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• Buncombe County needs to adopt an anti-displacement policy (updated)
• Asheville needs to adopt an anti-displacement policy (updated)

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• Asheville considers building performing arts center next to The Block

Updated item: Buncombe County needs to adopt an anti-displacement policy – County Commission agenda items underscore the need for an anti-displacement policy

Buncombe County will meet on February 17 to discuss several items that highlight why an anti-displacement policy is urgently needed. This week, the County is exploring new funding strategies for land conservation and affordable housing, and is considering changes to how certain property taxes are structured. These are major decisions that affect land values and taxes. Without clear guardrails, rising values and public investments can unintentionally contribute to displacement.

At this week’s briefing before the full commission meeting, Staff will present an update on the 2026 countywide property reappraisal — the process that updates home values for tax purposes. According to their report, property values across the county remain well above 2021 levels, and significant increases are expected. Higher property values mean higher tax bills later this year, which can put pressure on long-time homeowners, especially seniors and working families. (Also important to note is that for Asheville City residents, there is the added pressure of an anticipated property tax increase to close the $30 million budget deficit.)

There are also signs of progress toward an anti-displacement policy for the County. Commissioners Drew Ball and Jennifer Horton have expressed interest in exploring how Buncombe County could enact a policy to proactively prevent and address displacement. They have asked staff to present possible next steps at an upcoming briefing and indicated openness to a community-informed process. That interest is encouraging – but it must turn into a formal commitment.

An Informational Item: Asheville considers building performing arts center next to The Block

We are also sharing information about developing plans for a performing arts center in Asheville. Back in August of 2025, the City engaged the European company ATG to do “predevelopment work to create a public-private facility.” A big piece of that work is determining where the facility would be located, and we’re hearing that there is momentum toward building it on the City-owned lot between Marjorie and Eagle Streets, behind City Hall and next to The Block, Asheville’s historic Black business district. We have no call to action on this matter yet, but have concerns that we articulate below, and want to make sure community members are aware of this developing situation.

For most of our history, GAPavl has focused on the full range of issues that come before City Council and County Commission, encouraging timely action on specific agenda items. We’re going to keep doing that whenever the need arises. But we also know that real political change requires a long-term perspective. It requires perseverance. It requires staying with an issue long after it stops being “new.”

As we see it, pushing Asheville and Buncombe County to commit to anti-displacement is of vital importance, which is why we’ve been emailing you about it for over a month now. We know it’s hard – for elected officials and for all of us – to maintain focus on an overarching policy change that will take time to develop and implement. We’re not entirely sure we have the perfect formula for doing that, but we are committed to trying, and encourage you to stay with us.