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JACKSON – In 2022, Northampton County received a $3 million grant from the federal government to be used for construction of a workforce housing development. Now that amount may be just $275,000 short of what’s needed to move forward with construction.

Economic Development Director Derrick Bennett presented the information to the Northampton County Board of Commissioners at their meeting on April 21.

Bennett explained that they recently put the “Jackson Grove” project out for bids, but the first round they received were well over the $3 million amount set aside for the project. After a second round of bids, however, the lowest one they received was for $2,754,000 from Group III Management, based out of Kinston.

That bid is for phase one of the project, and is expected to include six townhome units on a property the county owns near Central Elementary, just outside the Jackson town limits. The timeline for construction is expected to be approximately 365 days.

But Bennett reported that adding in the architectural and engineering costs for the project meant that there was still a $275,000 deficit the county would need to pay, even with the lowest bid.

He requested that the commissioners award the bid to Group III Management, and use the $3 million grant plus an additional $275,000 from the General Fund to pay for the project. He also noted that the bids expire in early May, so they may not be able to wait until the next commissioner meeting to vote on the matter.

“I was under the impression that we were in the clear,” said Commissioner Melvetta Broadnax Taylor, expressing her dismay at the need for extra funds.

“When the grant application was submitted by [former] Chairman Charles Tyner, there were no architectural drawings,” Bennett explained, also noting that this housing project began before his employment with the county.

“When we bid the project three years later, obviously there were cost increases,” he continued.

Bennett also emphasized that they worked hard to get the project under $3 million without compromising the quality or quantity of the homes that will be built. And he explained that the county will get revenue from the development, either through renting the homes or selling them.

“We’re not just giving these properties away,” he added.

“I never understood what was our dire need for that,” Broadnax Taylor continued, questioning the need for more homes in the county.

Bennett again responded by explaining that housing is in short supply everywhere, and it would be beneficial to the county to have more homes available for people who want to move to Northampton for a job, particularly with the school district or county government.

Commissioner Keith Edwards said he thought the county had other priorities that they should address first.

“I’m concerned we don’t have daycare for a lot of our employees,” he stated.

He suggested that having more childcare options could help bring new workers into the county for jobs as well.

Bennett agreed, but also said those people would still need a place to live.

Commissioner Keedra Whitaker acknowledged the different points of view on the subject, but spoke in favor of workforce housing. She thought it would be a good recruitment tool for bringing more people to Northampton County.

Board Chair Ed Martin said he’s seen how school teachers have had to live together as roommates in order to afford housing locally, so he also agreed that more housing could be beneficial. But he asked Bennett to see if they could get an extension on the bids so they could discuss it again at the next meeting.

Martin also asked if the $3 million grant had an expiration date.

Bennett said he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t suggest waiting too long considering the current state of the federal government.

“I would suggest we not lose $3 million over $275,000,” he stated.

Commissioner Kelvin Edwards chimed in as well, speaking in favor of the housing development.

“We need more rooftops,” he said, noting that teachers who come to work in Northampton County often look for housing in neighboring counties instead.

With the discussion concluded, Keith Edwards motioned to table the decision until the next meeting on May 5, and Broadnax Taylor seconded. The vote narrowly passed 3-2 with Whitaker and Kelvin Edwards as the two opposing votes.

Martin stated that if the bid expired before May 5 and they couldn’t get an extension, they would call a special meeting to discuss the matter again.