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Housing Call: August 13, 2024

Federal Updates 

Congress is out on August recess and will return on September 9.

  • Biden-Harris Administration Expands Access to Housing for Veterans Last week, HUD announced a set of policy changes that will expand access to HUD-VASH, a program that provides supportive housing for veterans. The two policy changes expand the income eligibility for veterans seeking supportive housing services. The specific policy changes are detailed below:
  • Requiring public housing agencies that administer HUD-VASH to set the initial income eligibility for veterans at 80% of Area Median Income, rather than 50% of Area Median Income. The use of this higher initial income eligibility threshold is currently optional and many housing agencies have already adopted the higher threshold, but HUD is now making this increase mandatory.
  • Excluding veterans’ service-connected disability benefits from annual income when determining program eligibility. Other housing subsidy programs may also adopt this annual income calculation when determining program eligibility for veterans.
  • The National Association of Realtors settlement goes into effect later this week. Buyers and sellers will now be responsible for paying their own agents, instead of the traditional structure where the seller pays both. As a result, home prices are expected to drop some, although it will likely take some time to see how prices are affected, particularly in competitive markets.

 

State & Local Updates

 

  • Waynesville considers zoning changes to allow for more manufactured homes | The Town of Waynesville is considering a zoning change that would allow manufactured homes to be placed as accessory units on some lots in some neighborhoods. Town officials say that the change would expand the supply of affordable housing. A public hearing is scheduled for next Monday, August 19.
  • Hendersonville to contract with UNC Chapel Hill SOG to find affordable housing sites | The City of Hendersonville is partnering with UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative to identify potential sites for affordable housing. They plan to adopt a strategic housing plan by next May that includes action steps, possible sites for housing, policies to support development and next steps.
  • HUD awards Tribe $4.6M to address housing needs | Laurinburg Exchange | HUD recently awarded the Lumbee Tribe of NC with a $4.6M Indian Housing Block Grant Competitive Award. Funds will help to build an additional 20 housing units for older adults at the Pine Needles Elder Village Project in Rowland.
  • 184 workforce housing units set for S. Kerr, pending funding | Port City Daily | Plans are underway in Wilmington for a 100% affordable housing development called Avenue Flats that will serve 184 households earning between 30-80% of the Area Median Income. Affordable housing developer Blue Ridge Atlantic is partnering with the Wilmington Housing Authority. 4 and 9 percent LIHTC awards are expected to be announced later this month.
    • The city adopted a text amendment in 2022 that allows for 100% affordable housing developments with affordabilty periods of at least 15 years to receive conditional rezoning under a bubble plan. Since affordable housing projects such as this are typically reliant on not-yet-secured funding (like LIHTC awards), a bubble plan allows for a rezoning without all of the final pieces in order. For example, depending on the final financing for Avenue Flats, the density can range from 28-36 dwellings per acre.
  • A small apartment community is reborn to continue serving people with mental disabilities • NC Newsline | A permanent supportive housing apartment community in Wilmington was almost lost to market rate housing at the end of the 15 year period of mandated affordability. The Cape Fear Collective received a $700K forgivable loan from the city of Wilmington’s affordable housing program to rehab the units and the apartments reopened earlier this summer in partnership with Good Shepherd Center, who is providing on-site case management.
    • Really well written article that provides a big-picture look at the role of permanent supportive housing and the importance of preserving affordable units.

 

Events

 

Reports & Resources

  • 2022 AHAR: Part 2 – Annual Estimates of Homelessness in the U.S. | HUD
    • Part 1 provides Point in Time estimates of people experiencing homelessness on a single night. Part 2 expands on this by giving estimates of people experiencing sheltered homelessness, using rapid rehousing subsidies, or living in permanent supportive housing at any point over the course of the year. This tells us more about who is accessing these programs and the general patterns of use.

Key Findings include:

 

In the News

Recommended read

Housing Call: August 6, 2024

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