Affordable Housing Committee Meeting

The Buncombe County Affordable Housing Committee met on June 3, 2025, to review county housing efforts and address current challenges related to affordable housing. The meeting focused on updates regarding funding across multiple departments, the impact of recent storms, and amendments to the committee’s bylaws.

The only formal vote taken at the meeting was to approve the minutes from the May 6, 2025 meeting. The motion passed with a 3-0 vote. No other items were voted upon or formally decided during the session.

A significant portion of the discussion centered on amending the committee’s bylaws. Currently, the bylaws require representation from specific county districts (1, 2, and 3). Due to changing district lines and voter confusion, the committee discussed eliminating this requirement to allow for more flexible appointment of commissioners based on interest and expertise rather than district affiliation. The committee voted to amend the bylaws to remove the district-specific representation requirement. Additionally, the committee directed staff to research best practices from other county committees regarding community member appointments and present options at the March 4th meeting.

Staff and agency representatives provided detailed updates on housing programs and funding. Matthew Cable presented an overview of the Housing Recovery Support Function, an initiative established after recent storms to coordinate housing recovery efforts, data collection, and support for programs like rental assistance and home repair. Jonathan Jones provided an update on the Affordable Housing Service Program (AHSP), outlining its funding process and presenting three potential avenues for action to address storm-related needs: contract scope modifications, program changes such as adjusting repair limits, and loan payment deferrals. Other updates covered funding from Aging & Adult Services, Economic Services, Strategic Partnerships, Libraries, and Behavioral Health, detailing allocations for home repairs, homelessness response, and household assistance.

Jeffrey Barton, President and CEO of Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO), provided public comment regarding the challenges MHO is facing. He highlighted significant damage to affordable housing assets due to recent flooding, specifically mentioning the Flora Weight Depot in the River Arts District, and noted economic hardship leading to rent delinquency. Barton requested consideration of a one-year loan deferral from the county to help MHO manage these challenges. In response to this request, the committee agreed to consider MHO’s request for a one-year loan deferral, along with other potential projects needing assistance.

The committee will further evaluate MHO’s loan deferral request and other potential projects needing assistance at the March 4th meeting. Staff will also research and present options for community member appointments to the committee at that same meeting. Additionally, staff will issue an updated report to include the closing of the Lakeshore Villas and Maribel projects, and the Housing Recovery Support Function will continue collecting and analyzing data to inform housing strategies regarding the impact of recent storms.