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Housing Call: January 9, 2024

NCHC Updates

Bringing it Home workshop proposals due this Friday, January 12!

As preparations begin for the 2024 Bringing It Home Conference on Ending Homelessness in North Carolina on June 4-5, 2024, the NC Department of Health and Human Services ESG Office, the NC Coalition to End Homelessness, and the NC Housing Coalition are calling for presentation proposals.

Presentations will be 1 hour and 15 minutes long and include 10-15 minutes of Q&A or discussion. Presentations could be chosen as stand-alone sessions or chosen as a part of a panel. At this time, we are planning an in-person conference at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. Please note that presentations need to include one or more of the topics of interest listed. Visit this link for more details as well as the submission form: https://nchousing.org/bringing-it-home-2024/.

Federal Updates

  • Shutdown Negotiations & AHCIA updates:
    • An agreement was struck between Speaker Johson, Leader Schumer and the White House on Top Line spending which will pave the way for the chance for spending pills to pass and for each agency to avoid government shutdowns. The agreement is to fund domestic programs at $772.7 billion – a 0.2% increase over FY23, plus $69 billion in additional funding through a side agreement. They have until January 19th to reach an agreement on a final FY24 spending bill for HUD. Failure to do so will result in a partial shutdown. For more information read the latest analysis by NLIHC here.
  • These agreements do not contain a tax agreement because this is being negotiated separately. However, now that a spending deal could move forward, then there could be spending legislation that could be used for a vehicle for tax – if they are able to reach an agreement on a tax package.
    • The tax committees seem closer on the parameters of a tax bill than they have been in years, the agreement’s core will likely not be higher than $100 billion, and potentially less. Divided by the Child Tax Credit on one side, and R&D and the other business tax extenders on the other. These core components have to be agreed upon in order for a tax bill to materialize.
    • The Housing Credit is on a very short list of items that could be considered for inclusion on any core tax agreements, but whether that happens is incumbent on members of Congress asking leadership and tax committee chairs to include the Housing Credit in any tax bills.
  • AHCIA sponsorship continues to grow – Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Brandon Williams (R-NY) have agreed to sign on to the AHCIA, meaning all 10 NY Republicans have signed on. When paired with Democrats in the queue, this will bring it to 206 co-sponsors, meaning only six more House Republicans are needed to reach the new target of 218 when adding corresponding Democrats.
  • Remaining House Republicans from NC needed are
    • Rep Virginia Foxx- R-NC 5th District
    • Rep Dan -Bishop – R -NC 8th District
    • Rep Chuck Edwards – R -NC 11th District

Federal Advocacy Opportunity

  • Please over the next few days to any members of Congress with whom you have a relationship- House and Senate – Republicans and Democrats. Engage and re-engage with AHCIA co-sponsors and ask them to make sure they weigh in with congressional and committee leadership to ensure the Housing Credit is included in any tax legislation that materializes.

See the latest alert and advocacy templates from the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition here. 

State Updates

  • Insurance firms seek 42% rate hike for NC homes; 99% increase at beaches, officials say | The North Carolina Rate Bureau – an agency that represents companies that write insurance policies in the state is requesting an average 42.2 percent rate increase for homeowners’ insurance.
    • Some of the highest rate increases at 99.4 percent – would essentially double costs for homeowners in areas like Brunswick, Carteret, New Hanover, Onslow, and Pender Counties. Insurance companies are seeking a 39.8 percent hike for homes in Durham and Wake counties as well. Here is a detailed list by cities and counties of the requested increases.
    • If North Carolina Department of Insurance Officials do not agree with the requested rates, the rates will either be denied or negotiated with the North Carolina Rate Bureau. If a settlement cannot be reached within 50 days, the Department of Insurance Commissioner will call for a hearing. Here are a few ways to provide public comments:
      • A public comment forum will be held to listen to public input on the North Carolina Bureau’s rate increase request on January 22, from 10am to 4:30pm in the Department of Insurance’s Jim Long Hearing Room on Jan. 22 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Jim Long Hearing Room is in the Albemarle Building, 325 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh, N.C. 27603.
      • People can participate in person or virtually using this link here.
      • Emailed public comments should be sent by February 2 to 2024Homeowners@ncdoi.gov
      • Written public comments must be received by Kimberly W. Pearce, Paralegal III by February 2 and addressed to 1201 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1201

Legislative Updates

NCGA State lawmakers are set to convene again on January 18, 2024. They will convene a few more times before the beginning of the short session, which is scheduled to begin on April 24, 2024.

