This issue report shows all of the earlier versions – to see the most current version, go here.

Summary (updated 2/9/26): At its February 3rd meeting, the Buncombe County Commission discussed winter shelter capacity, homelessness, and affordable housing development, but did not address anti-displacement or long-term housing stabilization. While Commissioners acknowledged rising need and costs, the focus remained on emergency response rather than prevention. The meeting highlighted growing housing pressures — and a missed opportunity to adopt a comprehensive strategy to prevent residents from losing housing in the first place. Read our full report back below.

Summary (updated 2/2/26): Buncombe County’s February 3rd agenda includes valuable investments in sustainability, recovery, and infrastructure, but without a countywide anti‑displacement policy, these actions risk accelerating displacement of long‑time residents. Current items like Commercial Property Assessed Capital Expenditure (C‑PACE) financing and sidewalk improvements highlight the urgent need for a consistent framework that identifies displacement risks and requires concrete protections so public investments benefit existing communities rather than pushing residents out of them.

Summary (updated 1/26/26): Members of the GAP Team made a public comment at the January 20th County Commission meeting, summarizing our call for a comprehensive anti-displacement policy. After the meeting, Commissioners Horton and Ball expressed an interest in this policy. We plan to share the same anti-displacement policy proposal with them that we are also sharing with the Asheville City Council. We are inviting you to join us in sharing this proposal with the full County Commission this week.

Summary (original 1/19/26): Buncombe County is advancing major decisions on economic development, transportation planning, and financing tools without an anti-displacement policy in place, despite growing housing instability. Without clear safeguards, these actions risk accelerating displacement of low-income residents and communities of color rather than supporting long-term community stability.

The Facts (Updated 2/2/26): The following items are on the February 3, 2026 Buncombe County Commission agenda and illustrate why an anti‑displacement policy is needed:

Commercial Property Assessed Capital Expenditure (C‑PACE) Program – Public Hearing: The County is considering final approval to participate in the NC C‑PACE program, which allows commercial property owners to access long‑term, low‑cost private financing for energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, and resiliency upgrades. The financing is repaid through a special assessment on the property tax bill. Staff is recommending that the Commission adopt the resolution to participate in the program.

Swannanoa Sidewalks Project – Small Business Infrastructure Grant Applications: The County is considering resolutions that would authorize staff to apply for state Small Business Infrastructure Grants to support sidewalk repair and expansion in Beacon Village as part of Hurricane Helene recovery. Staff is recommending approval of both resolutions to proceed with the grant applications.

Resolution Ordering Advertisement of Delinquent Real Estate Property Tax Liens: As required by state law, the County Commission is asked to authorize the advertisement of delinquent real estate tax liens. While largely procedural, this item reflects ongoing property tax pressures facing residents.

Together, these items reflect significant public actions that affect land values, operating costs, and long‑term affordability across the county.

The Facts (Updated 1/26/26): There were three items on the January 20th Buncombe County Commission agenda that we are highlighting (read the full agenda and support materials here):

Economic Development Coalition Annual Report

The Economic Development Coalition will present an annual report on its work to recruit and retain businesses, support job growth, and market the region for economic competitiveness. The report highlights investment successes, usually emphasizing new jobs, capital attracted, and industry expansion opportunities. This presentation is informational, and can be expected to influence future County priorities and incentive strategies.

Land Use & Transportation Update – French Broad River MPO

The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will provide a regional update on transportation planning and land use coordination across Buncombe County and surrounding jurisdictions. MPO work includes shaping long-range transportation projects, aligning infrastructure investment with growth forecasts, and coordinating with federal and state funding processes. The presentation is intended to inform Commissioners about regional planning priorities.

C-PACE Program – Resolution of Intent

The Board is asked to adopt a resolution signaling Buncombe County’s intent to participate in the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program. This state-enabled financing mechanism allows commercial and multifamily property owners to finance energy efficiency, resilience, and renewable energy improvements via voluntary assessments on property tax bills. The resolution is a policy statement enabling future participationnot approval of individual projects.

Our Assessment (Updated 2/2/26): Research shows that displacement is rarely sudden or unpredictable. It follows identifiable patterns that can be measured early – before residents are forced to move – using indicators such as rising rents, loss of naturally occurring affordable housing, shifts in income and tenure, and increased investor activity. Buncombe County is currently making high-impact decisions without systematically tracking or attending to these indicators, making decisions without an early-warning system as displacement pressures intensify.

Public investments and incentive programs routinely increase property values and market interest. In Buncombe County, where housing costs are already high and rising, these conditions create real displacement risk. Communities of color, low‑income residents, seniors on fixed incomes, and renters are especially vulnerable.

C‑PACE Program: C‑PACE can be a powerful sustainability and economic development tool. However, by lowering the cost of capital improvements for commercial property owners, it can also accelerate reinvestment, rent increases, and property turnover – particularly in older commercial corridors and mixed‑use areas. Without guardrails, C‑PACE could contribute to the displacement of small businesses, nonprofit tenants, and the workers and residents who depend on them. These risks are foreseeable and manageable, but only if the County explicitly identifies and addresses them.

