Buncombe Rental Assistance Collaborative
If you need housing, the Collaborative can help.
The Buncombe Rental Assistance Collaborative (BRAC) connects landlords, property managers, and nonprofits with those in need of housing opportunities in Buncombe County.
Many families in need of safe housing where children can thrive, cannot make this transition because landlords are unwilling to accept Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) and other forms of rental subsidies. As a result, marginalized groups are trapped in concentrated poverty, and our community misses out on millions of dollars in federal funding for housing each year.
Even after securing a private unit, moving to an unfamiliar neighborhood is challenging for unprepared families. Significant increases in tenant responsibility accompany the move into private market housing, and many clients struggle with these differences. Given the scarcity of housing opportunities, we need to open the doors to more housing and ensure the success of every family.
Federal rental assistance (FRA) helps our local economy to thrive. When we are able to access the available federal support, it directly and positively impacts Asheville’s affordable housing crisis. FRA dollars make private market housing affordable to low income renters, and the BRAC helps ensure that the landlords do not sustain financial loss to support those in need in our community.
For tenants, this means access to housing in low-poverty areas which research has shown helps children escape intergenerational poverty and have improved life outcomes.
From 2020 to 2022, Thrive Asheville successfully piloted a program called the Landlord-Tenant Partnership (LTP), an innovative program to address housing challenges. Based on the success of Thrive’s pilot program, the Landlord-Tenant Partnership, Thrive was awarded funding from Buncombe County and Asheville City to expand the LTP, and develop the Buncombe Rental Assistance Collaborative with five local housing agencies.
Providing affordable housing options is crucial. By working with landlords of existing properties to understand the benefits of accepting Federal Rental Assistance and help them to close the profitability gap, Thrive Asheville secured access to 86 new units for residents in need. Building new units takes years, but reclaiming existing units is faster.
The collaborative provides education and support. By working with partners like Thrive Asheville, the BRAC is able to create equity for high-poverty communities, support upward mobility, and end intergenerational cycles of poverty.
The BRAC is helping qualified tenants make use of their housing mobility vouchers by securing housing that better meets their needs and promotes long-term stability and success. They are providing education to tenants and to landlords to develop successful partnerships, as well as providing incentives to landlords who can provide tenants with safe, stable housing.
Visit buncomberentalassistance.org to learn about the opportunities offered; be prepared for a private market rental; and get connected to the resources you need in order to keep stable housing.
