Housing Call: February 1, 2022 – North Carolina Housing Coalition

Democrats are looking to Senator Manchin to identify which Build Back Better priorities he will support now that President Biden has confirmed the need for a pared-down package. Initially, housing was reported to be excluded from the list of priorities for a scaled-back version. However, according to Rep. Pramilia Jayapal, Manchin is supportive of the proposed affordable housing Even so, if the revised package has a smaller topline number, tough decisions will need to be made about which areas to cut. Housing is one area that could be at risk. Rep. Jayapal, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, released a statement last week calling for the Senate to pass Build Back Better before President Biden’s State of the Union address on March 1.

Federal agencies are currently being funded under a continuing resolution that is set to expire on February 18. The deadline is approaching quickly amidst a packed to-do list in both chambers. Key appropriators are continuing conversations but do not appear to be nearing an agreement. Housing advocates are urging members of Congress to enact a final FY22 spending bill that includes increased funds for housing.

The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency launched NC’s Homeowner Assistance Fund this week to help homeowners who are having difficulty keeping up with housing-related payments as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Learn more and apply at NCHomeownerAssistance.gov or contact the call center for assistance at 855-MY-NCHAF (855-696-2423). Special thanks to Claudia Young for joining us on this week’s call.

NC Homeowner Assistance Fund website home page: https://nchomeownerassistance.gov/

Income Eligibility Lookup Tool: https://nchaf.gov/ami-tool/

NC Homeowner Assistance Fund Call Center: 1-855-MY-NCHAF – open 8:00am – 8:00pm M-F

Downloadable Partner Toolkit: https://nchaf.gov/partners/

The toolkit contains:

Additionally, partners may order the following printed promotional materials:

5” x 11 fliers
11” x 17” posters
4” x 9” rack cards
5” x 8.5” door hangers
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will vote Tuesday night on whether to award $749,000 toward construction of a 45-unit apartment building on Haywood Road in Asheville. The project would provide housing within walking distance of downtown for those making no more than 80% of the area median income: Buncombe County considers $749K grant for Haywood Road housing project | Mountain Xpress

The Housing Solutions Lab at NYU Furman Center is accepting applications for its Housing Solutions Lab Peer Cities Network, an opportunity for leaders from small and midsize cities to engage with their peers, policy experts, and housing researchers to address pressing local housing policy challenges. Applications are due February 25, 2022.
Live Streamed Event: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University’s annual Dunlop Lecture, Building the World We Want to See: What Do We Want Our Legacy to Be? with HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge on Tuesday, 2/8 @ 6:30pm
Report: The Case Against Restrictive Land Use | NYU Furman Center
Report: Emergency Rental Assistance Among Indigenous Tribes: Findings From Tribal Grantees | NLIHC
Report: North Carolina homes now worth $1.1T, Raleigh homes worth $201B | WRAL TechWire
What Financial Resources Have Renters Tapped During The Pandemic? | Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
Is Charlotte’s housing trust fund working 20 years later? | The Charlotte Observer
Rent for $1,000 or less: It’s a needle in a haystack in Charlotte. | The Charlotte Observer
DHA urging tenants at risk of eviction to apply for rental help | CBS17

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