Affordable Housing Subcommittee Meeting | Jan. 6, 2026

Affordable Housing Committee Meeting Recap: January 6, 2026

The Affordable Housing Committee of Buncombe County Government convened on January 6, 2026, to review recent minutes and receive updates on local housing initiatives. The meeting focused primarily on two informational presentations: an overview from the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville (HACA) and a briefing on the upcoming application cycle for the Affordable Housing Support Program (AHSP).

Key Decisions The committee’s only formal vote was to approve the minutes from the December 2, 2025, meeting. The motion passed with a recorded vote of 3-0. Additionally, the subcommittee tentatively agreed to schedule four future meetings for March 5, March 17, March 31, and April 21. No other binding decisions were made during the session.

Discussion Highlights A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to a presentation by Ella Santos, the new President and CEO of HACA. She outlined the agency’s operations, noting that HACA manages 1,525 affordable housing units and administers a total portfolio of 2,679 vouchers. Santos highlighted the severity of current waitlists, reporting approximately 4,000 applicants on Project-Based Voucher waitlists and 3,300 on the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist, with some applicants waiting since 2019. She detailed upcoming "Moving to Work" (MTW) initiatives for 2026, which include triennial income recertifications and a work requirement of 15 hours per week for non-exempt households, alongside exemptions for the elderly, disabled, and caregivers. Santos also discussed new local preferences for households experiencing homelessness or domestic violence and the agency’s partnership with the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care.

Following the HACA update, Jonathon Jones, a Community Development Analyst, presented the schedule and criteria for the FY 2027 AHSP application cycle. Jones noted that applications are due by January 30, 2026, with staff review scheduled for February and a staff presentation to the subcommittee in March or April. He emphasized that the program prioritizes projects that leverage other funding sources, accept rent vouchers, and specifically prioritize affordable housing for Buncombe County residents permanently displaced by Tropical Storm Helene. Jones stressed the importance of projects partnering with organizations addressing homelessness and bringing in additional funding.

Community Input No public comments were made during the meeting.

Follow-ups Several follow-up actions were identified during the discussion. HACA agreed to provide data on waitlist demographics and will continue working with the Continuum of Care to align voucher strategies. The agency also stated it will continue exploring options for transitioning Emergency Housing Voucher recipients to other voucher types. Staff agreed to send information regarding landlord participation and the AHSP application process to subcommittee members. Finally, subcommittee members will review the AHSP application and prepare for upcoming meetings to evaluate project proposals, and the subcommittee will confirm the tentative meeting schedule.

Impact These discussions provide residents with insight into the current capacity and challenges of the region’s primary affordable housing provider. The HACA update clarifies the scale of the housing shortage, evidenced by the thousands of households on waitlists, and outlines specific policy changes, such as the new work requirements and income recertification schedules, that will affect voucher holders. The AHSP briefing informs the community about the timeline for new funding opportunities, highlighting a specific focus on housing for those displaced by Tropical Storm Helene and the requirement for projects to integrate with local homelessness services.