Laurel Street
Laurel Street is a Charlotte, NC-based private developer of mixed-income residential communities serving working families, seniors, and disabled individuals at 30%-120% AMI across North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. Since 2011 it has built 60+ communities totaling $1.2B+ in development value and 6,000+ families served via public-private partnerships with housing authorities, municipalities, and institutional capital partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Laurel Street does
Laurel Street is a Charlotte, NC-based, private for-profit mixed-income housing developer founded in 2011 by CEO Dionne Nelson. The company originates, develops, and operates affordable and mixed-income residential communities serving working families, seniors (55+), and disabled individuals earning 30%-120% of Area Median Income (AMI) across North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. Its portfolio spans 60+ communities with 6,000+ families served and cumulative development value exceeding $1.2 billion since inception, with current annual production capacity of 700-1,000 units.
Core capabilities include mixed-income development model design, creative financing structuring that layers Low Income Housing Tax Credits (federal and state), HOPE VI grants, Choice Neighborhoods grants, HUD loans including RAD program financing, and conventional construction debt; and sustainable building practices certified to LEED for New Construction, LEED Neighborhood Development, EarthCraft, and Energy Star v2 standards (yielding roughly 20% better energy efficiency than standard construction). The firm executes via public-private partnerships with housing authorities (Durham, High Point, Salisbury, Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority), municipalities, faith-based institutions, and community development corporations, and is vertically integrated into property management through LSA Management and a 2023 joint venture (LSA/Avanath) with Avanath Capital Management. Noteworthy completed or pipeline projects include Renaissance (334 units, Charlotte), Brenner Crossing (170 units, first HUD RAD new construction in the country, Salisbury), Park Terrace (250 units, High Point), Highland Grove (128 units, Richmond), Centra Square (112 units, Charlotte), and the 236-unit Aldersgate/Springhouse workforce/moderate-income project. Capital partners include TD Bank, Bank of America, Fifth Third, TruFund Financial Services Impact Developers Fund (2021 equity), Goldman Sachs Asset Management Urban Investment Group's $75M Black affordable housing developer fund (2022 beneficiary), and BWE ($22.3M project debt, 2025).
Revenue derives from a combination of developer fees on new construction, rental income from completed properties under management (via LSA Management and the LSA/Avanath joint venture), equity participation through tax credit syndication partnerships, and selective asset management fees. Pricing to end residents is income-restricted and calculated as a percentage of AMI on a monthly billing cadence, while public-private partnership contracts are negotiated project-by-project with government anchor partners. Customer segments include working families (30%-80% AMI), seniors (55+ at 50%-80% AMI), market-rate residents in mixed-income buildings, and government/housing authority counterparties.
Laurel Street firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Laurel Street
- Legal name
- Laurel Street
- Website
- https://laurelstreetres.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Laurel Street is a Charlotte, NC-based private developer of mixed-income residential communities serving working families, seniors, and disabled individuals at 30%-120% AMI across North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. Since 2011 it has built 60+ communities totaling $1.2B+ in development value and 6,000+ families served via public-private partnerships with housing authorities, municipalities, and institutional capital partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Laurel Street is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Laurel Street business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Property Development and Management: Laurel Street develops mixed-income residential communities and manages them through their affiliated property management firm LSA Management. Revenue is generated through rental income from completed properties.
- Tax Credit Financing: The company utilizes federal and state tax credit programs (Low Income Housing Tax Credits) to finance development, creating equity through investor partnerships
- Government and Institutional Financing: Projects are funded through multiple sources including HOPE VI grants, Choice Neighborhoods grants, HUD loans, and conventional construction loans from banks
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Income-restricted affordable housing units |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Laurel Street product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Laurel Street develops mixed-income residential housing communities across the U.S. East Coast (Southeast region), partnering with public housing authorities, municipalities, and community organizations to build affordable, workforce, and market-rate apartment and townhome communities. The company finances developments through layered federal and state tax credits, HUD grants and loans, and institutional construction loans, and operates an affiliated property management subsidiary (LSA Management) to operate completed communities.
Product overview
Laurel Street is a mixed-income residential developer focused on affordable housing development across the East Coast. The company operates as a unified platform with its primary offering being the development of high-quality mixed-income housing communities, supplemented by LSA Management, an affiliated property management service that provides property management for the company's portfolio of residential communities. The portfolio includes over 60 communities with 6,000+ families served and $1.2+ billion in total development value. Developments range from workforce housing to senior living, with units serving various income levels from 30% to 120% of Area Median Income (AMI), built across Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. Properties are developed to sustainability standards including EarthCraft, Energy Star v2, and LEED certification, and include amenities such as fitness centers, community rooms, business centers, and outdoor recreational spaces.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LSA Management: Property management subsidiary providing exceptional service to residents, partners, and investors at Laurel Street communities. An affiliated owner/operator that takes pride in high quality living and best-in-class property management.
