AHAB Meeting Minutes 5.13.2025 - Laserfiche WebLink

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■ Empowerment • Approximately 70 units in portfolio • Collaboration with the County has been key, especially for new PEACH project (10 units) • Took 5 years to make this project happen, multigenerational, different size units • Interested in preserving naturally occurring affordable housing. Purchase is expensive, put subsidy into it to prevent displacement. • Much easier to access bond funds than HOME funds. o Processes are annual, and can't take advantage of acquisition opportunities in a quick way. • Compete with affordable housing providers. Empowerment specializing in low-income rentals. Need for 30-60% AMI in particular. Gap of 1200 units per year is not getting filled. • Continue to be challenged by making the case for affordable housing and who these communities are. • CHDO as well. ■ CASA • Nonprofit affordable housing developer. Focus on people experiencing homelessness and people with disabilities. • Very low income focus. • Applying for CIP Bond funding was smooth, staff was very responsive. • Opportunities in Orange County are challenged because of availability of land and zoning (easier in places like Wake County). • Low-Income Housing Tax Credit development. Good parcel in Hillsborough. Tie breaker in LIHTC skews towards Chapel Hill rather than Hillsborough. o Is there a way to work more closely with the Towns to coordinate on pipeline? o Competing against each other, and for-profit developers. • Predevelopment costs are high, difficult as a non-profit. • County continues to be helpful in seeking funds. • Coordination o Chapel Hill has CDBG $$, County has HOME $$. o Work together in many spaces. o Pipeline planning is still a need. How to formalize is a question. o The state is also pitting people against each other. The way places are scored (small towns, for example) may change.