STATE-LEVEL HOUSING OFFICE

Establish a new state-level housing office or merge state agencies to effectively address housing needs across the state

CREATE STATEWIDE HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE

State-Level Housing Office

Create a centralized housing office at the state level to establish statewide housing priorities, track statewide housing data, make recommendations on policies, inform resource allocation, and advance the housing concepts and promising strategies identified in the Investment Map. The office should work collaboratively with the Office of the Governor, Department of Health and Human Services, North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, and other entities to ensure alignment and avoid duplication of efforts.

As an alternative strategy, set up a regional “backbone” organization that is housed at a non-profit organization. An example is the Center for Economic Inclusion in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. This promising strategy requires investment in:

Salaries for staff in a newly established (or merged) office (prioritizing BIPOC candidates with lived experience in affordable housing)
Operating and capacity building costs of running the office

Evaluation of Promising Strategy in Initial Target Regions

Learn more about the Investment Map’s selection of Initial Target Regions.

The region receives support from three different housing agencies:

NC Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA), which has $1.9B in assets (as of 2019), is a self-supporting public agency that finances affordable housing opportunities for North Carolinians who cannot afford market-rate housing.

NC Department of Commerce, Division of Community Assistance, administers several programs funded through HUD, including the NC Neighborhood Revitalization Program and the Neighborhood Stabilization program.

NC Department of Administration, Commission of Indian Affairs, administers the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program in 7 counties.

There is no state-level housing office in NC.

Assets: NCHFA

Description: Center for Economic Inclusion

A centralized housing office is established. Metric = office has critical resources (space, staff, equipment, budget, etc.) in place.
The centralized housing office works collaboratively with key state and regional offices. Metric = communication protocols and roles established and agreed upon.
Clarity around statewide housing priorities increases. Metric = % change in number of public requests for clarity/information/guidance.
Duplication of effort in housing work across the state is reduced. Metric = % change in number of responsible state offices for each activity or goal.