Organizational Updates
Register Now: NC Affordable Housing Conference
Early bird registration for The 2026 NC Affordable Housing Conference is now open! Get our best rate by registering before close of business on September 24 at 5 pm and check out the agenda to see what we have in store for our attendees. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with industry leaders, exchange ideas and drive positive change. The 2026 NC Affordable Housing Conference will be held on October 22–23 at the Raleigh Convention Center.
Federal Updates
Senate releases their bipartisan CR text, Funding the Government through December 11 AND delaying the implementation of harmful OMB proposal
On Sunday August 2, the Senate released the text of a bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) that would extend funding for federal programs and services through December 11. On the funding side the bill contains additional funding or policy adjustments for programs that require a short-term boost during this CR in order to maintain operation. This includes:
- Additional funding for FEMA
- Language that allows PHAs to repurpose unobligated TBRA funding to cover costs for households with expiring vouchers including households with an Emergency Housing Voucher for the rest of the calendar year 2026
- Extends availability to some homeless assistance and fair housing grants that would have expired.
In addition to these funding and policy adjustments, the CR proposes delaying the implementation of a harmful proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that would have detrimental effects on the federal grant process.
The NC Housing Coalition stands with our national partners in opposing this proposed rule, see a memo from NLIHC that aptly explains why we and 95% of the submitted comments on the proposed rule also oppose this proposed rule change by clicking here.
- Here is a resource from the National Housing Law Project AND NLIHC on the impact of this rule and what Housing Advocates should know.
- Here is an explainer resource from the National Council of Nonprofits.
The Senate is set to break for August recess at the end of this week, so they are expected to vote on this CR by Friday. Even though the House already passed a CR before leaving for recess, the changes to the text from the Senate side require the bill to go back to the House for consideration when representatives return from their recess on August 31. The Senate is in August recess starting August 7 – September 14.
Here is an updated August Recess Advocacy Toolkit from NLIHC to help you schedule in-district meetings, plan site visits and engage with our members of Congress while they’re back home for August recess.
Use this link here to sign on to a national letter from the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF) urging congress to enact FY27 spending bills that reject cuts to HUD and USDA housing programs and instead provide the highest level of funding possible.
State Updates
CALL TO ACTION – Sustain HB437 Veto: Do Not Allow H437 to become law
We wanted to update you that the vote to override the Governor’s veto of HB437 in the House is on the General Assembly calendar for today – their voting session is currently scheduled for 4PM.
Whether the vote will actually take place or be rescheduled for a later date remains to be seen, but it is possible that this vote will take place this afternoon. We are asking each of you to reach out via email and phone to your House member(s) to tell them their constituents do not want to see this bill become law.
Here are talking points you can use when reaching out to your members:
We share the goal of reducing unsheltered homelessness and improving public safety in our communities. However, we believe HB 437 places substantial new responsibilities on local governments and community organizations without providing the resources necessary to carry out true solutions to homelessness successfully.
As written, the bill would require local communities to respond to statewide camping prohibitions while encouraging the establishment of designated areas for homeless individuals and families beginning on June 30, 2027. These responsibilities would require significant investments, including site acquisition, sanitation, public safety, staffing, administration, and ongoing operations. Yet the legislation provides no dedicated funding to support these new obligations.
This concern is particularly acute in rural North Carolina, where many communities lack the infrastructure and resources necessary to comply with the bill’s requirements. Twenty-four of the 79 counties served by the North Carolina Balance of State Continuum of Care do not currently have a qualifying emergency shelter. For many local governments, the requirements contemplated in HB 437 would necessitate entirely new facilities, staffing structures, and service systems.
We are also concerned by assertions that recently announced federal Continuum of Care funding could be used to support implementation of the legislation. Continuum of Care funding is not an immediate funding source available to local governments for this purpose. These federal funds are awarded through a competitive process and are designed to support a range of existing homelessness response activities, including Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing, Transitional Housing, Street Outreach, and Coordinated Entry. Applications for the current funding competition are due within the next several weeks. Awards will not be announced until late 2026, and funding is not expected to reach communities until late 2027 at the earliest. Funding is not guaranteed, and projects must meet extensive federal requirements. As a result, these funds cannot reasonably be relied upon to support the provisions within HB 437 if it becomes effective on October 1, 2026 with implementation beginning no later than June 30, 2027.
We are further concerned about the bill’s potential impact on organizations working to serve vulnerable North Carolinians. Service providers, faith communities, and local agencies should be encouraged to engage individuals experiencing homelessness, not exposed to additional legal risks for circumstances beyond their control. Likewise, criminal penalties associated with sleeping or camping when no viable alternatives exist risk increasing interactions with the criminal legal system without addressing the underlying causes of homelessness.
Communities across North Carolina need practical, evidence-based solutions that expand access to housing, behavioral health care, shelter, employment, and supportive services. Policies that create unfunded mandates for local governments and service providers may ultimately divert resources away from these proven approaches. For these reasons, we respectfully urge you to carefully consider the fiscal, operational, and human impacts of HB 437 and engage with local governments, service providers, faith leaders, law enforcement agencies, and community stakeholders before advancing this legislation.
