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01. January 2022 minutes New Hanover County-City of Wilmington Workforce Housing Advisory Committee January 5, 2022 Regular Meeting Committee Members Present: Tom Gale, Melanie James, Kristen Keser, Katrina Knight, Frank Smith, Paul Stavovy, Staff Present: Tuffana Bradley (NHC), Rachel LaCoe (NHC), Margaret Peth (NHC), Suzanne Rogers (CoW), Ron Satterfield (CoW), Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 3:11pm by Ms. Brantley and quorum was established through roll call. Public Comments None Agenda Approval and Minutes Committee members discussed editing the December minutes, including changing the description of the poll discussed in the ballot initiative section to describe it more neutrally and not as showing lack of support because of the small margin of approval. Committee members also requested the meeting minutes more comprehensively show the contention between the committee’s interpretation of the poll as compared to that of the chamber. Tom Gale made a motion to amend the minutes. Ms. LaCoe stated that she would amend the minutes and provide them for committee members prior to next month’s meeting. New Business: City of Wilmington Consolidated Planning Process: Ms. Rogers gave an overview of ongoing housing programs in the City of Wilmington. These programs include loan programs that provide loans to homeowners and homebuyers, loans for rehabilitation (including loans to nonprofits), and loans to incentivize affordable housing development. All housing efforts total approximately $2.5 million annually, including all funding sources. Ms. Rogers noted that the City Council has provided increased funding for affordable housing over the last few years. Ms. Rogers discussed the opportunities facing the City of Wilmington in the coming years, including increasing home ownership, rehabilitation, and reducing led paint exposure. Challenges facing the City of Wilmington’s home ownership programs include rising cost of home, the shortage of affordable housing inventory, and loss of naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH). Ms. Rogers also discussed increasing multi-family affordable housing units through tax credits and land use ordinances. Committee members discussed different funding mechanisms to incentivize affordable housing development, including CDBG and local funding that other communities are leveraging to provide tax credits to developers. Committee members also discussed funding available through the Housing Authority, including borrowing for projects that include affordable housing. Ms. Rogers also discussed the five-year plan for CDBG focused on serving homeowners <80% and victims of violence and abuse, and homelessness. CDBG funding is somewhat flexible, and while it has some restrictions it is a useful tool for affordable housing funding. Committee members discussed how it increases access to housing but does not help to create new housing supply. Ms. Rogers discussed HOME funding which focuses on new construction, rental, rehab, and homeownership assistance. HOME ARP includes an addition $5 Billion for communities across the United States. This funding is more flexible than conventional HOME funding and available until 2030. Wilmington will receive $2.5 million, and the North Carolina Finance Agency will administer $65.6 million to non-entitlement communities. Ms. Rogers noted that the City of Wilmington will complete a planning process that includes citizen participation, needs assessment, a housing market analysis, a strategic plan, and an annual action plan that will allocate funding. Committee members discussed the available funding and the ability to layer different funding mechanisms, and county and city owned properties that could host affordable housing units. Committee members discussed purchasing properties for rehabilitation and how areas can be acquired for that purpose, and what the existing policies are around that kind of acquisition. Nonprofits and developers of all sizes could also rehabilitate dilapidated homes through layering various programs and funding sources, granted they are able to do all the necessary leg work. Committee members discussed the difficulty in pulling together existing funding sources to make them sufficient in the existing market. Mr. Satterfield discussed the city’s recent activity to increase the appeal of high-density development and in fill development, like other cities have done. Housing Work Plan Agenda: Ms. LaCoe continued discussions for the housing work plan could be used any potential funding source, including ones with fewer restrictions than the proposed bond. Committee members discussed the ongoing work that community organizations have done, and how that work can be conveyed to city and county officials. Committee members noted that developers might be interested in tax credit developments if they knew that they could count on the city or county to provide gap financing. Committee members noted that they would like the opportunity to present to the joint elected official working group where WHAC could showcase the progress that is currently being made with existing funding. Committee members discussed where the community stands on affordable housing and the progress that is currently being made, and has been made over the past few years and how that progress can be used to show how additional funding could increase existing capacity across nonprofits and government offices. Committee member discussed the recent community endowment and their funding process, priorities, and capabilities. Ms. Knight expressed concern that officials may be placing the burden of funding affordable housing on to the endowment to avoid placing the bond on the ballot. Committee members talked about community education and how to inform the public about the issue of affordable housing and existing efforts to address affordable housing, potentially through a bond education effort. Committee members discussed showing elected officials that a pilot program is not necessary, given the existing efforts and outputs of nonprofits and existing city programs. Committee members also discussed how a reliable source of funding for affordable housing could attract developers. Committee members discussed the upcoming meeting of the joint elected official working group. Mr. Gale suggested gathering numbers and creating a presentation to show how effective existing efforts are addressing the issue of affordable housing and how additional funding could aid in those efforts. Committee members also discussed how revolving funds could be earmarked to ensure that they continue to be used for affordable housing. Committee members discussed the community endowment and potential funding sources. Announcements None Adjournment With no further questions or comments, Ms. Keser made a motion to adjourn seconded by Katrina Redmond. The meeting was adjourned by Tom Gale at 4:46 P.M.