Housing Call: December 16, 2025 – North Carolina Housing Coalition

Organizational Update

Save the Date: Housing Day 2026
Mark your calendars for NC Housing Day 2026 on April 28-29 in Raleigh! Together we will advocate for affordable, thriving communities in North Carolina. On Tuesday, April 28, we will gather for training and networking, and on Wednesday, April 29, we will gather on Halifax Mall and meet with legislators at the General Assembly. NC Housing Day is hosted by Habitat for Humanity NC, the NC Housing Coalition, the NC Community Land Trust Coalition, and the NC Coalition to End Homelessness. Sign up today for updates on registration and event details!

Last Housing Call, Policy Update of 2025
The last Housing Call of 2025 took place on Tuesday, December 16, and the last Housing Matters of the year will be in your inbox on Thursday, December 18. We’ll see you back here on Tuesday, January 13 at 9:45 a.m.

Federal Updates

HUD Rescinds FY25 COC NOFO
On December 8, HUD unexpectedly rescinded the FY2025 Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) less than two hours before the first hearing in a lawsuit challenging the NOFO. The proposed changes to the NOFO would have drastically cut permanent supportive housing funds for CoCs and put over 170,000 people at risk of homelessness. In a statement on their website, HUD says they reserve the right to re-issue the NOFO with changes that “account for new priorities” and intend to do so. The next hearing in the lawsuit is scheduled for this Friday, December 19 at 10 a.m. (stream the hearing on the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island’s Youtube channel here).

THUD Spending Bill Negotiations Continue
The Senate continues to engage in Transportation, Housing, & Urban Development (THUD) Spending Bill negotiations as part of a larger minibus. With their year-end recess scheduled to begin this Friday, December 19, it’s looking like they may not have time to release the minibus text before their year-end recess begins. If this happens, they will need to take the remaining 9 spending bills up when they reconvene in January. The current Continuing Resolution funds the government through January 30. Our partners at the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) and the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) are calling on Congress to hold HUD accountable to its promised two-year CoC NOFO cycle, and to include language in any final THUD bill that would extend funding for previously awarded projects for another 12 months. Check out this article from our partners at NLIHC for an in-depth look at THUD budget negotiation, the CoC NOFO, and the importance of ensuring the spending bill also renews all existing Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) and Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs).

House Bipartisan Housing Supply Bill Introduced
On Thursday, December 11, House Financial Services Committee Chair French Hill (R-AR), Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance Chair Mike Flood (R-NE), and Ranking Member Emmauel Cleaver (D-MO) unveiled the bipartisan “Housing for the 21st Century Act.” The bill contains some of the same provisions included in the Senate’s ROAD to Housing Act. It is on the agenda for markup in the House Financial Services Committee today and tomorrow at 10 a.m. (watch it here). Provisions in the bill include expanding manufactured housing opportunities and programmatic reforms for the HOME Investment Partnership program, Rural Housing Services’ Section 504 home repair program and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Read a section-by-section summary here .

Reminder: Public Charge Sign on Letter Comments due Dec. 18
The Department of Homeland Security published a proposed “public charge” rule in the Federal Register on November 19. The rule allows critical services to be considered when applying for a visa or green card without specifying the programs under consideration. If finalized, this rule would harm immigrant families’ access to key services by creating a culture of inaccessibility and fear. If your organization provides direct services and works with immigrant families, we encourage you to submit a comment using the Protecting Immigrant Families’ (PIF) comment template. NLIHC and PIF encourage comments to be submitted by December 18 at 5 p.m.

State Updates

Legislative Updates

House Select Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform Created
Speaker Destin Hall recently introduced the House Select Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform. The 23-member committee is charged with studying solutions to reduce the property tax burden on taxpayers in NC while also balancing potential impacts on local government revenues. The committee’s first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 17 at 10 a.m. More info on the committee and the upcoming meeting can be found here.

Candidate Filing Window Ends Today at 5 p.m.
The 2026 midterm election candidate filing window ends today at 5 pm. Check out this article from WUNC for information on some of the most contested races. Primary Election day in NC is scheduled for March 3, 2026.

Upcoming Meetings

House Select Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform Meeting | Wednesday, December 17 at 10:00 AM in Legislative Office Building Room 643. Stream here.
House Select Committee on Involuntary Commitment and Public Safety Meeting | Wednesday, December 17 at 9:30 AM in Legislative Office Building Room 544. Stream here.

Disaster Recovery Housing Updates

Gov. Stein Announces Small Rental Rehabilitation Program
Yesterday, Governor Josh Stein announced that the State is accepting applications for a new disaster recovery program to repair or rebuild small rental properties in western North Carolina that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Helene. The program is administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Community Revitalization and is funded through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. The Small Rental Rehabilitation Program is specifically targeting owners of one to four rental units per property that were damaged by Hurricane Helene. Property owners must agree to provide affordable rent rates for a 10-year period following program construction to be considered for assistance. Potential applicants seeking more information about the Renew NC Small Rental Rehabilitation Program can visit www.renewnc.org or call 1-888-791-0207.

NCEM Extends VOAD Award Two Deadline to Dec 31
North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) has extended the grant application deadline for Volunteer Organizations Active in Rebuilds Disaster Grant Program: Award Two 2025. The funding is for repair and reconstruction projects by volunteer organizations that are actively involved in actual and ongoing repair and reconstruction projects for homeowners affected by Tropical Storm Helene in North Carolina. Applications are now due to NCEM no later than 5 p.m. on December 31 2025. Learn more and apply here.

Reminder: Renew NC Single Family Housing Program Applications due Dec. 31
Renew NC reminds western North Carolina homeowners they have until Dec. 31, 2025, to apply for housing recovery assistance through the Single-Family Housing Program, which can assist with the costs of home repairs, reconstruction, or even home replacement.

Homeowners who already received Helene-related assistance from FEMA or a home insurance policy can still apply to the Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program. The program is designed to address housing recovery needs that remain after all other assistance has been exhausted.

In-person assistance is available in English or Spanish at Renew NC intake centers in Asheville, Boone, and Marion, where case managers are available Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Renew NC also operates more than a dozen additional locations across western North Carolina, each with varying hours throughout the week.

To learn more or ask questions: