WE'LL MAKE IT HOME TOGETHER™

June 2025

Groundbreaking Highlights from Black Mountain! 

On Thursday, June 12, 2025, MHO broke ground in Black Mountain on a new affordable housing community, with plans to build 60 affordable single-family homes. Conveniently located off Old US-70 and just five minutes from downtown Black Mountain, the site will be developed in three phases, each consisting of 20 homes, beginning after infrastructure improvements are completed in November 2025. Phase 1 is tentatively scheduled to start at that time, with Phases 2 and 3 planned for September 2026 and July 2027. 

MHO proudly welcomed representatives from the Truist Foundation, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), Black Mountain Presbyterian Church (BMPC), and NeighborWorks America to celebrate the groundbreaking. The event highlighted major contributions in the form of a $1,000,000 grant from the Truist Foundation Western North Carolina Recovery and Resiliency Fund at CDP and a generous $500,000 donation from BMPC, both supporting the new homeownership site.

Additionally, MHO joined in celebrating NeighborWorks Week to honor the legacy and impact of NeighborWorks' decades of service in our communities. This year's theme is "Creating Homes, Building America,” a testament to the new development. 

Leadership Asheville volunteers support MHOs’ Self-Help Homeownership Program!

MHOs’ Philanthropy Director, Allison Rollison, is proud to have participated in Leadership Asheville’s 43rd Program Cohort from September 2024 to May 2025. Each year, participants in the program identify pressing issues in the region and create group projects that build awareness and offer potential solutions. Affordable Housing was one of the topics selected, and a group of eight LA43 members coalesced around ideas for projects. Starting in January 2025, the group met up at the MHO Self-Help homeownership site at Spring Garden and, in total, the Leadership Asheville LA43 cohort contributed over 80 sweat equity hours towards the completion of six new affordable homes. 

Welcome Steffie

Steffie Duginske joins us as the new Resident Services Manager for our Asset Management team. She is responsible for launching a new resident services program, which aims to develop an array of on-site offerings to improve housing and economic stability, promote health and wellness, support educational goals for the whole family, and strengthen neighbor and community networks. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health Education from Indiana University-Bloomington and brings 26 years of experience in public education, public health, human services, and non-profit work, focusing on various social determinants of health initiatives throughout her career. She has lived in Asheville for nearly 20 years with her husband and two children. She is excited to continue to serve her community and the region in this new role with MHO!

Welcome Jake and Annabelle

Jake Spiva is a Community Rental Investments Summer Intern under the guidance of the Community Rental Investments department. He is a rising senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is pursuing a degree in Economics with a minor in Real Estate and History. Jake is passionate about affordable housing and community-driven development, and he’s excited to gain hands-on experience working with MHO’s mission-driven team this summer! Outside of school and work, he enjoys playing and teaching tennis, exploring new cities, and trying new restaurants.

Annabelle McDowell is serving as the Communications and Engagement Intern this summer under the guidance of the Communication and Philanthropy department. Annabelle is currently a rising junior attending Appalachian State University, studying Public Relations and Digital Marketing. She is also a part of the Watauga Living Learning College at App State, a student and faculty community that fosters creativity, thoughtfulness, and civic engagement through experiential, inquiry-based learning. In her free time, Annabelle loves oil painting, seeing live music, and baking! Go Mountaineers! 

Join Us to Reopen the

Glen Rock Hotel on Depot Street!

Presented by the Asheville Chamber of Commerce and MHO, you're invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, July 23rd, from 10:00–11:30 a.m. as we celebrate the reopening of the Residences at the Glen Rock Hotel and the revitalized commercial spaces at 372 & 408 Depot Street, following extensive repairs from Tropical Storm Helene. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a light brunch and coffee. Save the date and join us for this special occasion!

Questions?

Please contact Lukas Ray, Communications Officer, at lukas@mtnhousing.org or by calling 828-254-4030. 

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