Raleigh has added 144 affordable homes near Western Boulevard, giving working families a new housing option in one of the city’s busiest corridors.
The City of Raleigh announced the opening Thursday in an official X post, saying Parkside Apartments was built with support from the city’s 2020 Affordable Housing Bond. The community is close to jobs, schools, services and the future Western Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit corridor.
What Parkside brings to southwest Raleigh
Parkside includes 36 one-bedroom apartments, 60 two-bedroom apartments and 48 three-bedroom apartments, according to the City of Raleigh. All 144 homes are intended for families earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income, with 65 units reserved for households earning 50% of the median income or less.
The project also includes roughly 43 apartments designated for people with disabilities, along with a fitness center, playground, gazebo, outdoor grilling areas, business center and community room. It is a fairly comprehensive list of amenities for a development whose main selling point is that the rent should not eat the entire paycheck.
A bond-funded project arrives as Raleigh plans for growth
Construction began in April 2025 after Raleigh and Wake County committed millions to the project. ABC11 reported that the city invested about $6 million and Wake County contributed $5.7 million to the 144-unit development.
The city acquired the Parkside site in November 2023 using affordable housing bond funds. Raleigh voters approved the $80 million 2020 bond package with 72% support, according to the city’s affordable housing bond overview.
Future Western BRT could make the location even more connected
Western Boulevard’s transit upgrade is still in the design phase, but the city says final 30% designs for the Western BRT corridor are nearing completion. The project is planned to connect downtown Raleigh and downtown Cary, with another round of public engagement expected in fall 2026, according to Raleigh transportation officials.
Parkside’s location near that future route is part of the broader push to place affordable housing near transportation and opportunity. The Raleigh Housing Authority’s amended five-year plan lists 20 project-based vouchers for Parkside and estimates an August 2026 completion date, according to RHA records.
The opening marks a new chapter for a project Hoodline previously covered at its groundbreaking. For Raleigh renters squeezed by rising housing costs, the more important milestone will be when those 144 apartments are fully occupied by the families they were built to serve.
