Special Meeting: Asheville Regional Housing Consortium (In-Person) (May 13, 2026)

Meeting Overview The Asheville Regional Housing Consortium (ARHC) held a special in-person meeting on May 13, 2026, with simultaneous virtual participation. The session focused on reviewing the status of current housing contracts, outlining upcoming funding opportunities, and addressing administrative compliance issues.

Key Decisions and Minutes The consortium approved the minutes from the January 14, 2026 meeting, a motion made by Sam Starr Baum and seconded by Matthew Card. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn made by Sage Turner. No other formal votes or decisions were recorded during the session.

Funding and Project Updates Staff and presenters provided updates on several ongoing housing initiatives. The Apple Ridge project, a 60-unit development with five designated HOME units, recently held its groundbreaking ceremony. Regarding the 2025 funding cycle, three sub-recipients—Housing Assistance Corporation, Community Housing Coalition of Madison County, and Helpmate—are moving forward with contracts, while some partners delayed their contracts until August. Additionally, the consortium discussed plans to open applications for a new multifamily housing construction project in November 2026, which will include approximately $1 million in available funding and a set-aside for Community Housing Opportunity Development Organization (CHODO) projects.

HOME-ARP Program Timeline Stephanie Carl from ICF presented an update on the HOME-ARP Rental Housing Funding program. Applications for this program were open until May 17, 2026. The consortium agreed to a proposed timeline for the next steps: a funding committee will review the applications on June 24, 2026, followed by a special ARHC meeting on July 15, 2026, to approve funding recommendations. A separate $1 million program for supportive services is scheduled to be released later in the summer. Jonathan Jones, Emily Brewer, and Lee Stevens were confirmed to continue serving on the funding committee, with staff tasked with seeking a fourth member to join them.

Membership Expansion The consortium addressed the formalization of the Towns of Marshall and Mars Hill as full members. Following unanimous support from member governments, the joint cooperation agreement will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by June 30, 2026. Marshall and Mars Hill are set to have voting members starting July 1, 2026.

Audit Findings and Compliance James Shelton, Community Development Division Manager, reported on findings from the city’s single audit regarding subrecipient monitoring during the 2024–2025 program year. Shelton highlighted the complexities of HUD regulations and the ARHC’s commitment to responsible stewardship of funds. A corrective action plan has been implemented to address the finding, and the ARHC is scheduled to be audited again next year.

Next Steps The next regular meeting of the ARHC is scheduled for August 12, 2026, which will be held virtually. Additionally, a special virtual meeting is scheduled for July 2026 for the funding committee to review HOME-ARP applications.