Swannanoa Sidewalks and Infrastructure Investments: Sidewalk improvements in Beacon Village are clearly beneficial for safety, accessibility, and recovery. At the same time, infrastructure upgrades often signal new investment potential, increasing land values and speculative pressure. Without anti‑displacement measures – such as property tax relief, tenant protections, or affordability requirements – long‑time residents may be priced out of the very neighborhoods public funds are meant to support.

Property Tax Enforcement Context: The routine process of advertising delinquent tax liens highlights a deeper equity issue: as values rise, tax burdens increase, even for residents whose incomes have not. Without broader anti‑displacement strategies, enforcement mechanisms can compound financial stress and housing instability.

In short, the County is acting in various ways that together shape the housing market and neighborhood stability, but it lacks a consistent policy to ensure those actions do not deepen racial and economic inequities.

Our Assessment (Updated 1/26/26): Research shows that displacement is rarely sudden or unpredictable. It follows identifiable patterns that can be measured early – before residents are forced to move – using indicators such as rising rents, loss of naturally occurring affordable housing, shifts in income and tenure, and increased investor activity. Buncombe County is currently making high-impact decisions without systematically tracking or attending to these indicators, making decisions without an early-warning system as displacement pressures intensify.

In each of these issues, we see direct displacement implications that highlight the challenges of the County not having a clear and consistent Anti-Displacement Policy.

Economic Development Coalition (EDC) Annual Report

Economic development strategies that prioritize attracting outside investment, events, and corporate relocations can have unintended housing and displacement effects. New jobs and amenities can make the region more attractive to higher-income workers and investors, increasing demand for housing without parallel protections for existing residents. When housing supply does not keep pace, rents and home prices rise, exerting pressure on lower-income households who already spend disproportionate shares of income on rent. Without clear anti-displacement criteria tied to the EDC’s work, the County lacks a mechanism to assess how business attraction, incentive packages, and job growth align with community housing stability needs.

Buncombe County does not currently have a formal anti-displacement policy that ties economic development outcomes to housing stability metrics. This gap means decisions intended to spur economic growth can inadvertently exacerbate displacement pressures in neighborhoods where housing affordability is already strained.

Land Use & Transportation Update – French Broad River MPO

Transportation and land-use planning are powerful forces shaping neighborhood change. Improved roads, transit, and mobility infrastructure often raise nearby property values. The Missing Middle Housing Study and regional housing needs assessments underscore that housing supply is already insufficient for low- and moderate-income households, and displacement risk is rising in areas proximate to transit and growth corridors. Without anti-displacement screening or mitigation strategies, MPO-driven investments can intensify pressure on renters and homeowners with limited financial flexibility, forcing them to move out of established communities.

Just as in the case of economic development, in the absence of an explicit anti-displacement policy, transportation planning does not systematically account for housing outcomes. Infrastructure improvements are treated as technical projects rather than forces that can reshape land values and displace long-term residents, particularly in historically underserved or cost-burdened neighborhoods.

C-PACE Program – Resolution of Intent

C-PACE financing can unlock capital for property upgrades, but that very improvement can lead to displacement if costs are passed on to tenants or if the improved property is repositioned to attract higher-rent tenants. Multifamily housing owners who undertake energy or resilience upgrades may feel market pressure to increase rents to cover financing costs. In a market with a shortage of affordable units and high demand, this dynamic can contribute to displacement of renters, especially low-income families and communities with less wealth to absorb rent increases.

Without anti-displacement conditions — such as rent protections, affordability covenants, or tenant safeguards — the County’s participation in C-PACE could inadvertently fuel rent escalation in already tight rental markets. An anti-displacement policy would require weighing these impacts and attaching relevant conditions to County participation.

Our Proposal (Updated 2/2/26): We are calling on Buncombe County to adopt a clear anti-displacement policy that applies whenever County actions are likely to affect land values, housing costs, or neighborhood stability. The policy we are proposing has four core components, each designed to make displacement prevention a routine part of public decision-making rather than an afterthought. You can read our full proposed policy here.

1. Clear Triggers for When the Policy Applies
   The policy should apply to County actions that are known to increase displacement risk, including major infrastructure investments, economic development incentives, financing programs, rezonings, land-use changes, and recovery or resiliency initiatives. The goal is to ensure that displacement risk is assessed before decisions are made, not after harm has already occurred.
2. Required Displacement Impact Analysis
   When a policy trigger is met, staff should be required to analyze who may be affected and how. This includes identifying populations at heightened risk of displacement–such as low-income residents, renters, seniors, and communities of color–and assessing potential impacts on housing stability, commercial affordability, and neighborhood continuity. This analysis should be clearly presented to the Commission and the public as part of the decision-making process.
3. Concrete Mitigation Strategies
   When displacement risks are identified, the policy should require the use of specific mitigation tools rather than relying on general intentions. These may include affordability requirements, tenant protections, support for small businesses and nonprofits, property tax relief mechanisms, right-to-return commitments, or targeted housing investments. The appropriate tools will vary by action, but mitigation should be expected–not optional.
4. Accountability and Transparency
   Finally, the policy should ensure accountability by documenting how displacement risks were addressed and by making this information publicly accessible. Decision-makers and residents alike should be able to see whether mitigation commitments were made, what strategies were chosen, and how the County will track outcomes over time.

