Housing and Community Development Committee (Virtual) (Aug 19, 2025)

Housing and Community Development Committee Meeting Recap: August 19, 2025

The City of Asheville’s Housing and Community Development Committee held a virtual meeting on August 19, 2025, to review affordable housing investments, approve a regional funding partnership, and formalize the city’s role in homelessness services. The committee also reviewed its work plan for the upcoming fiscal year and approved the minutes from the previous month’s meeting.

Key Decisions The committee took two major votes during the session. First, the committee unanimously passed a recommendation to allocate $10 million of the city’s affordable housing bond funds to the Western North Carolina (WNC) Affordable Housing Loan Fund. Second, the committee unanimously passed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care, which formalizes the city’s responsibilities as the Lead Agency and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Lead. Additionally, the committee unanimously approved the minutes from the July 30, 2025 meeting.

Discussion Highlights Staff presented a year-end report on the Affordable Housing Division’s activities, highlighting $3.8 million in new allocations and $2.465 million reallocated from returned funds. The report noted significant efforts in rental assistance following a storm, utilizing $1 million from the Housing Trust Fund and $759,000 in CDBG funds, as well as ongoing work on the 319 Biltmore project and the developer selection process for Oak Hill. Chair Antanette Mosley emphasized the importance of maintaining a focus on monitoring programs to ensure accountability and achieve housing goals.

Regarding the bond strategy, a representative from Self-Help Ventures Fund presented details on the WNC Affordable Housing Loan Fund, explaining its role in providing gap financing for affordable housing projects and its potential to leverage additional funding. Councilmember Sage Turner emphasized the need to consider zoning initiatives and address displacement concerns, suggesting the committee explore a deeper analysis of displacement that potentially includes zoning changes.

The committee also reviewed the MOU with the Continuum of Care, which outlines the city’s duties in providing strategic support, administrative assistance, and data management for homelessness efforts. Finally, a staff member presented the committee’s work plan for Fiscal Year 2026, aligning its efforts with the city’s priority recovery areas: People, Housing, Infrastructure & Environment, and Economy.

Follow-ups Staff agreed to consider Councilmember Turner’s suggestion regarding a deeper analysis of displacement and to discuss it further at the next meeting. Staff also agreed to connect with Planning and Zoning departments to explore options for addressing legacy neighborhoods. The committee noted it will consider how to better prioritize and support homeownership initiatives in future planning.

Impact These decisions advance the city’s strategy for utilizing the $20 million affordable housing bond approved by voters in November 2024. By recommending the $10 million allocation to the WNC Affordable Housing Loan Fund, the committee aims to leverage city funds to create and preserve affordable rental housing, addressing a shortage estimated at over 11,600 units. The approval of the Continuum of Care MOU clarifies the city’s administrative and data management roles in coordinating homelessness services, ensuring a structured approach to supporting local organizations and managing federal funding applications.