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RESOURCES

Staff
Erica Anderson
Economic and Community Development Director

Infrastructure and Community Development


 Fair Housing Training - March 2, 2022

The information in the Zoom recordings was presented for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No one viewing this recording should rely on any information presented and should instead consult an attorney as to their fair housing rights and responsibilities. 


LOSRC staff assists our local governments in providing affordable, decent and safe housing and related infrastructure improvements for residents of Region B.

Grant applications are prepared on behalf of local governments for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) through North Carolina Dept. of Commerce, Division of Community Assistance; Single Family Rehabilitation (SFR) Grants, Urgent Repair Program (URP), through the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA); and Housing Preservation Grants (HPG) through the United States Dept of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development.

These grants are income-dependent and are designed to assist low-income families and the elderly. Once funded, LOSRC Housing & Community Development staff administers these grants to rehabilitate or replace the aging housing stock in our four counties.

Promoting quality affordable housing development in Western North Carolina by:

  • Working with local governments and other non-profit organizations to identify housing needs;
  • Serving as a liaison between developers and local government officials and staff;
  • Preparing grant applications;
  • Serving as a liaison between local, state and federal governments;
  • Disseminating information regarding developing affordable housing to individuals and non-profits;
  • Educating the public and elected officials about affordable housing; and
  • Working closely with local social service providers to coordinate services for residents.

Affordable Housing
In general, housing for which the occupant(s) is/are paying no more than 30 percent of his or her income for gross housing costs, including utilities.


Housing Needs Assessment

The purpose of this report is to conduct a Housing Needs Assessment of the four-county region that includes and surrounds the city of Asheville, North Carolina. The four counties evaluated in this report are Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania. This evaluation takes into account the demographics, economics and housing supply of the region, along with the input of area stakeholders, and estimates the housing gaps and needs of the study area between 2015 and 2020 for the subject region. The research and analysis, which includes a collection of primary data, analysis of secondary data and onsite market research, was conducted between October and December of 2014. Conducted by Bowen National Research


North Carolina Infrastructure and Economic Development Funding Opportunities

Golden Leaf

  Economic Impact Assistance
Eligible Applicants Governmental agencies and 501c3 nonprofits in tobacco-dependent, rural and economically distressed communities
Wage Requirement Not defined (Preference is for higher wages)
Health Benefit Requirement Yes
Eligible Company Types All
Amount Available Per Job None (but tend not to exceed $7,500/job)
Maximum Award Amount No Maximum
Eligible Users Infrastructure; Worker Training; Equipment Finance
Special Requirements Projects must be competitive with another state or nation (therefore, no retail, etc.)
Application Deadlines TBD

Department of Commerce Grant Programs

  Utility Account CDBG - Economic Development RGP - EIP
Eligible Applicants 80 most distressed counties All counties (except Wake, Mecklenburg, Cumberland) (except 23 HUD Entitlement Communities) All counties but give priority to 80 most distressed counties
Wage Requirement No* Yes No
Health Benefit Requirement No Yes No
Eligible Company Types All** All Business Types Eligible (Non-Profits are not eligible) All Business Types Eligible
Amount Available Per Job Not Required

Former 3J Tax Credit Eligible (required to meet weekly wage standard)
$10K/new job (Tier 3) $12K/new job (Tier 2) $15K/new job (no wage standard in Tier 1)

Former Non 3J Tax Credit Eligible Business (required to meet weekly wage standard)
$4K/new job (Tier 3) $7K/new job (Tier 2) $10K/new job (Tier 1)

Tier 1 & 2 $10K/new job

Tier 3m
$5/new job

Maximum Award Amount No Maximum $750,00 (Tier 3) $1,000,000 (Tier 1 & 2) $500,000
Eligible Users ***Water, Sewer, Road, Gas, Telecommunications, High Speed Broadband, Electrical Utility Lines, & Transportation Infrastructure Publicly Owned Water, Sewer, Road, Rail, Natural Gas and Electric (ElectriCities only) Publicly Owned Water, Sewer, Road, Rail, Electric and Broadband
Special Requirements

*Non-manufacturing projects must meet wage standards

**Priority given to eligible industries. Funds shall not be used for any retail, entertainment, or sports projects.

***Infrastructure located on the site of the building or if not located on the site shall be directly related to the operation of the creation activity.

25% local match for some applicants

Sports Businesses not eligible

LMI Requirement

No Relocations

25% local match for some applicants

5% local match requirement
Application Deadlines Rolling Application Cycle Rolling Application Cycle

Application Deadline - April 1, 2014
Date of Award - May 27, 2014

Application Deadline -
Date of Award - June 19, 2014

Department of Commerce Forgivable Loans

  CDBG-ED RGP-Building Reuse
Eligible Applicants Same as Infrastructure Grant Program Tier 1 & 2
Wage Requirement Yes No
Health Benefit Requirement Yes No
Eligible Company Types All Business Types Eligible All Business Types Eligible
Amount Available Per Job

Former 3J Tax Credit Eligible Businesses (required to meet weekly wage standard)
$20/new job

Non 3J Tax Credit Eligible Business (required to meet weekly wage standard)
$12K/new job

Vacant/Rural Healthcare
$10K/per job
Maximum Award Amount $750,000 $500,000
Eligible Users   Building Renovations: No Equipment, Soft Costs, or Personnel
Special Requirements Fund 50% of the project cost not to exceed the loan amount

Vacant for 3 months

Shell Building eligible but vacant for at least 5 years and never occupied

1:1 match and local government required to contribute at least 5%

Rural Healthcare construct or expand health facilities

Application Deadlines Rolling Application Cycle

Application Deadline - April 1, 2014
Date of Award - May 27, 2014

Application Deadline -
Date of Award - June 19, 2014

NC DENR - CDBG

  Infrastructure
Eligible Applicants Tier 1 and 2
Wage Requirement No
Health Benefit Requirement No
Eligible Company Types N/A
Amount Available Per Job N/A
Maximum Award Amount TBD
Eligible Users Water and/or Sewer Infrastructure
Special Requirements LMI Requirement HUD 2014 Income limits Regionalization Documentation Operating Ratio Calculation DENR - Identified High Priority Water Systems (Water Loss) Water System Action Plan
Application Deadlines TBD

ARC

  Construction
Eligible Applicants 26 Western North Carolina Government Local Governments
Wage Requirement No
Health Benefit Requirement No
Eligible Company Types All
Amount Available Per Job N/A
Maximum Award Amount $300,000
Eligible Users Infrastructure, Furnishings, Equipment, Building Renovations
Special Requirements 30% or 50% Match based on "Distressed Area" designation
Application Deadlines TBD