Greensboro woman helping with housing crunch

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Anna Blanchard says she usually receives two to three phone calls a week from people who are looking for housing they can afford.

“It’s stressful if you’re spending 50% or more of your income on housing … That is the reality of many families in our city,” she said.

Blanchard works in the City of Greensboro Housing & Neighborhood Development Department as a multifamily development analyst.

She’s worked in that role since Jan. 2023.

Blanchard is part of a team that makes sure the city’s timeline for building affordable housing stays on track.

She says a critical part of her role is translating regulations for developers and nonprofits to ensure projects are in compliance.

The City of Greensboro’s affordable housing developments Blanchard has been involved with are Townsend Trace, The Lofts at Elmsley Crossing, Yanceyville Place and the rehabilitation project at Southwoods on Columbus Street.

“These apartments are priced based on income levels … What can someone sustainably afford and their housing not be more than 30 percent of their gross wages?” Blanchard said.

Blanchard has worked on 407 apartment units.

Townsend Trace is a fully constructed affordable housing community that has 180 units and is in the process of leasing to eligible tenants.

“We have the remaining of that 407 coming online by the end of the year. We have another 255 that will be coming online that are starting construction next year,” she said.

Blanchard says the demand is so high that Townsend Trace has received more than 3,000 phone calls.

“Even though we realize it’s not enough to cover the crisis we’re experiencing, it is everything to the families that get to move into these units,” she said.

Blanchard says this work is personal because she can relate to the struggles of the people she’s trying to help.

“I remember when I first moved to Greensboro applying to multiple different property management companies, paying the application fee, not knowing if I was going to get a place to live at the end of it,” she said.

Blanchard says the reward comes when she sees people finally feel financial relief.

“Knowing that my work is a small part of bringing that relief is just huge, and that’s why I do what I do,” she said.

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