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Affordable Housing
Affordable and workforce housing have long been recognized as a substantial need for residents of Brevard and it surrounding area. For Brevard to be healthy, diverse, inclusive, and equitable, the city needs a variety of housing units that are affordable to residents at different income levels.
What is Affordable housing?
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines “affordable housing” as housing that costs no more than 30% of a household’s monthly gross income, including utilities. When families or individuals spend more than 30% of their income on housing they may not be able to meet other basic needs such as food, clothing and medical insurance.
The 2022 area median income for a family in Transylvania County is $68,600. According to HUD, a family is simply one or more individuals who live together. Members of the family do not need to be related by blood, marriage or in any other legal capacity. HUD’s definition of income levels can be seen in the table below. HUD also defines fair market rent for an area. For a two-bedroom unit, the fair market rent for Transylvania County is $995 (FY 2023).
| Income Definition |
Percent of Area Median Income |
1-Person Household |
2-Person Household |
3-Person Household | 4-Person Household | 5-Person Household | 6-Person Household |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 50 - 80% AMI |
$23,150 - $37,050 |
$26,450 - $42,350 |
$29,750 - $47,650 | $33,050 - $52,900 | $35,700 - $57,150 | $38,350 - $61,400 |
| Very Low |
30 - 50% AMI |
$13,890 - $23,150 |
$15,880 - $26,450 |
$17,870 - $29,750 | $19,840 - $33,050 | $21,430 - $35,700 | $23,070 - $38,350 |
| Extremely Low |
Below 30% AMI |
Below $13,890 |
Below $15,880 |
Below $17,870 | Below $19,840 | Below $21,430 | Below $23,030 |
City Initiatives and efforts
The City of Brevard is committed to utilizing the policy and programmatic tools at its disposal to promote increased development and retention of affordable housing within its corporate jurisdiction. The City's recently adopted Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Building Brevard 2030, highlights housing as a top priority and calls for action:
Goals
Goal 1: Expand housing opportunities for all residents while preserving the character of Brevard and its neighborhoods.
Goal 2: Encourage a development pattern that respects Brevard's sense of place and prioritizes livable communities.
Goal 3: Ensure fairness and equity in providing for the health, safety, and welfare of all citizens and groups.
Action Steps
Land Use & Housing #11: Identify and address dimensional requirements that may serve as obstacles to housing.
Land Use & Housing #12: Address and adjust parcel density allowances to allow for "missing middle" housing types in all zoning districts with defined standards.
Land Use & Housing #13: Utilize the Housing Trust Fund to leverage private investment to create affordable and workforce housing units.
Land Use & Housing #14: Seek developer agreements for divestment of City properties that guarantee affordable and workforce housing units for a defined period of time.
Land Use & Housing #15: Consider additional incentives and policies to support workforce and affordable housing.
Land Use & Housing #16: Provide support for the preservation and rehabilitation of existing affordable housing.
City of Brevard Housing Committee
In 2012, City Council established the City of Brevard Housing Trust Fund to serve as a flexible source of funding that can be used to support a variety of affordable housing activities and initiatives. The Housing Committee serves as the governing board for the Fund and meets regularly to discuss the state of affordable housing in Brevard, ongoing city initiatives, and any funding applications received. The meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 3:30 PM in City Council Chambers and are open to the public. For meeting agendas and minutes, please visit the City's Agenda Center.
On March 20, 2023, City Council adopted revised bylaws for the Housing Committee to better align with the City's new priorities and extend the funding authority of the Housing Trust Fund. (See the revised bylaws.)
The Housing Committee is currently discussing potential funding programs as part of the Housing Trust Fund. When completed, a description of the programs, guidebook, applications, and other relevant information will be available here.
ASHEVILLE REGIONAL HOUSING CONSORTIUM
The Asheville Regional Housing Consortium is a four-county consortium, consisting of Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and Madison Counties, that distributes HOME funds to projects in the region through competitive application processes. The City of Asheville is the lead entity for the consortium and administers the HOME funds for the area, and a representative from the City of Brevard sits on the board of the Consortium and participates in funding decisions. For more information, please visit the Asheville Regional Housing Consortium website.
CODIFYING DIVERSE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES
At the instruction of City Council, Staff has been reviewing the City's zoning and development regulations for creating diverse housing types. In collaboration with the Planning Board and the Housing Trust Fund Selection Committee, City Council has approved multiple amendments to the City's Unified Development Ordinance in an effort to promote "missing middle housing" and infill development:
- Allowing triplexes and quadraplexes by-right in all residential zoning districts (Ordinance 2022-40)
- Allowing irregular lot subdivisions (Ordinance 2022-69)
- Increasing the allowable size of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) (Ordinance 2022-76)
FIND HOUSING
Searching for housing? Try NCHousingSearch.org, a completely free service to list and search for rentals. List your properties or search for a place to live. Call 1-877-428-8844 for toll-free, bilingual assistance.
View the Fair Housing Complaint Procedure for the City of Brevard.
Housing Resources and Information
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Emily Brewer
Senior Planner