Housing Call: December 17, 2024

Organizational Update

If you weren’t able to join us for the post-election analysis and update webinar on December 4th – you can view a summary as well as a recording here.

This is the final housing call of 2024. Our first housing call of 2025 will be January 14th!

Before we end – We Want to say THANK YOU!

We can’t end the year without saying thank you! We can’t believe it’s already been another year of Housing Calls !!! 45 CALLS TO BE EXACT!

This means you recognize that affordable homes are foundational to vibrant,healthy communities – and as we turn our eyes to meeting that challenge in 2025, our state faces incredible headwinds:

An unprecedented hurricane recovery effort in Western NC that has damaged close to 200,000 homes;
New gubernatorial and legislative state leadership who will lead that recovery effort; and
An uncertain federal funding and administrative landscape with new leadership in Washington, D.C.

So whether you’ve joined us live or listened to the recording or just reviewed the call notes, you’ve been a part of supporting our work, and we hope that you consider continuing to do so and encouraging others in your networks as well.

Help us ensure North Carolina’s community-powered housing ecosystem is equipped to make just and affordable communities a reality across our state. For more than three decades, the NC Housing Coalition has stepped into the gap to meet immediate housing needs and reinforce the state’s housing infrastructure. As we face these challenges in the new year, we invite you to step into those gaps with us!

Donations today support the Coalition’s ability to convene, reinforce, resource, and mobilize throughout the year by:

Hosting “Housing Matters to NC,” which brings you weekly housing news and policy updates;
Creating a Local Housing Policy Blueprint for communities across the state;
Educating elected officials and decision-makers at all levels of government on affordable housing policy and advocating for the resources and policies we need to make the greatest impact; and
Training and networking North Carolina’s community-powered ecosystem at events like our Bringing It Home and NC Affordable Housing Conferences as well as workshops and information sessions throughout the year.

Thank you for lending your voice and your financial support to ensuring every North Carolinian has a home in which to live with dignity and opportunity.

Federal Updates

With a week left, Congress hasn’t funded Helene disaster relief. Will NC get the money?

Congress has until this Friday to pass a stopgap spending bill and avoid a partial government shutdown. Speaker Johnson said the bill text would be released by Sunday, but we’re still waiting. Since this is the last legislative vehicle for this Congress, we’ve heard some last-minute disagreements on other provisions in the bill are delaying its release. The bill is also expected to include between $90-100 B in disaster relief funds and a temporary extension of the Farm Bill, which authorizes and funds vital programs like U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) rural housing programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Once passed, it’s expected that this Continuing Resolution (the second CR since the Federal Fiscal Year started on October 1) will keep the government funded through March 14.

State Updates

An updated Damages & Needs Assessment for Hurricane Helene was released at the end of last week.
- Total in damages has gone up from $53.6 B to $59.6 B
- In the initial assessment released at the end of October
  - There was an estimated $41.1B in direct damages – this number is now $44.4B
  - There was an estimated $7.6B in indirect or induced damages – this number is now $9.4B
  - the estimated housing need was $14.8B – in the updated assessment this number is now $15.4B

Stay tuned for more information on this updated report before the end of the year.

NC Republicans pass law shifting government power, overriding Cooper’s veto
- At the state level, NC Republicans in the House overrode Gov. Cooper’s veto of SB 382 last week (72-46, all Rs voting in favor of overriding the veto and all Ds voting against it). The bill only provides a fraction of Helene recovery funding that can be spent ($27M) and leaves another $225M that will require further legislative action (likely not until February) before it can be spent.
The Tropical Storm Helene Subcommittee meeting was held last week and a lot of data was shared:

Response Data from NCDPS (as of 12/11 report to NCGA)

3,100 personnel responded

1277 vehicles utilized

10 aircraft deployed

172 NC Fire Trucks deployed to WNC

927 NC Firefighters deployed to WNC

1200 Medical Patient Encounters

5,100 EMS Requests for Service

1628 Responders From Outside NC

39 Supporting States

3 Territories

2 Countries

Data from State Budget Director as of 12/11

1.4K Landslides

900K Homes & Businesses without Power

39 FEMA Disaster Declared Counties

103 NC Deaths

30+ Inches of Total Rainfall

1,000 year flood

Total estimated damage and needs: $53.6B

Estimated direct cost: $41.1B

Indirect Costs: $7.6B

Strengthening & Mitigation: $4.8B

Helene Updates

FEMA Job Fair & Resume Workshop in Asheville

Embassy Suites Asheville, 192 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28803

