Title
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Regional Housing Consortium
Action
Action:
Approve continuing the city’s participation in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Regional Housing Consortium for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program funding period of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027, and successive automatic renewal periods thereafter.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Rebecca Hefner, Housing and Neighborhood Services
Warren Wooten, Housing and Neighborhood Services
Explanation
§ The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) HOME Investments Partnerships Program (HOME Program) allows contiguous units of local governments to create consortiums to allow municipalities that would not otherwise qualify for HOME Program funding to be able to directly participate in the HOME Program and thereby collaborate on regional affordable housing initiatives.
§ The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Regional Housing Consortium (Consortium) was first established in July 2000 pursuant to HOME Program guidelines.
§ The current Consortium consists of the City of Charlotte as lead entity, Mecklenburg County, and the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville, and is governed by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Regional Housing Consortium Joint Cooperation Agreement dated July 1, 2012 (Agreement).
§ Each municipality, through its participation in the Consortium, is eligible to receive HOME Program funding for affordable housing activities, with the city serving as the lead entity as defined by HUD.
§ Pursuant to HUD guidelines, the Agreement includes an automatic renewal provision every three federal fiscal years, including the July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027, period, and each successive qualified HOME Program funding period thereafter.
§ The city, as the Consortium’s lead entity, assumes overall responsibility for compliance of Consortium activities with HOME Program requirements, and provides technical assistance to Consortium members, facilitates quarterly meetings, oversees monitoring of projects to ensure compliance, and determines fund allocations for qualified activities proposed by Consortium members.
§ This action confirms the city’s continued participation in the Consortium for the Home Program funding period of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027, and the automatic renewals of successive HOME Program qualified funding periods thereafter pursuant to the terms of the Agreement.
Background
§ The HOME Program is the largest federal formula grant to states and local governments designed exclusively to create access to affordable housing opportunities for low-income households.
§ Home Program funds are often used in partnership with local nonprofit groups to fund a wide range of affordable housing activities including acquisition, rehabilitation, new construction, tenant-based rental assistance, and homebuyer activities/programs such as down payment assistance.
§ The city, with input from Consortium members, other community stakeholders, and the public, submits a Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan to HUD, setting forth the strategic plan and details for the use of the HOME Program funding to help provide affordable, safe, and decent housing for low-income families. The most recent plan was approved by City Council on May 8, 2023.
§ Additionally, in April 2023, the Housing, Safety and Community Committee received an update on the implementation of the Housing Trust Fund Tune-Up, including leveraging the use of HOME Program and other federal funding sources to create additional affordable housing opportunities in our community. This includes seeking opportunities to issue joint requests for proposals with Mecklenburg County (Consortium member) for the use of HOME Program and other federal funding sources.
Attachments
Attachment(s)
2012 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Regional Housing Consortium Joint Cooperation Agreement