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Subcommittee approves $2.22 million slate of affordable housing awards, sends recommendations to Buncombe County board
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Summary
The Buncombe County Affordable Housing Subcommittee voted to approve a $2,216,750 slate of awards across home‑repair, shelter expansion and development projects and will forward the recommendations to the full Board of Commissioners; staff said contracting could begin July 1 if the board adopts the slate.
The Buncombe County Affordable Housing Subcommittee approved a slate of funding recommendations totaling $2,216,750 and voted to forward the awards to the full Board of County Commissioners as part of the budget process.
The chair read the proposed allocations and invited discussion before a formal motion. The slate presented included (amounts as read to the subcommittee): Habitat (street) $500,000; Asheville Buncombe Community Land Trust $30,000; Habitat for Humanity (home repair) $600,000; Collaborative (emergency repair) $264,650; Mountain Housing Opportunities (home repair) $400,000; Council on Aging (senior home repairs) $75,000; Energy Savers Network (emergency repairs) $50,000; market fund/affordable housing capacity $25,000; Urban Charities $200,000; Safe Shelter expansion $167,100. Staff reported those line items brought the total to $2,216,750.
A committee member raised concerns about equity in the application review, saying "this is my first year on the subcommittee, and part of the process is, just inherently unfair to, all the applicants because we have new construction buying against other existing programs," and urged the group to consider separate funding pots for new construction and ongoing programs. The same member said they would not support the Ferry Road project but would support the Cox Avenue project.
A staff member explained how prior subcommittee recommendations and funding sources factored into the current slate, noting that "the usual recurring and expected $2,300,000 allocation of the general fund" is the baseline the subcommittee had used and that previous recommendations could change what is available; staff also said some Cox Avenue funding could be covered by bond proceeds if needed.
After a short recess to verify calculations, a committee member proposed allocating the remaining $95,000 as $45,000 for Council on Aging senior home repairs and $50,000 for the Energy Savers Network emergency repairs. A motion to adopt the proposed slate "with the dollar amounts" as presented was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote; no opposition was raised on the record.
Staff said conditional award letters will be issued as needed and that, if the board adopts the recommendations, contracting assistance is expected to begin July 1. The subcommittee concluded with thanks to applicants and staff and adjourned at 01:41.
Action and next step: the subcommittee’s recommendations will be transmitted to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners for final approval as part of the county budget process.