Quantifiable outcome
- 60 communities and 6,000+ families served across the Southeast
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Laurel Street
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Laurel Street technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Laurel Street partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- AvanathcoreLaurel Street and Avanath launched a joint property management firm in February 2023, combining their expertise in affordable and mixed-income housing management.
- Durham Housing AuthoritycoreMultiple partnership phases including The Joyce (80 units for seniors), Vanguard redevelopment, Commerce Street, Dillard Street, and 500 East Main developments totaling hundreds of units.
- High Point Housing AuthoritycorePartnership for Park Terrace redevelopment (250 units) and Legacy Ridge redevelopment (100 units) in High Point, NC.
- Richmond Redevelopment Housing AuthoritycorePartnership for Highland Grove redevelopment (128 mixed-income units) in Richmond, VA, completed over two phases from 2012 to 2015.
- St. Paul Baptist Church and Zechariah Alexander CDCcorePartnership to develop Centra Square, 112 affordable units for seniors and families in Charlotte's Belmont neighborhood, completed in 2019.
- Salisbury Housing AuthoritycorePartnership for Brenner Crossing redevelopment (170 units) in Salisbury, NC, utilizing HUD's RAD program. This was the first RAD new construction project in the country.
- City of CharlottecoreCity partnership for affordable housing development including surplus land provision for Baxter Street Flats and infrastructure funding for Renaissance.
- The Park ChurchmajorPartnership with The Park Community Development Corporation and The Park Church to develop Gilfield Park, 80 senior units on the church's 51-acre campus in Charlotte.
- Southern Benedictine Society (Belmont Abbey)majorPartnership to develop Loftin at Montcross senior apartments on monastery land in two phases (72 units in 2014, 100 units in 2019).
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Laurel Street competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Enterprise Community Partners: Enterprise is one of the largest national affordable housing developers, investors, and policy advocates, with LIHTC syndication and development arms—comparable in mission and product but operating at substantially greater scale.
- The Related Companies: Related has a large affordable housing division (Related Affordable) developing LIHTC-financed mixed-income communities—a much larger incumbent with overlapping product type, though at a national, diversified scale.
Emerging players
- Avanath Capital Management: Avanath is an affordable and workforce housing owner/operator that entered a joint venture with Laurel Street in 2023 to co-manage properties—an active strategic partner and a closely adjacent operator in the same asset class.
Direct peers
- L+M Development Partners: L+M Development Partners is a mixed-income and affordable housing developer using LIHTC, HUD programs, and public-private partnerships; comparable in financing model and mixed-income focus, though larger and more geographically diverse.
- The NRP Group: The NRP Group is a national affordable and market-rate multifamily developer that develops, constructs, and manages mixed-income communities using LIHTC and other public financing—directly comparable to Laurel Street's model across the Southeast and beyond.
- McCormack Baron Salazar: McCormack Baron Salazar is a national urban mixed-income developer focused on transforming distressed neighborhoods via HOPE VI, Choice Neighborhoods, and LIHTC—directly comparable to Laurel Street's affordable/mixed-income HUD-driven model.
- Pennrose: Pennrose is a multifamily developer and property manager focused on affordable, mixed-income, and market-rate housing using LIHTC, tax-exempt bonds, and public-private partnerships, comparable to Laurel Street's financing approach.
- LDG Development: LDG Development is a multifamily developer specializing in affordable, mixed-income, and market-rate housing across the U.S., using LIHTC financing and public-private partnerships similar to Laurel Street.
- Woda Cooper Companies: Woda Cooper is a national affordable housing developer specializing in LIHTC-financed multifamily rental communities with integrated property management, comparable in scale and Southeast footprint to Laurel Street.
- The Michaels Organization: The Michaels Organization is a national developer, owner, and manager of affordable and workforce housing, with a vertically integrated development + property management model that closely mirrors Laurel Street + LSA Management.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Laurel Street social profiles
Digital presenceLaurel Street compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance11 records
Laurel Street financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Laurel Street leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Laurel Street subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Laurel Street funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Laurel Street M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Laurel Street
What does Laurel Street do?
Laurel Street develops mixed-income residential housing communities across the U.S. East Coast (Southeast region), partnering with public housing authorities, municipalities, and community organizations to build affordable, workforce, and market-rate apartment and townhome communities. The company finances developments through layered federal and state tax credits, HUD grants and loans, and institutional construction loans, and operates an affiliated property management subsidiary (LSA Management) to operate completed communities.
Is Laurel Street a public or private company?
Laurel Street is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Laurel Street founded?
Laurel Street was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Laurel Street based?
Laurel Street is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does Laurel Street make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Property Development and Management is the primary driver. The others are tax Credit Financing and government and Institutional Financing.
Who are Laurel Street's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Enterprise Community Partners and The Related Companies. Avanath Capital Management is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are L+M Development Partners, The NRP Group, McCormack Baron Salazar, Pennrose, LDG Development, Woda Cooper Companies and The Michaels Organization.
Does Laurel Street have an API?
No public API is recorded for Laurel Street.