09/06/2026
One of the stories we are most proud to tell is how Rutherfordton has moved from talking about housing needs to doing the work.
At the September 2 Town Council meeting, Community Services Director Jordan Jones brought several years of that work together in one presentation. This effort did not begin with a report. It began with residents telling us what their neighborhoods needed, Town Council creating the Redevelopment Commission in 2021, and community partners stepping forward to help.
Since 2023, the Town and Rutherford Housing Partnership have completed 58 urgent home repairs. We have acquired approximately 10 properties totaling 12.8 acres, removed abandoned structures that could not be saved and prepared land for new housing. At the same time, public, nonprofit and private projects have created a pipeline of approximately 151 homes and apartments that have recently been completed, are under construction or are being planned.
Much of this progress has been made with outside investment rather than placing the cost on Rutherfordton property taxpayers. The 58 home repairs used $250,000 in grant funding and another $82,500 leveraged by Rutherford Housing Partnership. Dogwood Health Trust has invested more than $1 million in our housing and neighborhood work, while 68 of the housing units identified in the presentation are being developed through private investment.
This work is not about building Rutherfordton for someone else. It is about helping young adults who grew up here find their first home, giving working families a chance to remain near their jobs and allowing seniors to stay close to their children and grandchildren. These homes serve teachers, police officers, firefighters, healthcare workers, government employees, restaurant workers and many others who already make this community work.
Adding housing also benefits the larger community. When too many people are competing for too few homes, prices and rents rise. More housing creates choices, brings new taxable property onto the books, supports local businesses and helps spread the cost of Town services across a broader tax base. Repairing older homes and removing abandoned structures also protects the neighborhoods and investments of existing homeowners.
We should be proud of what has been accomplished, but this is not a finish line. Some projects are still seeking funding, some are in design and others will take time to move from planning to construction. What Rutherfordton now has is a strong foundation: clear development rules, prepared properties, reliable partners, outside investment and a community that understands the importance of this work.
Thank you to Town Council, the Redevelopment Commission, Planning Board, Rutherford Housing Partnership Inc , Habitat for Humanity Rutherford County NC , Mountain Housing Opportunities, Inc. , Dogwood Health Trust, Foothills Regional Commission , private developers and everyone who has helped move this work forward.
We are taking care of the neighborhoods we already have while creating room for the next generation to call Rutherfordton home.
Read the full story and review the housing studies and September presentation here:
https://www.rutherfordton.net/housing-work-continues-across-rutherfordton/
