“Housing is in short supply and unaffordable. Rather than take an honest and comprehensive look at the issues, barriers and contributors to the problems, however, we in Asheville have smugly chosen the easy way out.”
Tag: Affordable housing
Showing 148-168 of 344 results
News briefs: City plans Haywood Street improvements; announces affordable housing work session
Council to discuss temporary hotel ban The city’s Planning and Economic Development Committee voted on Aug. 29 to put the question of imposing a temporary moratorium on new hotel construction to the full Council at an upcoming meeting. First proposed by Council member Julie Mayfield, a moratorium could give the city time to develop new […]
When neighbors attack: How Asheville Nextdoor discussions go south
“So much for the popular Nextdoor mantra, ‘When neighbors start talking, good things happen’; a more accurate one might be, ‘When judgmental locals start talking, local places get unfairly dissed.'”
Letter: Transplant counters ‘Dissatisfied’ view
“In fairy tales perhaps, evil outsiders raise their own rent, but in reality, rents are set by local property owners and local real estate developers.”
Commission weighs $680K Habitat for Humanity loan
Habitat plans to use the money to provide down payment assistance for 38 affordable housing units at its proposed Old Haywood Road neighborhood in West Asheville. Households earning 80% or less of the area median income ($52,800 for a family of four) would receive $20,000 toward a home purchase.
Asheville City Council plans affordable housing, hotel moratorium discussions
On Friday, Sept. 6, said Council member Julie Mayfield, the city will hold an affordable housing work session to explore options such as tiny homes and housing voucher acceptance for long-term rentals. Mayfield also announced that Council plans to discuss whether the city should temporarily ban new hotels in the city during its Planning and Economic Development Committee meeting on Thursday, Aug. 29.
Asheville City Council to consider $530K loan for Homeward Bound on July 23
Beyond the city’s loan of more than $48,000 for each of the 11 affordable units in West Asheville, which will be deferred for 30 years and accrue no interest, Homeward Bound is also seeking roughly $280,000 in commercial loans and has received $89,153 in federal HOME funding administered by the Asheville Regional Housing Consortium.
Letter: Forget developers and use bonds for affordable housing
“Instead of begging developers to make 20% of their units affordable, we can build the amount we need, and keep them affordable indefinitely.”
County allows manufactured homes in more districts
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a zoning amendment that allows manufactured homes in more county residential districts.
Local News Puzzle Page
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Budget outlook challenges Council at annual retreat
“This may hurt some feelings, but you can no longer operate the city of Asheville like it’s the Oprah Winfrey talk show, where you get a car and you get a car,” said Council member Keith Young, referencing the daytime TV host’s famous giveaways. “As much as we love all these programs and trying to help the public good… this is the time to close the bank.”
Down payment assistance gets unanimous Council backing
The $1.4 million program, unanimously approved by Council members at their Feb. 26 meeting, offers no-interest loans of up to $40,000 for low- and moderate-income borrowers to make down payments on single-family residences within Asheville city limits.
Council to consider down payment assistance at Feb. 12 meeting
The Down Payment Assistance Policy could provide $1.4 million, in no-interest loans of up to $40,000 each, toward mortgages on single-family residences within Asheville city limits. The policy is meant to promote homeownership opportunities among “moderate- and lower-income families” making up to 120 percent of the area median income.
Campbell lays out Asheville to-dos at her first CIBO breakfast
Since leaving her previous role as Charlotte’s assistant city manager to take the Asheville job in December, Campbell said, she has focused on meeting as many community stakeholders as possible. Those discussions, she explained, have led to a slate of priorities with the common theme of making the city “the best partner that we can be.”
Despite ‘physical anxiety,’ Council approves 416-unit South Asheville subdivision
“When I say I literally have physical anxiety about supporting this project, that is real and true,” said Council member Keith Young, citing his concerns over a lack of affordable housing in the Riverwoods development. “A part of me really feels like I’m letting folks down by approving this project.”
Bull what?
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
(SATIRE) Xpressers’ almanac: Predictions for the coming year
2019 prediction: Town of Biltmore Forest will greatly expand its influence in county government by allowing trees to vote.
2018 in review: What mattered for affordable housing in WNC
With apologies to Jane Austen, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a resident of Western North Carolina in possession of little fortune must be in want of affordable housing. In 2018, governments and organizations throughout the area tried to tackle the problem with a range of creative solutions.
Not in Charlotte anymore
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Letter: How do we see Ashevilleans who need affordable housing?
“Demand for affordable housing is high because of the sum of our individual actions.”
Two hotels face Council scrutiny at Dec. 11 meeting
Two lodging projects will be up for debate: a 56-room hotel spread across four buildings on Biltmore Avenue downtown and a 170-room project on Fairview Road in Biltmore Village. The first proposes to convert three historic houses into accommodations and construct a new five-story structure with a restaurant, while the second would build a new six-story building.