NCHC Updates
Register Now for 2025 NC Affordable Housing Conference
Early bird registration for the 2025 NC Affordable Housing Conference is open! Get our best rate by registering before close of business on August 29 at 5 pm and check out the agenda to see what we have in store for our attendees. Information about hotels, speakers, sponsors and more can all be found on our website. We look forward to seeing you on September 30–October 1 at the Raleigh Convention Center!
Federal Updates
House Draft FY26 THUD Spending Bill Released
Over the weekend, the House Appropriations committee released their draft FY26 Transportation, Housing & Urban Development (THUD) spending bill. The THUD bill provides the annual funding for the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)’s affordable housing programs and community development programs and services. The proposal would fund HUD at $67.8 billion, a decrease of $939 million from the $74.6 billion provided for HUD programs in FY25.
According to analysis from our colleagues at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the bill largely rejects the drastic cuts that the Trump administration’s budget request called for. However, the funding decrease would still mean that HUD cannot maintain affordable housing investments at their current level and would eliminate funding for the HOME Investment Partnership Program, Choice Neighborhoods, PRO Housing Grants, and PRICE programs. The bill went through THUD subcommittee markup yesterday (Monday July 14) and is expected to go through markup in the full House Appropriations Committee on Thursday (July 17).
The Senate has still not given a timeline for releasing their FY26 THUD spending bill.
Federal Advocacy Opportunity
Continue reaching out to our congressional delegation, to your representatives, and our senators. Urge them to expand, not cut, funding for vital affordable housing and homelessness assistance programs.
Feel free to use any of the NLIHC resources linked below to take action on FY26 funding.
- Using NLIHC’s advocacy toolkit, “Opposing Cuts to Federal Investments in Affordable Housing
- When you are mailing or calling member offices to tell them about the importance of affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources to you, your family, your community, or your work. You can use NLIHC’s Take Action page to look up your member offices or call/send an email directly!
- Sharing stories of those directly impacted by homelessness and housing instability. Storytelling adds emotional weight to your message and can help lawmakers see how their policy decisions impact actual people. Learn about how to tell compelling stories with this resource.
- National, state, local, Tribal, and territorial organizations can also join over 2,700 organizations on CHCDF’s national letter calling on Congress to support the highest level of funding possible for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources in FY26.
- Visit NLIHC’s Advocacy Hub for more information and resources that can help you take action and help protect the affordable housing programs people rely on.
State Updates
Disaster Recovery
Resources for Tropical Storm Chantal
For a locally-organized, comprehensive roundup of resources for survivors and helpers, visit https://linktr.ee/ChantalMutualAid, run by Triangle Mutual Aid. (en espanol here)
Highlights from Governor’s Advisory Committee on WNC Recovery
On Monday, July 14, Governor Stein’s Advisory Committee on WNC Recovery convened to provide updates on the status of recovery funds, share new damage assessment data, and more. They shared that North Carolina has still not received money from HUD for the approved statewide CDBG-DR action plan. Commerce is waiting on the Federal grant agreement and needs to select builders for the Renew NC home repair program. NC General Assembly money allocated in a previous disaster recovery bill allows the state to start the program and later be reimbursed once the HUD funds are available.
Through the Small Business Infrastructure grant program for local governments to repair infrastructure, $7.3M was awarded to Chimney Rock, Clyde, Gamewell, and Morganton in late June. The next cycle of Small Business Infrastructure awards will be announced in late October.
The committee also announced the creation of advisory committee subcommittees, with the initial 2 being economic recovery and resilience.
Finally, the committee released new WNC damage assessment data:
- 38K houses with damage designation according to FEMA.
- Buncombe County had the most houses damaged (11K), particularly concentrated in Swannanoa.
- Yancey County had the most damaged households per 1000 residents (122 households per 100 residents)
- Watauga County had the most low-to-moderate income households affected (75% of all homes damaged)
- Low-to-moderate-income households (<120% Area Median Income) represent 6 of every 10 homes destroyed in WNC.
- The average percentage gap in coverage for destroyed homes is 78%. This means that insurance and FEMA are only expected to cover about 22% of the cost for these homes. The coverage gap is closer to 30% for major and moderately damaged homes.
Renew NC Accepting Applications
The NC Dept of Commerce’s Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program is now accepting applications. This centralized housing rehabilitation, reconstruction or replacement program will prioritize low- to –moderate-income families with seniors aged 62 and older, children, and/or disabled household members impacted by Hurricane Helene in one of the eligible 29 counties. There are 4 ways to apply:
- Online at https://renewnc.org/
- In-person at RenewNC offices
- Mobile App: Google Play or Apple Store
- Phone Call: 1-888-791-0207
Read more about qualifications and the documentation needed to apply.
