Federal Updates
- HUD Closes $14.8 Million Transaction to Build New Affordable Rental Homes in Chapel Hill, NC / ‘The end of an old era’: Chapel Hill breaks ground on Trinity Court development –
HUD recently announced the completion of a $14.8m Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) transaction in Chapel Hill. The Town will work with a developer to demolish Trinity Court Apartments, a public housing community built in 1975 that closed in 2018 due to poor building conditions and build 56 new, energy-efficient affordable units. The $14.8m project is financed through the leveraging of public and private fundings, including 9 percent tax credits and funding from the Town of Chapel Hill.
State Updates
- Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey approves average 8% dwelling rate increase / Causey settles again with insurance companies, another rental home rate hike on the way | Island Free Press
NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey announced at the end of last month that he has negotiated an average 8% dwelling rate increase and that the hearing planned for July 22 would be canceled. The settlement agreement can be found here.
Dwelling insurance is typically for owners of small investment properties, such as single family and small apartment (up to 4 units) landlords.
He faces state Sen. Natasha Marcus (D-Mecklenburg) in the November election for Insurance Commissioner. Meanwhile, steep increases that the Rate Bureau proposed for mobile home and homeowners insurance remain undecided.
- Last January 2023 – Causey granted a rate hike that averaged 10% statewide on dwelling policies.
- The rate increases will hit this fall will still vary by territory
State Legislative Updates
Working on a few changes to our Bill Tracker but you can still see the ones we’re following by clicking here.
Calls to Action
Grow the NC Housing Trust Fund: Enhance this critical and versatile pillar of our housing ecosystem to ensure it can meet the diverse housing needs across North Carolina and function as a true statewide resource.
Make the WHLP – Workforce Housing Loan Program a Recurring Allocation: Increase the allocation for the WHLP and ensure its sustainability by establishing it as a recurring allocation. This will better support the development and preservation of affordable housing, particularly in our rural communities.
Prepare for the end of Disaster Relief Dollars: Plan for long-term sustainability by leveraging the expertise and lessons learned from recent disaster responses. Improve our state infrastructure so that our state will be equipped to respond better in both disaster and non-disaster times.
Support and consider how to improve statewide coordination of housing functions and resources to optimize resource allocation, reduce duplication of efforts, and address housing needs more comprehensively.
Local Updates
- Proposed ‘Teacher Village’ would create affordable housing for CMS teachers – WSOC TV / Proposed CMS ‘teacher village’ faces backlash | Charlotte, NC | wcnc.com
- Laurel Street Celebrates Groundbreaking of Mixed-Income, Multi-Generational Apartment Community in Charlotte – Mecklenburg Times Laurel Street Residential recently celebrated the groundbreaking of a new mixed-income, multigenerational apartment development in East Charlotte. Springhouse Square will offer 136 affordable apartments and 100 market rate apartments. 200 of the apartments will be reserved for seniors, along with larger affordable apartments designed for 36 families. The total development cost is projected to be $68m and financing is made possible through The City of Charlotte Housing Trust Fund, bond deals from the NC Housing Finance Agency, the Charlotte Housing Opportunity Investment Fund, the Black Economic Development Fund, and private lenders.
- Winston-Salem approves Moravian church affordable housing deal
Winston-Salem City Council recently approved a deal to sell 4 city-owned lots in the Southwest Ward to the Moravian Church for $1 each. The Church plans to develop these lots into 4 single-family affordable homeownership opportunities. In addition, Council approved $160K in ARPA funds for gap financing for the project.
- The Cottages of Idlewild | Affordable housing project in Raleigh receives full funding: ‘Part of the American Dream’ / Wake County approves loan for new affordable housing
The Cottages of Idlewild, a proposed affordable homeownership and rental community in downtown Raleigh, recently completed its fundraising goal when the Wake County commissioners allocated $910,000 to the project. These funds, along with $700K from the City of Raleigh, will provide gap financing needed to construct a mix of 18 affordable rental and homeownership cottages to low-income families. Homeownership opportunities will operate under the community land trust model through the Raleigh Area Land Trust.
- Vance County families look for permanent housing after motel closure 150 people, including 72 children, were displaced last month after an extended stay motel in Henderson partially collapsed, forcing the building to be condemned. The state is paying for families to stay in nearby hotels while families search for housing and students finish out the school year, while housing nonprofits work to help the remaining families secure housing.
- New Hanover Community Endowment launches affordable housing strategy The New Hanover Community Endowment recently announced the creation of a $19M Affordable Housing Investment Strategy. The Endowment created this strategy after receiving over $50M in housing-related grant requests last year. The strategy will allocate funds to housing providers and developers across the county using a three-pronged approach that focuses on stabilization, production, and capital. New Hanover County ranks 9th among NC’s 100 counties for the largest proportion of households that are cost burdened. In other words, 34% of New Hanover County households spend more than 30% of their income on housing related expenses.
