A Missouri-based developer has withdrawn from a proposed affordable housing project in Winston-Salem’s Happy Hill neighborhood after community backlash.
The Winston-Salem City Council had been scheduled to vote Monday on a proposal from the Vecino Group to build 42 affordable units on city-owned land.
But before the meeting, Neighborhood Association President Tonya Sheffield announced Vecino had pulled out — a move she said opens the door for residents to take the lead.
“We have listened to our residents and understand their vision," she said. "We are prepared to do the hard work of community-led development.”
Sheffield’s group had criticized city leaders for selecting Vecino without consulting the historically disenfranchised neighborhood. And she raised concerns about the company’s track record, pointing to lawsuits tied to its previous projects.
Mayor Pro Tem D.D. Adams, who stood alongside Sheffield during the press conference, suggested she didn’t have time to vet every developer herself and thanked activists for doing their research.
“I am depending on you to go do the work," she said. "Like I said, if a developer is not a good developer, you think D.D. Adams got time to look up all that when I’ve got 250,000 people on me every day?"
Adams said the city will revisit plans for the site with more opportunities for community involvement.
Meanwhile, the Council did move forward with other housing projects Monday, approving five proposals for a total of 60 new affordable units.