More than 515 applications have been submitted for the state’s Renew NC program. NC Commerce is also administering the home repair program for the City of Asheville, which received their own separate CDBG-DR funds as an entitlement community. More than 40 applications have been submitted to the City’s program. Please encourage low-income households in impacted areas to apply ASAP and sort out questions of eligibility through the process.
Legislative Updates
No State Budget
There is still no state budget. The General Assembly is expected to come back later this month around July 29.
Gov. Stein Vetoes Bills Impacting Tenants’ Rights, Utility Costs
Governor Stein vetoed several bills earlier this month:
H96 – Expedited Removal of Unauthorized Persons
When asked about his reasoning he stated: “This legislation originally addressed squatters, and I supported it. At the last moment, however, an unrelated amendment was added that prohibits local governments from regulating pet stores. This bill would facilitate inhumane puppy mills in North Carolina. Without this provision, I would sign the legislation. With it, I cannot support it.”
It’s important to note that many times squatters’ bills, unless intentionally designed, can disproportionately impact low-and moderate income renters in a few different ways such as:
- Increasing the risk of wrongful removal and housing instability.
By speeding up the eviction process, this makes it easier to remove occupants especially if there is no written lease or agreement, even if this is what the landlord or property owner agreed to.
- Faster eviction processes that go around court authority and oversight can endanger tenants and officers.
- Due process rights in an already limited set of rights for tenants is further eroded.
This is not the first time a bill like this has been introduced in the general assembly, and these are just a few examples of unintended consequences of squatters’ bills.
S266 The Power Bill Reduction Act
This bill aimed to relax emissions targets for Duke Energy and allow them to raise rates. When asked about his reasoning, he cited a potential increase in costs for ratepayers’ and concern about reducing the state commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
To view our updated Bill Tracker, click here.
Local Headlines
After a year, NC tenants’ union has success, but Charlotte no longer connected | The Charlotte Observer
City Taps Nonprofit To Turn Former Regency Inn To Affordable Housing | The Rhino Times of Greensboro
Orange County Board of County Commissioners discuss property revaluation, Drakeford Library Complex | The Daily Tar Heel
Rural North Carolina town forges ahead on clean energy, despite headwinds | Canary Media
ONE Wake announces new housing initiative | Wake Weekly
Raleigh City Council Members Say They Will Support a Future Affordable Housing Bond | INDY Week
Dare County Housing Task Force to create housing nonprofit | The Outer Banks Voice
Reports
Avoiding the Domino Effect: Evaluating the Physical Conditions of Aging Permanent Supportive Housing Sites | Enterprise Community Partners
The Future of Homeownership and Housing Finance | Urban Institute
2025 Mortgage Market Series (research briefs) | National Community Reinvestment Coalition
Housing conditions exacerbate the effects of extreme heat in rural America | NC Health News
A Year for the Record Books: The State of the Nation’s Housing in Perspective | Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies
State of the Nation’s Housing Report 2024 Data Highlights:
- The median existing home price hit a record high of $412,500, exceeding $400,000 for the first time.
- Of the top 100 metro areas, a record low of just 3 metros had a price-to-income ratio below 3.0.
- The monthly mortgage payment on the median-priced home hit a record high of $2,560, roughly 40 percent higher than in 1990 even after adjusting for inflation.
- The lowest number of existing home sales since 1995 (4.06 million).
- The first decline in the homeownership rate in 8 years (to 65.6 percent).
- A record-high median age for first-time buyers (38 years).
- A record-high number of billion-dollar weather-related disasters over a two-year span (55).
- Renters are more cost-burdened than ever, with over 22.6M renters spending more than 30% of their gross income on housing, and 12.1M spending more than 50% of their income on housing.
- Homelessness continues to increase to record numbers (771,480 people).
Resources
Provisions on Immigrant Access to Public Benefits in the Final Reconciliation Package | The Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition
National Lessons from Community-Led Housing Advocacy| Smart Growth America
ULI Housing Attainability Index
Events
On July 16 at 2 p.m. the U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance will hold a hearing entitled “HOME 2.0: Modern Solutions to the Housing Shortage.”
[webinar] The Past, Present, and Future of Credit Scores in Housing Finance | Urban Institute, July 24 at 3 p.m. Register here.
