North Carolina Construction News staff writer
Construction is set to begin on a new affordable housing development in Haywood County following a groundbreaking ceremony for the Balsam Edge project on Howell Mill Road.
The $25.7-million development will include 84 rental units in a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The project is aimed at households earning between 40 and 60 per cent of the area median income, a segment often priced out of market-rate housing.
Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO), the project developer, said the goal is to ease housing cost pressures for working families in the region.
“Knowing 84 families soon won’t have the stress of parting with half of their paycheck or more towards housing costs, that’s absolutely why we do it,” said Geoffrey Barton, president and CEO of MHO. “It’s the most rewarding thing when we ultimately finish and help residents move in.”
Local officials attended the groundbreaking, describing the project as part of a broader effort to expand housing options in Haywood County, where demand for affordable units has increased in recent years.
Balsam Edge is also among the first developments supported through the Western North Carolina Affordable Housing Loan Fund, launched in 2025. The fund was created after Hurricane Helene highlighted housing challenges across the region.
The initiative received an initial $40-million investment from Dogwood Health Trust through Self-Help Ventures Fund and Self-Help Credit Union. It is designed to support housing developments for residents earning up to 80 per cent of the area median income.
The Balsam Edge community is expected to be a walkable development and is part of a pipeline of projects intended to address housing shortages in western North Carolina. Construction timelines were not immediately released.