The meaning and ambition behind a Charlotte affordable housing provider’s new name
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership, a leading local provider of affordable housing and home ownership programs, is rebranding, the organization announced Monday.
The organization, which develops affordable apartments and offers a range of programs related to home ownership and financial education, is now DreamKey Partners.
The change is effective Monday with a new website, logo and colors to reintroduce the organization, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019.
The name is meant to invoke keys — literal and metaphorical — to increase opportunity and upward economic mobility for people through its various housing programs.
“We value helping people achieve their dreams,” President Julie Porter said. “Whether that be homeownership or some other goal in their lives that we can assist with, and we think that name represents our role.”
Rebranding was, in part, to distinguish itself from other similar-sounding groups doing similar work, Porter said. Research before the change showed people had a positive view of the organization, but sometimes confused it with others.
Leaders say it was also time to reflect the breadth of their programs and geographical reach, including affordable developments outside Mecklenburg County.
The Housing Partnership, as it was formerly named, is a frequent recipient of Charlotte Housing Trust Fund dollars to develop affordable apartment complexes. Among its upcoming projects are apartments near the Scaleybark Blue Line station and a 104-unit development in partnership with the YWCA Central Carolinas on Park Road.
It also administers the city’s HouseCharlotte program, which offers down payment assistance, counseling and education for people buying their first homes, including a “Community Heroes” program for firefighters, teachers and other first responders.
More recently, the organization began administering the rent, mortgage and utilities assistance program on behalf of the city and county to allocate federal COVID-19 relief funding.
Another name change
DreamKey Partners is not the first local housing organization to rename itself in recent years.
Inlivian, formerly the Charlotte Housing Authority, also did not include “housing” in its name when it changed in 2019.
At the time, Inlivian leaders cited what they called a negative public perception of public housing authorities, and said the new name, inspired by the word “enliven,” was chosen with input from residents.
And in 2020, one year after the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte and Urban Ministry Center merged, the organization became Roof Above.
Porter said DreamKey Partners will retain its central mission, but has plans to expand its offerings, helped in part by a newly-created role for a vice president of economic opportunity.
Other plans include expanded eviction prevention and a “ready to rent” program for people with credit issues or other barriers that make finding housing difficult.
