Input Needed to Prioritize Community Needs for Housing Funding

The Southwestern Commission Council of Governments (the Southwestern Commission) is planning multiple public engagement activities and stakeholder consultations to develop an Allocation Plan that will detail community priorities for use of the region’s Home Investment Partnerships Program American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) funding. This supplemental funding is part of The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which appropriated funding to HOME entitlement communities in order to provide housing and services to vulnerable populations. The Southwestern NC HOME Consortium, consisting of Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Clay, and Graham counties, was allocated $1,965,737 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in September 2021.

The input collected by the Southwestern Commission for the Allocation Plan will be used to identify housing and service needs in the community that may be supported with HOME-ARP funds. Input will be solicited through a regionally focused process that will include an information session, community survey, and direct input from housing and service providers of the Southwestern Consortium communities.

Vulnerable persons include those experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic violence, and agencies such as Public Housing Authorities, Veteran Service organizations, affordable housing developers, and public or private organizations that advocate or address fair housing, civil rights, and the needs of persons with disabilities.

Additionally, HOME-ARP allows the acquisition or development of non-congregate shelter units to address the needs of those experiencing homelessness. The almost two million dollar allotment will play a critical role in developing affordable rental housing, providing tenant-based rental assistance, and supportive services, and addressing affordable housing needs in the southwestern region.

The Allocation Plan will be submitted to HUD for approval by March 31, 2023.

For more information on the Consortium’s HOME-ARP Allocation Plan process, visit the Southwestern Commission Council of Governments online at: https://regiona.org/home-arp/

For more information on the HOME-ARP program, visit the Department of Housing and Urban Development at: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/home-arp/