Housing GSO: HRA Greensboro Affordable Housing Plan

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY

NOTES | Community Engagement Meetings

May 29, 2019 Lenders and Foundations Focus Group

Attendees: Kim Graham, Capital Bank – Community Development Officer; Danny Davis, Pinnacle Financial Partners – Community Development; Kevin Lundy, CFGG

• Greensboro organizations lack capacity to do work that is needed, and some nonprofits and boards don’t have strong leaders, so they are not a good investment • Changing mindsets is a big challenge in Greensboro. City is not ready for innovative approaches like tiny homes. • Need zoning to encourage more density, bring more jobs to different neighborhoods. • Financial institutions can’t do planning and analysis – we’ll support plan, but we can’t lead it • Funding from lender’s perspective: everything is driven by CRA goals and regulations. Most larger institutions are leaving smaller markets. So our CRA assessment areas – if we don’t have large market share in the community, we won’t make a large investment. o Community banks and credit unions, CDFIs are stepping up – but non-profits get funding from foundations • Opportunity for Greensboro to better use its universities – UNCG and A&T to help support financial literacy, outreach, education • Pinnacle partnering with City of High Point to build affordable housing for LMI households – I don’t think financial institutions should do this, but High Point didn’t have an organization to do it, so bank stood up. o Pinnacle has found it easy to work with City of High Point. Pinnacle has program where they do new construction infill projects, strictly affordable, and City helps fill in gap, do about 15 projects a year • Down payment assistance needs to be re-vamped in Greensboro • Community Link in Charlotte, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership – models for rentals in affordability housing • Model from Charlotte: work with landowners to keep land affordable

Vulnerable Populations Focus Group

Attendees: Representatives from Salvation Army, IRC, Central Carolina Health Network, Family Services of the Piedmont, Servant Center

Existing Challenges

Not enough safe and affordable housing

•

• Healthcare dollars could be used differently to address housing • Low barrier approach to getting people into housing • Permanent supportive housing is critical, case management is too • Several instances when vouchers were there but housing is the issue - just can’t find anywhere to go • Domestic violence survivors are sometimes turned down because landlords think abusers will come back • Bond didn’t do anything to impact folks in this room

HR&A Advisors, Inc.

Page 105