Charleston, W.Va.’s, new home construction program is really a no-brainer: Any builder that constructs a new, single-family house of less than $300,000 total cost, within the city limits, by Nov. 1, 2024, is eligible to receive $35,000 from the Charleston Land Reuse Agency.

If the company builds on a lot owned by the CLRA, it is eligible to receive an additional $15,000, for a total of $50,000. It’s all part of the CLRA’s vision to create prosperity by restoring and sustaining communities, revitalizing neighborhoods and enhancing the quality of life for all who call Charleston “home.”

Turning the tide

          Historically, West Virginia has been overly reliant on a few industries, particularly coal. Over the past 70 years, there has been a steady decline in those industries, which has an effect on the overall population. Although Charleston remains the largest city in the state, the population declined from 48,642 in 2020 to 47,778 in 2023 – or 1.3%. According to Emmett Pepper, at large council member for the city of Charleston, the state government needs to do more to diversify the economy so that more people have access to high-paying jobs in a number of fields and will want to live, work and play in one convenient location.

          The city is doing its part. In August 2019, the CLRA was created to promote the productive use of the property by identifying available properties suitable for public space, conservation, housing and commercial use, and then working to acquire those properties so they could be repurposed. Spearheaded by mayor Amy Schuler Goodwin, the mission of the CLRA is to return unwanted, abandoned or distressed properties to productive use to not only stabilize and enhance neighborhood viability but also ensure a more robust and safe housing environment.

          “The CLRA purchased dozens of vacant lots that otherwise would have been lost at tax sales and never redeveloped,” Pepper said. “The CLRA also funded the demolition of many dilapidated structures to reduce blight and make it more likely that the parcels could be better utilized.”

          In addition, the group has been able to expand the size of city parks by purchasing lots at tax sales that are adjacent to the existing facilities and accepting donated wooded parcels that will become a new park later this year.

          “That park has been found to have a stand of old forest growth, so we are opening up more access to nature as well as increasing the redevelopment of vacant lots,” Pepper said.

A catalyst for change

          She hopes the New Housing Incentive Program will be a catalyst to bring affordable housing to Charleston and bring people back to the community. On Feb. 21, the CLRA held the first of two meetings to outline the new initiative to developers, offer context and listen to questions and concerns.

Bowen National Research offered data from a housing study that was conducted last year: Funded by Advantage Valley, a regional economic development organization, the study noted that there were only 621 available homes in the area – or 0.4%. Ideally, a balanced housing market should have between two and three percent vacancy. Bowen National also revealed that there are 57 sites in the region that have the residential potential necessary for the Charleston housing market to expand.

Pepper told those in attendance that any builder who wanted to take advantage of the new program needed to send in a letter of intent by July 1 of this year and have the home built by Nov. 1. The initiative also offers the possibility that current residents can expand their property as well.

 “The Side Lot Program is an opportunity for someone to get a lot next to their home or property they own,” Pepper explained. “For an owner-occupied property, the cost is $200 and for a non-owner-occupied property, it costs $500.”

She noted that right now is a great time to consider Charleston if a person is looking for a place to put down roots. He said the city offers the low drama, traffic and hassle of small-town life but provides the amenities of a much bigger metropolis – even if those amenities are on a smaller scale. He said when he lived in New York City it was common to ride the subway for an hour to get where he wanted to go, but in Charleston, most options are just a 20-minute bike ride or a quick drive away.

“Charleston is a great place to live, and we have a really great energy right now,” he said. “We are growing more and more of our arts offerings, through festivals and performances in public spaces, better management, bigger acts at our coliseum and also some great public art projects. We are doing more to make it easier to have small businesses, and there are some larger businesses moving into the region that could fuel growth. We just want to be ready to create a place for more of those people to live.”

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