Taken together, these four components create a practical, workable framework. They do not stop investment or recovery efforts–they ensure that public action strengthens communities without pushing long-time residents out.

Our full proposed policy is here.

The Ask: Please see the most recent version of this report for the current call to action.

Email Template (updated 2/2/26)

Subject: It’s Time to Move from Crisis Response to a Comprehensive Anti-Displacement Policy

Dear Chair Edwards and Members of the Buncombe County Commission,

At your February 3rd meeting, you discussed winter shelter capacity, rising homelessness, and the increasing demand for affordable housing. I appreciate the work being done to respond to these urgent needs.

At the same time, that meeting made something clear: we are continuing to address housing instability reactively rather than preventively.

Emergency shelter, storm recovery, and housing production are important — but without a comprehensive anti-displacement policy, Buncombe County will continue to spend more and more public dollars managing crises instead of preventing them.

I urge you to begin developing a County-wide anti-displacement framework that:

• Identifies residents most at risk of displacement
• Ties public housing investments to clear anti-displacement safeguards
• Protects storm-impacted renters and homeowners
• Coordinates efforts across departments rather than addressing housing instability piecemeal

The February 3rd meeting highlighted the scale of the challenge. Now is the time to move upstream and address the root causes. I respectfully ask that you commit to developing a clear, countywide anti-displacement policy that ensures economic development, sustainability, and recovery efforts strengthen our communities without pushing residents out of them. You can review a draft recommended policy proposal at GAPavl.org – http://gapavl.org/anti-displacement-policy-proposal-for-asheville-and-buncombe-county/

Thank you for your service and for considering this request.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Template (original 1/19/26)

Subject: Please Address Displacement Risks in Upcoming County Decisions

Dear Commissioners,

I am writing as a Buncombe County resident to urge you to address displacement risks connected to several upcoming agenda items, including the Economic Development Coalition Annual Report, the Land Use & Transportation Update from the French Broad River MPO, and the Resolution of Intent to participate in the C-PACE program.

Research and best practice show that displacement is not random or inevitable – it follows measurable patterns such as rising rents, loss of lower-cost housing, and increased investment pressure. At present, the County is making major economic and infrastructure decisions without using these, or any, early-warning indicators to guide policy or prevent harm to the communities impacted by these decisions.

I am asking you to:

• Assess and continuously monitor the risk of displacement among neighborhoods in our region for greater awareness of those communities that are most vulnerable

• Require displacement impact analysis for major economic development and infrastructure decisions

• Ensure transportation and land-use planning are coordinated with housing stability goals

• Attach tenant protections and affordability safeguards to programs like C-PACE

• Begin the process of adopting a Countywide anti-displacement policy

Economic growth and sustainability should not come at the expense of long-time residents being pushed out of their homes and communities. I appreciate your leadership and urge you to take concrete steps to ensure County decisions support housing stability for all.

Thank you for your time and service.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Report Back (Updated 2/9/26)

At their February 3rd meeting, the County Commission continued to respond to housing crises, but has not yet adopted a comprehensive strategy to prevent displacement.

• Commissioners focused on winter shelter operations, homelessness response, and affordable housing development.
• Staff reported rising demand for shelter beds and increasing costs, with discussion centered on emergency response rather than prevention.
• Affordable housing updates highlighted a surge in development applications, but there was no discussion of protections for current residents.
• Storm recovery conversations did not address long-term displacement risks.
• Although housing instability was evident across multiple agenda items, anti-displacement was not discussed.

We plan to meet with County officials to work toward the development of a community-led process for developing an anti-displacement policy.

Report Back (Updated 1/26/26)

Members of the GAP Team made a public comment at the January 20th County Commission meeting, summarizing our call for a comprehensive anti-displacement policy. After the meeting, Commissioners Horton and Ball expressed an interest in this policy. We plan to share the same anti-displacement policy proposal with them that we’re sharing with the Asheville City Council. We will invite you to join us in sharing this proposal with the full County Commission in our next GAP Report.

Total GAP Supporter Actions Taken: 21

Recipients and Responses:

Buncombe County Commission

• County Commission Chair Amanda Edwards: No response
• County Commissioner Al Whitesides: No response
• County Commissioner Drew Ball: Expressed interest after 1/20/26 County Commission meeting, and emailed about setting up a meeting
• County Commissioner Jennifer Horton: Expressed interest after 1/20/26 County Commission meeting
• County Commissioner Martin Moore: No response
• County Commissioner Parker Sloane: No response
• County Commissioner Terri Wells: No response