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Housing Call: July 30, 2024

Organizational Updates

Don’t forget to submit your nominations for our 2024 NC Housing Coalition Awards

Nominations are now open for the 2024 NC Housing Coalition Awards! Each year we recognize housing advocates across the state at our Annual Breakfast during the NC Affordable Housing Conference (September 5-6). If you or someone you know has gone above and beyond to advocate for affordable housing in North Carolina, nominate them today! The deadline to submit has been extended to Friday, August 9, 2024!

  

Federal Updates

  • THUD spending bill passes The Senate Appropriations Committee released and passed the FY 25 THUD Subcommittee spending bill last week. The bill calls for a more than 10% increase from the previous fiscal year in spending on housing programs. Senate Appropriations leaders Patti Murray and Susan Collins successfully reached a bipartisan agreement that allows for an additional $13.5B in non-defense emergency funding beyond the 1% increase limit imposed by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. Like we’ve said before, the bill isn’t expected to go before the entire Senate before the November election so we’ll be looking at a Continuing Resolution to keep the federal government going at the beginning of the fiscal year this fall. Similar to last year, we’re expecting a drawn out appropriations fight between the House and the Senate.

Advocacy Opportunity: Tax Policy Superbowl: Call for Strengthening the Housing Credit

We encourage you to write a letter describing the importance of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to your work and your community, supporting the various provisions of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA H.R.3238), and highlighting how strengthening the Housing Credit would help those you serve.

Ways to Submit your Letter

You can submit your letter through this form, and the team at NCHC will submit it for you.

  • No changes will be made, the committee will still see the letter as coming from you and/or your organization.
  • Please make sure to place your letter on your company letterhead.
  • Make sure to enter your contact information correctly.

If you would prefer to email your letter directly, you may email RepublicanTaxTeams@mail.house.gov. Make sure to click here for instructions on how to structure your email to ensure that your comments are selected. Letters with incomplete information will not be accepted.

For more details about this campaign, check out our post here.

 

State & Local Updates

  • State AGs ramp up scrutiny of alleged price-fixing in rental housing A recent article in NC Newsline explores the impact of RealPage and Yardi’s alleged algorithmic price fixing and collusion. NC Attorney General Josh Stein opened an antitrust investigation into the rent software companies earlier this year, as did many other State Attorneys General. The software companies are also the subject of an upcoming lawsuit from US Department of Justice will be filing. A number of states (not including NC) have tried to pass legislation to prevent algorithmic rent setting, but so far none have passed. Sarah Saadian with the National Low Income Housing Coalition explains in the article that stronger state and local tenant protections, such as rent stabilization and anti-price gouging laws, can protect against algorithmic price fixing.
  • Charlotte nonprofit expands housing support to homeless parents with prior convictions Freedom Fighting Missionaries, a Charlotte-based reentry organization, recently announced the renewal of their contract Invlivian (formerly the Charlotte Housing Authority). In addition to emergency vouchers for justice-involved folks, the organization will also be granted 10 program-based housing vouchers for McKinney-Vento students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools who have a parent or caregiver whose past conviction is preventing them from accessing safe housing.
  • Ribbon-Cutting for The Lofts at Elmsley Crossing Apartment Community | Business | yesweekly.com A ribbon cutting yesterday in Greensboro celebrated the opening of The Lofts at Elmsley Crossing, an 84-unit affordable housing community. The development used a variety of public and private funds, including tax credits, HOME Funds, and conventional financing.
  • Greensboro’s community land trust slated to debut next year as need for affordable homeownership grows The City of Greensboro recently entered the third and final phase of the creation of their first community land trust. The Land Trust is expected to launch in spring or summer 2025. Over the course of the next 12-18 months, city staff will work on building out the policies, organizational structure and fiscal framework. The land trust model came out of the City’s 10-Year Housing Plan adopted in 2020 to improve access to, and the condition of, affordable housing in Greensboro.
  • Council asks voters to approve $80 million bond package | Mountain Xpress Asheville City Council voted unanimously to put a $20M affordable housing bond on the ballot in November. As the election nears, we’ll be tracking local housing bond referendums across the state and will keep you updated about how you can advocate for affordable housing funds in your local community.
  • ‘Daunting Issue’: Hillsborough Hosts First Workshop of Affordable Housing Series – Chapelboro.com The Town of Hillsborough recently hosted the first workshop in a series on affordable housing. Local affordable housing nonprofits engaged in conversation about the current housing need in Hillsborough and how the Town can move forward with a strategic housing plan. A second workshop is planned for the Fall and we will share that with you once a date is finalized.

 

Events

the 2024 WNC Regional Housing Forum! Join us for a day filled with insightful discussions and networking opportunities focused on housing in the Western North Carolina region. This year we are focusing on resident retention strategies (keeping current residents in their homes), community development, and opportunities for small and rural communities. (Agenda distributed shortly)

The event will take place on Friday, Aug 09, starting at 9 AM (doors at 8:30) at the Blue Ridge Conference Hall in Flat Rock. Don’t miss out on this chance to connect with industry professionals and learn about the latest trends in housing. See you there!

 

Resources

HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research recently released the latest issue of Cityscape, a housing and community development research journal geared towards scholars, government officials, and practitioners. This free journal comes out 3 times a year (you can subscribe here). This issue explores issues related to Housing Vouchers –  the largest source of public housing in America. The National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Poverty & Race Research Action Council both authored great pieces for this issue. If your work deals at all with housing vouchers, we suggest you check it out!

 

In the News 

  • [opinion] Building Thriving Communities for All | Newsweek
    • By Angela F. Williams and Lisa Rice, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide; President and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance

Recommended read

Housing Call: July 23, 2024

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