Charlotte’s UDO Helps Deliver New Affordable Duplex in West Charlotte

Published on June 21, 2025

City and Habitat for Humanity staff pose with the new homeowner outside of her duplex.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 21, 2025) - Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region celebrated a new milestone in affordable housing over the weekend, thanks to support from the City of Charlotte’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).

On Saturday, June 21, Habitat welcomed a first-time homebuyer to 2510 Toddville Road, the organization’s first duplex built by right under the UDO. The new home was made possible through the density bonus provision, which allows additional housing units on a single parcel without the need for rezoning.

“This is exactly the kind of outcome the Charlotte Future 2040 Plan and the adopted UDO were designed to support,” Interim Planning, Development and Design Director Monica Holmes said. “By providing greater flexibility in how we use land, the UDO makes it easier to create a variety of housing types and increase affordability in neighborhoods throughout our city.”

Under the previous zoning rules, the Toddville Road lot could have supported only one market-rate home. However, through the UDO’s by-right duplex option, Habitat was able to build two affordable homes instead, reducing per-unit costs and increasing the city’s affordable housing supply.

“Charlotte's new UDO has been instrumental for Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region in allowing the affiliate to serve more families with additional housing types in a wider range of neighborhoods,” Director of Land Acquisition and Development Jennifer Morell said. “Specifically, the ability to build duplexes in single family neighborhoods has enabled the affiliate to offer more homeownership opportunities in areas of Charlotte where land values are typically cost prohibitive.”

The June 21 event also included a walking tour of Legacy Vista, a nearby 14-home development still under construction. Legacy Vista is being developed by Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region and received support from the city’s Housing Trust Fund. The project features five duplex buildings and four single-family homes, and also leverages UDO incentives, including the former conservation subdivision bonus.

Together, the Toddville Road duplex and Legacy Vista highlight how Charlotte’s planning policies and housing partnerships are working to expand affordable housing options for residents across the income spectrum. To learn more information, visit the UDO Affordable Housing Incentives webpage.