[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6346001,"mediaKeyId","2247696-897a3f5258a452077c2dc605ee87a621","parentId",2247696,"title","Asheville begins drafting $225 million CDBG-DR action plan with public feedback period set for March","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",8423000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247696-897a3f5258a452077c2dc605ee87a621&start=8423&end=8423","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247696-897a3f5258a452077c2dc605ee87a621/thumbnail_8423000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6346001/Asheville-City/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Asheville-begins-drafting-225-million-CDBG-DR-action-plan-with-public-feedback-period-set-for-March","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346001-f6c0c01988f6c7ea17d04e2de6081c71/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202230&Signature=YH~0J82pTY0jXqLhewEpsQAGsGIB4fdu-R~qxPEEuq1ZDD1g-yvnyZmCv6HgBe1uOt8UjEpOvTkO98RQOriZavWou9PWeknAmvDHrTwDaDpB5akfduBbM-yMR1IrD9djOxgnPv1Bo47DEfhOfELXgRebouzDYHQI0FeolimoikEfpaF-WmNOKZBTz1TZWcCiAArpbIK8zUO11FtGP9ovnSBAgisBSRwExJjk2xv9KtpsFxCjVRBVEOkjLG3GEXTyouB57nIKwC9CePiC5npJf7F-ZdNWeULoP2THNfCkR2dCpzr4X8eEy5F9QtaMb71nxbuXdniMeaNGNe5Yz7lLRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Asheville City, NC","date","2025-02-07T07:05:54Z","article","City staff told the Feb. 6 agenda briefing that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has directly allocated $225 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to the City of Asheville and staff will develop an action plan to identify unmet needs and programming priorities.

James Shelton, the city’s Community Development Division manager, said the allocation includes about $195 million for housing, infrastructure and economic-revitalization activities, and about $29 million set aside for mitigation tied to those investments. Shelton and Stan of Hagerty Consulting explained the city has 90 days from HUD’s allocation to submit an action plan (April 21) and that HUD will take up to 45 days to review the submitted plan.

Stan with Hagerty, a former HUD official, noted statutory and programmatic guardrails: at least 70% of program expenditures must benefit low- and moderate-income persons, HUD allows up to 5% for local administrative costs and up to 15% for planning in limited circumstances, and grantees must comply with cross-cutting federal requirements including environmental reviews, Davis-Bacon labor standards and the Uniform Relocation Act when applicable.

Staff said they will post a draft action plan for a 30-day public comment period beginning March 4 and will hold at least three public feedback sessions (focused on housing, economic recovery and infrastructure) during March. Shelton asked council to review the draft and indicated staff would bring a final action plan for council consideration on April 8 with the intent to submit to HUD on or by April 21. Staff emphasized the action plan is a starting document that HUD expects grantees to amend as recovery needs evolve and as additional information becomes available.

