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    Advocacy

Advocate

Since 1983, Asheville Habitat has helped 2,200 adults and children build better futures though our Home Repair and Homeownership programs. However, nearly 1 in 3 Buncombe and Madison County households are cost-burdened by housing, struggling to keep a roof over their heads. This is unacceptable.

This is why Asheville Habitat advocates to change policies and systems at the local, state, and federal level, to eliminate barriers to adequate and affordable housing. Join us, and use your voice to change and challenge systems to create a world where everyone has an equal opportunity to decent housing.

Support for the Affordable Housing Bond

Too many working families and seniors are being priced out. More than 46,000 Buncombe residents spend half or more of their income on housing.

Now is the time to invest in our future. That’s why Asheville Habitat endorses the Affordable Housing Bond and the Open Space Conservation Bond on the November ballot. We need this investment especially for our seniors, working families, and to protect our drinking water. 

The Affordable Housing Bond helps build new homes through program’s like Asheville Habitat’s. The Open Space Bond protects our water and the places that make this home.

Past bonds prove this works. They helped fund 969 affordable homes, conserved 2,600 acres of land, and brought in $7 of outside money for every $1. A citizens’ oversight committee will track every dollar. Together, the two bonds cost the average homeowner about 83 cents a week.

Learn more about the bond today.

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Asheville Habitat’s Policy Priorities

AAHH advocates for policies that expand affordable homeownership, preserve existing homes, and strengthen communities. Working alongside Habitat organizations across North Carolina and the nation, we engage policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels to advance practical, nonpartisan housing solutions.

Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity works with local governments, BAHN (the Buncombe Affordable Housing Network), residents, and elected officials to advance housing solutions in Buncombe and Madison Counties.

Expand Affordable Homeownership 

Increase opportunities for affordable homeownership by advancing policies and investments that support housing production, infrastructure development, financing tools, and strategic partnerships. 

Our FY27 priorities include advocating for the Buncombe County Affordable Housing Bond, supporting housing infrastructure investments, and strengthening access to local and disaster recovery housing resources. 

Preserve Existing Affordable Housing 

Help homeowners remain safely and securely housed by advancing investments in home repair, aging in place, disaster recovery, and long-term housing stability. 

Our FY27 priorities include expanding local home repair funding, advancing the City of Asheville’s home repair policy, and advocating for additional state and federal disaster recovery resources. 

Promote Equitable Development Without Displacement 

Advance housing policies that balance increased housing opportunities with strategies that protect neighborhood stability and reduce displacement. 

Our FY27 priorities include advocating for local anti-displacement investments, supporting implementation of Asheville’s Anti-Displacement Resolution, and improving property tax relief programs for eligible homeowners. 

People stand in front of the U.S. capitol with signs saying things like "Help make the #CostOfHome something we can all afford" and "A home shouldn't cost anywhere near half your paycheck."

About Advocacy at Asheville Habitat

Advocacy is defined by Habitat for Humanity as “changing policies and systems to eliminate barriers to adequate, affordable housing in order to create a world where everyone has a decent place to live.” In other words, while not visible like homes themselves, laws, regulations and rules about land and building are a major part of housing. Smart policies and systems can promote access to decent housing, while uninformed policies and systems may create unnecessary barriers, making it harder than it needs to be to find land for construction, build the home itself or be able to afford a place to live. Just like building, advocating for smart policies and systems is a way to create a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

LEARN MORE

Watch our Documentary

After discovering a racial covenant in a deed of a South Asheville property Asheville Habitat developed for affordable housing, Habitat decided to delve deeper and learn more about the history of discriminatory housing practices and how they shaped our city.

Watch the full film here.

WNC Resources

The WNC Social Justice Advocacy Guide provides a comprehensive list of resources and allies around Western North Carolina dedicated to addressing social justice. This collection of nonpartisan organizations and nonprofits is for those wishing to learn more about specific issues, to establish connections with other groups, and to peruse volunteer opportunities. The Jubilee! Community’s Social Justice team began this site in 2018.

Interested in learning more? Contact Government Relations and Grant Manager Cassidy Moore at cmoore@ashevillehabitat.org.