Lennay Schuler, project manager for housing at the Southwestern North Carolina Home Consortium, told the Haywood County Board of Commissioners on June 2 that the consortium has been allocated $625,690.80 for 2025 and is proposing to use the funds for new rental housing construction and tenant‑based rental assistance.

The proposal, Schuler said, would administer tenant‑based rental assistance in‑house with community partners and award rental housing construction through a competitive application cycle in 2026. Schuler also said the consortium is accepting public comment on its 2025 annual action plan; she directed listeners to the consortium website for the draft and contact information.

The item matters locally because the consortium pools HUD HOME funds for seven Western North Carolina counties and distributes grants to local governments and developers on a reimbursable basis. Schuler told commissioners the HOME program supports affordable housing and housing assistance for low‑ and moderate‑income households and aligns with the region’s 2021–2025 consolidated plan.

During questions, Schuler said the consortium has previously helped the Waynesville Housing Authority with a new roof and has considered projects with Mountain Projects and Haywood Pathways. She said some rental assistance awards returned to the consortium because of local capacity constraints. Schuler also said the consortium holds a separate pot of disaster relief funds that the county board authorized for use following recent flooding; she estimated those funds at “around 300, 320,000” and said they would be used for tenant‑based rental assistance strictly for disaster‑affected households in Haywood County.

Separately under the same consortium agenda, commissioners unanimously approved an amendment to the consortium’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) allocation plan to limit non‑congregate shelter activity to youth born through age 18. Schuler said the amendment responds to an “urgent need” for additional foster‑care housing capacity and noted that HUD requires population‑specific limitations in plans when projects are targeted to a defined group. She described non‑congregate shelter activity as intended to help counties create separate locations where children in foster care can have private rooms, beds and supportive services rather than temporary placement in offices or cots.

Commissioners also heard that in the 2024 application cycle the consortium received two applications but is recommending no awards because of applicant capacity concerns, insufficient secured funding and low projected return on investment. The consortium board recommended keeping the 2024 funds and rolling them over to future cycles or considering them if an eligible project comes forward between cycles.

No public speakers signed up at the hearing on the annual action plan, and Schuler closed the public comment portion after asking for attendees to speak.

Speakers at the meeting urged coordination with local agencies to ensure funds reach eligible households and noted capacity constraints among local nonprofits that have affected previous awards. The board approved the ARP amendment and the consortium staff recommendations by unanimous vote.

Background: the HOME Investment Partnerships Program is a HUD grant program; the Southwestern NC Home Consortium was formed in 2020 to receive HOME funds for seven Western North Carolina counties and their towns.