County explores rural housing authority to access federal grants and expand affordable housing

At a work session focused on revenue and programs for FY26, Josh Crawford and Glyn DePaul presented the creation of a rural housing authority as a way to unlock federal grant opportunities and support local homeownership and workforce development.

Why it matters: staff said a housing authority could make the county eligible for USDA and other funding streams that target rehabilitation, emergency repairs and construction for very low- and low-income rural homeowners. The proposal was positioned as a means to expand housing availability for current residents and to tie workforce training to housing production.

Staff cited USDA income limits (transcript example: a 1–4 person household 'low income' threshold presented as $85,000) to illustrate typical program eligibility and noted several recent grant examples in the region: Renovation Alliance ($210,000), the Thomas Jefferson Planning District ($212,000) for emergency repairs and rehabilitation, and a $110,000 award to Appalachia Service Project assisting 15 owner-occupied homes. Staff also referenced training-and-build models elsewhere (Southside Research Group; Southern Appalachia Labor School) that combine skills training with local housing construction.

Crawford said housing authority status could allow the county to pursue USDA and other federal grants to fund rehabilitation and new construction targeted at low- and moderate-income residents and to align workforce training with housing development.

Commissioners asked for follow-up on grant examples, eligibility thresholds, and how a housing authority would interact with county procurement and developer roles. No formal action was taken; staff said they would provide additional details and example programs for further board consideration.