# Special Meeting: Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (Hybrid) (Dec 4, 2025) **Body:** City of Asheville — Affordable Housing Advisory Committee **Date:** December 4, 2025 9:00 AM EST (2025-12-04T09:00:00-05:00) **Location:** First Floor Conference Room **Link:** https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388 ## Summary The City of Asheville’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) held a special hybrid meeting on December 4, 2025. The agenda focused on administrative updates and the initial development of a new home repair policy, a project directed by City Council to align with the city’s Affordable Housing Plan. The committee conducted several administrative actions, all of which passed unanimously with an 11-0 vote. The body approved the minutes from the September 23, 2025 meeting and adopted new Rules of Procedure. These rules, which were formally adopted on this date, outline the committee’s operational framework, including membership composition, meeting structures, voting procedures, and conflict of interest requirements. Additionally, the committee elected its officers for the coming term, with Andy Barnett re-elected as Chair and Brian Methvin re-elected as Vice-Chair. The primary substantive discussion centered on the need for a comprehensive home repair policy. Staff presented data from the American Housing Survey and the Bowen Report to illustrate the scale of housing inadequacy in Asheville, noting that a significant portion of residents live in substandard housing. The committee discussed the goal of addressing needs for both renters and homeowners, with a specific emphasis on prioritizing assistance for households at or below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI). A robust debate occurred regarding the complexities of serving renters, including the challenges of working with landlords and the need for legal strategies to enforce habitability standards. Context for the policy development included a review of current funding and resources. The discussion referenced $1.46 million re-allocated from bond dollars for disaster-related home repair, which is already underway, and the $20 million Affordable Housing Bond approved by voters in November 2024, of which $1 million is designated for home repair capital improvements. The committee also reviewed the current contract with the Asheville Regional Coalition for Home Repair (ARCHR), which is managing disaster-related repairs and is on track to be spent by the end of the first or second quarter of 2026. The committee noted the limitations of bond funding and its impact on program eligibility. Regarding next steps, the committee identified the need for more detailed data on housing quality and demographics to inform policy decisions. Staff agreed to provide data on the geographic distribution of past Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, which is scheduled to be presented in January. Additionally, staff will collaborate with AHAC leadership to develop a more specific plan of work for the committee. The committee is required to develop a policy recommendation before the end of the fiscal year in June 2026. The committee will meet again on January 8, 2026, to continue the discussion on the Home Repair Program. No public comments were recorded in the transcript summary for this meeting. ## Agenda - [APPROVAL OF MINUTES](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388/item/19909) - [Adoption of new Rules of Procedure](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388/item/2046) - [Officer Elections](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388/item/2047) - [APPROVAL OF MINUTES](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388/item/2044) - [Context for AHAC's work](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388/item/2048) - [HOME REPAIR PROGRAM DISCUSSION](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388/item/2049) - [Review of the Need](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388/item/2050) - [Goal of the policy](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388/item/2051) - [Current Resources](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388/item/2052) - [History of Home Repair Work in City](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388/item/2053) - [Input from Committee](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388/item/2054) - [NEXT STEPS](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388/item/2055) ## Votes - to approve the 9/23/2025 minutes — Passed, 11-0 - to approve new Rules of Procedure — Passed, 11-0 - Nomination of Andy Barnett as Chair of AHAC — Passed, 11-0 - Nomination of Brian Methvin as Vice Chair of AHAC — Passed, 11-0 ## Video & Transcript - Recording: https://youtube.com/live/WpQII90f1eg?feature=share - Transcript: https://sunshinemeetings.org/transcript/97/segments ## Documents - [AHAC AGENDA -DECEMBER 4, 2025.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388?document=1202) - [Final AHAC Rules of Procedures December 2025.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388?document=1172) - [agenda_2025-12-04.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388?document=1166) - [Corrected Draft AHAC Rules of Procedures December 2025.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388?document=1182) - [AHAC Home Repair 12.4.25.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388?document=1191) - [AHAC - Draft Action Minutes 9.25.25.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388?document=1217) - [minutes_2025-12-04.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388?document=13423) - [AHAC - Adopted Action Minutes 12.4.25.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/388?document=13424) ## Sources - [City of Asheville WordPress](https://www.ashevillenc.gov/government/meetings/affordable-housing-advisory-committee-special-meeting-hybrid-dec-4-2025/)