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Affordable Housing Project Takes Shape In Asheville, But How Much Does It Help?

City of Asheville
Drawing of proposed complex at 338 Hilliard Street

Affordable housing may be the single biggest issue facing the city of Asheville at this time, as rents around the city to continue to rise while wages for workers do not.  Voters last fall okayed bonds to help the city start building more affordable housing.  But the first project Asheville lawmakers approved since then has been in the works for some time before that.  The 64-unit (36 will be considered 'affordable' under the criteria the federal government uses) complex will be located on 338 Hilliard Avenue on what is currently a city park maintenance facility.  Jason Sandford of Ashvegas has written extensively about not just this project but affordable housing in general in Asheville.  He joined BPR's Matt Bush to give an update on the latest regarding the project and what it means for city residents.

Matt Bush joined Blue Ridge Public Radio as news director in August 2016. Excited at the opportunity the build up the news service for both stations as well as help launch BPR News, Matt made the jump to Western North Carolina from Washington D.C. For the 8 years prior to coming to Asheville, he worked at the NPR member station in the nation's capital as a reporter and anchor. Matt primarily covered the state of Maryland, including 6 years of covering the statehouse in Annapolis. Prior to that, he worked at WMAL in Washington and Metro Networks in Pittsburgh, the city he was born and raised in.
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