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Board of Commissioners — Special Meeting - 2 Day Affordable Housing Retreat (9/28/2026 and 9/29/2026)

Chatham County · Board of Commissioners
Monday, September 28, 2026 at 9:00 am · Agriculture and Conference Center

Retreat or planning session Housing and affordabilityBudget and appropriationsFarmland and open spaceHealth and human servicesHomelessness and shelterZoning text amendment

Agenda document Meeting page Watch

What's on this agenda

Chatham County's commissioners spend two full days on housing affordability, meeting with the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee at the Agriculture and Conference Center on 28 and 29 September. Every business item is a presentation, and the agenda calls for no vote.

The first day reviews the county's 2023 Housing Strategic Plan, the range of housing services now offered in Chatham, where those services go next, and the housing authority's work. The second day opens with the advisory committee's recommendations, among them allowing accessory dwelling units countywide now rather than waiting for the 2024 development ordinance to take effect. Presentations follow on community land trusts, scattered-site development, tax credit housing and down payment assistance. Staff proposals posted with the agenda attach costs to each idea. They include a $50,000 rent subsidy pilot and $175,000 more for the housing trust fund in fiscal 2028. Larger steps would come later or depend on a bond: rapid rehousing at $300,000, $1 million to $2 million in loans to preserve a manufactured home community, and a 4% tax credit project of up to 200 units. Each day holds a thirty-minute public comment session.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Speaking at this meeting

Chatham County's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Jump to an item (31 on this agenda)
  1. CALL TO ORDER - DAY 1 - September 28, 2026
  2. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
  3. 26-0486Receive a presentation on Why Local Governments Act on Housing Afford…
  4. RECESS
  5. 26-0487Receive a presentation on How Local Governments Can Act on Affordable…
  6. RECESS
  7. 26-0489Receive a presentation on the Review of the 2023 Housing Strategic Pl…
  8. 26-0490Receive a presentation on Housing Services Continuum in Chatham
  9. RECESS
  10. 26-0491Receive a presentation on the Future of Housing Services in Chatham
  11. 26-0492Receive a presentation on Housing Authority Activities and Opportunit…
  12. PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION
  13. 26-0496The Public Comment Session is held to give residents an opportunity t…
  14. 26-0493Day 1 Reflections
  15. RECESS
  16. CALL TO ORDER - DAY 2 - September 29, 2026
  17. 26-0497Received a presentation on the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee…
  18. 26-0488Receive a presentation on Our State, Our Homes Reflections and Recomm…
  19. 26-0498Receive a presentation on Community Land Trust Partnerships
  20. RECESS
  21. 26-0499Receive a presentation on Financing New Housing Development through S…
  22. RECESS
  23. 26-0500Receive a presentation on New Housing through Tax Credit Development
  24. 26-0501Receive a presentation on Downpayment Support Models
  25. RECESS
  26. PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION
  27. 26-0504The Public Comment Session is held to give residents an opportunity t…
  28. 26-0502Reflections on the Affordable Housing Retreat
  29. 26-0503Close-out and Next Steps
  30. 26-0565Other Resources
  31. ADJOURNMENT

Agenda items (31)

