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Message from the Executive Director
Greetings,
On behalf of the Board of Commissioners and Staff, welcome to the Housing Authority of the County of Wake’s website. We hope that you find our site user friendly, informative and helpful. If we can be of further assistance, please contact our office.
We believe that housing is a basic need of every family, but our goal is to provide a housing opportunity for eligible families. While we embrace the opportunity to serve our elderly and disabled population for as long as they can live independently and with dignity, we believe that “in, up and out” should be the goal of able bodied adults. We are committed to providing an opportunity that should encourage and empower residents to achieve the goal of self sufficiency and homeownership. We believe in creating partnerships that cultivate our beliefs, resulting in opening the “Doorway of Opportunity” for someone else.
It is with professionalism, pleasure and pride that we have the opportunity of serving you.
Sincerely,
Burnetta J. Smith
Executive Director
Mission Statement
To provide affordable, safe, well maintained housing and services that enrich the lives of eligible families thereby creating viable neighborhoods.
Vision Statements
- To enrich lives by promoting education and home ownership opportunities to help families become successful, self sufficient and invested in the community
- To become a trendsetting innovative and cutting edge leader in providing the most environmentally friendly, nontraditional public housing.
- To develop and create new affordable housing opportunities throughout Wake County through collaboration and partnerships.
- To have a professional, well managed, transparent organization with highly qualified staff and commissioners, rendering excellent customer service, advocating for affordable housing at the state and federal level and becoming a “high performing” agency.
History
On December 1, 1952, the Board of County Commissioners of Wake County, North Carolina, by resolution, declared the need for a Housing Authority. On February 2, 1953, the Chairman of the Board of the County Commissioners appointed the members, and on March 9, 1953, the first meeting of the Housing Authority of the County of Wake (HACW) was held and authorized to transact business and exercise its powers in the County of Wake.
As stated by the HACW Board at that time, there was a need for low rent public housing at rents within the means of low income families, especially families of living or deceased veterans and servicemen, which need is not being met by private enterprise; and such condition constitutes a menace to the health, safety, morals and welfare of the inhabitants.
In 1964, the HACW built public housing in Apex, Wendell, Zebulon and Wake Forest. As the need continued to grow, in 1978, ninety two additional units were obtained in Wake Forest, and in 1981 and 1983 there was more new construction in Fuquay Varina and Zebulon, respectively.
Today, the Housing Authority of the County of Wake has 343 public housing units and provides Section 8 vouchers to 311 participants. The HACW also manages six rental houses for its affiliate, the Wake County Housing Finance Corporation (WCHFC). As the need for affordable housing continues to be great in the county, the HACW and the WCHFC continue to explore ways to increase the housing stock.
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