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In June 2008, the North Carolina Manufactured and Modular Homebuilders Association honored me with the "Steve Zamiara Excellence in Government" award for my "determination, commitment, and untiring efforts to protect and preserve affordable housing opportunities for the citizens of Buncombe County." I appreciate this award very much.

I've worked hard to fight excessive regulations that have put owning a home out of the reach of average, hard-working families. I strongly believe that every person in the community deserves to be able to rent or own a safe, decent home.

The United States government affordable housing guidelines say that a family should not spend over 30% of their income on housing; yet, according to this standard, almost 40% of Buncombe County residents cannot afford housing. That is unacceptabe to me.

Many of the occupations that our community depends on each day do not provide sufficient income so that an individual can afford a home. I believe that our teachers, public safety workers, nurses, social workers, and the countless good folks that we all depend on deserve to be able afford to live here in Buncombe County.

Every business in our community realizes that access to housing is one of the major challenges in retaining and recruiting staff. Affordable housing is not just meeting a basic human need, it is essential for our county to make progress at creating high paying jobs. Our businesses are competing for talent against Greenville, SC, Hickory, NC, Johson City, TN, and other places --- where housing is much less expensive.

I understand the challenges our citizens face at all income levels regarding housing prices, and I'm committed to helping more people afford a home. I've tried to lead the way by establishing the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Workforce Housing policy. These initiatives help people purchase a home and assist developers in creating more affordable housing units. As Chairman, I'll continue fighting excessive regulations, work to provide better jobs for our citizens, and support programs that provide housing to working families.

For detailed information on Buncombe County's affordable housing program, click here and for some great links, Mountain Housing Opportunities and the Affordable Housing Coalition of Asheville/Buncombe are excellent resources.