Council members asked about sequencing and how CDBG-DR investments will relate to other recovery programs. Staff said CDBG-DR is intended for long-term recovery investments and is designed to be coordinated with FEMA public-assistance projects, state allocations and other local resources. Shelton said the city anticipates a multi-year implementation horizon and will return to council with program specifics, allocations and proposed project lists after the public comment period and additional analysis.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Agenda Briefing – February 6, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff and Hagerty Consulting outlined a draft schedule to submit a Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery action plan after HUD allocated $225 million to Asheville; staff plans a March 4 draft posting and an April 8 council approval for HUD submission.","taxTitle","Asheville City, Buncombe County, North Carolina","taxId",3915,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6346005,"FEMA reports steady shift from hotel sheltering to rental and direct housing in Asheville",1195,6817000,8012000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247696-897a3f5258a452077c2dc605ee87a621&start=6817&end=8012","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247696-897a3f5258a452077c2dc605ee87a621/thumbnail_6817000.jpg","/articles/6346005/Asheville-City/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/FEMA-reports-steady-shift-from-hotel-sheltering-to-rental-and-direct-housing-in-Asheville","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346005-8e31812c1d4442087545d5a49598f995/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202230&Signature=QipECuq~6r2jBbT3SNPGEaasjCDoDXT1WuaLdZR2ajMT8-NJ9S~~MAMy5BE2aPg~MGgKE33O-qnM~hshhQlP3~oWQgvc3HasuurKx1y1zumb-jdGCXUIHsVnKpXWjtdJ7erlUWnoD4kN~dSP0cqESMpsy5tHsJaAc7jLDzx1Uzf7CIbU38bzYn2Uzg0eRBfTQ6I5FSYvYa8VWWu0NrMV9vqV6~EqvXxLZ5d-YfJoMNOLWcj1va9rU38xItxSFBBlu7CqaRNcchZEVqqYdebgxt776UVkq-ncXbMPg7Sp8GNUtQhJso62sy05b9Bram5Bcy9eP1UevzoX-iQ86tNH6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","FEMA representatives updated the Asheville City Council on Feb. 6, reporting ongoing individual assistance disbursements, progress on direct housing placements and an extension of the FEMA registration deadline to March 8.

Bob Spence, FEMA liaison for Asheville and Buncombe County, said about $48 million in FEMA individual assistance has been distributed to roughly 31,000 city residents since the storm. Spence said FEMA has referred approximately 925 households for direct housing assistance and that 58 people have been “licensed” into a direct housing unit — the point at which applicants receive keys — with about 95 additional people actively being placed.

“On average right now probably licensing 1 to 2 units in a day,” Spence said, noting inspections and utility tie-ins were delaying some placements. He said the county and state casework, and local partners, have helped convert many hotel occupants to rental assistance: the city’s rental assistance caseload stood at 928 and Transitional Shelter Assistance (hotel) counts were 384; Buncombe County’s TSA figure was 642.

Todd Hoose, FEMA external affairs, described outreach to hotel residents at risk of losing temporary shelter if they do not respond to FEMA contact attempts, and urged anyone with questions about their case to visit a Disaster Recovery Center. “The biggest travesty would be those individuals who don't reach out to us who are eligible for additional assistance,” Hoose said, adding FEMA has engaged in on-site hotel outreach and has coordinated with state and local disaster case-management teams.

FEMA also said it has two currently open Disaster Recovery Centers in the area — in Weaverville and Fairview — and that a larger regional center on the A-B Tech downtown campus is being procured and will be announced when contracts for facility services are completed. Spence and Hoose reminded council that the registration deadline initially set for Feb. 8 has been extended by 30 days to March 8, and encouraged residents with unmet needs to register now and update their case records.

Council members asked for clarity about landlord engagement and the direct-lease program. Spence said the original estimate of 925 potential direct-lease households reflected higher early need; current counts show about 95 households need direct leasing at present because many applicants have obtained other solutions or rental assistance. FEMA officials and staff agreed to work with city and nonprofit partners to improve outreach to applicants who have not responded to FEMA calls and to publicize the incoming AB Tech Disaster Recovery Center when contracts are finalized.","FEMA told council that millions in individual assistance has been paid, rental assistance is increasing while hotel shelter counts decline, direct housing licensing is ongoing, and the FEMA registration deadline was extended to March 8.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6346011,"Asheville council continues debate on UDO changes to promote housing along transit corridors",5195,1376000,6571000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247696-897a3f5258a452077c2dc605ee87a621&start=1376&end=6571","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247696-897a3f5258a452077c2dc605ee87a621/thumbnail_1376000.jpg","/articles/6346011/Asheville-City/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Asheville-council-continues-debate-on-UDO-changes-to-promote-housing-along-transit-corridors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346011-5f0927b58c816734141e30e767cc45ad/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202230&Signature=Ajn58ekifanwtUn9X2mZly6226t8lPxM5gc~PnUF9cqdjRe5gl-Quu~LjjPDRIdkzw1HNuFKkj6fx0of0DaCAwERKyVOiLk8780E07pQh7gpMspf-9GC-NRdPaSNDmuxootxDus3QqohJEeHZgdEoWIi66dBu7gghyZu7Exewx5AXJkZ7vTKIBJoJ8nyhEr9FfaHMCVmOA7gm35r75XUUJYSUZAyjnmP3Hjy4aeRkxI1FkXYzS9yPCXWzWFOxuKW03zMRWbOG41ijlJH~4VSgzC-UGtWEe8WZkmCo~XyvVfYgr6kwK8rLDwfFFP9eEqA8MEv~UN3lSJ~Xew~O~bM1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning staff presented proposed Unified Development Ordinance text-and-map amendments on Feb. 6 designed to increase by-right housing capacity along transit-supportive corridors and mixed-use centers, and Council members agreed to continue the public hearing to March 11 to allow more outreach and mapping.