We will continue to monitor any issues brought forward regarding housing or related issues, as well as any potential technical corrections regarding the FY23-25 state budget.

Reminder

The short session is the season held in the second – even – year of the biennium. During this session only certain matters can be considered, and are outlined in the adjournment resolution voted on in order to determine their eligibility. A matter can also be considered if authorized by a joint resolution passed by a two-thirds vote of each chamber’s members present and voting.

We will continue to monitor the bills discussed during the short session, particularly the ones we have already included in our bill tracker that survived crossover, as well as any bills directly affecting the State budget and other key matters that impact housing and community development.

See the Legislative Memo from November 13, 2023 summarizing the NCGA schedule, short session, and crossover bills (not all eligible bills for 2024).

Here is a list of 2023-2024 Legislation that has Effective dates of July 1, 2023 through January 1, 2024.  

Relevant NCGA Meetings

Local Updates

  • Habitat for Humanity building neighborhoods to reach affordable housing demand | Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region is planning on building more neighborhoods and townhomes on their sites in 2024 in order to help meet the demand for affordable housing. For example:
    • The Meadows at Plato Price is a 39 home community going up in Charlotte currently, and 30-40% of the new homes will be townhomes and duplexes.
    • Habitat of Wake County is taking a similar approach, citing that building multiple houses in the same community helps create efficiencies and with costs.
  • $43 Million awarded to reduce NC homelessness, housing insecurity – Salisbury Post | The NC Housing Finance Agency through the SHARP (Supportive Housing American Rescue Plan) program approved over $43 million in awards for the development of rental homes in those communities for North Carolinians with special needs. 12 developments were selected, more awards are expected in 2024. Current awarded developments span across the state, in: Salisbury, Wilmington, Lumberton, Newland, Burlington, Laurinburg, Greensboro, Jacksonville, Fayetteville, Roxboro, Hamlet, Dobbins, and Sanford.
    • Last year in February 2023, we had Annie Baumann-Mitchelle join us on our housing call where she introduced SHARP to us and discussed the program. To listen to that call or revisit those notes click here.
  • High Point Planning to Revitalize Southside neighborhood | After over 15 years since the original revitalization plan was developed for the Southside neighborhood in High Point, the City is moving forward and making additional plans to revitalize the community with affordable housing. They purchased property a few months ago on West Green Drive and will demolish what currently sits there by the end of the month so it can become a buildable lot like nearly 20 others, and make it available to a nonprofit developer or builder to construct single family affordable homes. The goal is for at least 10 additional affordable units to be built in 2024. To date, 330 have been constructed, four were built last year.
  • Town Makes Progress Towards Establishing $20 Million Affordable Housing Loan Fund, Selects Fund Administrator | The Town of Chapel Hill towards the end of 2023, approved the commitment of $715,000 to establish an Affordable Housing Fund. This funding will supplement an initial $5 million loan from UNC Health that was committed as part of their rezoning approval in June 2023 for a new medical office campus.The combined $5.7 million commitments will provide seed funding for the AHLF that will support the acquisition, preservation, and creation of affordable housing in Chapel Hill. The town has selected Self-Help Ventures Fund as the administrator of the Affordable Housing Loan Fund.
  • Hotels converting to cost-effective housing to help meet growing need in Triangle | Three Triangle hotels are going to be transformed into multi-family living after a portfolio sale that involved a Tennessee firm and California group that are partnering with Extended Stay Americas hotel properties to turn them into cost-effective housing. One will be in Raleigh, and two in Durham.
  • Raleigh City Council approves deal to buy former DMV headquarters with plans for redevelopment | Last week the City of Raleigh approved the deal to buy the former state DMV headquarters on New Bern Avenue for $20 million. This site is along the route for Raleigh’s first bus rapid transit line set to come online in 2025. City leadership are considering affordable housing as well as different services.
  • City Invests $5 Million to Support Construction of 200 Affordable Rental Units |gov | Last week on January 2, the City of Raleigh approved a $5 million funding commitment to support the Battle Bridge affordable housing development, which is a 200 unit development that will serve senior households with low incomes. The project will provide 100 one-bedroom and 100 two-bedroom units. All units will serve households earning below 80% of the Area Median Income.
  • Dare commissioners pass resolution promising not to use state budget provision for housing efforts; Housing Task Force to be formed | Island Free Press | Last week the Dare County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution Tuesday in which they promised to not follow a provision in the state budget (HB 259) that would circumvent town governments restricting county-led workforce housing developments in Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, and Manteo.

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Housing Call: December 19, 2023

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