POSITIVE
Community advocacy helped preserve funding for 126 affordable apartments
On June 23rd, the Asheville City Council approved an amendment to the housing recovery portion of the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery action plan. They shifted $19.2 million originally allocated to infrastructure and multifamily affordable housing construction to fund more single-family home repair and reconstruction work. While we continue to have concerns about the transparency and efficiency of the Renew NC home reconstruction program, the final amendment approved by City Council preserved significantly more funding for affordable multifamily housing than originally proposed last December – enough to fund a new housing development that will offer 126 affordable units. This week, we’re taking a look at what changed, why it matters, and how GAPavl supporters’ efforts contributed to this positive outcome. We’re also encouraging folks to thank City staff and Council for listening to community input.
REPORT BACKS
Building on Buncombe County’s Commitment to Preventing Displacement
Last week, GAP published a special report asking Buncombe County to adopt a comprehensive anti-displacement policy as part of its housing strategy. As of this week’s report, we have not yet received a response from County staff or Commissioners. We’ll continue to follow this issue and report on any developments as they occur.