethernc.org.

Gifts can be mailed to Families Together, PO Box 14395, Raleigh NC 27610,

or sent online at familiestogethernc.org/generaldonation.