You can end your email or conversation with,
Thank you for your service to North Carolina and your commitment to the wellbeing of our communities. We welcome the opportunity to discuss these concerns and work collaboratively toward solutions that improve public safety while helping North Carolinians move from homelessness to stable housing.
Lawmakers at the NC General Assembly return this week after a three week break. This week the House is scheduled to be in session, and next week the House. The focus areas are said to be a budget technical corrections bill (released last week- includes funding for capital and infrastructure projects and the State Bureau of Investigations), appointments, possible regulatory reform legislation, and an adjournment resolution (also released last week) for this session. Once they adjourn, be on the lookout for a short legislative session summary from the Coalition.
The adjournment resolution lays out the schedule for the remainder of the short session (subject to further changes):
- Adjourn Thursday, August 6, 2026*
- Reconvene Monday, August 31, 2026, Adjourn Wednesday, September 2, 2026
- Reconvene Monday, September 28, 2026, Adjourn Wednesday, September 30, 2026
- Reconvene Monday, October 26, 2026, Adjourn Wednesday October 28, 2026
- Reconvene Monday, November 16, 2026, Adjourn Thursday November 19, 2026
- Reconvene Monday November 30, 2026, Adjourn Friday. December 18, 2026
* After August 6, they will only consider bills vetoed by the Governor ( which could include HB 437), bills related to appointments, constitutional amendments, election laws, or adoption of conference reports, and bills sent to the House by August 6 for a concurrence vote.
Disaster Recovery: Renew NC Launches PreScreening Tool
Renew NC recently launched a prescreening tool to help potential applicants prepare for the upcoming launch of the Workforce Housing for Ownership (WHFO) Program. Prescreening provides an initial review to help determine whether proposed Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) projects align with federal requirements, meet a national objective, and demonstrate financial feasibility. Of the $1.4 billion in CDBG-DR funding allocated by HUD to the state for Helene recovery, $53.38 million is allocated for the WHFO Program. Click here to learn more.
Local Headlines
North Carolina’s Threat to Legal Assistance for the Poor (no paywall) | The Atlantic
Jones County program targets urgent housing repairs | ABC12
Asheville homebuyer demand surges past pre-Helene levels | ABC13
Triad housing market shifts as inventory grows, competition among sellers increases | Triad Business Journal
Major Charlotte developer lays off 15% of its workforce as housing market slows | The Charlotte Observer
Greensboro needs more than 33,000 new homes to meet current and future housing needs, city framework says | WFMY News2
New home repair assistance available for Pitt County owners | WNCT Greenville
Faith leaders say proposed law would criminalize homelessness | WCCB Charlotte
Housing supply may grow after NC Senate passes bill allowing more backyard cottages | The News & Observer
Interactive map exposes NC’s housing flaw — apartments banned almost everywhere | The News & Observer
City Reaches Key Milestones to Advance More Than 300 Affordable Homes | Raleigh
Calls for housing and rent assistance continue to trend high in Triangle, call data shows | WRAL
Amid the affordable housing gap, Triangle faith leaders turn sanctuaries into shelters | WUNC
Coalition earns results in getting property tax values reduced | newsoforange.com
Raleigh’s sub‑$1,000 rentals are vanishing. This new project offers a small fix | Raleigh News & Observer
Cary Town Council votes to table Lochmere affordable housing | WRAL
City of Fayetteville’s Homebuying HERO Program opens more doors to homeownership with revised guidelines | BizFayetteville
Reports & Resources
Driving Opportunities Fact Sheets | NC Justice Center
North Carolina remains one of the states that suspends driver’s licenses for unpaid traffic tickets (failure to pay) and missed court dates (failure to appear). Today, nearly one million North Carolinians have a suspended driver’s license for these administrative reasons.The NC Justice Center recently released several fact sheets that highlight the far-reaching impact of debt-based driver’s licenses suspensions in North Carolina and the opportunities that reform could create for individuals, families, and communities across the state. These fact sheets include Driving Opportunities: Safe and Affordable Housing, Driving Opportunities: Reduced Poverty, and the People First, Not Punishment Storybook. Organizations and individuals can also sign on to the Campaign to End Debt Based Driver’s License Suspensions in NC.
2025 Point-in-Time Count Highlights North Carolina’s Housing Challenges | NC Housing Finance Agency
Many Owners Cannot Afford to Maintain Aging Homes | Joint Center for Housing Studies
Survey: Cost Pressures Disrupt Affordable Housing Pipeline | Affordable Housing Finance
When churches become builders: New data chronicles the rise of the YIGBY movement | Planetizen Blogs
NMHC/NYU Housing Affordability Toolkit Underscores Need to Make LIHTC, Other Housing Programs Go Further | Novogradac
Events
Save the Date: 2027 CAHEC Partners Conference | June 8-9, 2027 at the Raleigh Convention Center. Click here to learn more.
