Morgan County hears HOME program overview; moves to participate in Eastern Panhandle HOME Consortium

A county meeting public hearing on HOME program funding included an overview of how the Eastern Panhandle HOME Consortium of West Virginia uses U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HOME funds and a motion to authorize Morgan County to participate in the consortium for the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.

The HOME program representative said the consortium—led administratively by the City of Martinsburg and made up of Martinsburg plus Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties—has received more than $7 million since starting in February 2007 and expects an approximate HUD entitlement for fiscal year 2025 of $455,810 for the consortium (final federal funding levels were described as not yet finalized). The presenter said Morgan County currently has $162,761 in prior HOME program dollars on hand, not including the FY2025 allocation.

The presenter described the principal eligible activities under HOME funds: new construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing; conversion and site improvements; refinancing of debt on housing projects being rehabilitated with HOME funds; acquisition of improved or unimproved land; and soft costs such as architectural and engineering services, environmental review and project-related staff time. The consortium also runs a first-time homebuyer assistance program; the presenter said Martinsburg typically issues up to $14,500 per household at closing for down payment or closing costs as a deferred, no-interest loan that converts to a grant if the buyer remains in the home for five years.

The presentation noted program limits and administration rules set by HUD: a 15% set-aside for CHDOs (Community Housing Development Organizations; the Eastern Panhandle CHDO named was Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Panhandle) and a maximum of 10% of the grant for program administration. The City of Martinsburg prepares a five-year consolidated plan (the presenter said the FY2024–29 plan is in place) and an annual action plan each year to specify how funds will be used.

Commissioners and the presenter discussed operational constraints: HUD updates income and purchase price limits annually (the presenter said HUD issues a nationwide table each spring), rising local house prices make the program’s price caps harder to meet, and the consortium can only operate certain rental or emergency rental programs if an agency is willing to manage them. The presenter said city inspectors provide an additional property inspection to ensure habitability before funds are disbursed.

During public comment, a commissioner and attendees praised the program’s record of helping local buyers and noted that $14,500 can be meaningful, but several speakers also said the local housing market and HUD price caps are limiting program reach. The presenter said staff plan to contact local realtors and mortgage lenders to encourage use of the assistance product and solicited community input to shape any FY2025 action plan.

The commission heard a motion to approve a resolution authorizing Morgan County to participate in the Eastern Panhandle HOME Consortium for July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026; the transcript records the motion and discussion but does not record a detailed roll-call tally in the portion provided.

Next steps reported on the record included continued solicitation of public input on housing needs, outreach to local real-estate and mortgage professionals, and that precise FY2025 HUD entitlement figures would be finalized once the federal budget is set.