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Buncombe County reports $24.9 million in ARPA housing investments; 455 units expected
Summary
County staff briefed the housing committee on American Rescue Plan Act investments totaling about $50.7 million, with roughly $24.9 million directed to housing development, an estimated 455 units in development projects, and more than 1,570 households served by household-assistance programs to date.
Buncombe County housing staff told the Housing Committee that roughly $24.9 million of the county's approximately $50.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds have been allocated to housing-related projects, with an estimated 455 new affordable housing units planned across several developments.
The funding update came from Tyler Henry, strategic partnerships staff, who said affordable housing ranked highest in public input sessions when the county decided how to use ARPA funds. “Out of all the housing related ARPA investments, there's 24.9 out of that 50,700,000.0, so approximately 49% of all of our funds are in housing related projects,” Henry said.
Why it matters: ARPA funds are flexible federal dollars. Nearly half directed to housing signals a sustained local emphasis on development, household assistance and homelessness response following storm impacts earlier in the year.
County staff presented the major development projects and estimated unit counts: Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, Mountain Housing Opportunities (including a recent groundbreaking announced after the storm), Haywood Street Community Development, Homeward Bound, and an internal Cox Avenue affordable housing project. Combined, staff estimated 455 new units from the listed projects (figures do not include potential additional units associated with Berry Road, staff said).
Household-assistance programs supported by ARPA and other pots were also summarized. Staff said programs led by Thrive, Evelyn Charity (stability for older adults), Greenbelt, The Arc of Buncombe County, Land of Sky Regional Council, Calabash (spelled in slides as “Calabrio” — not specified), Villanova (as listed in the slide), and county internal home-repair projects are expected to assist a cumulative total of about 1,570 households once all projects are completed. The assistance covers rental help, energy-efficiency upgrades, internet access, workforce development and repairs to existing housing stock.
On homelessness response, Henry listed two projects: HelpMate’s planned 42-bed shelter for survivors of domestic violence and a coordinated shelter support partnership with the City of Asheville that staff said supports operations across multiple organizations, preserving 40 existing beds and adding 17 new beds.
Committee members asked about project status. Henry said many development projects have either broken ground or completed spending the funds that were granted; some are still under development and using the grants to complete their capital stacks. He pointed to Mountain Housing Opportunities as a recent ground-breaking and said Ferry Road and Cox Avenue remain to be kicked off.
Committee members also asked how families in need find these programs. Henry said project information is posted on the county ARPA webpage (buncombecounty/ARPA) and that callers to 2-1-1 or the county’s one-call resource lines are commonly redirected to programs. He said there is not a single unified application portal for every program and that community partners are discussing better referral and application coordination.
County staff said they will provide ongoing status updates, including when groundbreakings occur and when the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency announces tax-credit awards later in the summer.
Ending: Staff said quarterly reports and year-end updates will be brought to the committee in August; committee members asked staff to continue notifying them of project milestones.
