Summary: Council will consider a proposal to use city-owned land and public housing funds to create 42 affordable homeownership units at Oak Hill. We view the proposal as a promising use of public land but believe Council should receive a clear public explanation of what options were considered to serve lower-income households and why the proposed affordability mix represents the best achievable outcome.

The Facts: The City is proposing to sell approximately 3.7 acres of city-owned land at 29 Oak Hill Drive to a development partnership for $1 and provide a $1.6 million construction loan to support development of 42 townhomes for affordable homeownership.

Under the proposal, 10 homes would be affordable to households earning up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI), 10 homes would be affordable to households earning up to 100% AMI, and 22 homes would be affordable to households earning up to 110% AMI. The project would include deed restrictions designed to preserve affordability for 20 years, along with down-payment assistance for qualifying buyers.

The Housing and Community Development Committee recently discussed whether some units could be made affordable to households earning 60% of AMI or below. Staff have indicated they are exploring options and will provide additional information to Council.

You can see the staff report on this issue here and the presentation slides here.

Our Assessment: Overall, this proposal deserves support.

The project is notable because it focuses on ownership rather than rental housing. Homeownership remains one of the most important pathways to long-term housing stability and wealth building, yet it has become increasingly inaccessible for many Asheville residents. Creating opportunities for moderate-income households to purchase homes can help keep working families in the community.

At the same time, this proposal involves both publicly owned land and public financing. Whenever public resources are used, residents have a legitimate interest in understanding how affordability decisions were made and who ultimately benefits.

The Housing and Community Development Committee recently asked whether some units could be made affordable to households earning 60% of AMI or below. We know from previous studies, like the one done by Thrive Asheville, that “affordable housing” that targets 80% AMI and above actually increases racial disparities in housing access. With that in mind, the public deserves a clear answer. Before approving the agreement, Council should receive a transparent explanation of what options were considered, what additional resources would be required to reach lower-income households, and why those options were or were not included in the final proposal.

This is not an argument that the project should be rejected. It is an argument that public investments should be accompanied by public accountability. If the proposed affordability mix is the best achievable outcome, residents deserve to understand why. If additional affordability is possible, residents deserve to know that as well.

Things to do: Contact City Council and ask them to publicly explain what options were considered to serve households at lower income levels and why the proposed affordability mix represents the best use of public land and public housing dollars.

Email Template: You can send an email to the members of the Buncombe County Commission by filling out the form below. Our email tool will send an individually addressed email to the recipients, and enable us to track how many emails were sent overall in the campaign. If you prefer to write your own email, you can copy and paste (and adapt) our template text – please cc: or bcc: info@gapavl.org on your individualized email, so we can better track how many emails were sent.

Important: If you receive a response to your email, please forward it to us at info@gapavl.org so we can reflect that in the report back.

To: AshevilleNCCouncil@ashevillenc.gov

CC: or BCC: info@gapavl.org

Subject: Please ensure transparency and accountability at Oak Hill

Dear Mayor and Council Members,

I am encouraged by the progress being made on the City’s Anti-Displacement and Affordable Housing Project, including development of a displacement risk assessment tool and an anti-displacement resolution. These efforts reflect the importance of carefully evaluating who benefits from public investments and how decisions affect vulnerable residents and neighborhoods.

With that in mind, I appreciate the City’s efforts to use publicly owned land to address Asheville’s housing challenges through the proposed Oak Hill affordable homeownership development. The proposal has many promising elements, including affordable homeownership opportunities, long-term affordability restrictions, and the use of public land for public benefit.

Because this project involves both publicly owned land and public housing funds, I believe residents deserve both a clear explanation of how the affordability levels were determined and an opportunity to understand whether the project is serving the residents most vulnerable to displacement. The Housing and Community Development Committee recently discussed whether some units could be made affordable to households earning 60% of Area Median Income or below. Before approving the development agreement, I encourage Council to publicly explain:

• What options were considered to reach lower-income households;
• What additional resources would be required to achieve deeper affordability;
• Why those options were or were not included in the final proposal; and
• Why the proposed affordability mix represents the greatest achievable public benefit.

This is an important opportunity to demonstrate transparency and accountability in the use of public land and public resources.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

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