Policy Update 7-27-23 – North Carolina Housing Coalition

NCHC Updates

Americorps VISTA – Apply Today! We’re looking for an Americorps VISTA to join our communications team! Effective communications are critical to engaging, empowering, and mobilizing communities to implement successful affordable housing policies. The VISTA will play a key role in strengthening the Coalition’s communications and events to more effectively engage legislators, community organizers, and impacted individuals on housing issues. This is a great entry-level opportunity for anyone interested in nonprofit communications. Learn more on our jobs board and apply today!

Housing Works Registration is Open! – October 23-24, 2023. Early bird registration for the 2023 NC Affordable Housing Conference is open! This year’s conference will be October 23-24 at the Raleigh Convention Center. Special hotel block rates, the agenda, and other information is available on the website. Register Now

Federal Updates

Senate releases Spending Bill. The Senate appropriations committee unanimously approved their version of the Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) spending bill last week. Their version of the bill provides $1.86B in additional funding for housing than the House version. Most notably, it would appropriate $1.5B for the HOME Program, which the House bill seeks to drastically reduce to $500M. Check out the updated NLIHC budget chart here. Once Congress returns from recess in September, they will have until September 30 to either reach an agreement on the budget or pass a continuing resolution, or else face a shutdown.

Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2023 Update. Congresswoman Foushee is signing on as a cosponsor of HR 3238 the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2023. Her name should be officially listed as a cosponsor in the coming days.

White House Announces Progress in Effort to Promote Transparency in Rental Fees. The White House recently announced commitments from Zillow, Apartments.com, and affordablehousing.com to display the total cost of renting a unit, including extraneous fees. Zillow will also offer a universal application, which will allow renters to pay one fee and apply to multiple units within a 30-day period. The Biden administration released the Guide for States: Cracking Down on Junk Fees to Lower Costs for Consumers in March and since then six states have passed legislation aimed to help limit junk fees and in some cases improve the transparency around the total monthly cost of renting a unit. For more information, check out HUD’s policy brief on junk fees here and the White House announcement here.

Treasury releases analysis on the use of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The City of Raleigh received a mention in Treasury’s report on the use of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) for their innovative use of funds for housing. Raleigh budgeted $10M in SLFRF to acquire a 113-room extended-stay hotel that will be converted into mixed occupancy affordable housing, including permanent supportive housing and extended stay housing. After Treasury expanded the use of SLFRF to be used for long-term LIHTC loans, SLFRF spending on housing-related activities increased 29%.

State Legislative Updates

State legislators in Raleigh are taking a break until August 7. The budget is expected to be released sometime in August after they return from break.

In the meantime, check out our bill tracker here and our gallery of bills that survived crossover here. Reach out to us if you have any questions.

Local Community Updates

New Hanover County is now accepting proposals from for-profit and nonprofit developers and agencies to provide financial assistance for projects that improve the stock of workforce housing in the community. For FY 2023-2024, $3 million has been allocated to fund approved proposals, this is the second installment of a five year, not-less-than $15 million commitment by the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners to increase the supply of workforce housing in the county. The RFP must be submitted by 5pm on August 4, 2023.

Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity building two homes in Castle Hayne – WWAYTV3 | New Hanover County and the city of Wlimington recently conveyed 2 surplus land parcels to Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity. Between 2018-2022, the city donated 11 parcels to Cape Fear Habitat.

Offering transitional housing to Cabarrus County residents – WCNC | Cooperative Christian Ministries (CCM) plans to build transitional housing for Cabarrus County residents on a 10 acre parcel in Concord. The organization plans to rehabilitate a historic mill into Transitional Housing, retail, childcare, and healthcare. Once complete, the Rebuilders Campus will be home to 300 residents living in 90 apartments. According to CCM and RentCafe, Cabarrus County experienced the highest year-over rent increase in the state last year.

Reports & Resources

August Congressional Recess Toolkit | NLIHC

Nearly One Million Low-Income North Carolinians Live in Unaffordable Housing | NCHFA

Permanent Supportive Housing as a Solution to Homelessness: The Critical Role of Long-Term Operating Subsidies | Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley

Nonbanks Lend More to Borrowers of Color. What Does That Mean for the Community Reinvestment Act? | Urban Institute

8 Facts About Investor Activity in the Single-Family Rental Market | Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

A New Way to Help People Find a Home: Creating Affordable Home Finding Platforms | Urban Institute

Affordable Housing: HUD Could Improve Use of Data for the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program | U.S. GAO

Events