The amendments, presented by Chris Collins of the City of Asheville Planning and Urban Design team, would raise development-review thresholds so larger attached-residential projects could be approved administratively rather than through conditional zoning, eliminate minimum automobile parking requirements along targeted corridors, and relax some district-specific building-size limits while keeping existing height caps. Collins said the baseline change would allow a single-use residential project up to 100,000 square feet to proceed as a level-2 (staff-level) review, and a mixed-use residential project up to 150,000 square feet, with larger allowances available in exchange for affordability commitments.

The proposal is framed as the city’s first “batch” of regulatory changes to reduce development barriers on commercial corridors and to incentivize affordable and attainable housing. Collins and Stephanie Dahl, director of Planning and Urban Design, told council the package is intended to align with goals in the September 2024 Affordable Housing Plan and the city’s missing-middle housing work.

Council members and neighborhood representatives pressed staff on engagement and geographic scope. Vice Mayor Antoinette Mosley and others said legacy neighborhoods—including Shiloh and Emma—feel they were not engaged early enough and are concerned that corridor-targeted changes could increase development pressure adjacent to vulnerable residential areas. Planning staff said applying the amendments to baseline zoning districts (for example, Highway Business/HB) means carving out only some portions is difficult; staff said removing those zoning districts would remove roughly 60% of the corridor land area that the proposal covers.

Council members requested more concrete examples tying the proposed square-foot thresholds to typical local projects and asked staff to report how many recent projects would have been processed differently under the new thresholds. Collins said staff’s preliminary review shows about 52% of residential projects designated level 3 since 2021 would no longer require conditional rezoning under the proposed baseline or the affordability tiers. Several council members asked for sample project comparisons (square footage and units), a GIS layer that shows the corridor map against legacy neighborhood boundaries, and an analysis of whether the tiered affordability incentives would actually generate affordable units rather than purely larger market projects.

City Manager Deborah Campbell and staff proposed next steps: post an interactive GIS layer for council and the public, continue the public hearing to allow additional engagement with legacy neighborhoods, and return with additional detail and examples. Mayor Esther Manheimer closed the item by saying the amendment will be set for Tuesday’s meeting with a motion to continue to March 11; staff confirmed the item would be calendared with a continuance to that date.

Council members did not take a final vote; the continued hearing will give staff time to provide the requested maps, example project analyses, and additional outreach documentation. If council advances the amendments after further review, changes to thresholds, parking, and district standards would alter how many housing projects require conditional rezoning versus administrative review and would change development review timelines for larger residential and mixed-use projects.","City staff proposed zoning text-and-map amendments to raise project thresholds, remove minimum parking and loosen building-size limits along transit-supportive corridors. Council and legacy neighborhood representatives pressed for more outreach and mapping; council agreed to continue the public hearing to March 11.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Asheville begins drafting $225 million CDBG-DR action plan with public feedback period set for March

FEMA reports steady shift from hotel sheltering to rental and direct housing in Asheville

Asheville council continues debate on UDO changes to promote housing along transit corridors