Housing Call: April 9,2024 – North Carolina Housing Coalition

NCHC Updates

May 5, May 17 – last two Learning Collaborative Sessions – Registration will open soon.
June 4-5, Bringing it Home Conference; Registration is now open! Remember we will be in-person.
September 5-6 – North Carolina Affordable Housing Conference

Federal Updates

ACTION ALERT: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case Johnson v. Grants Pass on April 22. The case, which is the most significant case about the rights of people experiencing homelessness in decades, will ultimately decide whether people can be ticketed and arrested for sleeping outside when they have no other safe place to go. Our partners at the National Low Income Housing Coalition have created a National Week of Action Advocacy Toolkit that can be used to plan events and take action during the week of April 22. We’ve linked it in the call notes.

Also, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, along with the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is hosting a webinar about the case titled The Supreme Court and the Criminalization of Homelessness TODAY from 2 -3 p.m. The webinar will feature:

Steve Berg, The Alliance
Marisol Bello, Housing Narrative Lab
Jesse Rabinowitz, National Homelessness Law Center
Brooke Schipporeit, NLIHC
Donald Whitehead, National Coalition for the Homeless

We encourage you to register and tune in to learn more about what you and your organizations can do to oppose the criminalization of homelessness and advance long-term solutions.

Want to learn more? Check out the more than 40 amicus briefs submitted by over 1000 organizations opposed to the criminalization of homelessness: Johnson v. Grants Pass Amici

State Updates

C. Housing Finance Agency approved to issue $750M in revenue bonds to address housing crisis
- The Local Government Commission approved a request from the NC Housing Finance agency for $750M in revenue bonds. Funds will be used to increase the supply of low and moderate income housing in NC. Proceeds from the bond will be used to buy mortgage loans and related obligations from lenders. In a press release announcing the funding, the Department of the State Treasurer cited the 2024 NLIHC Gap Report, which found that there are 326,751 extremely low-income households in North Carolina, but only 130,930 affordable rental homes.

State Legislative Updates

None

Local Community Updates

Planning board finalizes draft on tougher short-term rental rules for Buncombe County The Buncombe County Planning Board has released the final draft of the proposed short-term rental text amendment. The proposed changes would grandfather in existing short-term rentals, but place limits on the location and size of future short term rentals. A final public hearing and planning board vote will be held on April 22 at AB Tech’s Ferguson Hall.

Buncombe County Commissioners move forward with affordable housing plan for Coxe Avenue in downtown Asheville Last week, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted to move forward with the proposed development of 200 affordable units on County-owned property in downtown Asheville. The County partnered with the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative (DFI) to select the site and develop the plans. The County plans to solicit development partners and begin construction in early 2026.

Nonprofits lay out plan to end homelessness in Charlotte The United Way of Greater Charlotte recently updated city leaders on the “A Home for All” plan to find comprehensive solutions to homelessness. The effort is led by Charlotte nonprofits with the help of public and private funding, As part of the implementation, over $1M has been allocated for the current fiscal year to provide incentives to landlords who accept housing vouchers. Landlord incentives are a crucial part of expanding access to available units. INLIVIAN, formerly the Charlotte Housing Authority, reported that the waitlist for public housing and vouchers has grown from 3,500 households in 2013 to 50,000 in 2022. The plan also calls for the preservation of naturally occurring affordable housing and an emergency shelter. The United Way plans to request funds in the upcoming budget cycle from both the city and county to continue funding implementation of various strategies.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $17.6 Million to Help Communities Add Affordable Housing Near Transit | FTA The Federal Transit Authority recently announced the recipients of 20 grants to support equitable transit-oriented development. The City of Greensboro will receive $500K to study strategies for transit-oriented development around the Gaylon Depot, Greensboro’s multimodal downtown transportation center. The study will consider ways to revitalize the surrounding area through economic opportunities and integrating a wider array of housing options. Gaylon Depot, which is used by Amtrak, provides opportunities for residents to easily commute to work and other opportunities.
Hyde County Educational Foundation awarded Outer Banks Community Foundation grant – The Coastland Times

The Hyde County Educational Foundation received a $25K grant from the Outer Banks Community Foundation. The money will help cover architectural fees for proposed teacher and workforce housing on Ocracoke Island. Because of the lack of year-round rental housing and affordable home ownership opportunities, the Hyde County School System has struggled to recruit and retain teachers. The State has also set aside funds to help Hyde County with the development of teacher housing.

Events

[webinar] The Supreme Court and the Criminalization of Homelessness | NLIHC, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, April 9, 2 – 3 p.m.
[webinar] Housing Technology Series Event 3: Equitable Homeownership Innovations | HUD & Terner Labs, April 9, 1 p.m.
Fair Housing Event Series | Gaston Association of Realtors and City of Gastonia, April 11
[webinar] Preserving Owner-Occupied Affordable Homes | National Council of State Housing Agencies, April 17, 12:30 – 5:15 p.m.
Fair Housing in Durham: The ‘Act’ in Action | Legal Aid of North Carolina, April 17, 5 – 7 p.m. @ the NCCU School of Law
- An evening with Leah Rothstein, author with her father Richard Rothstein of Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law, and Stella Adams, Civil Rights and Fair Housing Expert and Advocate.
- This event is FREE, but registration is required.

[virtual] Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Affordable Housing Panel | NCWAHN, April 18, noon – 1 p.m.
[webinar] 2024 VAWA and Survivor Housing Community Conversations: Building a Better Emergency Transfer Plan | HUD, April 18, 1 – 2:30 p.m.
[webinar] Coordinated Entry: Best Practices in Centering Equity and Ensuring Effectiveness | National Alliance to End Homelessness April 18, 3 – 4 p.m.
Bringing it Home: Ending Homelessness In NC Conference – Raleigh, NC June 4-5. To register click here.
CAHEC Partners Conference – Raleigh, NC – June 4 – 5. To register, click here.
Women’s Affordable Housing Network National Housing Summit 2024 – Atlanta, GA – June 9-11. To register, click here.