Events
- [webinar] Advancing Equity with First-Generation Homebuyer Programs | National Fair Housing Alliance, June 11, 2 – 3 p.m.
- Featuring Nikitra Bailey & Tracey Colores
- [webinar] Using the Grants Pass Decision to Reframe the Homelessness Conversation and Gain Supporters for Justice | The Case Made, June 11 2 – 3 p.m.
- Feat. Dr. Tiffany Manuel with special guests, Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and Marisol Bello, Executive Director of the Housing Narrative Lab
- [movie screening & discussion] Indie on Wheels presents ‘A Decent Home’ June 11, 5:45 – 8 p.m. at Sugar Creek Library (Charlotte). Registration required.
- [webinar] AI 101 for Civil and Human Rights Advocates | National Fair Housing Alliance, June 12, 1:30 – 3 p.m.
- This session is designed to demystify AI’s role, potential, and pitfalls in housing and lending.
- [webinar] Lessons from 40 Years of Public Housing Policy: Where Do We Go from Here? | Urban Institute & Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, June 20 from 1 – 2:30 p.m.
- [webinar] State of the Nation’s Housing 2024 | Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, June 20 at 12 p.m.
- [webinar] Remaking the Economy: How Policy Can Help Tenants Purchase Their Homes | Nonprofit Quarterly, June 20, 2 – 3:30 p.m.
- APA – NC Young Planners Group Summer Happy Hour
- WNC June 13, 5 – 7 p.m. @ 12 Bones in Hendersonville
- Charlotte June 20 6 – 8 p.m. @ Brewers
- National Fair Housing Conference – Housing Equity Now: Building an Inclusive and Just Future, July 14-16 in Washington, D.C. Registration required.
- 2024 NC Affordable Housing Conference | September 5-6 at the Raleigh Convention Center.
- Early bird registration opens Friday, June 14
- Second Annual NCWAHN Luncheon | September 6 following the NC Affordable Housing Conference in Raleigh. Details forthcoming.
- APA – NC Fall Conference, October 16-18, Greenville, NC
- The deadline to submit a session proposal and submit an award nomination is June 28
Reports & Resources
- The National Risk Index and Racial Equity for Renters | NLIHC & Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (PAHRC)
- Building Support for a Civil Right to Counsel by Anchoring your Case in Racial Justice | The Case Made
- Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook | American Planning Association and National League of Cities
- Swing State Housing Poll
- Rebuilding the Construction Trades Workforce | Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
- Advocating for Person-Centered Responses to Homelessness | National Alliance to End Homelessness
- Decades of Disinvestment: Historic Redlining and Mortgage Lending Since 1981 | NCRC
- The first national calculation of mortality of the US homeless population | CEPR
- State and Local Housing Decommodification Efforts and Their Implications for Federal Policy | Urban Institute
In the News
- Advocates for people experiencing homelessness anxiously await U.S. Supreme Court decision | NC Newsline
- Veteran journalist and housing advocate: We must change the narrative about homelessness | NC Newsline
- Every region of NC facing affordable housing crisis, seeking solutions
- Senior homeowners seek tweaks to state’s property tax relief program | NC Newsline
- ‘Tiny homes’ are sprouting in Durham backyards – 9th Street Journal
- Are we in the midst of a climate housing bubble? | Marketplace
- Ownership Matters: Institutional Investors and Corporate Ownership | Shelterforce
- ‘Just brutal’: Why America’s hottest city is seeing a surge in deaths | POLITICO
- Skyrocketing rents and home prices may be pivotal in the 2024 election | The Washington Post
- She Made an Offer on a Condo. Then the Seller Learned She Was Black. | The New York Times
- [opinion] In the Rush to Build, Existing Affordable Housing Is Falling Apart | Shelterforce
- They sacrificed to care for family and ended up on the street | NPR
- A new strategy to house homeless people | Vox
- Focusing on Solutions: The Supreme Court and Housing Justice | National Alliance to End Homelessness
- The Supreme Court case that could impact the homeless coast-to-coast | CBS News
- Ownership Matters: Institutional Investors and Corporate Ownership | Shelterforce
- Dallas Passes Bond Package Including $82 Million for Affordable Housing and Homelessness | NLIHC
- What Is Fair Housing? | The New York Times
- Health insurers take on the affordability crisis — in housing | Axios
- Hotel conversions take top spot in adaptive reuse | Multifamily Dive
- Priced out of home ownership – ‘It makes me want to throw up’ | BBC
- Opinion | Being Homeless Is Not a Crime | The New York Times
- ‘It’s Not Sustainable’: Insurance Hikes Threaten Affordable Housing | The New York Times
