City, Enterprise Announce Inaugural Faith in Housing Charlotte Cohort
Published on October 20, 2025
Sugaree Place (pictured) was developed in partnership with Mayfield Memorial Missionary Baptist Church.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (October 20, 2025) – Enterprise Community Partners (Enterprise) and the City of Charlotte today announced the 12 faith-based organizations selected for Faith in Housing Charlotte, an Enterprise Faith-Based Development Initiative (FBDI) cohort. These organizations will receive training, technical assistance, and funding to help transform underutilized land they own into much-needed affordable housing.
“Faith leaders are on the front lines of our community’s housing crisis—they see firsthand the families who need safe, stable, affordable homes,” said Dr. Christie Cade, Vice President for the Southeast Market, Enterprise Community Partners. “We’re proud to bring Enterprise’s Faith-Based Development Initiative to Charlotte for the first time, and this inaugural cohort demonstrates both the scale of land owned by faith-based organizations and the power of their vision to transform it for community good.”
“Many of our faith communities want to use their land to meet housing needs, but they need the right tools and support to move forward,” said Charlotte City Councilmember LaWana Mayfield, who leads the city’s Faith in Housing initiative. “This cohort gives them practical guidance and resources to take the next step, turning good ideas into real homes for Charlotte families. It’s one more way we’re working together as a city to address the affordable housing challenge and strengthen our neighborhoods.”
The program is supported by $430,321 in funding from the City of Charlotte, and the inaugural cohort was selected through a competitive process, following several Faith in Housing gatherings hosted by the city that highlighted the deep commitment among Charlotte’s faith community to address the region’s housing challenges. The 12 faith-based organizations are:
- Faith Memorial CDC
- First United Methodist Church
- Kingdom Harvest Bibleway Church
- Kinship Plot, Inc
- New Bethel Church of God in Christ
- New Hope Baptist Church
- Northside Church of Christ
- St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church
- St. Mark's United Methodist Church
- Steele Creek Church of Charlotte
- The Church of the Power of God/La Iglesia del Poder De Dios
- The Park Ministries, Inc.
Collectively, the cohort owns over 88 acres of land across Charlotte within Mecklenburg County, with individual proposed development sites ranging from .6 to 40 acres. Many of the envisioned projects aim to serve populations facing the greatest need, including low-income families, seniors, and people experiencing homelessness, with projects ranging from family-sized rental homes to senior housing to mixed-use developments with community amenities.
By training faith-based organizations on the development process and providing funding to support feasibility analyses and other pre-development activities, the initiative helps cohort members come to an informed “go or no-go” decision about pursuing development. Those who choose to move forward will benefit from technical assistance from Enterprise staff and development consultants, peer-to-peer learning, and connections to industry professionals, including architects, attorneys, and developers.
The city of Charlotte’s Faith in Housing initiative equips local, faith-based organizations with the tools, resources, and partnerships necessary to bring affordable housing projects to life. Since launching in 2024, more than 300 faith leaders representing nearly 100 faith organizations have participated in a citywide summit, educational webinars, and networking opportunities. These efforts foster connections among faith leaders, developers, and practitioners, building the foundation for new partnerships that expand affordable housing and community impact across Charlotte.
Nationally, faith-based organizations own tens of thousands of acres of vacant or underutilized land, and Enterprise is working with over 140 houses of worship across the country, including in Atlanta, Miami, New York City, Houston, Dallas, and more. Since its inception in 2006, FBDI has helped create or preserve more than 1,900 affordable homes, with thousands more in the projected pipeline.