Missed Monday’s Wake County Board of Commissioners meeting on Dec. 7th? Here are the highlights:
The board elected Sig Hutchinson to be chair of the board for the next year and Shinica Thomas to serve as vice chair. Hutchinson presented a plaque of appreciation to outgoing Chair Matt Calabria for his year of service. The commissioners thanked him for his leadership during a time of unprecedented hardship and acknowledged his grace under pressure.
The board voted to accept $175,577 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Our housing team will use it to pay for the administration and planning efforts needed to submit our Allocation Plan, which HUD requires to receive $3.5 million in federal funding.
Next came some exciting news! With the board’s approval of loans for two affordable housing developments in Raleigh, we have officially achieved our goal to fund the creation of 2,500 affordable housing units in Wake County TWO YEARS ahead of schedule! Learn more here.
The Commissioners then heard an update on our HouseWake! COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program, which helps residents on the verge of eviction avoid homelessness and keep their utilities on. We receive 700 applications a week and have 9,063 applications in the queue. Although the need remains great, our federal funding is running out. That’s why the county will reallocate $15 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to HouseWake!, so it can meet the needs of struggling residents through the end of 2021. The county has also asked the City of Raleigh to provide additional funds and we’ve applied for more federal dollars. Learn more here.
Finally, the board approved the master plan for Kellam-Wyatt Farm, a 59-acre property in east-central Wake County. When complete, the park will feature gardens and orchards for the community and demonstration, trails, pond overlooks, play areas and more. View the full plan at wakegov.com/kellamwyatt.
Want to dig deeper? You can watch a full recording of the meeting here!
