HHH Meets with Councilman Foxx

Last Wednesday, HHH members gathered with City Councilman Anthony Foxx to discuss Charlotte's affordable housing strategy. Foxx aptly pointed out that it is worth questioning the city's current definition of affordable housing, which is for people who earn 60% of Area Median Income. In Charlotte, that is someone who makes $40,000 per year.

Foxx encouraged HHH to take several action steps:

1. Ask the City Council to put $20 million of affordable housing bonds on the ballot in November. The City Manager had requested $20 million in bonds every 2 years, but the Council cut the request in half and will place $10 million on the ballot in November. Foxx suggested we make this request and follow it up with a huge out pouring of letters and phone calls from the public.

2. Talk to the City about making better use of private-public developments. Each time a developer comes to the city asking for neighborhood improvements or zoning for a new project, the city should be asking what the developer is doing to curb our affordable housing shortage.

3. Seek an opportunity to serve of the Housing Trust Fund advisory board.

We thank Mr. Foxx for his time and concern.