Housing Call: February 25, 2025 – North Carolina Housing Coalition

Advocacy Letter Update

Advocacy group calls on North Carolina’s congressional delegates to fight for housing | NC Newsline
- More than 360 signatures from individuals and organizations

Federal & National Updates

Preliminary injunction issued for Trump executive orders on DEI

On Friday, February 21 a Federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from terminating or changing federal contracts they consider equity-related. The executive order signed on President Trump’s first day in office required recipients of Federal funds to self-certify under penalty of perjury their compliance with both the executive orders and that they did not run any DEI, or DEI-related programs.

HUD to be decimated by massive layoffs

HUD recently announced plans to lay off at least 50% of its employees after they received directions early this week from President Trump to “undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force” that focus on workers who have roles that are not required by any law or statute or are a part of a role that involves working with “diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.”

The Office of Community Planning and Development, within the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is slated to lose 84% of its staff, according to a document seen by NPR. That target is the deepest of any office in the agency.

This drastic reduction in HUD staff will make it significantly harder to access critical federal resources that are used to:

Rebuild housing and infrastructure after major disasters and mitigate future harm.
Build and preserve affordable rental housing for low-income households.
Provide rental assistance.
Address and prevent homelessness.
Revitalize neighborhoods and promote economic development, as well as infrastructure and service improvement across communities.
Reform restrictive zoning and land use regulations that inflate housing costs

Shelters will close their doors; construction on new projects will stop; households receiving rental assistance will face rent increases and risk eviction; and the communities, families, and small businesses that have been impacted by disasters, including our communities in Western and Eastern North Carolina, will be unable to rebuild.

Federal Budget Update

Additional Short-Term Government Funding Bill Needed with March 14 Deadline Approaching – Take Action!

State & Local Updates

NC General Assembly Updates

2025-2026 Bill Tracker for NC General Assembly

So far, over 300 bills have been filed. To see which bills we are tracking check out our bill tracker for the 2025-2026 legislative session, click here.

Disaster Recovery

Stein asks feds for another $19B in Helene aid, as White House plans major cuts for disaster office | NC Newsline

On Thursday, Gov. Josh Stein requested an additional $19B in Helene aid from the federal government.

Q&A: GROW NC’s Matt Calabria on the state of Helene recovery | WUNC

NCHFA Urgent Home Repairs Awards

NC Housing Finance Agency Awards $8.8 Million for Urgent Home Repairs | NCHFA

The NC Housing Finance Agency recently announced $8.8M in Urgent Repair Program (URP) funds awarded to 40 local governments and organizations serving 69 counties. URP operates statewide through local governments, regional organizations, community action agencies and other nonprofit sponsors. Funding is provided to these groups to allocate loans up to $15,000 per household to very low-income homeowners for emergency repairs to correct safety hazards, or to make accessibility modifications to homes for elderly citizens, veterans or people with disabilities. In 2024, URP assisted more than 590 homeowners with an average income of $18,490. More than three quarters of those beneficiaries were elderly citizens and almost half were people with disabilities.

Local News & Updates

Brevard City Council Updates | transylvaniatimes.com

Last week, Brevard City Council voted unanimously to provide a $1.2M low-interest loan from the City’s Housing Trust Fund to the developers of affordable housing community Fairhaven Meadows.

Greensboro Loosens Up Zoning Restrictions To Encourage New Housing | Rhino Times

Last week, Greensboro City Council voted to amend their Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning ordinance to allow additional use standards related to specific uses and accessory uses and structures. This change will make it easier for developers to build housing in planned developments.

Housing unaffordable for many Cumberland County residents | City View

Housing expert Patrick Bowen recently presented the 2024 Carolina Core Housing Needs Assessment at the Longleaf Pine Realtors’ 2025 State of the Real Estate Market at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville. The Housing Needs Assessment covers 21 counties in NC. Cumberland County findings include:

Since 2020, the median home sale price has risen by $80K;
Among the 20 most common occupations in Cumberland County, rental prices are unaffordable with the income they are making; and
In order to accommodate new growth and the existing need for housing among residents, the county needs 8,344 more rental units and 9,050 more homes by 2029.

Events

[webinar] Year 15: Transition Strategies for Expiring LIHTC Properties | Enterprise Community Partners, February 25, 2 pm Register here.
Piedmont Triad Regional Housing Summit | Piedmont Triad Regional Council & The City of Winston-Salem, February 27, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, Register here.
High Point NAACP Homeownership Fair | February 27, 6 – 8 pm @ YWCA High Point
[webinar] Searching for Solutions: Property Insurance and Housing Affordability, | Bipartisan Policy Center February 27, 10 am
[webinar] The Housing Moment: Innovations for a Better Future | Terner Labs & the National League of Cities, Thursday, February 27, at 9:00 a.m. Register here.
[webinar] Deteriorating Affordability: An Update on America’s Rental Housing 2024 | Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, March 7, 1:30 pm
[webinar] Improving America’s Housing 2025 | Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, March 20, 2 pm.
[In-Person Registration Full; Virtual Registration Available] National Low Income Housing Policy Forum March 24-27, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
2025 NC Housing Day | NC Housing Coalition, Habitat NC, & the NC Coalition to End Homelessness, Wednesday, April 9 at the NCGA in downtown Raleigh. Register here.

Reports & Resources

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA ACTION PLAN – US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Funding in Response to Hurricane Helene | NC Commerce
Housing-Focused Street Outreach Framework | National Alliance to End Homelessness
- The Alliance’s new resource offers essential guidance for designing and implementing programs that connect households directly to housing. This framework can help CoC system leaders, outreach providers (including directors, managers, and frontline staff), funders, and advocates effectively address the needs of individuals and families experiencing unsheltered homelessness in various situations. Many of these recommendations are broader than any singular street outreach team can implement alone, requiring CoC-level investments, planning, and policy change. The Framework can be used as a discussion tool for people to come together across roles and agencies to figure out how to implement and improve Housing-Focused Street Outreach in their community.