Federal updates
- President Biden confirmed that a scaled-back version of Build Back Better will be needed for the package to advance and he plans to prioritize components that are supported by all Senate Democrats. Last week, Senator Manchin said that he’s open to re-starting negotiations but from a blank slate. Parts of the bill that do not make it into a re-imagined version could be repackaged into stand-alone bills, which would require support from all Senate Democrats and at least 10 Senate Republicans. We are hearing that housing is not included in the current set of priorities for a reformulated package. It’s critical for advocates to continue urging members of Congress to protect affordable housing investments as part of any reconciliation bill.
- This week, HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling finally announced the FY21 Comprehensive Housing Counseling Awards, including $2,072,154.00 for North Carolina-based agencies.
State updates
- The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) has received preliminary applications for the 2022 Housing Credit (LIHTC) cycle. The Agency received 127 preliminary 9% applications from 52 counties (118 new construction and 9 rehabilitation). 17 tax-exempt bond applications were also received. The list of 2022 Preliminary Applications is available on NCHFA’s website.
- The City of Durham is taking applications for emergency rental assistance with the help of Legal Aid-NC. The Durham Rent Relief Program provides up to 18 months of rental and utility assistance to City of Durham residents who have experienced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Assistance is available on a first-come, first-served basis until funding runs out.
- Raleigh-based Greystone Affordable Development and Charlotte-based Urban Trends Real Estate Inc. plan to develop Eastway Crossings, a $28.9 million affordable housing LIHTC community located on Charlotte’s east side. The community will offer apartments for senior residents aged 55 years and older with household incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income (AMI): Greystone, Urban Trends to Develop $28.9M Affordable Housing Project for Seniors in Charlotte | ReBusiness Online
- OFFSITEK, a Charlotte-based integrated construction company, is using robots, steel and creative partnerships with local municipalities to develop affordable homeownership options: OFFSITEK partners with Charlotte-area municipalities to deliver affordable housing using robots and steel | The Mountaineer
Reports/articles/events
- Virtual Event: The NYU Environmental Law Journal and the NYU Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law present Free the Land: Land Tenure and Stewardship Reimagined on Friday, 1/28 @ 9am
- Live Streamed Event: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University hosts Dunlop Lecture with HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge on Tuesday, 2/8 @ 6:30pm
- Virtual Event: NLIHC Housing Policy Forum 2022 on March 22 & 23 from 12:30 – 5:30 PM
- Report: Tenant Protections and Emergency Rental Assistance during and beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic | NLIHC
- Report: A Growing Share of Americans Say Affordable Housing Is a Major Problem Where They Live | Pew Research Center
- New Report Shows A Surging Rental Market, Starkly Divided By Race And Renter Incomes | Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies
- Something Has to Give in the Housing Market. Or Does It? | NY Times
- Housing in Brief: Mayors Say They Don’t Have Tools to Deal With Homelessness | Next City
- Signs of change: In NC’s rapidly growing Triangle, here are five places to watch in 2022 | Raleigh N&O
- 10 statistics about North Carolina’s real estate market | WNCT 9
- One in five Black applicants denied mortgages in NC, report finds | WRAL Tech Wire
- As Development Comes to Areas Surrounding Dix Park, Residents and Business Owners Face Permanent Displacement From the City They’ve Called Home | Independent Weekly
