ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – A historic church in Southwest Roanoke is transforming into affordable housing for the city’s older residents. Roanoke City Council approved rezoning Trinity United Methodist Church to be an apartment complex for senior citizens on fixed income.
Restoration Housing will take over the building. The organization’s executive director explained Trinity United Methodist Church has been in Roanoke for more than a century.
“It’s been a really important part of old Southwest Roanoke history,” Isabel Thornton said.
Trinity United’s existing congregation isn’t moving too far, just four blocks away to Greene Memorial United Methodist Church. Thornton explained there’s a history that’s attached to both churches.
“It actually was a sister congregation that grew out of the growing congregation over at Greene Memorial,” Thornton said. “The interesting side of the story is that the congregation was so large, they built this church [Trinity United].”
As the years went on, the congregation got smaller and the expenses got bigger. Pastor Joanna Paysour explained the time came for Trinity United to rejoin Greene Memorial.
“The people of Trinity have been wildly brave to value uniting and value ministry and value mission and to let go of precious things and spaces and rituals,” Paysour said. “It’s a really, interesting linked history that gives them [the churches] a really hopeful, bright future of coming back together and being able to do ministry together and sharing those values.
Paysour explained it’s a bittersweet merge, but one that will benefit the community.
“Churches often get a rap that we are stuck in the past, and it’s really exciting to be part of a church that says we’re in the business of new life,” Paysour said.
Restoration Housing is taking on the task of renovating parts of the building into 15 apartments. The worship hall will stay as it is, to be a gathering space for future residents. The actual apartments will be going upstairs in the annex.
“To honor its legacy we are not changing anything about the exterior, you’ll walk by and see this beautiful historic church,” Thornton said. “I think people hear church and apartments and they think the apartments are going into the worship hall, which is not the case. Our intention is not to have a sardine can of apartments but still have big beautiful one bedroom units.”
The development comes as Roanoke City is facing an affordable housing crisis. A survey found the city needed more than 3,000 housing units. Trinity United’s apartments will be for older residents with low income.
“It is both affordable and elderly and elderly meaning 55 and up,” Thornton said. “It really to me is kind of this great opportunity for people that want to downsize their living, but have stability backed into it.”
Paysour explained it’s a partnership between Restoration Housing and Trinity United that provides a positive outcome for all.
“It gives me a lot of hope that we can chip away at the things that are injustices or issues in our community together,” Paysour said.
Restoration Housing will officially close on the building in January and they hope to move people in by 2025.
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Published December 22, 2023 on WDBJ7 by Isabella Ledonne.
