Housing Call: September 12, 2023 – North Carolina Housing Coalition

NCHC Updates

County Profiles & NCHC Resource Feedback

We want YOUR feedback – give us input about County Profiles as well as what other advocacy and policy resources and tools would be helpful for you.

Link to feedback: https://airtable.com/appg5jNYCjPIllFWB/shrrvZA31WQ5bTXe8

Link to County Profile gallery (see past County profiles): https://airtable.com/appg5jNYCjPIllFWB/shrmGHAQ7ySWh8JqI/tblaeOws9FPgKsvZV

Register for 2023 NC Housing Works – October 23-24, 2023 at the Raleigh Convention Center– Early bird registration closes on September 22 –https://nchousingconference.com/

Federal Updates

August Recess has come to a close. The Senate returned last week and the House returned this week. They need to pass a FY24 spending package or a Continuing Resolution by the end of the month when current funding expires. The Senate and House Majority leaders and the White House have all indicated they are on board with a Continuing Resolution to avert a government shutdown.

State Legislative Updates

Our sources remain hopeful that we will see a budget by the end of this week. The casino discussion has delayed the budget timeline, and continues to do so.

Local Community Updates

Last night at commission: $4.5 million boost for housing and emergency shelter – Blue Ridge Public Radio | Last week, the Buncombe County Commissioners allocated the last of their remaining ARPA funds, including an additional $4.5M towards affordable housing and homelessness support services. Of the total $50.7M ARPA funds the County received over the last 2 years, more than $7M was allocated for affordable housing and $5M was allocated for homelessness services.

To save affordability, Charlotte land trust purchases 32 homes in historic Hoskins neighborhood – WFAE 90.7 | The West Side Community Land Trust recently purchased 32 homes in Charlotte’s Hoskins neighborhood. The land trust found out that one landlord planned to sell 32 homes in the neighborhood and, after concerns of displacement, Mecklenburg County board of commissioners unanimously voted to allocate $6M in ARPA funds to make the acquisition of the 32 homes possible.

Ground breaks on affordable senior housing project – Salisbury Post | A former car dealership in Salisbury will be the new site of 64 affordable apartments for seniors. Last week, HUD’s NC Field Office and the Osceola County (FL) Council on Aging hosted a groundbreaking for the planned adaptive reuse and new construction at the site off Hwy 70, near downtown Salisbury. The development will be 100% co-owned by the Osceola County (FL) Council on Aging and the Mid-Atlantic Foundation, based in Goldsboro. 36 units will be under the Section 202 program and the other 28 units will be LIHTC units for seniors earning no more than 60% of the Area Median Income.

Some Nash homeowners can apply for home repair grants – The Enterprise | A recent article in the Spring Hope Enterprise highlighted Nash County’s Urgent Repair Program, which is accepting applications through the end of the week. In May, the NC Housing Finance Agency announced the recipients of this year’s $8.8M in Urgent Repair Program funding. The Urgent Repair Program is funded through the NC Housing Trust Fund and awarded to local governments, regional organizations, community action agencies and other nonprofits. These groups then allocate loans of up to $12K per household to very low-income homeowners for emergency repairs to correct safety hazards, or to make accessibility modifications to homes for elderly citizens, veterans or people with disabilities.

The URP program is a vital resource that has helped thousands age in place safely. The program also creates significant public cost savings: Every dollar spent on the URP program translates to up to $19 in Medicaid and Medicaid savings.
For more information about applying for the Nash County Urgent Repair Program, call Nash County’s administrative office at 252-459-9800.

Reports & Resources

New Estimates Suggest that $4.8 Billion is Needed to Bring Homeless Services Salaries into the Modern Era | National Alliance to End Homelessness
Manufactured Housing: An Affordable and High-Quality Option for Low-Income Households | North Carolina Housing Finance Agency
More than Half of LIHTC Households Earn 30% AMI or Below Per New HUD LIHTC Tenant Data | Novogradac
NPS Data Deep Dive Illustrates Importance of State HTCs to Historic Rehabilitation | Novogradac

Events

[in-person] Mentorship Meetup | NCWAHN, Wednesday, 9/13, 5:30 – 7:30pm at Fortnight Brewery (Cary)
- Join NCWAHN in a session of speed-meetings between prospective mentors and mentees to connect with someone in the affordable housing industry. RSVP is available through the link in the call notes.
[in-person] Homeowner Education Series | Cape Fear Housing Coalition. 9/14, 9/21, & 9/28, 10 am-12 pm, see website to register and for locations. Free & open to the public.
[virtual] A Critical Look at the Section 8 Program | UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies, 9/15, 12 p.m.
[In Person] – Durham For All City Council Candidate Forum, 9/21, 3:30-6:30 pm, at St. Philips Episcopal Church.
[virtual] Housing Technology Series: The Search for Affordable Housing | HUD & UC Berkeley Terner Housing Innovation Labs, 9/25, 3:30-5 p.m. ET
[virtual, typically $600; $290 with WAHN discount] Novogradac LIHTC Allocation/Underwriting Basics for WAHN Members | A deeply discounted training for WAHN members seeking more familiarity with the fundamental concepts of allocation and underwriting. Classes begin on 10/5, and continue weekly for a total of 6 90-minute sessions.
- NCHC former board member and Policy Committee member Mark Shelburne will be one of the instructors!
[in-person, $255] Affordable Housing Seminar: Tools, Strategies, and Case Studies for Local Government Leadership | UNC School of Government, 10/6