Renew NC offers prescreening for Workforce Housing for Ownership Program

RALEIGH – Starting July 20, Renew NC is offering a prescreening opportunity to help potential applicants prepare for the upcoming launch of the Workforce Housing for Ownership (WHFO) Program. 

While prescreening is not required to submit a program application, it is strongly encouraged. Prescreening provides an initial review to help determine whether proposed Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) projects align with federal requirements, meet a national objective, and demonstrate financial feasibility.

This program is funded through a CDBG-DR grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Of the $1.4 billion in CDBG-DR funding allocated to North Carolina for western North Carolina recovery, $53.38 million is allocated for the WHFO Program.

To qualify for assistance under the WHFO Program, properties must be located within a HUD-identified MID area. The eligible HUD MID areas are limited to Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cleveland, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey Counties. 

Workforce Housing for Ownership Program  

The WHFO program is an initiative designed to fund development of workforce housing units for ownership. There is a distinct need within the HUD-Identified Most Impacted and Distressed (MID) counties for additional homeownership opportunities that are affordable to broader segments of the workforce to incentivize them to remain in western NC following Helene and to partially remedy inadequate housing production in past years across western NC. The term “workforce,” as used under this program, refers to households up to 80% of AMI. 

Eligible applicants for the WHFO Program include: 

• For‑profit housing developers
• Non‑profit housing developers, including CHDOs and CBDOs
• Community Land Trusts (CLTs)
• Public housing authorities and local governments
• Joint ventures among any eligible entities that demonstrate sufficient development capacity and financial management
• Other applicant types at DCR’s discretion, provided they can demonstrate the ability to develop, own, or manage affordable housing in compliance with CDBG‑DR and WHFO requirements 

The award range for the WHFO program is $2 million to $5 million. Eligible property types under the WHFO Program must: 

• Be designed for for‑sale residential use  
• Meet all applicable program construction, accessibility, environmental, zoning, broadband, and energy efficiency requirements.  
• Qualify as real property under North Carolina law, including being permanently affixed to land and transferable by deed.
• Not be a manufactured homes or mobile homes located within any flood zone (including 100‑year, 500‑year, or non‑encroachment areas) as these properties are not eligible for funding. 

To be eligible for the Program, sites must be: 

• Suitable for residential development and must meet all environmental, legal, and zoning requirements prior to award or project initiation.
• Zoned for residential use or show a clear and feasible path to rezoning approval within 90 days of a conditional award.
• In alignment with the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS), sites located within the 100‑year floodplain, 500‑year floodplain, floodway, or state/federal non‑encroachment areas are ineligible unless the project meets HUD floodplain management requirements. 

Projects must align with HUD regulations and meet a national objective.

Prescreening Process

On Monday, July 20, the WHFO Program began offering prescreening for project planning and technical assistance, as needed. The prescreening process is intended to help the North Carolina Department of Commerce Division of Community Revitalization (DCR) assess unmet needs and assist potential applicants in determining whether a proposed project is likely to:

• Have the organizational capacity and experience to manage funds.
• Order the funding of assistance to avoid duplication of benefits.
• Access project shovel readiness to include (design, affordability, feasibility, and community impact).  

To sign up:

1. Visit the Renew NC Grant Portal.
2. Click 'sign up now' to create an account.
3. Follow the prompts to provide the necessary information.
4. Once the prescreen is complete, a DCR staff member will follow up to discussion the submission.

Helpful user guides for the Renew NC Grant Portal and prescreening process are provided as additional resources on the Workforce Housing for Ownership Program webpage. This page features information on funding allocation and eligibility requirements, as well.

Prescreening will remain open and can also be utilized before and during the application window. The prescreen can be saved at any point during the submission process and does not have to be completed in one sitting.

Applications are anticipated to launch in late August 2026.