Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO), a local nonprofit that works to provide affordable housing in Buncombe County, has been awarded federal tax credits and other financing for development of a 95-unit apartment complex in Swannanoa. The project, to be known as East Haven, will be located on US 70, just west of Riverwood Road, near the former location of Moments Coffee Shop. The 2- to 4-story building will be constructed around a landscaped interior courtyard with a playground, picnic area and garden space. Other amenities will include elevators, a community room, a computer center, laundry facilities, and a fitness room.

Construction of the $12.1 million complex is expected to begin in July 2018, and will take approximately 15 months. MHO anticipates that it will begin accepting applications from prospective residents around July 2019. Apartments will be awarded to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

The complex will offer 1 , 2 and 3-bedroom units in a variety of floor plans. Apartments range in size from 660 to 1,250 square feet. Rents are expected to be approximately $260 – $700 per month, depending on family size and income. East Haven will be open to residents whose annual household incomes are at, or below, 60 percent of the county’s median income.

Representatives from Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa (FANS) recently met with MHO to discuss the East Haven development, and to explore ways that FANS and MHO can partner to ensure that the project provides maximum benefits to the Swannanoa Valley. MHO is committed to working with FANS and other community organizations to get the word out about East Haven, and to make sure that people who live or work in the Valley know when and how to submit their applications. To assist in this process, MHO plans to host a community meeting in Swannanoa this coming winter or early spring. Stay tuned for details.

MHO is also actively working on a number of pedestrian and safety improvements along U.S. 70, which will benefit East Haven residents and the community as a whole. FANS is looking forward to working with MHO, Buncombe County and NCDOT on these much-needed improvements, including bus shelters and possible crosswalks and sidewalks.

For more information about MHO, visit www.mtnhousing.org.

The Community Oriented Problem Solving (COPS) team is back in Swannanoa during June and early July. COPS teams are composed of five officers who work for approximately five weeks in specific communities to address public safety and quality-of-life concerns. The Sheriff’s Office started the COPS program in 2012 to build community partnerships, and to provide additional resources to address community problems. Teams have been assigned to Swannanoa several times over the past 5 years.

The COPS team is currently looking for information about ongoing community issues in Swannanoa and eastern Buncombe County. If you’d like to report an issue, please call 828-255-5555, or post the information to the COPS team inbox on www.nextdoor.com (see article below on how to join Nextdoor). As always, if your situation is an emergency, please call 911.

Sheriff Van Duncan and the COPS team will share their findings and results with the Swannanoa community at a public meeting on Thursday, July 6, at 6:00 pm at Swannanoa’s Bee Tree Fire Station, 510 Bee Tree Rd.