At a Sept. 6 City Council worksession on affordable housing, experts and City leaders said partnerships are a key component to moving forward as a community on this issue. Several times this past year, the City’s Community and Economic Development Department has partnered with Habitat for Humanity and Mountain Housing Opportunities to create affordable housing.
At their Dec. 10 meeting, City Council continued its mission of helping to provide affordable housing by voting to allocate $860,000 from the City’s Housing Trust Fund to Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity.
Asheville Area Habitat proposes to use the money to complete eight homes and make them available for sale to households at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI). Particular focus will be given to households at or below 60% Area Median Income.
Also, the homes will be in Asheville neighborhoods experiencing displacement by rising home costs. Three of the sites currently identified are located in the Shiloh neighborhood.
The homes are expected to be priced in the $190,000-$235,000 range.
Of the eight homes, two are existing structures acquired by Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. The City’s Housing Trust Fund investment in these two properties will be considered down payment assistance for the homeowner, and go in at closing.
The remaining six homes will be constructed on lots either currently owned by Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity or to be acquired in the near future.
Many of these homes should be available within a year. Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity’s schedule calls for five of the homes to be available in the fall of 2020.
Find more information in this staff report to Council. For more on City of Asheville affordable housing incentives and initiatives visit this webpage.
For information on Asheville area AMI, visit this link.
Related: City of Asheville invests in affordable housing projects now under way