The Little Engine That Could: How a Small Raleigh Church Built 200 Units of Affordable Housing

Pastor Philip Walker of Mt. Pleasant Worship and Outreach Center shares how faith, tax credits, and a team of five transformed an entire street in Southwest Raleigh.

When Pastor Philip Walker became the senior pastor of Mt. Pleasant Worship and Outreach Center in 1994, his big vision was simple: pay off the mortgage, maybe buy a couple of houses on the street, and use them for community ministry. God, as it turns out, had a much bigger plan.

Today, Mt. Pleasant — a church of under 200 members — has developed approximately 200 units of affordable housing on Sawyer Road in Southwest Raleigh. They've transformed a street once known for gang violence, prostitution, and automatic gunfire into a community where families walk across the street to church on Sunday morning.

In a recent Virtual Lunch Huddle hosted by Reggie Edwards of The Encouraging Place, Pastor Walker shared the full story — from a $3 million apartment complex offered by the late Senator John Winters, to the 154-unit Summit at Sawyer, to a vision for generational wealth and economic justice.

A Crisis That's Only Getting Worse

The numbers are staggering. Raleigh currently faces a shortage of 17,000 affordable housing units. Wake County's shortage sits at 66,000. By 2029, that number is projected to hit 110,000. And the most disturbing trend? Senior citizens are leading the statistics for becoming homeless for the first time, priced out by skyrocketing rents in a city that adds 1,500 new residents every month.

From Gunfire to God's Work

In the early days, Mt. Pleasant was surrounded by chaos. The apartment complex across the street — then called Maundy Porres — was the epicenter of violence, drug dealing, and prostitution. Pastor Walker once called a glass company about putting bulletproof windows in the church. The company told him plexiglass would stop a .22 caliber bullet — but nothing higher. They knew that wasn't going to cut it.

Then came Senator John Winters — the first African American senator since Reconstruction to serve in North Carolina's Senate. He saw what Mt. Pleasant was doing, walked through the door with tears in his eyes, and offered the church Maundy Porres. Pastor Walker's response? "Senator Winters, that's all well and nice, but we so broke, we can't pay attention. It's no way we can purchase a $3 million apartment complex."

But Senator Winters introduced them to something that changed everything: low-income housing tax credits.

What Are Low-Income Housing Tax Credits?

In simple terms, the federal government allocates billions of dollars each year to states for affordable housing. States distribute those funds to counties, which send out requests for proposals from developers. A developer can apply for tax credits that cover a significant portion of construction costs, then find a private investor to purchase those credits. The investor gets a tax write-off for at least 10 years. The developer gets the funding to build. And the community gets affordable rent — in Mt. Pleasant's case, starting around $675 to $725 a month in a city where you can barely find anything under $1,200.

The church forms an LLC with the developer and other partners, and after about 18 years, the church can take full ownership of the property. It's not a handout — it's a strategic partnership that builds long-term community wealth.

Control the Dirt, Control the Community

After the first project, Mt. Pleasant renamed Maundy Porres to Shama Wins — "Shama" meaning "God is there" and "Wins" meaning "His spirit is blowing in the community." And they were just getting started.

Their vision expanded from one complex to the entire street. Through land banking and a second tax credit project — the 154-unit Summit at Sawyer — they now own virtually the entire block. As Pastor Walker put it: "Once we got control of the dirt, we could control what was happening in the community."

That control meant setting standards. No more drug dealing. No more violence. The church became the anchor of the neighborhood — not just spiritually, but structurally.

Gentrification With Justice

Pastor Walker doesn't dismiss gentrification outright. "Gentrification is not necessarily a totally bad thing," he told the audience, "as long as it's gentrification with justice and there is respect for what existed there before."

He described historically Black-owned homes being sold at below-market value as property taxes and insurance spiked. Next to his church's affordable housing, new townhomes now start at $545,000. On nearby Garner Road, homes start around $400,000.

The answer, Pastor Walker argues, isn't to stop development — it's to make sure the people who built these neighborhoods get to stay in them. He calls it "raising the village" — respecting the old, welcoming the new, and building something beautiful together.

Reconciliation Starts With Economics

Perhaps the most powerful moment of the conversation came when Reggie asked how affordable housing connects to racial healing. Pastor Walker didn't hesitate.

"If you want to get a really good start at racial reconciliation, I say economics. Nobody wants to have a kumbaya moment and then go right back to substandard housing. Slavery was about economics. Jim Crow was about economics. What's happening in America today — I call it the empire striking back — that's about economics."

He went further: "It's hard for me to feel like I'm going to reconcile with you when you got all the marbles and I can't play."

This is the intersection where The Encouraging Place lives — where conversation meets action, where racial healing becomes tangible, where the table isn't just a metaphor but a community where people can actually afford to live.

You Don't Need a Megachurch

One of the most empowering takeaways from the conversation was this: you don't need a thousand members to do this work. Mt. Pleasant's pre-pandemic congregation was around 200. Post-pandemic, they're about half that. And the team that manages the tax credit projects? Three to five people.

"When I tell people the scope of what is happening on Sawyer Road, they automatically assume the church is a thousand people," Pastor Walker said. "All you really need is a team of about four or five people that are motivated to get it done."

He pointed out that many Black churches sit on 30, 60, or more acres of land surrounding their buildings. The potential for affordable housing development is enormous — if pastors know the opportunity exists.

From Sleeping in a Tree to Homeowner

The human impact is undeniable. Pastor Walker shared the story of a woman who had never made more than $9 an hour in her life. She had been homeless — at one point sleeping in a tree with her children because she had nowhere to go. Mt. Pleasant made her the property manager. Today, she's a homeowner.

That's what happens when the church invests in people, not just buildings.

It Takes the Church to Raise the Village

Pastor Walker's vision goes far beyond brick and mortar. Mt. Pleasant now runs soccer leagues, STEM programs, financial literacy courses, welcome baskets for new residents, and community engagement efforts that reach across racial and economic lines. They knock on doors — including the $545,000 townhomes — and invite everyone to be part of what's happening.

"We believe it takes a village to raise a child," Pastor Walker said, "but it takes the church to raise the village."

What Can You Do?

If you're a pastor, church leader, or community member who wants to learn more about how affordable housing tax credits work, visit MountPleasantWorship.com or reach out to us at healing@theencouragingplace.org.

If you're looking for affordable housing, visit unitedpropertymanagement.com and search for Summit at Sawyer or Tuline Place. Even if no units are currently available, get on the waiting list.

And if you want to be part of a community that believes racial healing isn't just a conversation — it's action — join us for the next Virtual Lunch Huddle. Every fourth Thursday, 12 to 1 PM.

Because when the church gets control of the dirt, the whole community changes.

The Encouraging Place encourages racial healing and understanding to create equity within our communities. Learn more at theencouragingplace.org.