GAP Report for 1/26/26
Summary of the Report
New Item: Asheville needs to adopt an anti-displacement policy
Asheville is experiencing intensifying housing instability driven by rising rents, redevelopment, and public investments that increase land values without consistent safeguards for existing residents’ability to continue to afford to live there. In the absence of a clear, enforceable anti-displacement framework, individual City decisions that may seem reasonable in isolation can cumulatively accelerate displacement — particularly for renters, Black residents, low-income households, and others who have historically faced exclusion from the benefits of growth.
The January 27 City Council agenda illustrates this dynamic. Items related to zoning changes, rezonings, economic development incentives, and downtown management all shape housing demand, land use, and access to public space. Yet none of these decisions are currently required to be evaluated for their potential to displace current residents. This piecemeal approach obscures cumulative impacts and makes it difficult for Council to act strategically to prevent displacement.
GAP is proposing that Asheville City and Buncombe County adopt a comprehensive anti-displacement policy. The policy would require displacement risk screening for major actions, apply a tiered response framework that links higher risk to stronger mitigation, and establish clear monitoring and accountability mechanisms. Similar approaches are already in place in North Carolina jurisdictions such as Mecklenburg, Wake, and Durham Counties, where growth has continued alongside stronger protections for community stability. Asheville has an opportunity to build on these precedents and ensure that growth does not come at the expense of long-standing residents’ housing stability.
Item Updates
We have a report back on the issue we centered last week – Buncombe County needs to adopt an anti-displacement policy.
To read more about these issues, simply scroll down or click the links highlighted above.
Active Issue Reports
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
PREVIOUS REPORTS
GAP Report for 12/4/23
The Community Reparations Commission meets TONIGHT, Monday, December 4 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The meeting will be held at the Harrah's Cherokee Center Banquet Hall at 87 Haywood Street in Asheville. The public is welcome to attend. Meeting materials are available...
GAP Report for 11/20/23
The Buncombe County Commission meets this Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 5:00 pm, at 200 College Street, Room 326, in downtown Asheville. You can watch the meeting live (or a recording of it later) online via Buncombe County's Facebook page. The full agenda is here. 0...
GAP Report for 11/13/23
The Asheville City Council meets this Tuesday November 14, 2023 at 5 pm. You can attend the meeting on the 2nd Floor of City Hall, 70 Court Plaza in downtown Asheville. You can watch the meeting online at this link.The full agenda for the formal meeting is here. 0...
GAP Report for 11/6/23
The Community Reparations Commission meets TONIGHT, Monday, November 6 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The meeting will be held at the Harrah's Cherokee Center Banquet Hall at 87 Haywood Street in Asheville. The public is welcome to attend. Meeting materials are available...
GAP Report for 10/23/2023
The Asheville City Council meets this Tuesday 10/24/2023 at 5 pm. You can attend the meeting on the 2nd Floor of City Hall, 70 Court Plaza in downtown Asheville. You can watch the meeting online at this link. The full agenda is here. The next City Board of Education...