Mooresville approves UDO amendment to define supportive/transitional housing; Hope of Mooresville to pursue Phase 2

The Mooresville Board of Commissioners on July 6 approved a UDO text amendment (T2026‑02) to create a clearly defined use and standards for supportive and transitional housing, a step Hope of Mooresville says is necessary to expand its program.

Planner James Coley opened the public hearing, explaining the amendment would allow multifamily developments with on‑site supportive services—such as counseling, case management, job training and education—limited to no more than 25 dwelling units and 30,000 square feet of gross floor area and intended for residents for one to two years. The Planning Board reviewed the request on May 26 and recommended unanimous approval.

Amy DeCarren, executive director of Hope of Mooresville, told the board the organization has served 157 women and children and has a 75% graduation rate from its program. “We have a gap between temporary housing and long‑term housing,” DeCarren said, asking the board to approve the text change so Hope can pursue a Phase 2 transitional housing project while noting that any future site would require separate public review and land‑use approvals. “HOME respectfully requests approval of the proposed UDO text amendment to provide a framework for future consideration of transitional housing,” she said.

Commissioner West moved to approve the amendment as consistent with the town’s general plan and in the public interest; Mayor Chris Carney seconded the motion. The board voted in favor and the motion passed.

The amendment establishes operational standards including required on‑site management, confidentiality protections for residents, limits on the location and configuration of multifamily buildings, and a requirement that services be intended for residents of the development rather than the broader public. DeCarren said Hope’s model is not an emergency shelter or an unsupervised apartment complex; she described on‑site staffing 24 hours a day and services aimed at workforce participation, family stability and transitions to permanent housing.

Next steps described by Hope include feasibility work, site identification, stakeholder engagement and the standard local land‑use review process. The board did not approve any project site at this meeting; the action was limited to the text amendment that allows the supportive/transitional housing use under the UDO’s specified standards.

The amendment is aimed at addressing long wait lists for subsidized units: DeCarren noted the local housing authority wait lists can extend two to three years for some populations, and said Hope wants to improve pathways to long‑term self‑sufficiency.

The board’s approval clears a regulatory obstacle for organizations seeking to develop integrated housing with on‑site supports, but any specific Phase 2 development would return for site‑level review, public hearings and any necessary conditional or planned development approvals.