Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) knows how to build things that make an impact – not just structures, but hope, assets, and financial stability for residents throughout WNC. From providing minor repairs to the homes of low-income residents and packaging financing for lower-income homebuyers to constructing affordable housing for those in the workforce, HAC ensures that people have safe and stable housing that forms the foundation for healthy and productive lives.
Sarah Grymes, Executive Director, first joined HAC as a board member in 2010. A banker with considerable housing finance experience, she quickly fell in love with the organization and was asked to assume her current role in 2016. “It’s equally as stressful as banking, but highly productive,” she says. “My financial background helps greatly in my role here at HAC as a lot of what I do every day is put together financial projections and partners.”
Under her leadership, HAC has grown significantly. Grymes and HAC became partners in a new 168-unit workforce housing development located on the campus of McDowell Technical Community College in Marion when she was approached by Neil Gurney at Gateway Wellness Foundation. HAC is serving as the developer, and Gateway brought other partners to the table, including the City of Marion, McDowell County government, McDowell Tech, and the Chamber and Economic Development Authority. Gateway also made an introduction to Dogwood Health Trust.
“Having Gateway and Dogwood as partners in this project is like an answered prayer as we would not have been able to do this alone,” Grymes said. “There is a huge need for workforce and affordable housing in our communities and together we can truly make a difference.”
When completed, two-bedroom apartments will rent for $790 per month, and three-bedrooms for $890. Dogwood is also working with HAC to add eight affordable units to an existing HAC supportive housing development in Henderson County, the Cottages of Oklawaha.
“Dogwood being willing and able to be a like-minded partner completely changes the game for what can be accomplished toward needed housing units; the sky is the limit,” says Grymes.
“Access to capital and generous partnership opens up lots of options for financing we were not able to achieve before.”