Federal Resume Building Workshop – December 17
Job Fairs and Hiring Event – December 18
FEMA Specialists Offer In-Person Advice on Rebuilding FEMA mitigation specialists will be on-site at two locations in Buncombe and Henderson counties to offer free home improvement tips and proven methods to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters.
- FEMA specialists will be at the following locations on the following dates and times:
  - Home Depot (Store #3625)
    795 Fairview Road
    Asheville NC 28803
    8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16-Saturday, Dec. 21
  - Home Depot (Store #3637)
    401 Linda Vista Drive
    Hendersonville NC 28792
    8 a.m.-6 pm. Monday, Dec. 23; Tuesday, Dec. 24; and Thursday, Dec. 26-Saturday, Dec. 28

FEMA Issues $292 Million in N.C. Public Assistance Grants FEMA has disbursed over $292M in Public Assistance Grants throughout WNC in the wake of Helene. FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides reimbursement to local, tribal and state government agencies for the costs of emergency response, debris removal and restoration of disaster-damaged public facilities and infrastructure. The program also can reimburse certain private nonprofits or houses of worship for response and recovery items. This includes:
- $146.3 million to North Carolina Emergency Management for emergency protective measures.
- $20.49 million to North Carolina Emergency Management for disaster management costs.
- More than $78 million in debris removal funding
- More than $47.3 million in federal funds have been obligated to North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) for repairs to roads and bridges

TSA Participants Should Talk to Hotels About Holiday Availability | FEMA.gov

FEMA encourages Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) participants to speak with hotel/motel staff ASAP about extending their reservation through the Christmas and New Years holidays. If a hotel or motel is unable to extend a reservation due to pre-existing reservations, FEMA staff can help participants find other lodging options participating in the TSA program.

Deadline Reminders:

Buncombe County’s Helene Recovery Housing Assistance Grant Program can provide up to three months of rent, mortgage, or home utility bills for US Citizens living in Buncombe County earning up to 80% AMI. Applications close at 5 p.m. tomorrow, Dec. 18. Click here to learn more.
FEMA Individual Assistance application deadline is January 7, 2025.
FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program has been extended to January 11, 2025.

Local Updates

LA-based developer has closed on East Asheville’s former Ramada Inn property

Earlier this month, Friendship for Affordable Housing closed on the former Ramada Inn site in East Asheville. The development of the Ramada Inn site has been a long and contentious process. Shangri-La – the previous developer of the Ramada Inn site – lost the property to foreclosure last winter. Days before Helene hit WNC, Asheville City Council approved Friendship for Affordable Housing’s plan to build 50 affordable apartments for rent to households earning less than 50% of the Area Median Income and 50 units of permanent supportive housing. Once the permits are approved, development is anticipated to take about 12 months to complete.

‘Unhealthy conditions.’ Charlotte must make 2 changes to protect tenants, advocates say

At last week’s Charlotte City Council meeting, a large group of tenants and community advocates from OneMeck and ActionNC asked City Council to take action against landlords who break housing code and fail to fix deteriorating housing conditions. The request comes after residents were displaced in recent weeks from two Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) communities. According to residents, the new owners at Tanglewood Apartments failed to make emergency repairs and are unfairly evicting tenants. Across town, residents at the Lamplighter Inn motel were being displaced after the motel failed to bring several health and safety issues up to code. The two advocacy groups are asking Council to direct Code Enforcement to develop stronger enforcement policies and to identify funding to support the effort. According to Mike O’Sullivan, the Affordable Housing Committee Chair for OneMECK, the city had over 900 open code violation inspection reports that have not been addressed.

Events

Registration Open: National Low Income Housing Policy Forum March 24-27, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

Reports & Resources

Housing and Homelessness on the Ballot: November 2024 | National Low Income Housing Coalition
- The report summarizes nearly 100 state and local ballot measures addressing affordable housing and homelessness that were voted upon in the November 2024 elections. The ballot measures are divided into six broad categories: bond measures; measures dealing with the reallocation and preservation of existing resources; taxes and fees; tenant protections; zoning, land use, and other regulations; and punitive policies responding to homelessness.