The city of Clinton has purchased its first house built by Sampson Community College students, a partnership that has as its goal to fill voids in the city landscape through affordable housing projects.

Over the last several years, the city has sought to remove nuisance homes and residences posing safety hazards through condemnation and demolition. Numerous homes have been razed, but getting rid of such blight has left holes in neighborhoods. Through the partnership, students at SCC would build a home that the city would then have to place and sell.

The matter has been discussed by college and city officials over the last several months and, earlier this week, the City Council unanimously approved its inaugural house purchase from SCC for $65,000.

“We have been working on this for quite a while,” said Mayor Lew Starling. “This would help areas that need houses.”

According to city manager John Connet, the 1,200-square-foot house will be placed on a city-owned lot at 115 W. Lee St., where an unsafe home was previously demolished.

SCC has placed a value of $52,855 on the house. Local realtor/appraiser Alllie Ray McCullen has appraised the house and lot at $85,000.

In addition to the $52,855 value placed on the home by SCC, city officials have estimated it will take $4,800 to move the home to its destination. The cost of the appraisal, along with estimated costs for electricity ($1,000), plumbing ($1,000), grading ($500) and driveway extension ($1,000), as well as contingency funds ($3,395), brings the total to the Council-approved $65,000.

Assuming the house is sold for the appraised amount of $85,000, that leaves a project income of $20,000, barring related fees or sales commissions.

When discussing a possible partnership with SCC in November, city staff projected initial costs of between $75,000 and $85,000. The $65,000 not only goes below that, the cost can be recouped upon the sale of the house and the one-by-one build and sell process can begin again.

Connet has said it is hoped the houses would be sold for slightly more money than was invested, so the program could become self-sustaining.

“As we’ve removed blight from the city, it’s left us with vacant lots,” assistant city manager Shawn Purvis told Council in a recent meeting. “The results of these actions have contributed to safer and more attractive neighborhoods but have also produced vacant lots and diminished the city’s affordable housing stock.”

“This would help put houses where they have been taken down,” Connet said.

SCC president Dr. Bill Aiken accompanied city staff to Jacksonville to look at affordable housing projects constructed there. With SCC finalizing construction on a three-bedroom, two-bath home, the city has every plan to sell it.

Aiken has called the partnership a win-win situation for the community college and the city.

“We do think it’s a great opportunity to accomplish our purpose of training our students and, in the process, provide affordable housing for the citizens of Clinton,” Aiken has stated. “The college really appreciates the opportunity to give back to the community and we think this is a great way to do it.”

Starling thanked Connet, city staff and Sampson Community College for the work that has been done to bring the project to fruition.

“This is a wonderful thing for us,” the mayor said. “We’re optimistic.”

Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 121, or by email at sicrime@myclintonnc.com.