Organization Updates
2026 NC Housing Coalition Award Nominations Due Friday!
This Friday is the final day to submit a nomination for the NC Housing Coalition Awards! Each year at the NC Affordable Housing Conference breakfast, we recognize organizations and individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to advocate for affordable housing. If you or someone you know has excelled in housing advocacy over the last year, submit a nomination by this Friday, September 18 at 5pm.
Federal Updates
House of Representatives Returns to D.C., Financial Services Markup Scheduled
Members of the House returned to Washington yesterday for a 3-week work session. The House Committee on Financial Services will hold their final markup before the November elections tomorrow, Wednesday, September 16 at 10 a.m. Bills scheduled to be discussed include:
- H.R. 5889, the Eviction Helpline Act (Ayanna Pressley – D – MA)
- H.R. 10325, a bill to increase the mandatory contribution amount of Federal Home Loan Banks to the Affordable Housing Program, and for other purposes (Maxine Waters – D – CA)
- H.R. 7866, a bill that would slash protections against high-cost lenders (Warren Davidson – R- OH)
Unfortunately, the bipartisan “Build Housing Affordably Act” (H.R. 9311), which would provide immediate relief to affordable housing developers whose projects are currently stalled by Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements. You can read a one-pager about the bill sponsored by Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) and Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) here.
Dangerous Census Change Proposed, ACS 1-Year Estimates Delayed
Yesterday, the Trump administration published a proposed rule in the Federal Register that seeks to make changes to how people are counted in the 2030 Census and all decennial Censuses going forward. The most significant changes would:
- Exclude undocumented residents from population counts
- Remove questions about race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
Why does this matter?
Census data is used to determine funding and policy. This specific population count is used to determine political representation (specifically, how the 435 House of Representative seats are divided among states). The 14th Amendment of the Constitution specifically mandates that representation be based on “the whole number of persons in each state,” regardless of immigration status. Race and ethnicity data is used to enforce Civil Rights laws and when redistricting. The Trump administration will not be in office in 2030, but planning for the Census takes time and is already well underway.
Last month, the U.S. Census announced an indefinite delay on the release of 2025 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates due to changes in the well-established methodology that were part of administrative orders around privacy concerns. This delay is likely to spill over into the 5-year estimates that we use for our annual County Profiles.
2027 Fair Market Rents
New Fair Market Rents go into effect Oct. 1.
HUD FY 2027 FMRs: Weighted-Average Change is 2.0% | Novogradac
- Fiscal year 2027 fair market rents rose 2% on a population-weighted basis, extending the slowdown in rent growth from recent years.
- Nearly one in five FMR areas saw a decline, and more than one-third of Americans live in a market with lower FMRs than last year. Looking specifically at 2-BR FMRs, expensive places like Raleigh saw modest decreases. But still, wages are not keeping up with rents and we see this with labor statistics data.
- Rural and non-metropolitan markets continued to outperform major metropolitan areas, with FMR growth more than double the metropolitan-area average. Growth is exploding in rural areas as people are priced out of urban areas.
Top Fair Market Rents in NC
| Metro Area (Counties included) | 1-Bedroom FMR | 2-Bedroom FMR |
| Asheville (Buncombe, Henderson, Madison) | $1714 | $1866 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia (Mecklenburg, Gaston, Union, Cabarrus) | $1640 | $1785 |
| Wilmington (New Hanover) | $1566 | $1705 |
| Durham-Chapel HIll (Orange, Durham, Chatham) | $1554 | $1745 |
| Raleigh-Cary (Wake, Johnston, Franklin) | $1552 | $1689 |
State Updates
Why NC’s mobile homes keep ending up in harm’s way | Asheville Citizen-Times
Local Headlines
Asheville passes a ‘No Rent for Slumlords’ ordinance, but how enforceable is it? | Blue Ridge Public Radio
The ordinance doesn’t expand the definition of what is unfit for human habitation, but it does potentially add teeth to the process. It’s important to note that tenants should NOT stop paying rent when they believe their housing is unsafe. It requires a determination made by a city inspector and there are varying interpretations at the moment as to whether the city can do that, since state law pre-empts this by saying that tenants cannot withhold rent. Read the ordinance text here.
Durham City Council Passes Resolution Supporting Tenants’ Rights | INDY Week
Last week, Durham passed a resolution in support of Tenants Rights. It has no legal authority but encourages landlords to work with tenants’ unions in good faith and to uphold non-retaliation practices. Read the resolution text here.
From gap to ‘glut’: Asheville apartment supply surges: Rents are down, but analysts say deeply affordable housing remains in short supply | Asheville Watchdog
Upcoming Hillsborough Plan to Expand Affordable | Chapelboro.com
Raleigh churches see their parking lots as a way to ease housing shortages | WUNC
Fayetteville awarded $25.1 Million HUD Grant | Fayetteville, NC
New Bern Awarded HUD Choice Neighborhoods Grant, Plans Multi-Site Trent Court Rebuild | New Bern Live
Reports
State Policies Could Unlock the Potential of Manufactured Housing | Pew Charitable Trust
Property Tax Legislation Round Up | UNC School of Government – Coates’ Canons
Events
UNC School of Government – Upcoming Community Development Courses
- Affordable Housing Seminar: Tools, Strategies, and Case Studies for Local Government Leadership, October 9, 2026 in Chapel Hill. Open to professionals and elected officials, Course cost: $245
- Legislative Update: Planning and Development Regulation October 28, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Zoom. $150 registration fee.
This Legislative Update will explore the details of the new laws and the practical implications for local government officials. School of Government faculty members Jim Joyce, Adam Lovelady, and Taylor Morris will guide participants through the long list of changes.
Topics include:
- End of Parking Minimum Standards
- Changes to Home Occupation and Residential Accessory Use Rules
- Newly-Created Buildings Codes & Interpretations Bureau
- Mandatory Allowance for Accessory Dwelling Units in Many Cities
HOPE NC’s 5th Annual Inclusive Housing Summit | Monday, November 9th, 2026, 8am – 4pm at The Friday Conference Center in Chapel Hill. Register here – $50 for Individual community members, self-advocates or caregivers & $100 for professionals.
