North Carolina Unveils $53 Million Funding Opportunity for Workforce Housing
A significant boost for affordable housing is coming to western North Carolina, with the state announcing a substantial federal investment aimed at widening homeownership access. The North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Community Revitalization (DCR) has launched a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to allocate $53.38 million for workforce housing development.
This initiative is part of the Renew NC Workforce Housing for Ownership (WHFO) Program, which seeks to address the urgent demand for affordable housing in counties identified by HUD as Most Impacted and Distressed (MID). The program will focus on supporting recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene by funding projects in Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cleveland, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey counties.
Governor Josh Stein emphasized the importance of this investment, stating, “This $53 million investment will expand access to affordable housing across western North Carolina as the region continues to recover from Hurricane Helene. It’s a critical step toward helping our neighbors rebuild in the places they call home.”
The WHFO Program targets households earning up to 80% of the area median income, supporting the local workforce to stay in the region. N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley noted, “Retaining a strong workforce depends on access to affordable housing. Through the Workforce Housing for Ownership Program, we will help increase the supply of housing available to working families and foster more resilient local economies as communities recover from Helene.”
Eligibility and Application Details
The funding opportunity is open to various eligible applicants, including:
- For-profit housing developers
- Non-profit housing developers, including CHDOs and CBDOs
- Community Land Trusts (CLTs)
- Public housing authorities and local units of government
- Joint ventures with adequate development capacity and financial oversight
- Other applicants as approved by DCR
Proposals will undergo a competitive evaluation based on several criteria, such as applicant capacity, community needs, and development strategy. The projects that score the highest will receive funding, with award amounts ranging from $2 million to $5 million per project.
Eligible property types must be for-sale residential units, adhere to construction and environmental standards, qualify as real property under state law, and exclude manufactured or mobile homes in flood-prone areas. All projects need to comply with federal HUD regulations and support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
Stephanie McGarrah, Deputy Secretary for Community Revitalization, highlighted the program’s benefits, saying, “By supporting affordable homeownership for our workforce, we are ensuring that the people who serve our mountain towns every single day have safe, high-quality places to call home.”
The application period opens on August 25, 2026, and concludes on December 13, 2026. Interested parties can access complete details and application materials on the commercerecovery.nc.gov website, where a prescreening is advised to assess project readiness.
Additional Programs by Renew NC
In addition to the WHFO Program, Renew NC is also accepting applications for the Community Infrastructure Program and the Multi-Family Construction and Repair (MCR) Program: Non-LIHTC. These programs offer grants for projects enhancing community resilience and expanding affordable rental options, respectively, in regions affected by Hurricane Helene.
Further information and application forms can be found at commercerecovery.nc.gov.
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