Community Development Last updated or reviewed on March 16, 2026 Welcome to Community Development! The Community Development Division manages and administers programs that are funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development for Asheville and a four-county consortium consisting of Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and Madison Counties. We administer the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) programs funded by HUD. Most of the funding from these programs is distributed to organizations in Asheville and the four county consortium through competitive application processes. Current News: Public Notice: HOME American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) Application Open The City of Asheville’s Community Development Division will be accepting applications for HOME American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) funding for Rental Housing Development. This application will be open for submission on March 16th, 2026, and will close at 5:00 pm ET on May 15th, 2026. Applications received after 5:00 pm ET on May 15th, 2026, will not be considered. The Asheville Regional HOME Consortium (the Consortium) is a recipient of HOME-ARP funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The HOME-ARP Program is a one-time allocation to state and local governments designed to address the need for homelessness assistance and supportive services to primarily benefit qualifying individuals and families who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or in other vulnerable populations. The City of Asheville’s Community Development Division administers these funds and, as lead agency for the Consortium, the City is releasing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to provide $3,001,943 in funding for the development (including new construction or acquisition/rehabilitation) of affordable multifamily rental housing located within the Consortium boundaries which includes Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania Counties. All application materials and the NOFO can be found by visiting www.ashevillenc.gov/department/community-economic-development/community-development/funding-programs/home-arp/ Please contact CommunityDevelopment@ashevillenc.gov if you have any questions. Our Web Pages To help navigate the Community Development Division, please find the links to our web pages below. HUD Programs Plans, Policy and Reports Public Notices Community Development Projects and Initiatives Get Involved To be added to the Community Development email list, please fill out our google form found here. Consider joining one of our meetings below to get more involved. Asheville Regional Housing Consortium (ARHC) ARHC is our regional consortium that helps manage HOME funds in our 4 County region – Buncombe, Henderson, Madison & Transylvania. Housing & Community Development Committee (HCD) HCD is made up of 3 City Council members who provide policy recommendations to Council on all matters relating to the creation and maintenance of affordable housing within the city, as well as services related to homelessness. Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) AHAC provides guidance on priorities and policies to Preserve, Protect & Produce Affordable Housing. Community Development Staff Staff Name Title Program Area Email James Shelton Community Development Division Manager Annual Entitlement jshelton2@ashevillenc.gov Deborah Johnson Community Development Analyst II Annual Entitlement djohnson2@ashevillenc.gov Kaylee Pulliam HOME Program Analyst Annual Entitlement kpulliam@ashevillenc.gov Sofia Bonilla CDBG Program Analyst Annual Entitlement sbonilla@ashevillenc.gov Dora Tovar Community Development Coordinator Annual Entitlement dtovar@ashevillenc.gov Elma King CDBG-DR Program Manager Disaster Recovery eking@ashevillenc.gov Amber Stapleton CDBG-DR Housing Programs Lead Disaster Recovery astapleton@ashevillenc.gov Charlie Savage CDBG-DR Economic Revitalization Programs Lead Disaster Recovery csavage@ashevillenc.gov Kate Fehlenberg CDBG-DR Infrastructure Programs Lead Disaster Recovery kfehlenberg@ashevillenc.gov Rebecca Walter CDBG-DR Communication Specialist Disaster Recovery rwalter@ashevillenc.gov If you are looking for affordable housing, suffering a housing crisis, in need of rental assistance or down payment assistance, or you have concerns about our homeless community, please call 211. The service is free, confidential and available in any language.
