Housing Call: November 14, 2023 – North Carolina Housing Coalition

Lawmakers in Congress have until Friday to come up with a plan to fund the government in order to avoid a shutdown. Over the weekend, House Speaker Mike Johnson released a proposal for a two-step continuing resolution that extends current funding levels into 2024. The first bill would extend funding until January 19 and includes funds for military construction, Veterans Affairs, transportation, housing, and the Energy Department. The second part of the bill would extend funding for the rest of the government until February 2. The House is scheduled to vote on the proposal today. It does not include the deep spending cuts that conservative Republicans were advocating for, and it will need Democratic support to pass. If the bill does pass the House, it’s expected to clear the Senate, where both majority and minority leadership have endorsed the plan.
Last week, the House of Representatives voted to reject several harmful amendments to the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) spending bill for fiscal year (FY) 2024. Big thanks to advocates who mobilized to weigh in with their members of Congress. The funding bill was ultimately pulled from the floor afterwards because there were not enough votes to approve it. The House is hoping to reconsider the bill this week. Since the Senate has already passed its version, congressional leaders may start meeting behind the scenes to negotiate a final spending bill.

We would like you all to share how a shutdown would impact your organization! Whether you have been through a federal shutdown in the past or you have been preparing for the last several weeks for what folks continue to call an “impending” shutdown, please share your thoughts and experience with us.
Email us at info@nchousing.org or use our contact form here.

A group of large industrial Duke Energy Progress customers has withdrawn its challenge to the Customer Assistance Program (CAP), a new initiative to provide low-income customers in NC with monthly assistance on their electric bills. CAP was approved as a three-year pilot program for customers of Duke Energy Progress by the NC Utilities Commission in August of 2023 and was set to be implemented as soon as January 1, 2024. Industrial customers were initially opposed to being charged $1.70 a month to contribute to the program, but have reached a settlement with advocates for low-income customers and Duke Energy Progress. The NC Housing Coalition is a member of the coalition advocating in support of the program.

Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry announced that she will run for North Carolina attorney general in the 2024 election. Satana previously served as the Executive Director of the NC Housing Coalition prior to being elected as district attorney in 2018.

Moore County is accepting bids for the rehabilitation of three housing units in need of repair as part of the 2022 Urgent Repair Program funded by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. Contractor applications and bid packages are due by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov 21.
The Charlotte office of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC Charlotte) announced the launch of a second affordable housing fund to support both new construction and existing housing developments in the area. The fund plans to work closely with the City of Charlotte to increase both the quality and quantity of affordable options at a time when the housing gap continues to widen.

[virtual] Data Talks: A Webinar Series on Local Housing Data | Housing Solutions Lab, beginning on November 16 from 12-12:45 p.m.
[virtual] Fighting Hunger with Housing: Actions and Updates for Advocates | Food Research & Action Center on November 16 at 12:00 p.m.
[virtual and in-person] The State of Housing Design 2023 | Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies on November 17 from 2-6 p.m.