Housing Call: January 10, 2023 – North Carolina Housing Coalition

NCHC – Organizational Updates

We’re excited about 2023; This month is a packed one– we will be releasing our 2023 Policy Agenda and our updated County Profiles for all 100 counties in North Carolina. Stay tuned for more information about how to engage with us around our policy priorities, and be a part of the NC housing movement!

Federal Updates

Since our last call – Congress ended up passing a FY23 Spending Package – 1.7 trillion omnibus, which Biden signed into law on December 29, 2022. The final spending bill contains $61.8b for HUD programs, which represents an $8.1b increase from FY22. Here are a few highlights:

Enough funding to renew all existing contracts provided through Housing Choice Vouchers ($30.3 billion) and Project-Based Rental Assistance ($14.9 billion).
Other programs that received increases include – Homeless Assistance Grants ($3.6 billion), Public Housing Operating Funds ($5.1 billion), Native American housing block grants ($787 million), Housing for Persons with AIDS ($499 million), Section 202 Housing for the Elderly ($1.08 billion), Section 811 Housing for People with Disabilities ($360 million), and fair housing programs ($86 million).
A new competitive grant program – The Preservation and Reinvestment INitiative for Community Enhancement – funded at $225 million – its mission is to preserve and vitalize manufactured housing communities, including through the support of resident-owned cooperatives.
Despite these increases CDBG, HOME, Choice Neighborhoods and competitive tribal funds received level funding.
- Of the amount set aside for CDBG, $85 million is set aside for the “Yes In My Back Yard Incentive” a new competitive grant program to encourage jurisdictions to improve inclusionary zoning practices, land use policies, and housing infrastructure that will ultimately increase the supply of affordable housing.
Healthy Homes and Public Housing Capital Funds received a decrease in funding compared to FY22.
The bill doesn’t include the House’s proposed creation of 140,000 additional rental assistance vouchers, but does provide 12,000 additional vouchers for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The final spending bill also left out the tax extenders package, which would pair any expansion of LIHTC with needed reforms to ensure units created through the program are prioritized for households with the greatest need.
If you’re interested in learning more of the details of FY23 spending package, check out NLIHC’s analysis and budget chart. You can also visit their take action page to discover ways to engage with Congress around the continued and increased need for support and investment in housing.

Over the weekend, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was elected speaker of the House after 15 rounds of voting. The package of concessions he made to get votes includes $75B in cuts to the FY24 budget that will likely impact funding for affordable housing and other non-defense discretionary expenses.

A number of representatives from across the state secured millions in funding for affordable housing projects in their communities.

State & Local Community Updates

The General Assembly convenes tomorrow (Wednesday) for the long session. After the midterms, Republicans gained a supermajority in the State Senate and are only one vote shy of a supermajority in the State House. Practically, this means the Republican controlled NCGA will be only one vote shy in one chamber to override a Democratic Governor’s veto. Affordable housing is expected to be among the issues covered in the long session.
Rutherford County Schools, in partnership with Dogwood Health Trust and Rutherford County government, is exploring repurposing a former school building to create affordable housing to attract teachers to the area. A feasibility study found that the building could house 40-45 apartments and would cost $10-12m.
Developers broke ground last month on the Ramada Inn conversion in Asheville. The project is expected to create 113 units of supportive housing. Previously, the City planned to convert the building into a high-access emergency shelter but ultimately voted not to pursue the project after community pushback and funding uncertainty.
Through a partnership with the Great Matthews Habitat for Humanity, the Town of Mint Hill recently allocated $25K towards the Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity’s Critical Home Repair Program, which offers no-cost repairs to qualifying homeowners in need with health and safety issues (electrical hazards, accessibility modifications, plumbing repairs, etc.)
The $1.25b community endowment created by the sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center recently awarded its first cycle of grants, which included significant funding for affordable housing in New Hanover County, including emergency shelters, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and critical home repairs. Significant investments include:
- Good Shepherd Center – $250K for rapid rehousing program
- Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity – $200K for homeownership and critical repairs programs
- Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministries – $165K for affordable housing retention program
- Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center – $100K for Housing Empowerment partnership
- and many more

Events

[virtual] 2023 Housing Supply Symposium | Cohosted by Terner Center & Labs for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, & the National League of Cities, 1/12, 1 p.m.
[virtual and in-person] January Book Talk with Author Nicholas Dawidoff – “The Other Side of Prospect: A Story of Violence, Injustice, and the American City” | NYU Furman Center and the Art for Justice Fund, 1/19 at 12 p.m.
[virtual] Appraisal Subcommittee hearing on appraisal bias | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1/24, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Register here.
[in-person] Housing Policy Forum 2023 | NLIHC 3/21-23, 2023 in Washington, D.C. Registration is now open.
- Matthew Desmond (author of Evicted) and Dr. William Barber II