Housing Call: September 9, 2025 – North Carolina Housing Coalition

Organizational Update

Join us for our next Housing Policy Update Webinar
The housing policy landscape has changed dramatically this year. Register now for our next Housing Policy Update Webinar on Tuesday, September 16 at 1:45pm, featuring Kim Johnson of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, NCHC Executive Director Samuel Gunter, and NCHC Director of Housing Policy Stephanie Watkins-Cruz. We’ll discuss the Federal reconciliation package, the lack of a state budget, and how other threats to funding and existing policies may impact housing in the coming years. Register here.

Federal Updates

FY26 Budget Deadline Nears; Continuing Resolution Likely Path Forward
The current fiscal year (FY25) ends on September 30, 2025 and Congress must pass either a full spending package or a continuing resolution (CR) in order to avoid a partial or full government shutdown. Both Republican and Democratic appropriations leadership have signaled they are amenable to a short-term CR that runs through mid November. To see the most recent FY26 Budget Chart for Federal Housing, Homelessness and Community Development programs, check out the NLIHC chart here. To view other critical Congressional Fiscal Policy deadlines, click here.

FEMA Act of 2025 Moves Forward in House Committee
Last week, the “Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025” (H.R. 4669) passed in a strong show of bipartisan support in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. This legislation would elevate FEMA to a cabinet-level agency and make several much-needed disaster recovery reforms, such as:

Creating a unified assistance application for all federal disaster assistance programs;
Removing barriers to post-disaster housing assistance for people without permanent addresses (such as those experiencing homelessness); and
Lengthening the amount of time that FEMA can help disaster-impacted households.

To learn more, check out the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s recent policy memo.

Join Virtual Capitol Hill Day Amidst DC Encampment Sweeps
The Trump administration continues to clear homeless encampments across D.C. The Alliance to End Homelessness is calling on advocates to contact their federal, state, and local lawmakers to demand a humane, effective, and affordable housing–centered approach to ending homelessness. The Alliance is also holding a virtual Capitol Hill Day on September 17. Sign up to speak directly with Members of Congress about the policies and funding decisions that impact homelessness in your community.

State Updates

NC Lawmakers Haven’t Passed A Comprehensive State Budget. What Does That Mean For Me? | NC Budget & Tax Center
We’re two months into the new state fiscal year and still don’t have a budget. Check out this helpful resource from our colleagues at NC Budget & Tax Center, which explains the current piecemeal approach to state budgeting and its impact on North Carolinians.

Republican North Carolina state Sen. Bobby Hanig announces bid to unseat Democrat Don Davis in 2026 | WUNC
State Sen. Bobby Hanig (R) recently announced that he is seeking the 2026 Republican nomination for U.S. House of Representatives in North Carolina’s 1st District Rep. Don Davis (D) has represented District 1, which covers much of Eastern NC, since January 2023.

NC Legislative Update

WHLP advocacy: [opinion by Rep. Dante Pittman] Expanding housing options in Wilson | The Wilson Times
In a recent piece for The Wilson Times, Rep. Dante Pittman (D) explains the importance of the state’s Workforce Housing Loan Program (WHLP) which has been a vital tool in closing financing gaps for affordable housing developments across North Carolina. It helps developers make rental housing affordable for working families—especially in high-cost and rural areas where subsidies are critical. Without new budget appropriations, WHLP will not receive any funding this year, stalling shovel-ready projects and threatening future development pipelines. At a time when communities are already facing housing shortages, and funding volatility, this absence puts even more pressure on renters and developers alike. More importantly, it severely hinders North Carolina’s ability to invest in building critically needed affordable workforce housing.

Disaster Recovery Headlines

Helene homebuilding program finishes first western NC home repairs, as applications surge | NC Newsline

Another WNC leader says Homeland Secretary’s office is stalling Helene reimbursements | WLOS

Orange County Commissioners extend hotel stays for residents who lost homes in Chantal’s floodwaters | NC Newsline

Local Headlines

Affordable housing loan fund launches in Cabarrus County | Charlotte Observer [Learn more about the Revolving Construction Loan Gap Funding]

Roof Above, city of Charlotte transforms former King’s College dorms into transitional housing for homeless men | WCNC

Statesville motel closing, affordable housing for families at risk | WSOC TV

‘Building trust’: City could remove Durham Freeway in effort to reconnect destroyed communities | CBS 17

Seven Years In, Raleigh Area Land Trust is Providing a Model for the Future of Affordable Housing In Wake County | INDY Week

‘Don’t have to rezone every piece of property’: Commissioners deny infill project again | Port City Daily

Craven Terrace residents decry living conditions newbernsj.com

Grant award to help Manteo church build affordable housing | Coastal Review

Reports

Middle-class Americans priced out: new National Housing Conference report finds homeownership and affordable rent out of reach in most U.S. metro areas | National Housing Conference
The report shows that since 2019:

Nearly one third (32%) of 390 metropolitan areas now require double the salary once needed to afford a home.
Close to half (45%) of MSAs require six-figure incomes to purchase a typically-priced home.
150 of the tracked MSAs requiring six figure incomes are outside of California, and 64 are outside of coastal communities that have historically contended with high costs.
The squeeze is not limited to homebuyers. Over the same period:
- 47% of tracked occupations cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment, with 32 MSAs requiring a salary exceeding $75,000.
The report also shows a sharp drop in the share of sampled occupations able to achieve homeownership. In 2019, 37% of tracked occupations could afford to buy a home with a 10% downpayment; by 2024, that number had plummeted to just 14%.

Events & Conferences

NC Housing Coalition Housing Policy Update Webinar | September 16, 1:45 p.m. Register here.

NC Affordable Housing Conference | We look forward to seeing you on September 30–October 1 at the Raleigh Convention Center for the 2025 NC Affordable Housing Conference.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.

NCWAHN 3rd Annual Luncheon | Wednesday, October 1 at 1pm at The Stockroom at 203 in Raleigh. Join NCWAHN for our annual luncheon following the North Carolina Affordable Housing Conference. We will be announcing the speaker and sign-up information in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

American Planning Association, North Carolina Chapter (APA-NC) Fall Conference | October 15-17 in Charlotte. Registration and hotels for the fall conference are open! Click here to learn more.

Affordable Housing Seminar: Tools, Strategies, and Case Studies for Local Government Leadership | UNC School of Government, October 16, 2025 in Chapel Hill. Course registration cost: $265