Procedural · 15Presentation · 12Discussion item · 3Staff or committee report · 1
  1. CALL TO ORDER - DAY 1 - September 28, 2026
    Procedural
  2. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
    Procedural
  3. 26-0486 Receive a presentation on Why Local Governments Act on Housing Affordability
    Presentation Housing and affordability
    Stephanie Watkins-Cruz of the North Carolina Housing Coalition on the causes of housing unaffordability, its effects on communities, and the case for local action.
  4. RECESS
    Procedural
  5. 26-0487 Receive a presentation on How Local Governments Can Act on Affordable Housing
    Presentation Housing and affordability
    C. Tyler Mulligan of the UNC School of Government on the powers and strategies North Carolina local governments have to address housing affordability.
  6. RECESS
    Procedural
  7. 26-0489 Receive a presentation on the Review of the 2023 Housing Strategic Plan
    Presentation Housing and affordability
    County housing officer Jamie Andrews reviews the 2023 Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, its goals and the progress made so far.
  8. 26-0490 Receive a presentation on Housing Services Continuum in Chatham
    Presentation Health and human servicesHousing and affordability
    Staff review the housing programs the county now offers and goals for expanding them.
  9. RECESS
    Procedural
  10. 26-0491 Receive a presentation on the Future of Housing Services in Chatham
    Presentation Homelessness and shelterHousing and affordability
    The county's emergency housing coordinator on future services, including shallow rent subsidies and rapid rehousing.
  11. 26-0492 Receive a presentation on Housing Authority Activities and Opportunities
    Presentation Housing and affordability
    Lee Staton, executive director of the Chatham County Housing Authority, on its status and opportunities to work with the county.
  12. PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION
    Procedural
  13. 26-0496 The Public Comment Session is held to give residents an opportunity to speak on any item. The session is no more than thirty minutes long to allow as many as possible to speak. Speakers are limited to no more than three minutes each and may not give their time to another speaker. Speakers are asked to sign up in advance. Comments are always welcome in writing
    Procedural
    Thirty minutes of public comment on the first day.
  14. 26-0493 Day 1 Reflections
    Discussion item
  15. RECESS
    Procedural
  16. CALL TO ORDER - DAY 2 - September 29, 2026
    Procedural
  17. 26-0497 Received a presentation on the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Recommendations for Policy and Investment
    Presentation Housing and affordabilityZoning text amendment
    The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee presents a resolution with its policy slate. It asks the county to apply the 2024 development ordinance's affordable housing districts and incentives under the current zoning ordinance, and to allow accessory dwelling units countywide now. It also suggests lower permit fees for small units and financing for ADUs in exchange for long-term affordability.
  18. 26-0488 Receive a presentation on Our State, Our Homes Reflections and Recommendations
    Presentation Housing and affordability
    Members of the UNC Our State, Our Homes initiative describe Chatham's participation and their recommendations.
  19. 26-0498 Receive a presentation on Community Land Trust Partnerships
    Presentation Farmland and open spaceHousing and affordability
    Community Home Trust on land trust models, which keep homes affordable on resale through price restrictions and shared equity.
  20. RECESS
    Procedural
  21. 26-0499 Receive a presentation on Financing New Housing Development through Scattered Site Development
    Presentation Housing and affordability
    Brick Capital CDC on financing the purchase, repair and resale of scattered homes to income-qualified buyers.
  22. RECESS
    Procedural
  23. 26-0500 Receive a presentation on New Housing through Tax Credit Development
    Presentation Housing and affordability
    The UNC Development Finance Initiative on new rental housing through low-income housing tax credits.
  24. 26-0501 Receive a presentation on Downpayment Support Models
    Presentation Housing and affordability
    DHIC on down payment assistance models for home buyers.
  25. RECESS
    Procedural
  26. PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION
    Procedural
  27. 26-0504 The Public Comment Session is held to give residents an opportunity to speak on any item. The session is no more than thirty minutes long to allow as many as possible to speak. Speakers are limited to no more than three minutes each and may not give their time to another speaker. Speakers are asked to sign up in advance. Comments are always welcome in writing
    Procedural
    Thirty minutes of public comment on the second day.
  28. 26-0502 Reflections on the Affordable Housing Retreat
    Discussion item Housing and affordability
  29. 26-0503 Close-out and Next Steps
    Discussion item Budget and appropriationsHousing and affordability
    Close-out and next steps for the retreat.
  30. 26-0565 Other Resources
    Staff or committee report Budget and appropriationsHousing and affordability
    Staff implementation proposals with costs. For fiscal 2028 they suggest a $50,000 shallow rent subsidy pilot for 20 households, a community land trust partner chosen by RFQ, and $175,000 more for the housing trust fund. Later or bond-dependent steps include $300,000 for rapid rehousing, a $500,000 to $1 million line of credit for scattered-site homes, a 4% tax credit project of 120 to 200 units, $1 million to $2 million in loans to preserve a manufactured home community, and a $110,000 down payment pilot.
  31. ADJOURNMENT
    Procedural

Agenda changes

What moved between published versions of this agenda. Item numbers shift constantly as things are inserted, so only genuine additions and removals are listed.

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