After more than a year of community engagement and study, the City of Asheville Department of Community and Economic Development is ready to release the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 5-Year Consolidated Plan. Still in final draft form, the Consolidated Plan is designed to help states and local jurisdictions assess their affordable housing and community development needs.
The consolidated planning process serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities that align and focus funding from the Community Planning and Development (CPD) formula block grant programs. For the 5-Year Consolidated Plan, the City of Asheville partnered with the Land of Sky Regional Council of Governments (LOSRC) and together staff conducted an online survey, outreach at 9 community events and meetings and held 7 focus group meetings bringing together housing advocates, developers and administrators from the public, private and non-profit sectors in each of the four Consortium counties. Based on the comments provided the, Community and Economic Development Department have determined the following as priority areas:
- New rental for households at or below 60% Area Median Income (AMI)
- Special needs housing
- Promote homeownership for low-income households
- Target low-wealth neighborhoods for improvement
- Preserve existing housing
- Coordinate housing development with transportation
- Create sustainable jobs for low-income persons
- Job training and placement
- Start-up and growth of small and micro-businesses
- Support services necessary for employment
- Improve food security, healthy food availability
- Develop multi-modal transportation
- Develop and improve community centers
- Services that support affordable housing and jobs
- End homelessness
- Housing services for persons with special needs
- Youth services
The community is encouraged to review the draft and provide any final comments by noon Nov. 16. This item will also be presented at City Council on Nov. 10, with more info here. The plan is available online at, ashevillenc.gov. Comments can be emailed to Paul D’Angelo. Community and Economic Development staff appreciate all of the community’s input thus far to complete this plan.