Asheville Reporter

City of Asheville issued the following announcement on Jan. 23.

The City of Asheville, as the Participating Jurisdiction for the four-county Asheville Regional Housing Consortium, is seeking public input to inform and prioritize use of a one-time $4.7 million allocation of HOME Investment Partnerships Program funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The funding, known as “HOME-ARP,” is part of a $5 billion commitment in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 specifically targeted to reduce homelessness across the Consortium, which consists of Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties, as well as cities and towns within each county. According to HUD Secretary Martha Fudge, HOME-ARP funding presents a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to leverage a large pool of funds with multiple other public and private dollars that can create measurable, strategic impact to reduce homelessness.” The City of Asheville will be the lead entity in gathering public input, developing and implementing recommendations via a HOME-ARP Allocation Plan.

The City of Asheville is required to conduct multiple public engagement activities to be included in an Allocation Plan to be submitted to HUD in late March, which will detail the Consortium’s priorities for use of the funding. The City has contracted with Baker Tilly consultants to assist in the data capture and public engagement efforts.

The HOME-ARP Community Resident Participation Survey is available to solicit input from stakeholders in all four counties of the Asheville Regional Housing Consortium. The community is invited to take the survey and offer public comment on the proposed plan. Input will also be solicited from agencies serving impacted populations, including homeless and domestic violence service providers, affordable housing developers, veterans’ groups, Public Housing Authorities, and public or private organizations that address fair housing, civil rights, and the needs of persons with disabilities. See the City of Asheville website for more information. 

If you represent an organization that provides services, shelter or housing to people experiencing homelessness, please contact Miranda Masters, mmasters@ashevillenc.gov to participate in a provider-specific questionnaire.  

To access the HOME-ARP Community Resident Participation Survey:

http://bit.ly/3kaCpQ7  (English)

http://bit.ly/3CZLotL  (Spanish)

For more information, please visit: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/home-arp/

Original source can be found here.